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Title: Blockade: Algonquins defend the forest Rating: 3.1 out of 4 Reference: Director, Boyce Richardson; producer, Mark
Zannis.
Reviews and Numerical Ratings 3 I’m not super-excited about this video but, for people who know very little of the history of Native land claims and why Native groups become radicalized, this video gives a good account. It also includes diverse perspectives from diverse members of the Algonquin community. The main problem is that the situation may be represented as more unproblematic than it actually is: in other situations about which I know more, the relations between environmentalists (who are concerned about preservation) and Native groups (who are concerned about livelihoods and use of the land) are more complex, not so smooth. Peter Vandergeest 3 Pretty good and adequate for undergraduate students, very comprehensible and it could cover many sociology courses, such as native issues, environmental sociology, social movements, race/ethnicity. A few remarks: it is a bit slow paced, the ending seems a bit too abrupt and depressing (meaning that the resistance was 'unsuccessful'). Also, it needs some updates on current negotiations Algonquin Nation has made with various Canadian levels of government and companies. Madelina Sunseri 3.5 Powerful examples of aboriginal resistance & agency were found in this video. It was good to see a balance of women, men, & children involved in this resistance movement against the logging industry. It was refreshing to see women & children as active helpers in this strong resistance movement to thwart the confiscation of their lands needed for subsistence. Also, the fact that the movements were represented as peaceful but effective was promising & enlightening to those who think of such activism as potentially explosive. A strong sense of community, visibility & voice was shown in this movie, which beautifully shows the strengths & resiliency of the aboriginal people. The strong desire for aboriginal peoples to be involved at every level of the decision-making process was demonstrated well. This is a wonderful video that shows that the voices of aboriginal persons are finally being listened to & heeded. Showing a greater array of communities and movements would have had more of any impact. Yet, the striking display of agency & resistance by aboriginal communities makes this video fantastic. For students at any level. Belinda Godwin 3 Good for classroom discussion of conflict between Aboriginal people & the state. Effectively balances individual experiences of Aboriginal peoples and cultural, social, & political change. Lecture topics: Aboriginal peoples and the state, social movements. Dawn Anderson & Peter Kiatipis 3 Highly informative. Discusses the issues of environmental
racism & globalization and how it affects the lives of Aboriginals.
It displayed well how Aboriginals draw empowerment from their land and
how their land is symbolic of their culture. This video is an excellent
illustration of the continuous hypocrisy within the Canadian government.
Effectively, it is demonstrated that Canadian Aboriginals are doing
more for Canadian citizens than the government itself, since Aboriginal
communities are not only protecting the land for themselves but for
other Canadian citizens as well. For students at any level. Kisrene
McKenzie (undergraduate)
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