MUCH. >> HEADING UP NORTH, THE STORY
AND HISTORY OF OPPRESSION AND RESISTANCE OF NATIVE TRIBE ALONG
LAKE SUPERIOR IS TOLD IN A NEW DOCUMENTARY CALLED BAD RIVER.
THE FILM TRAVELS CENTURIES BACK IN TIME CHRONICLING BROKEN
TREATIES, LAND LOSS AND ATTEMPTS TO WIPE OUT THEIR IDENTITY.
BUT DEFIANCE AND RESILIENCY REMAIN THE COMMON THREAD TO
OVERCOMING STRUGGLE. THE BAD RIVER BAND IS FIGHTING
THE EXISTENCE OF A 70-YEAR OLD PIPELINE FROM ENBRIDGE FROM
CANADA. LINE 5 IS ON LAND LEASED BY THE
BAND IN A LEGAL AGREEMENT LONG EXPIRED.
MOREOVER, EXPERTS FEAR THE IMMINENT RUPTURE OF THE AGING
INFRASTRUCTURE. WANTS THE LAND FOR THEIR OWN
PROFIT. THE LAST AUTHORITY OF DENIAL FOR
US. THE TRIBE, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE
YOUR MANAGER. >> IT'S OUTRAGEOUS THAT ENBRIDGE
CONTINUED TO PUMP. >> YOU HAVE A VITAL RESOURCE AND
EFFECTIVELY YOU HAVE TRIBAL COMMUNITY SAYING WE WANT TO SHUT
ALL OF THAT DOWN AND WE DON'T CARE ABOUT THE MILLIONS OF
PEOPLE THAT ARE DEPENDENT ON 540,000 BARRELS OF OIL THAT ARE
GOING THROUGH THAT PIPELINE ON A DAILY BASIS.
>> MY LITTLE TRIBE IS STANDING UP AND SAYING, WE'RE PROTECTING
THE WATER, NOT JUST FOR US, WE'RE PROTECTING WATER FOR THE
PLANET. >> FILMMAKER, MARY MAZZIO AND
FORMER CHAIRMAN OF THE BAD RIVER BAND, MIKE WIGGINS, JOINS US
NOW. >> THANK YOU FOR HAVING US.
>> FIRST TO YOU, MIKE. WHEN YOU FIRST SAW THIS FILM,
WHAT WAS YOUR REACTION? >> MY FIRST REACTION WAS
ACTUALLY I HAD A VERY POWERFUL EMOTIONAL REACTION.
THE CHRONICLING OF THE BAD RIVER HISTORY, SOME OF IT NOT BEING
THE EASIEST TO LISTEN TO AND WATCH, CULMINATING WITH THE
EXPRESSION OF VALUES AS IT PERTAINS TO THE SEVENTH
GENERATION, OUR CHILDREN THAT ARE STILL ON THE WAIT AND ALSO
OUR LANDSCAPES AND OUR WATERS. IT JUST WAS A VERY, VERY
POWERFUL KIND OF REACTION FOR ME WAS BASICALLY TEARS.
>> WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSE TO ENBRIDGE SAYING THAT THE TRIBE
DOESN'T CARE ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO DEPEND ON THE 540,000
GALLONS OF OIL GOING THROUGH THAT PIPELINE EVERY DAY?
>> WELL, THAT'S A CHARACTERIZATION FROM A
CORPORATION, A PRIVATE CORPORATION BEING OPERATED FOR
PROFIT AND OBVIOUSLY THE REST OF THAT STORY IS WE HAVE OUR SET OF
VALUES AND OUR CONCERNS THAT DRINKING WATER, AQUIFERS, THE
ABILITY FOR OUR PEOPLE TO STAY IN OUR FOREVER HOME NOW AND INTO
THE FUTURE, AND SO I REALLY THINK IT'S PART OF THE LOW BROW
BOOK OF TACTICS THAT ENBRIDGE HAS UNLEASHED ON OUR PEOPLE
TRYING TO CHARACTERIZE US IN A NEGATIVE WAY WHEN REALLY THERE
ARE OPTIONS, THERE ARE OTHER PIPELINES THAT ARE RUNNING TO
THOSE PARTICULAR PEOPLE AND AREAS AND AT THE END OF THE DAY,
THAT ENBRIDGE SPOKESPERSON IS REALLY TALKING ABOUT HIS VERY
OWN CORPORATE PROFIT. >> MARY, WHY WAS THIS FILM
IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO MAKE? >> THANK YOU FOR THAT AND THANK
YOU FOR HAVING US, FREDERICA. I THINK, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A
STORY THAT HAS NOT HERETOFORE HAD VERY MUCH ATTENTION AND IT'S
ABOUT THIS SMALL NATIVE COMMUNITY THAT, WITH MONUMENTAL
EFFORT, IS LOOKING TO PROTECT A RESOURCE, AND AS FARM FORMER CHN
HAS SAID, IT'S THE FRESH WATER OF AMERICA.
HERE ARE PEOPLE FIGHTING TOOTH AND NAIL TO PROTECT THE
RESOURCE, TURNING DO DOWN $80 MILLION AT LAST CHECK TO SETTLE
THE CASE AND THEY'RE DOING IT NOT FOR THEMSELVES, THEY'RE
DOING IT FOR ALL OF US. AND THAT IS A REMARKABLE ACT OF
SELFLESSNESS, OF LONG-TERM THINKING, AND FOR ME AS A
NONNATIVE, WHAT A ADJOURN THIS HAS BEEN AND IF ONLY I CAN START
THINKING IN A MORE GROUP-ORIENTED WAY WHAT IS
BETTER FOR COMMUNITY, WHAT IS BETTER FOR SOCIETY, HOW AMAZING
WOULD THAT BE IF MORE OF US COULD DO THAT.
>> MIKE, BACK TO YOU. A FEDERAL JUDGE GAVE ENBRIDGE
THREE YEARS TO REMOVE THE PIPELINE.
THAT? >> WELL, THE VERY -- THE
ELEPHANT IN THE CORNER ON NOTIONS OF REMOVAL CENTER AROUND
ENBRIDGE'S DESIRE TO REROUTE, STAYING WITHIN THE WATERSHED.
THE REROUTE IS GOING TO BE CATASTROPHIC.
MINNESOTA THE BREACHING OF AQUIFERS AND WATER TOXICITY.
THE REROUTE AS IT PERTAINS TO BAD RIVER IS IN A REALLY
SENSITIVE AREA OF THE UPPER WATERSHED WHERE GROUNDWATER AND
SURFACE WATER INTERACT. AND THEN THERE'S THE TOPIC
THAT'S NEVER BEEN DISCUSSED, WHICH IS THE DECOMMISSIONING AND
SAFE REMOVAL OF THE PIPE AND ALL OF ITS BEGGED BEC BEDDING BECAUE
BEDDING IS NOT VERY GOOD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, BUT THE
DECOMMISSIONING AND REMOVAL FROM THAT RESERVATION IS GOING TO BE
A JOURNEY, TOO, AND THERE'S NOBODY TALKING ABOUT THAT IN
TERMS OF IMPACTS AND COSTS. >> I WANTED TO ASK YOU, YOU
SPOKE TO THE REROUTE. IN AN OPINION PIECE IN THE
SENTINEL THIS WEEK, A BAD RIVER TRIBAL MEMBER SAID THAT SOME
TRIBAL MEMBERS, HE SAID PERHAPS MANY, WANT THAT PIPELINE, THAT
REROUTE OF THE PIPELINE BECAUSE IT REPRESENTS CONSTRUCTION JOBS
FOR THEM. WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSE TO THAT?
>> WELL, THAT PARTICULAR OPINION PIECE, I'VE SEEN THE TRADEMARK
FINGERPRINTS OF ENBRIDGE'S PUBLIC RELATIONS ARM IN THAT
LETTER, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WITH THAT TRIBAL MEMBER
SIGNING THAT AND TAKING OWNERSHIP, I THOUGHT THE OVERALL
LETTER BASICALLY CENTERED AROUND MONEY, IT'S CENTERED AROUND
SELF-INTEREST IN TERMS OF -- HE TALKED ABOUT MONEY AND GOING
DIRECTLY TO PEOPLE, AND IT'S HARD TO FAULT FOLKS FOR THEIR
DESIRE IT OFF MONEY IN THEIR POCKET.
NATION-BUILDING ISSUE THAT HAS RIPPLE EFFECTS THAT GO DECADES
AND PROBABLY CENTURIES INTO THE FUTURE, SO OUR GOVERNING BODY
HAS CONTINUED TO TAKE A UNIFIED STAND AGAINST THESE TYPES OF
CORPORATE ACTIVITIES IN THE WATERSHED AND PART OF THE
ENBRIDGE STRATEGY HAS BEEN TO TRY TO USURP THE TRIBAL
GOVERNMENT, TO GO DIRECTLY TO PEOPLE, TO PUSH FOR ESSENTIALLY
THE TAKEOVER AND/OR THWARTING OF THE TRIBAL GOVERNANCE STANCE.
THAT LETTER WAS PER THE SCRIPT. >> MARY, HOW HAS THIS FILM BEEN
RECEIVED? >> WELL, WE OPENED WITH AMC
THEATRES ON MARCH 15th IN 12 CITIES.
WE NOT ONLY EXTENDED BUT EXPANDED TO 25 LOCATIONS,
ACTUALLY, MOSTLY IN WISCONSIN, CHICAGO, MINNESOTA.
E CONTINUE TO PLAY TODAY IN MADISON AND MANY OTHER
LOCATIONS. IF YOUR VIEWERS GO TO BAD RIVER
FILM.COM, THERE'S ON-LINE TICKETING.
THEATRES, PARTICULARLY THE ASHLAND THEATRE, WAS THAT THE
FILM HAD OUTPERFORMED DUNE, GHOSTBUSTERS AND GODZILLA, WHICH
IS JUST UNHEARD OF FOR A DOCUMENTARY FILM.
AND SO I THINK WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS EXTRAORDINARY REACTION TO THE
PROJECT, A LOT OF LEARNING BY NONNATIVES THAT GO IN TO SEE THE
MOVIE AND WERE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE ADJOURN AHEAD.
>> ALL RIGHT. WELL, WE WANT TO THANK YOU BOTH
VERY MUCH FOR JOINING US TO TALK ABOUT THIS IMPORTANT PROJECT.
MARY MAZZIO AND MIKE WIGGINS, MARY MAZZIO AND MIKE WIGGINS,