There have been many things written about Canada's violent siege of Kanehsatà ke and Kahnawà ke in the summer of 1990, but
When the Pine Needles Fall: Indigenous Acts of Resistance is the first book from the perspective of Katsi'tsakwas Ellen Gabriel, who was the Kanien'kehá ka (Mohawk) spokesperson during the siege.
When the Pine Needles Fall, written in a conversational style by Gabriel with historian Sean Carleton, offers an intimate look at Gabriel's life leading up to the 1990 siege, her experiences as spokesperson for her community, and her work since then as an Indigenous land defender, human rights activist, and feminist leader.
More than just the memoir of an extraordinary individual,
When the Pine Needles Fall offers insight into Indigenous language, history, and philosophy, reflections on our relationship with the land, and calls to action against both colonialism and capitalism as we face the climate crisis. Gabriel's hopes for a decolonial future make clear why protecting Indigenous homelands is vital not only for the survival of Indigenous peoples, but for all who live on this planet.
Katsi'tsakwas Ellen Gabriel is a Kanien'kehá ka, Wakeniáhton (Turtle Clan), artist, documentarian, and Indigenous human rights and environmental rights activist living in Kanehsatà ke Kanien'kehá ka Homelands.
Sean Carleton is a historian, teacher, and union organizer committed to changing the world.
Pamela Palmater is a Mi'kmaw lawyer and Indigenous rights activist from Eel River Bar First Nation in New Brunswick. She has four university degrees, including a doctor of law degree focusing on Indigenous rights, and currently serves as professor and Chair in Indigenous Governance at Toronto Metropolitan University. An award-winning podcaster and documentary filmmaker, Pam has harnessed the power of digital and social media platforms to help educate the public on important Indigenous issues. Her determined advocacy has earned her many awards, including Top 25 Movers and Shakers, Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers, Most Inspiring Women, and more.
Audra Simpson is a professor of Anthropology at Columbia University. She is the author of, i.Mohawk Interruptus: Political Life Across the Borders of Settler States (Duke University Press, 2014), winner of the Native American and Indigenous Studies Association's Best First Book in Native American and Indigenous Studies Prize, the Laura Romero Prize from the American Studies Association, the Sharon Stephens Prize from the American Ethnological Society (2015) and CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title in 2014. She has published articles and book chapters spanning various fields. She is a Kahnawà ke Mohawk.
