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Mary Two-Axe Earley: I Am Indian Again

Courtney Montour
2021 | 34 min
Mary Two-Axe Earley: I Am Indian Again shares the powerful story of Mary Two-Axe Earley, who fought for more than two decades to challenge sex discrimination against First Nations women embedded in Canada’s Indian Act and became a key figure in Canada’s women’s rights movement.

Using never-before-seen archival footage and audio recordings, Mohawk filmmaker Courtney Montour engages in a deeply personal conversation with the late Mohawk woman who challenged sexist and genocidal government policies that stripped First Nations women and children of their Indian status when they married non-Indian men.

Montour speaks with Cree activist Nellie Carlson, Mary’s lifelong friend and co-founder of Indian Rights for Indian Women, and meets with three generations in Mary’s kitchen in Kahnawà:ke to honour the legacy of a woman who galvanized a national network of allies to help restore Indian status to thousands of First Nations women and children.

Awards and distinctions

  • Best Documentary Short
    Annual American Indian Film Festival (ONLINE), San Francisco
    2021
  • Documentary Short Award
    Imagine Native Film + Media Arts Festival, Toronto
    2021
  • Best Documentary
    Weengushk International Film Festival, Sudbury
    2021