Part of the Daughters of the Country series, this dramatic film features a young Ojibwa girl from 1770 who marries a Scottish fur trader and leaves home for the shores of Georgian Bay. Although the union is beneficial for her tribe, it results in hardship and isolation for Ikwe. Values and customs clash until, finally, the events of a dream Ikwe once had unfold with tragic clarity.
Ages 14 to 17
Ethics and Religious Culture - Religious Diversity/Heritage
History - Early Canadian Exploration (1600s-1800s)
Indigenous Studies - History/Politics
Discuss fur trading in Canada between the Europeans and Native peoples and consider the mutual benefits of such trading. Explain why Ikwe’s father gave her to the Scotsman, Angus. Comment on their life together, especially explaining why Ikwe left Angus and went back to her tribe. Was Ikwe justified in sending her daughter away? Research the worldwide history of smallpox and the development of a successful vaccine to control it.