Been watching a few films on line. One of them was the documentary by Alanis Obomsawin called Rocks at Whiskey Trench. This film is about the ugly men and ugly women of Quebec.
"During the Mohawk Oka Crisis of 1990, Canada and Quebec directed vigilantism against the Mohawks. On August 28, 1990 a convoy of 75 cars carrying Mohawk mothers, children and elders left the Kahnawake community on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River across from Montreal. Many were the sick and elderly. They were being removed ahead of a forewarned Canadian Army attack on Kahnawake.
Quebec Police, posing as part of the mob, forced the cars to remain on the bridge for 7 hours on one of the hottest days of the summer. On the other side of the Mercier Bridge a white crowd was being organized. Prejudice was spurred on by a local popular radio announcer, Gilles Proulx, urging people to kill “les sauvages”.
Ambulances were let through after patients were examined by the crowd. A young woman in labor had her cervix examined by the mob. When the cars started to move, the crowd pelted the vehicles with rocks while the out-of-uniform Quebec Police directed or looked on. One elderly man was killed. None were charged or went to trial."
Because they are Different is a film made in 1964 and it is quite telling. It shows the ugly guys and girls. Not the Indians, but the White people. Boy they sure have ugly hearts. The film shows how people see the Indian and interpret their lives. Me I see beauty in those lives. I also see how ugly views make you think you are ugly as well. The narration is like that of one those old animal shows. That is exactly the tone of this film, its funny.
It makes you feel ugly watching the people throwing rocks trying to kill the Indian and the voices of those talking about Indians, saying things like: "they live one to another, get more liquor..."
They described the Indian situation as a "anti-social behaviour". Crazy eh?
Well boys and girls, its ugly.
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