Alanis Obomsawin, Abenaki, 1932-
She is a Canadian filmmaker of Abenaki descent. Born
in New Hampshire, and raised primarily in Quebec, she has produced
and directed many NFB documentaries on First Nations culture and
history. Her best known documentary is Kanehsatake: 270 Years
of Resistance, about the 1990 siege at Oka crisis. Alanis Obomsawin
got her start at the NFB in 1967, when producers invited the singer/storyteller
to the Board to work as an advisor on a film about Aboriginal
people. She continues to perform and fight for justice for her
people. A longer biography appears in Native Leaders of Canada.