For Saskatchewan artist Shawn Cuthand, uplifting Indigenous voices is a calling.
Cuthand is a nehiyaw (Cree) and Kanien’kehá:ka (Mohawk) author, comic, producer, actor and director.
This week he begins his time because the College of Saskatchewan’s Indigenous storyteller-in-residence.
“I would just like to encourage students that if they want to get into the entertainment business that it actually is possible to do in Saskatchewan.,” Cuthand stated.
In the course of the subsequent 12 weeks, Cuthand might be sharing his expertise and experience with college students whereas balancing his comedy and persevering with his work with the satirical newsgroup, ‘The Feather News.’
“With us in The Feather News, we actually plan to keep our home in Saskatchewan and help the film business here,” Cuthand stated.
The Feather, which just lately gained the APTN/ImagineNative internet collection pitch competitors, will air for a second season on APTN in June 2025.
As a part of Cuthand’s residency, he plans to share his data of writing, producing and directing a present for tv.
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And whereas he solely began on the U of S this week, he’s already arranging conferences with college students.
“It can be hard to want to put your story out there into the community for people to read and listen to,” he defined. “I just want to encourage students to not be too scared of that.”
Throughout Canada, Indigenous leaders are working to uplift not solely youth artists, however the Indigenous neighborhood as an entire.
Not too long ago, Deloitte Canada launched their remaining report in its Voices of Indigenous Youth Leaders on Reconciliation collection.
Throughout the remaining quantity, insights from Indigenous youth determine 4 precedence areas for motion in advancing Indigenous sovereignty: Indigenous Peoples and Land, Self-Governance, Nationhood and Fact-telling and Studying.
When requested what they hope the long run would appear to be if Indigenous sovereignty have been to be absolutely realized and revered, the youth recognized the next as key experiences:
- Indigenous Peoples reside in a society the place they really feel comfy of their identification, in a position to self-express and actualize their full potential,
- Indigenous nations are exercising efficient governance and authority to fulfill neighborhood wants, ensuing of their folks therapeutic and thriving,
- Sustainable Indigenous-led decision-making and land practices are in place and revered by governments and landowners in a cooperative, collaborative manner, and
- Indigenous nations are interacting with governments on an equal nation-to-nation foundation with affect on outcomes.
“Indigenous youth are calling for meaningful action in four key areas where their authentic identities are embraced, their cultural values are respected, and their communities’ sovereignty is upheld,” stated Byron Jackson, the director of Nation Constructing Advisory Providers and a member of the Piikani Nation.
“Sovereignty is being more defined by the youth leaders now as relationships with the land and really everything that is atonement and anything that has a life force.”
Jackson stated it’s essential for folks to proceed to share Indigenous tales and values of all types, together with artists.
As for Cuthand, he hopes he can play a small function in selling intercultural understanding and story sharing in Saskatchewan.
