By Angelica Perez
Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians
The documentary film Bad River by Mary Mazzio and members of the Bad River Ojibwe travels through time to actively voice a story of persistence and strength. Alongside the winding path of Bad River, their forebears were known as the Lake Superior Ojibwe, protectors of an ancient freshwater lake. Just as they faced cultural annihilation and degradation in the past, the Bad River tribe of today encounter new battles to protect their land and their way of life.
Coming out from the woods and mountains surrounding the Bad River, working people who rely on the energy from Pipeline 5, and others, are introduced to the tribe. Line 5 is a pipeline built by a Canadian energy company Enbridge back in the 1950s: a pipeline that directly cuts through the Bad River reservation and back into Canada on the east coast.
We enter this particular conflict through a court case between the Bad River Ojibwe and Embridge; from the beginning, we are given a direct statement stating Line 5’s existence poses a risk to the security of Bad River, and ultimately Lake Superior.
Water is a vital resource to live, and something people can connect to when cases of contaminated water sources are something that communities from multiple places in the U.S. and abroad. But, for the Bad River Ojibwe protecting this water is synonymous with protecting their way of life in a country that actively seeks to eradicate them.
Featuring scenic shots of the Bad River and Lake Superior, the respect the Bad River Ojibwe hold for their land emphasizes the interconnected relationship between humans and the Earth. In corporate interest, it’s easy for Enbridge to write off their resistance to the continued presence of Line 5 as a selfish endeavor. However, questions of stake and risks are asked. How is Enbridge assuring the maintenance and safety of the pipeline? Who would be impacted should the pipeline burst?
The conflict between Enbridge and the Bad River Ojibwe is a clashing of philosophies, how a nation of people views themselves in relation to the land they rely on. Manifest Destiny provides fuel for a certain kind of outlook on life, one most of us are familiar with in the U.S. While the Ojibwe have a much older, eternal, connection to the land. The respect held for the land and all of its creatures transfers to how people within the community are supported. While energy is provided for all kinds of people in the U.S and Canada through Line 5, the oil bursts with truths about the fragility and demanding nature of providing energy through an oil pipeline
Bad River will be shown on Thursday, April 24 at the following locations:
Epiphany Center for the Arts (201 S Ashland Ave, Chicago, IL 60607; $20 includes film, art gallery access, and an artist talk with Lindsay Olson),
Dominican University, Parmer Hall (7900 Division St, River Forest, IL 60305; free with a suggested $8 donation)
Three Brothers Theatre (221 N Genesee St, Waukegan, IL 60085; free with a suggested $8 donation).
Reserve tickets now: https://www.oneearthfilmfest.org/2025-films-a-z-1/2025/3/17/bad-river
