Trick or Treaty?

In Trick or Treaty?, Alanis Obomsawin takes a critical look at Treaty No. 9, which was signed in 1905 between the British Crown and the Cree and Ojibwe peoples in Ontario. While the Canadian government sees the treaty as a cession of Indigenous sovereignty, many descendants of the signatories see it as a broken promise: an agreement to share land and resources that was never honoured. The film accompanies Indigenous leaders on their journey to make their voices heard – in dialogue with the government and in protest on the streets. Alanis Obomsawin weaves together moving speeches, archive footage and testimonies from the Idle No More movement to create a compelling document about colonial continuities, cultural self-determination and the courage to retell history. A passionate plea for recognition, self-determination and an end to colonial oppression. (M.G.)