The People of the Kattawapiskak River It is October 2011, and
1,700 Kattawapiskak Cree are living in dreadful conditions at
minus 40 degrees in Northern Ontario, along James Bay. Their
homes have crude stoves, holes in the walls and floors, and no
sewage lines, heating or insulation. Alanis Obomsawin’s
documentary The People of the Kattawapiskak River examines the
history and causes of a housing crisis that struck this
community hard. Included are personal accounts by the people
here and political debates in the House of Commons. The director
explains that Treaty 9, which promised a square kilometre of
land to each family of five in the community, was never
respected. How can the Kattawapiskak Cree overcome these
shameful, slum-like conditions in a country deemed one of the
world’s richest? 2012, 50 min 14 s Yorkton Film Festival May 23
to 26 2013, Yorkton, Canada - Date modified: