An Indigenous heroine gets her due — 170 years later – The Star
‘I want our women to see how incredibly strong they are,’ Angelique’s Isle director Michelle Derosier
August 20, 2017
Nearly a decade ago, the survival story of Angelique Mott, a young Anishinaabe woman from the 1800s, seized Indigenous director Michelle Derosier.
Angelique, 17, was left to starve to death on a Lake Superior island during the copper rush in 1845-’46. Her story, gleaned from written accounts at the time with gaps filled creatively by Derosier, has become the subject of the acclaimed Indigenous director’s indie feature film, Angelique’s IsleAngelique’s Isle, which will be released next year.
The film is a layered story of Indigenous female power, says Derosier. It speaks to Canada’s colonial relationship with Indigenous people, the greed to exploit natural resources and of racism and the experiences of Indigenous women both in the past and present.
