"Indian Summer: The Oka Crisis" (2006)TV mini-series

Director:

Gil Cardinal

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Fictional portrayal of 'The Summer of 1990' in Kanehsatake: the major conflict between a Mohawk community and the Canadian and Quebec governments - over the expansion of a golf course into an aboriginal cemetery.

Plot Keywords:

Conflict | Canada | Mohawk | Native American | Crisis

Cast

Andreas Apergis	...	Stanley Cohen
Emmanuel Bilodeau
Jamieson Boulanger
Terence Bowman	...	Reporter #3
Rick Bramucci	...	SQ Officer
Erland Campbell	...	Bob Antone
John Canoe	...	Water Drummer
Tantoo Cardinal
Alain Chanoine	...	Black soldier
Joseph Cross	...	Ronald 'Lasagna' Cross
Darrell Dennis
Derek Dugas	...	Patrick Cloutier
Flint Eagle	...	Psycho
Gary Farmer
Arthur Holden	...	Alex Paterson
Kaniehtiio Horn	...	Susan Oke
Sandra Laronde
George Leach	...	Joe 'Stonecarver' David
Vincent Leclerc
Pamela Matthews	...	Denise David
Billy Merasty	...	John Cree
Carlo Mestroni	...	Military Medic
Callie Montour	...	Denise - David's Daughter
Tony Nardi
Tamara Podemski	...	Deborah 'Chicky' Etienne
Bruce Ramsay	...	John Parisella
Alex Rice	...	Ellen Gabriel
Howard Rosenstein	...	SQ Interrogator
Eric Schweig	...	Terry Doxtator

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Filming Locations:

Montréal, Québec, Canada

Company:

Ciné Télé Action International Inc.

Too many important details left out along w/ events not being portrayed accurately enough! :((

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

After seeing this film on CBC, I have to say that it was good. However there were 2 major problems with it: 1) too many important details that happened during the Crisis were left out and 2) the events that were portrayed were not very accurate.

In total, I remember 3, maybe 4 detailed events that occurred, and even those weren't very well depicted. The directors and producers should have done a better job in having the characters portray the actual events of the Crisis more accurate and convincing. Many examples come to mind: a) Chicky's role could have been played by either Tina Louise Bomberry or Elaine Miles rather than Tamara Podemski. They both look more like the real Debbie Etienne and would have played a better role. b) Johnny Cree's role played by Billy Merasty wasn't that convincing either since he didn't look or acted anywhere near like the real Johnny Cree. Graham Greene or Gary Farmer would have been a more appropriate candidate for that role. c) It also would have been nice to see someone playing the role of Waneek Horn too since she was an important figure in the fight between the Mohawks and SQ/Army. She's the one who took a bayonet to her chest while defending her siblings! Now to me, THAT IS REAL BRAVERY! d) The man who portrayed New York City lawyer Stanley Cohen didn't even look close to him. The real one had thick, curly hair and a beard. The one who played him had blond hair and was clean-shaven. e) The role of Kahnawake's Chief Joe Norton could have been played by August Schellenberg.

But all in all, more work could have been done to help make the film more accurate and to get rid of any negative biases against the Mohawks. Like for example, I believe the SQ and the Army should have been made to look a lot more like the bad guys that they were during the actual Crisis itself. I'm afraid the audience was misinformed in that aspect. I just felt this film was superficially made and didn't depict all the major events that it should have. Dramatizing this film more would have also drawn more viewers.

However... ANYWAYS... that's only my scoop and why I gave it a 7 out of 10.