History of Manawan - Part One

Alanis Obomsawin
1972-01-01

An account of how white civilization has invaded Indian lives, governed their hunting, trapping, and fishing, confined Native peoples to reserves, and made them virtually helpless to pursue the 'old life.'
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20 min

“It’s not how it used to be.” The words of Cézar Néwashish resonate throughout this short documentary that explores the history of the Atikamekw community of Manawan, Quebec. Less than a century old in name, Manawan embodies the experiences of so many Indigenous communities across Canada. Where once they practised their customs freely on a vast territory, the arrival of the Europeans would eventually mean the restriction of their cultural practices and confinement to a reserve named Manawan.