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Mohawk Girls

APTN reveals exciting 2016 primetime fall programming

From a media release:

Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) announced its fall 2016 schedule today, highlighting a slate of new original series, returning favorites and thought-provoking documentaries – launching on September 5.

Mohawk Girls, Season 4 – What does it mean to be a modern Mohawk women? Sashay with four young women on their comedic and drama filled adventures. Always light-hearted, sexy and fun!

Taken – An all new, hard-hitting, true crime documentary series focusing on solving the mysteries behind Canada’s missing and murdered Indigenous woman and girls.

Moosemeat & Marmalade, Season 2 – Documentary series cooks up new ingredients that lead to new adventures. Explore contrasting culinary cultures and traditions with two very different hunter/chefs.

This upcoming fall, new and loyal fans of Mohawk Girls and The Other Side will have their viewing enhanced with new digital experiences.

Mohawk Girls returns with SSEX (Second Screen Experience) to entice users with entertaining show quotes, character profiles, polls and quizzes, as well as video clips and photo galleries online. Beyond The Other Side App, an interactive quiz with live, stunning imagery that will invite people to answer questions about their beliefs in the paranormal and afterlife.

French and Aboriginal language programming will also premiere on Canada’s only independent Aboriginal network. Clé du studio gathers guest musicians and gives them keys to a recording studio along with complete freedom of creation. From the North, Qanurli? launches into its fifth season filled with comedic charm and social/political issues broadcast in Inuktitut.

Be sure to tune in every Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 9:00 p.m. for the colossal APTN Movies lineup. See aptn.ca/movies for the star-studded details!

APTN’s fall 2016 season kicks off September 5. Discover the full programming lineup below, or visit aptn.ca/schedule!

APTN PROGRAMMING HIGHLIGHTS FOR FALL 2016

NEW SEASONS

MOHAWK GIRLS, SEASON 4 (WORLD PREMIERE – DRAMEDY)
Mohawk Girls is light-hearted, sexy and fun. But it’s also honest, real and poignant — Mohawk style!

aptn e Tuesdays at 9:30 p.m. ET premieres October 25
aptn w Tuesdays at 9:30 p.m. MT premieres October 25
aptn n Sundays at 10:30 p.m. CT premieres October 30
aptn hd Tuesdays at 9:30 p.m. ET premieres October 25

MOOSEMEAT & MARMALADE, SEASON 2 (WORLD PREMIERE – DOC SERIES)
From muskrat, porcupine and urchin to goose, join two very different hunter/chefs – one Canadian Cree and one Brit/European – to explore contrasting cultures and traditions through the way we access, cook and present our food.

aptn e Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m. ET premieres September 7
aptn w Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m. MT premieres September 7
aptn hd Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m. ET premieres September 7
Back-to-back episodes
aptn n Thursdays at 2:30 p.m. & 3:30 p.m. CT premieres September 8

THE OTHER SIDE, SEASON 3 (WORLD PREMIERE – DOC SERIES)
Follow a team of paranormal investigators with the guidance of an Elder, who seek the truth behind Canada’s real life ghost stories.

aptn e Thursdays at 8:00 p.m. ET premieres October 27
aptn w Thursdays at 8:00 p.m. MT premieres October 27
aptn hd Thursdays at 8:00 p.m. ET premieres October 27
Back-to-back episodes
aptn n  Fridays at 12:30 p.m. & Saturdays 1:30 p.m. CT premieres October 28

NEW ORIGINAL DOCUMENTARY SERIES

TAKEN (WORLD PREMIERE)
Riveting, spine-chilling, important television, Taken confronts, head-on, the national epidemic of Canada’s missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. APTN will be co-broadcasting Taken with CBC.

aptn e Fridays at 7:00 p.m. ET premieres September 9
aptn w Fridays at 7:00 p.m MT premieres September 9
aptn n Fridays at 7:00 p.m CT premieres September 9
apt hd Fridays at 7:00 p.m ET premieres September 9
Back-to-back episodes

MOHAWK IRONWORKERS (WORLD PREMIERE)
Come celebrate the steely determination of “the best ironworkers on the planet.” Mohawk Ironworkers uses a mixture of dramatic “high steel” footage, and archival material, as they face the reality of one of the most dangerous jobs on the planet.

aptn e Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m. ET premieres September 6
aptn w Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m. MT premieres September 6
aptn n Wednesdays at 12:30 a.m. CT premieres September 7
aptn hd Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m. ET premieres September 6

WILD ARCHAEOLOGY (WORLD PREMIERE)
Exciting never-before-seen adventures into Canada’s ancient Aboriginal past that is scattered, fragmented and could be lost forever. Twelve thousand years of human inhabitation vividly brought to life.

aptn e Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m. ET premieres September 6
aptn w Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m. MT premieres September 6
aptn n Saturdays at 1:00 p.m. CT premieres September 10
aptn hd Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m. ET premieres September 6

KONNECTED.TV (WORLD PREMIERE)
Follow Pakesso Mukash on his quest into Indigenous cultures across the Americas to find a young generation of “tradition keepers” who awaken others to find a place for themselves in a modern world.

aptn e Wednesday at 8:00 p.m ET premieres November 2
aptn w Wednesdays at 8:00 p.m. MT premieres November 2
aptn n Fridays at 1:00 p.m. CT premieres November 4
aptn hd Wednesday at 8:00 p.m. ET premieres November 4
Back-to-back episodes

FRENCH LANGUAGE SERIES

CLÉ DU STUDIO (FRENCH WORLD PREMIERE – MUSIC & VARIETY SERIES)
Guest musicians are given the keys to a recording studio for an informal jam. The intimate setting and freedom of creation give way to moving confidences and magical moments.

aptn e Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET premieres September 5
aptn hd Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET premieres September 5

MOTETAN MAMO (FRENCH WORLD PREMIERE – DOC SERIES)
The Atikamekw are relatively unknown nation to Canadians. The two live different realities but they face similar challenges and issues. Motetan Mamo (Walking Together) will take you on an unfamiliar journey to familiar places.

aptn e Mondays at 7:00 p.m. ET premieres September 5
aptn hd Mondays at 7:00 p.m. ET premieres September 5

ABORIGINAL LANGUAGE SERIES

QANURLI?, SEASON 5 (INUKTITUT WORLD PREMIERE – YOUTH SERIES)
Unpredictable, hilarious and fun! This Inuktitut comedy show puts a playful and humorous spin on political, social and traditional issues relevant to the Inuit.

aptn n Mondays at 7:00 p.m. CT premieres September 5
Back-to-back episodes

URBAN NATIVE GIRL (DENE WORLD PREMIERE – LIFESTYLE SERIES)
Join Aboriginal fashionista, Lisa Charleyboy, as she follows her dream of transforming her online fashion blog into a glossy print magazine.

aptn e Tuesdays at 10:00 a.m. ET premieres September 6
aptn w Mondays at 7:00 a.m. MT premieres September 12
aptn n Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m. CT premieres September 6
aptn hd Tuesdays at 10:00 a.m. ET premieres September 6
Back-to-back episodes

MOTETAN MAMO (ATIKAMEKW WORLD PREMIERE – DOC SERIES)
The Atikamekw are relatively unknown nation to Canadians. The two live different realities but they face similar challenges and issues. Motetan Mamo (Walking Together) will take you on an unfamiliar journey to familiar places.

aptn e Thursdays at 10:00 a.m. ET premieres September 8
aptn w Thursdays at 10:00 a.m MT premieres September 8
aptn n Thursdays at 10:00 a.m CT premieres September 8
aptn hd Thursdays at 10:00 a.m ET premieres September 8
Back-to-back episodes

LA VIE EST HOCKEY (ATIKAMEKW WORLD PREMIERE – DOC SERIES)
Follow eight minor hockey players from different Aboriginal communities in Quebec, on their ultimate quest: the National Aboriginal Hockey Championship.

aptn e Thursdays at 9:00 a.m. ET premieres September 8
aptn w Thursdays at 9:00 a.m. MT premieres September 8
aptn n Thursdays at 9:00 a.m. CT premieres September 8
aptn hd Thursdays at 9:00 a.m. ET premieres September 8
Back-to-back episodes

APTN KIDS

LOUIS SAYS, SEASON 2 (CREE WORLD PREMIERE – ANIMATED SERIES)
Follow the adventures of six-year-old boy Randy as he joins Louis, an Elder, on his mission to help people in his community. Completing meaningful tasks together, Louis reinforces important values while teaching Randy new words in Dene.

aptn e Sundays at 8:25 a.m. ET premieres September 11
aptn w Sundays at 8:25 a.m. MT premieres September 11
aptn n Sundays at 7:32 a.m. CT premieres September 11
aptn hd Sundays at 8:25 a.m. ET premieres September 11

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Industry News

Link: Derek Miller challenges the Canadian entertainment industry with TV show

From Lindsay Monture of Two Row Times:

Link: Derek Miller challenges the Canadian entertainment industry with TV show
Derek Miller is no stranger to the challenges of establishing freedom of expression in the face of the Canadian government. Derek’s performance variety TV series The Guilt Free Zone had been in conflict with some Canadian entertainment industry policies and had fought to bring it into its second season. Continue reading.

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Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Working it Out Together recap: Birthing on her own terms

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The second episode of Working it Out Together explores the positive ripple effect that childbirth creates via a woman within her community. It is about empowerment. It also critically examines, from the perspective of colonization, the effect that western medicine has had on the process of birthing in Indigenous communities across Canada.

We begin with the idea that women’s bodies are designed for childbirth. But the process of childbirth also acts to connect  women of a community together.  Historically, one woman within the community held a position of great distinction: the midwife.  It was the function of traditional midwifery to attend to the emotional, spiritual, physical, and mental health needs of expectant mothers, their newborns, and the families welcoming their newborns. However, with the invasion of western medicine came the belief that birthing was dangerous and thus required powerful people–educated physicians–to control the procedure. Governmental control* of women’s reproduction persisted and midwifery as a whole, across Canada, was outlawed. This disconnected women from their bodies and fathers/families from the process as well.

Traditionally, the cyclical process of birth is seen as a means of renewal and hope,  restoring balance to the community at large. The western practice of removing childbirth from the community to the sterile environment of the hospital, isolates women during the procedure, necessarily severing the initial ties between mother, child, and community. This in turn has created yet another social fracture among the people of the community and has disrupted the emotional and social balance in people’s lives for generations.

We are also reminded that historically, midwives attended successful births in very challenging environments, with limited resources, when compared to the living conditions that are more common today.  In this context then, trained midwives are able to recognise possible complications that could threaten the health of both mother and child. If  suitable medical instrumentation is also available, midwives can make these diagnoses well in advance, thus ensuring proper care for their patients.

The entire scenario further complicates birthing for women who live in the north. Communities that lack birthing centres are forced to fly expectant mothers south to the nearest hospital weeks in advance of their due dates. This removes them from family and friends for weeks at a time. Children are left missing their mothers; fathers and families are left struggling to care for distraught children. This is done because of the “what if” scenario, a plausible argument. However,  the added emotional stress this places on a community and/or family, coupled with the financial stress caused by extended hospital stays, could be eased simply by placing trained midwives, with appropriate equipment,  in  communities.

Episode two follows the journey of Shillene McNaughtan, a mother of three, pregnant with her fourth child. It is Shillene’s belief that the birthing centre at Six Nations is the more suitable location for a natural act of life, rather than attending a hospital for a procedure.  In Shillene’s case, we are also reminded of the complications gestational diabetes causes . Gestational diabetes in Indigenous women occurs at a rate five times the national average.

***Spoiler Alert*** Shillene gave birth to a healthy baby boy!

*This episode also touches on the government management of Indigenous reproduction with the forced sterilization of Indigenous women during the 1970’s. I wish we dug deeper into this very dark aspect of colonization in Canada.

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Featured

Recap: Working it Out Together – Taking Control of Health

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Season three’s premiere episode of Working it Out Together on APTN features co-creator/host Waneek Horn-Miller and Kahnawa:ke’s Heath Promotion Consultant Alex McComber as they tackle the effects of colonization and structural racism on the eating habits of First Nations people in Canada today. Currently it is estimated that 25% of people living on reserve have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, which is more than double the rate of the general population of Canada. However Kanawa:ke has statistically remained constant at 12%.

We learn in this installment that obesity and diabetes can be directly linked to colonization. After the Canadian government limited the availability of traditional foods,  food was used as an instrument of control that coerced Indigenous people across Canada onto reserves. This act instantly meant that traditional, active self-sufficient ways were lost and life became sedentary and dependent. The foods that had been the norm were no longer. The government supplied communities with alternatives that were significantly higher in saturated fat, salt, sugar, and alcohol. This drastic dietary change further hampered the health and well-being of Indigenous populations across Canada.

The effects of the Indian Residential School compounded this problem by creating generations of young people with unhealthy relationships with food. Chronic hunger was the norm at residential schools, and the food that was supplied to students was consistently substandard in quality and nutritional value. Coupled with this unhealthy relationship with food that persists today is the lack of healthy food choices available to lower income families across Canada. Fresh and healthy foods with short shelf lives are always the more expensive choice; a price point often out of reach for lower income families struggling to feed their families. All of these factors have created a recipe for endemic health crises across Canadian communities.

Alex McComber believes the trauma of losing land, losing culture, and the horrors of the residential school system are to blame for the health crises that today’s Indigenous people experience.  To reverse this health crisis, healing from generations of traumas must first occur. Additionally, there is a strong focus on educating the youth of Kahnawa:ke about healthy lifestyles and choices, with the hope that it encourages family and community involvement as a whole.

To add a personal face to this crisis, we follow the story of Konwenni Jacobs, an active mother of two from Kahnawa:ke who has been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. We experience her journey with her partner Brian Williams — recently diagnosed as pre-diabetic — as they struggle to improve their well-being, making healthy food choices and adhering to a stricter fitness regime.

This premiere episode drives home the fact that the ability to choose healthy foods in Canada has become a political issue, not just for Indigenous communities but for any community experiencing economic hardships.  However, McComber expands on this to remind us that the foods that we place in our bodies are not just fuel but medicine; everything we ingest is medicine for our bodies.

Season three’s premiere episode also coincides with today’s launch of the show’s companion online magazine Working It Out Together.

 

 

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Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Season 3 of Working It Out Together debuts May 31 on APTN

From a media release:

Working It Out Together returns to APTN for Season 3 with inspirational stories of Indigenous men and women who are at the forefront of a movement for positive change. Starting May 31, the half-hour show airs every Tuesday on APTN East and APTN HD at 10:30 p.m. ET, and on APTN w at 10:30 p.m. MT, and starting June 4, every Saturday on APTN n at 12:00 p.m. CT. It’s a 13-part documentary series, hosted by Olympian Waneek Horn-Miller, that goes deep into the colonial roots of the profound disparities facing Indigenous communities today; while celebrating a new face of Indigenous Canada – bold, confident and healthy, moving forward with the strength of tradition, family and community.

For Indigenous People, “Mino Bimaadziwin” – the “good life” – is embedded in traditional ways. Colonization tried to destroy this holistic approach to health, but strong family bonds and connections to tradition helped Indigenous communities to survive. Working It Out Together features stories of dance and art as healing practices, the revival of harvesting traditional food, the role of supportive communities in overcoming trauma and more.

Through engaging personal stories, sharp analysis and insightful commentary from honoured knowledge keepers, Working It Out Together, Season 3 goes beyond individual blame for health problems to celebrate strength and resilience. Inuit teachers educating their way and Mohawk midwives bringing birth back home are among the dynamic stories that highlight the “decolonization” of Indigenous bodies, minds and nations taking place beyond the headlines.

The series is accompanied by a digital magazine that celebrates remarkable Indigenous voices and talent. Acclaimed artists, filmmakers, scholars, athletes, activists, knowledge keepers and, of course, Waneek Horn-Miller, all join this virtual talking circle, shining the spotlight on what’s real and what’s next. WIOT Magazine is political, artful, poignant and funny. It’s a space to watch films by notable directors Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers and Shane Belcourt; explore works by award-winning visual artists Kent Monkman and Duane Linklater; read the words of renowned trailblazers Joseph Boyden and Pamela Palmater; and listen to inspiring audio accounts of residential school survivors and director of The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation Ry Moran. WIOT Magazine is reconciliation in action. Most importantly, it shows the varied nuances of Indigenous People in Canada, past and present. And that’s something to celebrate.

Contributors to both the website and the television show include: James Jones, an Edmonton dancer from A Tribe Called Red who hosts powwow fit classes across Canada; Cindy Blackstock, President of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society, in Ottawa; Wayne Rabbitskin, a healer and counsellor who focuses on addictions and violence against women from Oujé-Bougoumou, QC; and Rene Meshake, an Anishinaabe Elder based in Guelph, whose art preserves the traditions of his Native culture.

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