Part of the Storytellers in motion series
This episode is in spoken Maliseet with English sub-titles
This accomplished producer has a long career and is dedicated to telling the stories of his people. Early influences of television in his childhood were tempered by an inspirational encounter with the work of Alanis Obomsawin. Following studies at the University of Regina and the Banff Centre of the Arts, Jeff Bear worked as a newspaper journalist for Windspeaker. While covering the First Minister's Conference on Aboriginal Rights in 1985, he became acutely aware of the gulf between his perceptions and those of mainstream media journalists covering the same event.
In 1990, he joined CBC Toronto to work with Barabara Frum and the team that produced The Journal. He produced eight documentaries there, followed by the network series First Stories. In 2000, Jeff Bear left network television to become an independant producer with his wife Marianne Jones to produce a 26-episode series on Haida art. He pays tribute to those who have inspired him, including Marianne Jones from Haida Gwaii, the late Maori producer Barry Barclay, and his sister Shirley Bear, a highly respected Maliseet artist.
Titles included in this series:
The Intrepid Native Reporter: Duncan McCue (24 minutes)
Mi’kmaq Storyteller: Catherine Martin (24 minutes)
Spirit Catcher: Bert Crowfoot (24 minutes)
From the Trapline: Shirley Cheechoo (24 minutes)
Haisla Anchor: Carla Robinson (24 minutes)
Kibitzing with Podemski: Jennifer Podemski (24 minutes)
It’s a Spiritual Thing: Rodger Ross (24 minutes)
The Entrepreneur: Brenda Chambers (24 minutes)
Modern Indigenous Aboriginal Native Indian Type Dude: Jordan Wheeler (24 minutes)
Starting Out: Lisa Jackson (24 minutes)
The Indigenous Voice, Part 2 (24 minutes)