Marshall served 11 years in prison before
the truth finally came to light. In the end, a Royal Commission
concluded that the criminal justice system had failed Donald
Marshall Jr. at every turn. Reluctant Hero: The Donald Marshall
Story examines the life of a man who finds himself still at
the mercy of that system, even today.
He's been the subject of a best-selling book (Justice Denied)
and a movie of the same name. Marshall may be best known for
that wrongful conviction back in 1971, but his most recent
legacy - a 1999 landmark court case on aboriginal fishing
rights - is the one for which he would rather be remembered.
Despite his turbulent and well-publicized past, Marshall
tries to stay out of the limelight these days. But he has
become a celebrity - a First Nations icon, a reluctant hero.
The documentary uses archival news footage to trace Marshall's
two major dealings with the Canadian justice system. It also
paints a picture of the man he has become today. Activist.
Mentor. Father. Public speaker. Champion of native peoples.
But his fight with the criminal justice system has taken its
toll. Nearly 20 years after his release from prison, Donald
Marshall grapples with failing health and emotional burdens.
Reluctant Hero: The Donald Marshall Story is an in-depth look
at the life of a man who never went looking for fights - they
just seemed to find him.
Original Air Date - April 9, 2002
Links
Wrongfully
Convicted: CBC News Indepth
The Marshall Decision and the Maritime Canadian Fishery
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