New Documentary on Ojibwe Sovereignty More Than David and Goliath Stor...

As we all know, today is a holiday in the United States: Indigenous Peoples Day, which commemorates the histories and cultures of the many indigenous peoples who have lived on the North American continent for millennia. The Sauk County Historical Society is celebrating the day with a series of performances and exhibits in Baraboo, Wisconsin, culminating in a screening tonight of the new documentary Bad River.

Bad River tells the story of the Bad River band of the Ojibwe tribe and its fight for sovereign control over its own land against the Canadian energy company, Enbridge. For years Enbridge maintained an oil pipeline, known as Enbridge Line 5, through the Bad River Reservation, and refused to remove it when its legal right to keep the pipeline in the Reservation expired. The legal fight to remove Line 5 continues to this day. Bad River is part of a broader activist effort to have the pipeline shut down permanently. Bad River has received wide critical acclaim and on the day of this broadcast was nominated for three Critics Choice Awards, and nominated for Best Documentary by the Environmental Media Association.

But the story is told within the broader context of the historic fight for the rights of indigenous people in the United States going back centuries. It is also told with a perspective that looks ahead centuries. The film will be available on streaming services beginning November 1.

Documentary filmmaker Mary Mazzio wrote and directed Bad River with her production company 50 Eggs films. Mary spoke by phone with Monday Buzz guest host Nicholas Wootton to talk more about the film and about Ojibwe defiance in the face of corporate power.

All photos courtesy of 50 Eggs Films.

Web posting by WORT producer Nicholas Wootton

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