“Green Green Water follows U.S. consumer, Dawn Mikkelson, as she traces the source of her ‘green energy’ back to the displacement of the indigenous Cree and Metis in Northern Manitoba. Whitewashed under auspices of renewable energy, power suppliers Xcel Energy and Manitoba Hydro provide cheap hydro-electric power to Minnesota – energy that comes at the price of mass flooding, destroyed land and devastated communities, a far cry from the ‘clean and green’ tranquility of the energy company’s posters. Dating back to pressured agreements signed in the 1970s, the hydro-electric dams harshly disrupted the sustainable practices of indigenous life. Now, as a new set of dams are being proposed, the communities stand at the crossroads, divided. Some advocate partnership in the development of new projects, hoping to spark the economy and a new way of life; others continue to resist government pressure, choosing to maintain the integrity of indigenous tradition. A cautionary tale of consumer consciousness, Green Green Water exposes the important story of displacement, resistance and insidious public relations that lie beyond the energy grid.”
— Anita Wong, Planet In Focus Environmental Film Festival, 2006.
Co-Director/Producer/Editor: Jamie A. Lee
Director of Photography/Producer: James M. Fortier
Background on the Issue
In the 1970’s Manitoba Hydro, a Canadian government-owned utility company signed a treaty, the Northern Flood Agreement, with the Aboriginal peoples of northern Manitoba to build hydroelectric dams that would change the lives of the Cree forever. Billions of Canadian tax dollars went into creating this series of dams. Since that time, thousands of acres of pristine wilderness have been flattened by rushing water; an Aboriginal economy which relies on hunting and fishing has been all but destroyed; and the many Cree residents claim that Manitoba Hydro is not living up to their end of the Northern Flood Agreement.
Manitoba Hydro has also insisted that, in spite of these claims, they do honor the Northern Flood Agreement. In fact, they have representatives from some of the other Cree nations whose lives have also been affected by the dams, who will speak in defense of their company. These nations have signed more recent implementation agreements with Manitoba Hydro that include financial settlements for millions of dollars to each of these communities. They say American environmentalists are misleading the Pimicikamak and if they would only sign an implementation agreement, they too would benefit more fully from Hydropower.
The US Connection
Xcel Energy, a utilities company in the United States, is one of the largest buyers of Hydro Manitoba’s power. Hydroelectric power is sold as “green” energy, implying that hydro has the same impact as solar and wind power. But is hydroelectric power really “green”? As the mainstream culture requires more and more electric power to fuel their lives, they are also asking utility companies to provide that power with the least amount of environmental impact. At the same time, customers demand that their rates stay low, which makes it difficult for utilities companies to invest in the initial construction of large scale wind or solar power generation. Ultimately, Xcel Energy is responding to those opposing needs when they purchase Manitoba Hydro’s power. However, this decision has been receiving increasing scrutiny as stories from the Cree trickle down to the United States. Xcel is stuck. The two options they see are discontinuing the purchase of hydroelectric power and returning to nuclear or coal (two VERY unpopular options) or continuing with Manitoba Hydro while expressing that they will be “monitoring” the situation with these Aboriginal people. At this point, the second option is the road Xcel is taking, but are there other options?
Broadcast History
Free Speech TV & WDSE, PBS-Duluth, MN
2008 Green Green Water screened at the.
2008 Green Green Water Broadcast on.
World Premiere: 2006 imagineNATIVE Film Festival (Toronto)
U.S. Premiere: 2006 American Indian Film Festival (San Francisco)
Other festival screenings:
Planet In Focus International Film Festival (Toronto), Cambridge Film Festival (England), City Pages: Get Real Documentary Film Festival (Minneapolis), the Washington DC Environmental Film Festival, Yukon International Film Festival, Environmental Film Festival (Saskatoon, SK), The Native Spirit Film & Video Festival (London, UK), See the Light Energy Festival (Minneapolis), Northern Lights Film Festival (Ely, MN), Duluth Environmental Film Festival, Nit-Aski: An Environmental Awareness (Moose Factory, ON), One World Film Fest (Ottawa), Red Fork Native American Film Festival (Tulsa, OK).
Special invite screenings:
Zaragoza International Water Expo in Spain, American University (presented by NRDC, Washington, D.C.), National Film Board of Canada’s Citizen Shift “Water” Tour, Society for the Study of Social Problems Annual Conference & Film Exhibit (New York, NY), Bell Museum of Natural History (Minneapolis), Ottawa University (KS), Fond du Lac Tribal & Community College (Cloquet, MN), Macalester College (St. Paul, MN), Vermillion Community College (Ely, MN), & Mesabi Range Community & Technical College (Virginia, MN).
Manitoba tour
Included Winnipeg, Thompson, Cross Lake, and South Indian Lake.
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