Urban Eclipse: Rising Tides of Kekekoziibii

Winnipeg Manitoba plays itself in this documentary, Urban Eclipse: Rising Tides of Kekekoziibii (Shoal Lake #40 First Nation). Deeply entrenched in the landscape are the growing pains from an aqueduct built in the early 1900’s to feed its water supply. It’s a history that speaks to a dirty truth: The major artery piping clean water to an urban centre has displaced and isolated an Anishinaabe community in Treaty 3 territory, robbing them of their own drinking water.

2019 marks the centennial of the aqueduct and the same year “Freedom Road” opens as a vein to the Trans-Canada Highway. The Shoal Lake #40 water issue continues to capture global attention, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau even visited the community for a first-hand experience. The water that connects the Lake of the Woods watershed remains a powerful force and the memories and ongoing relationships continue to define the narratives of Kekekoziibii.

This documentary is unique because it reflects +100 archival images, drawing from the City of Winnipeg Archives – Greater Winnipeg Water District (GWWD) and Winnipeg in Focus, the Presbyterian Church in Canada Archives, Provincial Archives of Alberta, Library and Archives Canada, Manitoba Free Press, StrongFront.tv Vault, and the Museum of Canadian Human Rights Violations.