You Are on Indian Land facts for kids

You Are on Indian Land is a 1969 documentary film. It was directed by Mike Kanentakeron Mitchell. The film is about a protest that happened in 1969. This protest involved the Mohawk people from the St. Regis Mohawk Reservation. They stood on a bridge that connects Canada and the United States. This bridge is on Mohawk land near Cornwall, Ontario.

The Mohawk people blocked traffic on the bridge. They wanted to show everyone that Canadian officials were stopping them. The officials would not let them bring things they bought across the border without paying extra taxes. The Mohawk people believed they had a right to travel freely across the border. This right was set out in the 1794 Jay Treaty. This was an agreement between Great Britain and the United States. The film shows how the Mohawk people started to speak up more. They demanded to make their own decisions about their land and lives. This fight for their rights has continued over the years.

How the Film Was Made

You Are on Indian Land was made by the National Film Board of Canada (NFB). It was part of their Challenge for Change film series. Mike Mitchell was part of a new group called the Indian Film Crew. This group helped First Nations people make films. Mike Mitchell knew that talks between the Mohawk people and the government were not going well. He also knew the Mohawks planned to block the bridge. So, he asked George C. Stoney, a producer at the NFB, for a film crew.

George C. Stoney quickly put a film team together. Another director, Mort Ransen, agreed to help. He said he would work on the project because no First Nations directors were available. Mike Mitchell later became a leader for the Akwesasne community. He said that making this film mixed filmmaking with real-life politics.

I was filming the meetings, but I was also asking questions and giving my own views, and I soon became identified as one of the spokesmen [for the community]; they asked that I be part of the delegation that was going to Ottawa. So I was really playing both sides at the time.

Mike Mitchell's Journey

After making the film, Mike Mitchell worked with the NFB for a few more years. Then, he left filmmaking. In 1982, he was elected to the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne. Two years later, in 1984, he was first elected as their Grand Chief. A Grand Chief is a main leader for the community. He held this important job many times, even being re-elected in 2012.