Nations at War - Episode 9

Nations at War kicks off the first half of the episode with the story of the Maliseet.  They were a tribe that had to fight for survival.  From 1500 to 1700, the place known as the Dawn Land had strategic value.  The conflict would start over this route.  Running through the heart of this land was the St. John River and this river shaped the lives of the people who lived on the banks.  How would they handle the newcomers to their land?  In the second half of the episode, the Mohawk nation is fighting for survival.  They would fight to shape the future of Canada and America.
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The Maliseet took their name from a neighboring tribe.  They were originally known as Wolastoqyik, after their river.  The Mi’kmaq were their neighbors.  The two tribes spoke a similar language but could not understand each other.  When the Europeans came over the Mi’Kmaq called them the people of the broken language and the name stuck: Maliseet.  The was another tribe nearby the St. Lawrence Iroquois.  The Iroquois started to expand and the Mi’Kmaq started fighting back.  The Maliseet were caught in the middle.

The Maliseet fought against the Iroquois.  Their tactics and fighting with the Mi’Kmaq successfully fought off the Iroquois.  Eventually, the French would trade with these two nations so their weapons could be updated with steel.  However, a new threat emerged: new diseases.  These new diseases would reduce the Masileet population.  Eventually, the Puritans came to North America and they would do what they need to claim North America as their home.

The English Colonies grew in population and size.  The Masileet way of life would soon be under threat.  French pushed the Masileet to fight the English.  As a result, new alliances were created.  They fought against the New Englanders.  However, peace would be a better option.  There was no need for prolonging the violence.  King William’s War would start and the Masileet would find themselves caught between the French and the British. 

King William had taken the English throne and he wanted to keep the French in check.  North America would take part in the war.  The Masileet would come to the defense of France.  The French and Maliseet took many forts during King William’s War.  The New Englanders were stunned and tried to fight back.  King William’s War was the first of six conflicts between the New Englanders and the Masileet.  Who would emerge victorious from the North American conflicts?  Tune into the rest of this episode to find out.

It is the 1800’s and the Mohawk Nation was fighting to protect their independence.  The Mohawks were one of the most powerful tribes in North America.  The Mohawks allied themselves with the British Empire.  Together, they defeated the French in the Seven Years War.  However, with the French defeat, the Mohawk power went away.  Behind the scenes, the Americans finally declared their independence from Britain.  The Mohawk faced a choice: stay loyal to the British or side with the Americans in hope that the Americans would recognize their independence. 

The Mohawk sided with the British but the British lost the war.  In 1783, peace finally came.  The Mohawk lands were fair game to the new America.  Eventually, the Mohawk petitioned the British for land in Canada for them to settle because of their support in the American Revolution.  How would the Mohawk nation survive?  Tune into this episode to find out.

I will have to admit that David Lyle gets better as a narrator as the episodes go forward.  It would be interesting to see him go to the sites and narrate the First Nations Story from the actual place and not a green screen.  This would be a good episode to show in an American history class.  The first episode would be good to show in a World History class.