Bad River is a powerful new documentary that follows the Wisconsin-based Bad River Band and their ongoing fight for sovereignty and environmental protection. The film describes their history of resistance, from the formation of the American Indian Movement to stopping an open-pit mining project and confronting environmental threats, like trains carrying sulfuric acid across unstable reservation tracks. Led by Grant Hill, Allison Abner, and filmmaker Mary Mazzio, the documentary features indigenous scholars, former heads of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and a Catholic leader who acknowledges the role of the church in “cultural genocide” and initiates reconciliation efforts with a $250,000 contribution and return of cultural artifacts.
Executive Producer: Jay Ruderman
Release year: 2024