Half a World Apart... and a Lifetime Away

In 1995, First Nations leader Grand Chief Ovide Mercredi made a pilgrimage to India after a summer of violence and standoffs near two reserves--a summer that challenged his leadership and his beliefs in non-violent resolution of grievance with Canada's federal and provincial governments. Mercredi decided to travel to India to meet with followers of Gandhi who have practised what the Mahatma set out as a means of forging that state. A highlight of the trip was a conversation between Mercredi and Gandhi's grandson, Rajmohan. In this intimate portrait which chronicles an unusual journey, one leader explores the life and teachings of another, and in doing so, confirms a belief in the necessity to pursue paths of non-violent political action and socia/economic reconstruction.