Grand Rapids

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Description

Grand Rapids, Manitoba, is situated where the Saskatchewan River flows into Lake Winnipeg. For thousands of years, indigenous people fished for sturgeon along the shoreline of the rapids. Misapawistik was the Cree name for the rapids. The energy of the swiftly moving water provided spiritual power, as well as increased strength in body and endurance. This documentary is about memories of people who lived in Grand Rapids when the mighty river flowed. The story is a record of perceptions about how construction of the dam has altered every aspect of the resident's lives. The intrusion of a 'foreign culture' (modern world) was suddenly imposed upon an isolated, Cree-speaking community, replacing the traditional way of life.