War of 1812 film to premiere on 200th anniversary of Battle of Chateauguay

10/22/2013

The Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke (MCK) is pleased to announce that the premiere of the documentary film “War of 1812: The Abandoned Alliance” will be presented at 7pm on Saturday, October 26th at the Mohawk Legion Branch 219.

The premiere, which is being presented by the Legion in conjunction with the MCK, is taking place on the exact 200th anniversary of the Battle of Chateauguay, which was one of the most significant events of the War. Kahnawà:ke’s participation is generally acknowledged as the deciding factor in the Battle, which prevented the Americans from advancing on Montreal, which was their ultimate goal.

“Kahnawà:ke’s participation in the War of 1812 was hugely significant,” said Chief Kenneth McComber who, along with Chief Christine Zachary-Deom, has been promoting the efforts to have Kahnawà:ke’s contributions remembered and recognized. “This film will help restore our missing perspective, which isn’t the easiest thing to find in the history books. We should be proud of the bravery of our ancestors and their impact on history, particularly the history of Canada.”

“War of 1812: Abandoned Alliance” is directed by Brent Horne, a film studies student at Concordia University and recent winner of the Jesse Deer Memorial Media Scholarship. He created the film as a summer student at the MCK and has continued to work on it on a voluntary basis for the past two months.

Admission to the premiere is free of charge, with snacks included. The Director and some of the people featured in the film will be available to discuss the film and the War of 1812 immediately after the showing.