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6 Episodes 2010 - 2010
Episode 1
It's the final summer for the Rupert River as we know it. One of the last wild rivers in North America is about to be diverted for a major hydroelectric project. Ten Cree paddlers embark on a 6-week, 600-kilometre journey down the Rupert River, to witness it one last time. For a culture that has gone through a rapid and painful social change, and for whom living off the land is no longer a viable option, this is also a voyage of healing for the Cree, into their unique cultural legacy.
Episode 2
The money generated from hydroelectric development in James Bay is saving the Cree and tearing them apart at the same time. Are river diversions a necessary evil for the Cree? Is development the key to survival or have they sold their soul for cold hard cash? It's a question of damned if you do, damned if you don't. One thing's clear: dams divide more than just water.
Episode 3
In recent history, the Cree people of James Bay have been displaced by hydro projects, forced into residential schools and hit by rapid change. Through it all, the Cree have maintained their culture by reconnecting with the land. But now that land is in jeopardy. Here in Old Nemaska, people are rebuilding a community displaced by a hydro project that never happened, only to discover they're building on a shifting foundation, with the river about to change forever.
Episode 4
Quebec and the James Bay Cree have one thing in common: they're both hooked on hydro. Today, the Cree have come rely on hydro money. For Québec, it's the cornerstone of the province's economic and political aspirations. With a ready and able workforce and an insatiable appetite for power south of the border, Hydro-Québec is doing what they do best: damming. The Cree have tried to shake their addiction to hydro, proposing alternatives such as wind power.
Episode 5
The Rupert is one of the few remaining wild rivers. What is the environmental impact of all these dams on the territory, and more globally, on our climate? What's the worst-case scenario if we keep going like this? What responsibility do both the Cree and the rest of Canada have in stopping it?
Episode 6
The doors close on the Rupert dam: the diversion process has begun and the river will change forever. It's a sad moment. But we also see how Cree culture and the Legacy paddlers have been changed - and find hope. Ernest reflects on his voyage: his journey with his fellow Cree, his conversations with environmentalists and his experiences with Hydro-Québec.