Mary Two-Axe Earley: I Am Indian Again

Have you or your students heard of Mary Two-Axe Earley? Mary, a Kanien’kehá:ka (Mohawk) elder from Kahnawake, was an activist and a pioneer of the modern women’s movement on this land. You can learn more about her here, here, and here.

If you have access to a CAMPUS subscription through the National Film Board, beginning this month you will be able to view Mary Two-Axe Earley: I Am Indian Again and have access to the study guide which connects this film with Civics/Citizenship and Indigenous Studies, and is geared towards students aged 14+.

Watch the trailer, which includes footage of Mary standing her ground against an obstinate Prime Minister P.E. Trudeau.

Mary Two-Axe Earley: I Am Indian Again looks at gender discrimination in the Indian Act and connects it to the crises in Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, by centering Mary’s story of activism.

In this clip, members of Mary’s family read the letter from the Superintendent of Indian Affairs which informed her that she had been stripped of her Indian Status after marrying a White man.

More links and information

Here is a link to the Q & A with the filmmaker, Courtney Montour, herself a Mohawk woman from Kahnawake. Montour explains the context behind the film, including the use of the term “Indian” and Canadian law under the Indian Act. You can also read this interview with Montour from October 2021 from the Toronto Star.

  The film has won multiple awards including

  • Best Documentary Short American Indian Film Festival (2021)

  • Documentary Short imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival, Toronto, Canada, (2021)

  • Best Director Weengushk International Film Festival (2021)

Finally, you can view this short video from Historica Canada, who highlighted Mary Two-Axe Earley as part of their Women in Canadian History series. This video might be suitable for older Primary students as well.

Watch the Historica Canada feature on Mary Two-Axe Earley.




 


The Highlight Reel - April 2017

Instead of looking at one issue in-depth, I decided to include news and events this month that caught my eye, and could be of use in your teaching! 

INDIGENOUS FOOD WAYS


In the Globe and Mail, food historian Dr. Ian Mosby published an article, "We are what we ate: Canada's history in cuisines" which begins and ends with a look at First Nations staples, and notably, how they are tied to Canadian colonial tactics and reconciliation. Dr. Mosby is known in part for his work confirming that nutrition experiments were conducted on the children in Residential Schools. 


RICHARD WAGAMESE


On March 10, celebrated author Richard Wagamese (Ojibway, Wabaseemoong First Nation, Treaty Three) passed away. 

INDIGENOUS MUSIC

A Tribe Called Red, Tanya Tagaq, and the Black Bear Singers opened the Juno awards on April 2, with one of the most exciting performances that night. A Tribe Called Red are known for their "electric pow wow" style and Tagaq (Inuit - Iqaluktuutiaq/Cambridge Bay) has won the Polaris Prize for her music which features her throat singing. The performance brings metaphor and political statement together, and blends traditional and contemporary styles.