EXCLUSIVE: It’s been more than 50 years since a group of teenage Anishinabeg activists and the Ojibway Warriors Society staged a dramatic occupatio
EXCLUSIVE: It’s been more than 50 years since a group of teenage Anishinabeg activists and the Ojibway Warriors Society staged a dramatic occupation of public space in Kenora, Ontario to protest racism, police brutality, and seizure of Indigenous land. That historic event, long forgotten, is brought stirringly back to the foreground in Ni-Naadamaadiz: Red Power Rising, set to make its world premiere on September 10 at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Makwa Creative Inc. announced Serial Maven Studios has boarded the documentary as international distributor ahead of the TIFF premiere. The feature “about a culture-shifting, youth-led, land-back occupation,” is written and directed by award-winning Métis filmmaker Shane Belcourt (Tkaronto) and co-written and produced by Anishinaabe journalist and author Tanya Talaga (The Knowing), a member of Fort William First Nation.
We have your first look at Ni-Naadamaadiz: Red Power Rising in the trailer above.
Louis Cameron’s son holds a photo of his father.
Makwa Creative Inc./Serial Maven Studios
The occupation of Anicinabe Park, which went on for nearly 40 days, was led by Louis Cameron, a survivor of the notorious Indian Residential School Survivor and a founder of the Ojibway Warriors Society. Members of the American Indian Movement also participated. Later, the protest shifted from Kenora to Ottawa as warriors from Cache Creek, B.C. joined in a Native Caravan heading to the Canadian capital. The uprising “ended on Parliament Hill after police violently moved to end their peaceful demonstration,” according to a film synopsis. “There is only eight minutes of footage from this occupation, but Ni-Naadamaadiz: Red Power Rising unearths the buried history of this moment.”
Director Shane Belcourt
Courtesy of Keesic Douglas
“Growing up in a household steeped in Indigenous resistance and political leadership, Louis Cameron’s courage and clarity felt deeply familiar,” commented director Shane Belcourt. “His voice echoes a legacy that still speaks urgently to this moment. We had to tell this story—because at its heart, it’s about love. The fierce, unwavering love our leaders carry for our people.”
Tanya Talaga, the film’s producer and co-writer, said in a statement, “When I first heard the story of Anicinabe Park, I knew young people everywhere needed to know about this important stand taken by a fearless group of Anishinabeg. This was a story that was written out of history, but one that deserves to be told.”
Producer and co-writer Tanya Talaga
Courtesy of Shalan and Paul
“Serial Maven Studios are thrilled to be appointed as the exclusive international distributor of this premium film,” said Serial Maven Studios CEO, Solange Attwood. “Shane Belcourt, Tanya Talaga and the Makwa creative team provide uniquely authentic access and a rich archive, delivering best-in-class storytelling with global appeal in Ni-Naadamaadiz: Red Power Rising.”
The film is executive produced by Talaga and Stuart Coxe, of Antica Productions. Original music and score for Ni-Nadaamadiz are composed by Kahnawà:ke Mohawk Territory musician, Tom Wilson (Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, Junkhouse), and Thompson Wilson.
Makwa Creative Inc./Serial Maven Studios
Ni-Naadamaadiz: Red Power Rising is produced in association with documentary Channel and APTN and made with support from the Indigenous Screen Office, Canada Council for the Arts, CMF Indigenous Fund, and Telefilm Canada. It will become available in English and Anishinabemowin versions on CBC platforms in 2026.
Watch the trailer for the documentary above.
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