A young Ojibwa girl from 1770 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.
Direction
Norma Bailey shoots silence like most directors shoot action.
Acting
Hazel King's eyes do what pages of dialogue can't.
Costume
Authentic Ojibwa detail that makes the loss tangible.
Director
Norma Bailey
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
One of the first Canadian films directed by a First Nations woman, made for CBC with almost entirely Indigenous cast—radical for 1986.
The real fur trade 'country marriages' were often strategic alliances; Ikwe's specific story echoes documented accounts where young brides were essentially diplomatic hostages.
CA
