Bad River

Bad-River
Bad River

There are plenty of tales of the ecological disaster, and the indigenous population’s tragedy which has occurred on the territory of this country, but we have a duty both to take into account the past given to us and listen to them all in regard to this country’s future. I had some production issues with Mary Mazzio’s Bad River, but the film manages to broaden the picture that developers and politicians should be taking care of the heritage they were born into, and the world they will bequeath to their kids. Bad River, tells the story of the Bad River Ojibwe Nation from a perspective rarely seen before, quannah chasing horse, and ed norton guide us through along with some of the most creative Indigenous voices in the industry like Mato Wayuhi and Taylor Hensel from reservation dogs, what’s more: bad river will be in the theaters this weekend.

The Bad River Band or Bad River Tribe are one of the tribes that belong to the political entity of Ojibwe people situated in the northern areas of Wisconsin by the shores of Lake Superior, which is undeniably one of the most important lakes in America. Mazzio flicks over the history of Indian wrongs from their cinematic articulation in ‘The Searchers’ and the struggle for self-rule. The chief focus of her documentary is the Line 5 Pipeline, owned by Enbridge Company that is located directly on the territories of Bad River.

Once locating an eroding pipeline, it becomes a fight on its removal but Mazzio’s attitude is not just to deal with this issue alone, commuting with locals and at times, trying to weave too many stories. It’s understandable why people want to highlight the multiple problems plaguing such cultures today and call for reinstating its customs, but the documentary quite often moves away from what could settle the narrative the David and Goliath fight which is such a great story in itself. Additionally, there are quite a few dramatic interjections taken from the interviews, and the music is near over the top throughout the film. Towards the end of the movie, there is a stunning moment when the course of the river is traced like the trajectory of a lifetime and I wished to see more such material specific, detailed, deep, and less that seemed like a textbook orientation.

While Mazzio definitely could have focused on different aspects of “Bad River” in developing a series, it seems somewhat shortsighted to criticize a film that has made the most of its time and wishes to do more. Simultaneously, it puts the Line 5 Pipeline in a historical and cultural context that positions it alongside the Dawes Act, the orphaning of Native American children, and the Indian Relocation Act. What helps people to navigate through the devastation is the resilience of communities that is documented through strong voices of those who stayed. The movie is not straight forward and tries to do many things, but it cannot be faulted for this. There is so much that needs to be told.

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