This documentary examines the abuse of police power as well as racist attitudes in the judicial system toward Canadian Indians by focusing on the arrest and trial of several Micmac Indians for salmon fishing in Restigouche, Quebec. As a result of the incident, the reserve was blockaded against further police intrusion. The film places the event in the context of Micmac history, shows their traditional use of and dependence on salmon fishing and explains the importance of salmon in the Canadian staple economy. The irony of the Parti Quebecois government's responsibility for suppressing the MicMac claim to sovereignty is not overlooked. Director Alanis Obomsawin shows that the police were guilty of excessive violence and includes considerable evidence to show that the courts did not give the arrested Micmacs a fair hearing. The role of government in a democratic society, police power, the neutrality of the judicial system, racism and Aboriginal self-government are all issues arising from the film.