Educational Media Reviews Online

In 1913 railroad bridges were constructed over the Fraser River. A cascade of rocks from a dynamite blast blocked the river at Hells Gate and prevented salmon from returning to their spawning grounds. Red Run describes how the native people carried the salmon upstream of the blockage and eventually built a flume to carry fish to spawning grounds. At present, only aboriginal people are allowed to fish with nets on the Upper Fraser River. This documentary focuses on three Siska families and describes how they use both dip-nets and gill nets to harvest salmon for their subsistence. Two men describe the dangers of dip-netting to their wide-eyed sons. Ironically, the construction of the railroad bridges allows access to the other side of the river and both of these men choose to make the dangerous trek across the bridges with their sons. There is a stark contrast between the father-son talks that speak of their tribal elders and footage of both boat and helicopter patrols of the river. The story is sometimes slow, but is well woven and the scenes of dip-net fishing are quite dramatic. There is no similar film on the market and Red Run is recommended for public, school and college libraries.