Global podcast behemoth Acast announces that it has partnered with the Indigenous Screen Office (ISO) in Canada. Acast will support the ISO’s inaugural podcasting program — a plan to launch 12 indigenous-led podcasts. The ISO has allocated $300,000 to this effort.
Acast’s role will be to supply free show hosting for the lifetime of each podcast, as well as information sessions.
The ISO champions Indigenous screen-based storytellers and narrative sovereignty in Canada through our funding and advocacy work.
Google.org, the company’s non-profit arm, is a financial contributor.
Director of the Acast Creator Network in Canada Yael Strasberg said of the partnership: “Podcasting is one of the most powerful forms of storytelling out there. We’ve partnered with ISO because their passion and approach to storytelling is a natural fit with how Acast shares stories with audiences all around the world.”
“Podcasting has become an important part of the screen-based ecosystem and is a vital tool for reclaiming Indigenous narratives in the audio realm,” said Kerry Swanson, CEO of ISO. “We are thrilled to have partnered with Google.org to create this opportunity and to start a new collaboration with Acast, an industry leader. The response to the program launch and the quality of the projects demonstrate the need and enthusiasm for this initiative.”
This well-planned venture has its production portfolio mapped out; the selected projects are listed below:
- Actors and Ancestors, Joel Montgrand (Cree), British Columbia
- Logline: Actors and Ancestors is a film and TV podcast that celebrates Indigenous actors, talks back to industry stereotypes and looks to the future of Indigenous Peoples on screen.
- Alex au pays de Gaby, Terre Innue Inc., Kim O’Bomsawin (Abenaki), Quebec Logline: A narrative educational podcast, featuring the actors from the movie “Jules au pays d’Asha”. Tailored for 8-12 year olds, it explores the perspectives of First Peoples, their languages and realities, going further than history books and beyond clichés to offer insight for youth in an accessible form.
- Ancestral Science, Kori Czuy (Métis), Alberta
- Logline: Exploring and Sharing the depth of Scientific Knowledge within Stories that humans have been gifted from the Star, Land, and Animal Ancestors for thousands of years.
- The Aunties Dandelion, Kahstoserakwathe Paulette Moore, (Kanyen’kehà:ka), Ontario Logline: Revitalizing our communities through stories of land, language and relationships.
- Creepy Teepee, Cynthia Murdock (Cree), Manitoba
- Logline: A 10 episode x 30 min podcast that will bring folks together in the spirit of storytelling and spookiness! With hints of traditional teachings and awareness.
- Enweying Our Sound, Monty McGahey II (Anishnaabe), Ontario
- Logline: As an Anishinaabe household of five (including the dog), join us as we share our experiences raising our children speaking to them in Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwe language) as Second Language Learners ourselves. Anishinaabemowin is the language of the Anishinaabe people – also known as Ojibwe.
- The Future is Indigenous – Matriarch Movement Season 4, Shayla Oulette Stonechild (Cree/Métis), Ontario
- Logline: The Future is Indigenous, hosted by Matriarch Movement, is an 11 video podcast series that focuses on themes such as matriarchy, sustainability, Indigenous fashion and Indigenous futurism.
- Indigi-Demo-Itis, Gaayangaay Productions Ltd, Kristi Lane Sinclair (Haida / Cree), British Columbia
- Logline: The music podcast where Indigenous music artists pull back the curtain on their first demo, examining their career and lessons learned along the way.
- Kwu Sneqsilxw, kwu sneqsilxw Collective, Jesse Martin, Levi Bent, Trenton Manossa-Gabriel (Okanagan), British Columbia
- Logline: “Kwu Sneqsilxw”: Meaning “we are family,” this podcast explores what it means to be sqilx’w (Okanagan indigenous) and what the future of nsyilxcen language and culture might look like.
- Native Origin Stories, Ready Up Productions Inc., Aretha Greatrix, (Cree (Inniniw/Illiliw)), Manitoba
- Logline: Every person has an origin story.
- Tales From The Rez Podcast, Tales From The Rez Productions Inc., Colin Lyttle Van Loon (Siksika/Blackfoot), British Columbia
