The NFB is committed to respecting your privacy

We use cookies to ensure that our site works efficiently, as well as for advertising purposes.

If you do not wish to have your information used in this way, you can modify your browser settings before continuing your visit.

Learn more
Skip to content Accessibility

Honour of the Crown

François Paulette has devoted more than 25 years of his life to resolving a battle that is more than a century old. Senior negotiator for the Smith's Landing First Nation, Paulette is determined to see the Canadian government honour promises made to the Thebatthi (Chipewyan) people in an 1899 treaty. Shot in northern Alberta and Ottawa, Honour of the Crown is a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the turbulent final years of this fight. Plunged into seemingly endless negotiations, Paulette and his brother, Chief Jerry Paulette, struggle to reclaim nine tracts of land and $33 million in compensation. Featuring interviews with …
Your rental expires on
None
You've already purchased this film.
Download it from My purchases.

Details

François Paulette has devoted more than 25 years of his life to resolving a battle that is more than a century old. Senior negotiator for the Smith's Landing First Nation, Paulette is determined to see the Canadian government honour promises made to the Thebatthi (Chipewyan) people in an 1899 treaty. Shot in northern Alberta and Ottawa, Honour of the Crown is a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the turbulent final years of this fight.

Plunged into seemingly endless negotiations, Paulette and his brother, Chief Jerry Paulette, struggle to reclaim nine tracts of land and $33 million in compensation. Featuring interviews with tribal, provincial and federal government representatives, this documentary provides a rare glimpse into one community's success in settling a 100-year-old treaty obligation of the Crown.

Indigenous Peoples in Canada (First Nations and Métis) Politics and Government - Canada Law and Crime All subjects
  • participant
    Jerry Paulette
    Mary Heron
    David Leonard
    Pat McCormack
  • director
    Tom Radford
  • associate director
    Rhonda DeLorme
  • additional direction
    Dorothy Schreiber
  • narration - writer
    Tom Radford
  • narrator
    Bill Cameron
  • editor
    Michel Lalonde
  • editorial consultant
    John Kramer
  • assistant picture editor
    Matthew Vest
  • cinematography
    Daron Donahue
    Trevor Wilson
  • additional cinematography
    Jean-Claude Caprara
    Rick Gustavsen
    Dwayne Dorland
  • location sound
    John Blerot
    Jamie Kidd
  • additional location sound
    Larry MacDonald
    Brenda Donahue
    Downy Karvonen
  • music composer
    John Sereda
  • musician
    John Sereda
    Roger Cole
  • sound editor
    John Blerot
  • sound mix
    Serge Boivin
    Jean Paul Vialard
  • researcher
    Rhonda DeLorme
  • production assistant
    Claudette Breton
  • video post production services
    Studio Post and Transfer
  • unit clerk
    Ginette D'Silva
  • production supervisor
    Kelly Isaac
  • program administrator
    Margaret Smith
  • associate producer
    Bonnie Thompson
  • executive producer
    Graydon McCrea
  • producer
    Jerry Krepakevich
    Tom Radford

Education

Ages 14 to 17
School subjects
Indigenous Studies - History/Politics Indigenous Studies - Issues and Contemporary Challenges Social Studies - Canadian Politics and Government Social Studies - Law
Pre-teach the concept of the “Crown.” Identify François and Jerry Paulette’s specific demands. Research the promises made to the Native Peoples by Treaty 8 in 1899. Comment on the Indian Act of 1927. Discuss the tragedy that occurred at Fort Fitzgerald in 1961. How important are the issues of land claims, identity, and sovereignty to the First Nations people? Discuss whether the Canadian government intentionally put these issues aside for its own financial gain.

More educational content

Honour of the Crown
Purchase options
Also available
DVD

Explore