In making a pipeline movie, film producer, writer and director Mary Mazzio was struck by the tribe’s “extraordinary spirit of generosity” to
Trailer for the documentary, "Bad River."
Excerpt from this story from Inside Climate News:
A small Native American reservation in northern Wisconsin is home to the “Everglades of the North,” a vast wetlands on the shores of Lake Superior, one of the largest freshwater lakes in the world. The tribe that lives there, the Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians, has fought to protect its homeland, and the wild rice beds that are a cornerstone of tribal culture and their food supply, since before the reservation was established in 1854.
“Bad River” focuses on the latest chapter in that fight, a legal battle to get an aging crude oil pipeline removed from their reservation. The film, which was awarded Best Documentary at the Environmental Media Association Awards in Los Angeles on Oct. 26, premieres on Peacock on Nov. 1.
Easements on a dozen parcels of land for the 71-year-old Enbridge pipeline expired in 2013. The Canadian pipeline company has been trespassing on tribal land for more than a decade and erosion along the pipeline’s route poses a “real and unreasonable risk” that could cause the pipe to rupture, according to a 2023 federal court ruling.
Enbridge has dismissed concerns of a potential spill, saying safety “is the very foundation of our business.” The company, which continues to operate the pipeline, is seeking state and federal approval to reroute the line around the reservation.
Inside Climate News reporter Victoria St. Martin spoke with Mary Mazzio, the film’s producer, writer and director, in the lead up to November—Native American Heritage Month—to hear more about the film, the tribe and what she feels the Bad River Band can teach others about environmental protection. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.