Incident at Restigouche

On June 9, 1981, the Quebec Minister of Recreation, Hunting and Fishing, Lucien Lessard demanded the Mi'kmaq of Restigouche (now Listuguj) remove all nets from their traditional fishing waters. For the Mi'kmaq, salmon has been an essential source of food and income for thousands of years. Poverty and unemployment make salmon fishing crucial to the community's survival, though their take accounts for less than 0.5% of commercial fishing in the region. Within 48 hours of Lessard's demand, a force of almost 400 Quebec Provincial Police and fisheries wardens brutally raid the reserve to find and destroy the six or seven nets left in the water. Outraged by the invasion and violence, First Nations groups across the country show solidarity. Barricades spring up, tension escalates. The second police raid is even more brutal, and the ensuing trial a farce. Alana Obomsawin's formidable cross-examination of Lessard is the cornerstone of this eloquent examination of justice and sovereignty. (Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival)