The Canary Effect
The Canary Effect is a documentary that looks into the effects of that the United States and its policies have on the Indigenous peoples (Native Americans) who are residents.
It premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and won the Stanley Kubrick Award at the 2006 Traverse City Film Festival (Michael Moore hosts).
The movie was directed by Robin Davey and Yellow Thunder Woman, who are both members of LA Based alternative pop group The Bastard Fairies.
Delving deeply into the often misunderstood and frequently over looked historic realities of the American Indian, The Canary Effect follows the terrifying and horrific abuses instilled upon the Indigenous people of North America, and details the genocidal practices of the US government and its continuing affects on present day Indian country.
Featuring interviews with the leading scholars and experts on Indian issues including controversial author Ward Churchill, the film brings together the past and present in a way never before captured so eloquently and boldly on film.
What have we done to an old and noble People and their culture? Destroyed, humiliated, subjugated and blamed them for the destruction. I'm ashamed of our leaders. I'm ashamed and embarrassed that at 69 years of age I knew practically nothing about this part of American history. I thank you for enlightening me. I pray that we as Americans can and will make restitution to these People.
Very emotional and disturbing at the same time. Did my best to share it so more people can discover , like I did, that what I learned in school in history text books was far from this.
Amazing documentary. I am wondering if there is or will be a current follow-up? I live in a small town in Oklahoma. Have native American friends and never once passed up the opportunity to hire them. But unfortunately, I do have white friends as well where I do see that reserve that they hold the Indian Nation. I have never understood their mentality. And I hope with the passing of more years that the bigotry will die away. It is a great shame for me to see it. And this should make every American cringe with their self-pride...
Can someone give me the publishing information for this film?
Governments have often committed atrocities, and because governments have people in them who are greedy for even more power, they have the tendency to spread like cancers. Europe, which was a state-dominated region, went on a spree of conquest and colonization. Many of the worst atrocities that people perpetrated on each other were coordinated by governments.
After the first Opium War (1839) , the westerners from the USA and Europe carried out culture genocide similar to what they did to the native Americans as described in this documentary in China, the western christian missionaries and xtians(christian zealots, disciples and sheeples) lured, kidnapped and adopted Chinese kids, women and youths to achieve their mission of “killed the Chinese, saved the man”. In order to break down the Chinese determination to protect their identity and dignity. The western Christians used their extraterritorial power to shield Chinese criminals from prosecutions, stole lands and properties, destroyed Chinese culture and artifacts, etc.
The incompetent and corrupted Qing court refused to step in to protect the Chinese from the reckless westerner’s culture genocide, it forced the ordinary Chinese to organize themselves to protect their land, families, and culture against the westerners’ ruthless criminal assault, it was called Boxer Movement, but the westerners labelled it Boxer Rebellion, a terrorist movement that threatened the safety of their people in China, and crushed it with an Eight-Nation Alliance armed invasion.
The Eight-Nation Alliance troops overrun Qing’s capital Peking, uncontrolled plunder, burning and killing of the capital and surrounding countryside followed. The Eight-Nation Alliance (the American as a member) forced Boxer Protocol on China, the indemnity alone was 450 million taels of silver ($10 billion today’s money) which was more than Qing’s annual tax revenue. Subsequently China went from crippled by Opium to a totally broken and wrecked semi-colony ridden with poverty, deceases and wars, it was a hundred years long humiliation, and human right hell.
Have the Americans (the non-natives) changed from the savages described in the film “The Canary Effect”? Not a bit, the Americans have been wrecking havoc around the world the same way they have wrecked havoc to the native Americans ever since. Insane, mad, crazy, psychopathic, double think, morally defunct, blood thirsty, savage... are not bad enough to describe the true nature of the Americans.
My problem with this entire narrative is that;
a) aboriginal people get grouped into one entity, which ignores the fact that some tribes attacked, invaded, exploited, forcibly assimilated, and stole the land of others. Europeans come and do the same thing (which has been going on for all of human history) and suddenly history stops.
b) this documentary presented practically no evidence for how aboriginal people are discriminated against today, and in fact highlighted more cases where they get special treatment (eg. subsidies, expecting to be taken care of by the government, getting to retain ancestral culture,etc.)
c) It shift responsibility for all native problems, to the whiteman. This is not true, but also explains why they are still struggling to solve their problems.
They were from ancient ancestors afro asian...there is more too the people of melanin colored skin in the Old Testament
They will NEVER break our spirit.
There are an embarrassing amount of typos in the supers that appear throughout this movie.
The problem this film explores is the psychopathic id of modern culture. Politics, finance, education, inherent racism, ecological failure, they all are at their root part of the mass suicide we call globalization. Native American cultures had a vast amount of knowledge both spiritual and ecological that the "civilization", whether eastern or western, has never possessed. We all need to contemplate how we can reinstate stewardship of the earth to the only true protectors of her; Native inhabitants and cultures.
The American people have been systematically and repeatedly lied to and denied knowledge of the genocide within this country. You, too, will play the game, or pay the price. We've been offered the good life, and good jobs, but only if you don't see and talk about what is taking place within our borders. Where have our teachers been, why have they not told us? Because their jobs depend upon them NOT telling children the truth, and textbooks are used only if they have been censored and rewritten to reflect our 'Official History of the U.S.'. Our military destroyed civilizations that had evolved within North America for thousands of years prior to their 'discovery' by the english. How bizarre, the country was completely occupied when it was discovered by the English, and some of the people are those you've likely never heard of, such as the Melungeons, families of sailors from the Mediterranean area, and Indian women from the southeastern coastal areas of the U.S. The dark skinned Melungeons were pushed up into the hills of Tennessee by the English and Irish, and denied civil rights such as voting and holding office. Only the Seminoles in Florida could avoid confrontation, by slipping back into the everglades.
So where does this desire to eliminate another race of people come from, since it seems so universal? Lately I've been watching U.S.helicopter crews gleefully killing men, women and children in Iraq using powerful canons mounted on their gunships, and the sounds of their laughter still rings in my ears. What will it take for humans to live together?
This documentary should be part of every history curriculum in our public schools. There should be accountability Finally for the genocide of the Indigenous Tribes which should include reparations directly from the Corporate Colonial Military Industrial Complex as it exists today.
that was shocking ... sickening
America is the new reservation, What was done to the native American is being perpetrated on the average American. The government of the world new they had to destroy the native culture because it was the opposite of the European societies which are top down pyramid schemes that need to conquer, steal and exploit to survive and prosper. We as Americans are reaping what our ancestor sowed. What was done to the Native American will now be down to the average American so the elites can continue their pyramid scheme.
So many Americans consider themselves religious, and righteous, yet those who manage our governments, our federal and state governments, cannot bring themselves to treat the Amerindians as human beings. It is said the U.S. Government has never honored a treaty with an Indian Nation. I was completely brainwashed, lied to as a child growing up, beginning with the Columbus myths, until today 70 years later I have no trust in any United States leader or institution. If I had the courage I would give up my American citizenship in protest..... but to what end? I know eventually this country will go the way of those others just like us, eaten up by debt and greed and inhumanity. What will it take for the US Government to be kind, to be honest ........ to be human, with other humans?
Too much talking and writing treaties and laws. Talking and written laws is what has gotten the WHOLE WORLD into this. Humanity needs to appreciate its own capabilities as a species, and allow communication on such passionate matters through ancient methods like dance and music.
That being said, Canary effect is a great title. The whole world, all beings inclusive, has suffered more than it has gained from the establishment of the 'New World.'
I appreciated this film. Our country's history with the Native American is shameful, and an important revelation of human ignorance, willful or otherwise, that we hope we learn from. The challenge for the Native Americans will be to overcome the pain, choose to heal, move on and build a future with pride and dignity. A future that celebrates and honors what is worthy in its communal traditions, yet rises above the dependencies that cripple it and leave it in poverty, addiction, poor mental and physical health.
being a full blooded first nations person from Canada this was heartbreaking & horrible to watch, its not only the US its here in Canada and around the world that this had happen & continues to happen. I stand with IDLENOMORE and believe that we will rise again as prophesied by our ancestors years ago before the white man had even stepped foot on land. they may break our bones but will never break our spirit <3
Seriously!!...American Indians weren't even classified as American citizens?even by presidents...Thats so not right..
open for discussion on the facebook group "Brainstorming to Make the World Better". please join.
Best documentary ever. Until I drove through a reservation one time I never knew how bad they were. I seldom to never see anything about this in mainstream news. America hiding its shameful history like a dysfunctional family; if we never speak about it, it didn't happen, doesn't exist.
can anyone tell me the name of the artist of the song that begins at 0:12:01 ??
I am and is still saddened by the way the Native were treated.How horrible and to honor Columbus as an hero when he was nothing but an true mass murder is sickening.They made up all of these lies on the natives,even taught in school lies about them.When I found out the truth about what evil,savage,barbaric acts were done to them-I decided that I would tell as many people as possible the truth.I sign petitions for them every chance I get.They are over in the amazon doing the same things all over again.It is wrong and they need to stop.The Natives deserve an Holiday,an monument,statue,etc in their name and I pray to God that they get it.I am going to fight for their rights as long as I have too.It is truly heartbreaking and horrible that an mass murder have an Holiday named after him.
Instead of arguing about past morals etc we should be asking what we can do to help the situation. We need to be aware of the past and what happened, but the more pressing matter is what do we do now? Does anyone know if there's any way of funding mental healthcare or counselling or something on the reservations? We need to help prevent alcoholism and suicide as is a matter of urgency... Also the fact that the US government refuses to acknowledge the suffering of the American Indian community is appalling.