WHY INDIGENOUS REPRESENTATION IN THE MEDIA MATTERS

WE HAVE ACTION HEROES, STORIES THAT EXPLORE THE CHALLENGES WE FACE, WE CAN SHARE LAUGHTER, AND SO MUCH MORE, WRITES MIKE ASHKEWE

One thing that I am glad that has happened in the media in the last few years is that we are all more than Graham Greene (However, he is awesome).

Indigenous representation in the media has always, in some form, been kind of tricky. This is because they are always almost cartoonishly spiritual or a stereotype that is easy to fit into some kind of a checkbox. I am very happy that things have begun to change, and change for the better.

One of the biggest examples of a hit with an Indigenous lead was Amber Midthunder in 2022's "Prey." Midthunder starred as Naru, a Comanche hunter who squares off against one of sci-fi's iconic movie monsters, the deadly Predator. I can't say that I have ever seen a movie quite like this before, a historical movie with aliens and with people actually speaking Comanche. Part of what made "Prey" so special is that you can watch the entire movie in Comanche if you like, or in English. It wasn't a muscle bound Arnold Schwarzenegger with a machine gun who took on one of the galaxy's deadliest creatures. It was a smart, clever warrior woman who delivered the final blow. Spoiler, she came, she saw, she kicked its alien ass.

The thing that really struck me as particularly forward-thinking when it came to Indigenous representation was a TV series called "Reservation Dogs." The story follows a ragtag group of teenagers who are trying to leave their home reservation after one of their friends dies from the struggles of "rez life." The story portrayed in the show gave these characters depth and showed some of the real challenges that many people do face and some of the cultural differences on and off reservation. "Reservation Dogs" treated these kids as something more than a punchline despite the show having some serious comedic roots. Family is a very serious theme running through the show's two seasons and family is one of the most important parts of many Indigenous cultures. It's funny, witty and you will never quite forget "Uncle Brownie" because he is ridiculous. It has won numerous awards and can be found on Disney Plus in Canada and is absolutely worth your time to check out.

One show that came into focus particularly, if you live in southern Ontario, is the Crave TV series, "Letterkenny." The show follows the fictional town of Letterkenny and its various population and its seemingly insane series of problems and equally as wacky residents. Letterkenny has a nearby reservation and its residents have a strong sense of community and togetherness. One of the lead characters on the show portrayed by Kaniehtiio Horn is Tanis. She is a strong woman who suffers no fools and won't let anything befall her fellow native brothers and sisters. However, she is also willing to help out her friends when the need arises. Horn's performance on the show is stunning because she is beautiful but also, don't even think of making her mad because she can turn on the charm or drop the proverbial gloves.

Community and togetherness is one of the vibes that I have gotten from the Indigenous cast and stories weaved into "Letterkenny" and I'm glad to see something Canadian giving a chance to shine. The show is hysterical but it can be quite crass and will make even fans of "South Park" blush with some of the terms and things they come up with. You get to see a lot of Canadian stars on the show from "Trailer Park Boys," as well as Jonathan Torrens and even Jay Baruchel.

We have come a long way from "Dances with Wolves" and "North of 60" and while they were great in their own right, things have changed and people want something a little different. We have action heroes, stories that explore the challenges we face, we can share laughter, and so much more.