Joel Oulette (left) sits astride a wooden horse while in discussion with Talon Pascal in the first episode of Warrior Up!--SUBMITTED PHOTO
asmith@medicinehatnews.com
Medicine Hat’s own Joel Oulette hits the screen as part of an upcoming documentary series, showcasing young Indigenous changemakers.
The series, Warrior Up!, is on inspiring youth from across Turtle Island. Oulette, alongside co-hosts Anna Lambe and Joshua Odjick, travelled across the continent to meet with various Indigenous youths, who were all making changes to their communities, their lands and their own lives for the better.
“We each got to have our own episodes where we go across Canada and interview Indigenous youth who are doing uplifting things in their community, just really inspiring things. And they’re paving the way for more Indigenous people,” said Oulette
Oulette noted that the series was filmed a few years ago, but he’s thrilled to see the project come to fruition and reach the world at large, though he is “rocking the mop hair” in the older footage.
The experience was both informative and incredible for him, getting to interact with and meet these different young warriors and learn about different Indigenous cultures along the way; however, he says the experience was also a challenge in that it was significantly different from character acting.
“It’s pretty fun. Yeah, I’ve never hosted a show before, I was honestly pretty nervous. And it was different than just acting, like in movies,” said Oulette. “It brought me to all sorts of cool places. You know, we’d go to B.C., where we interview Talon Pascal, and then we go to Yellowknife, then we’d be in Saskatchewan. Having them to teach me what they’re doing, you know, pave the way for Indigenous voices, was truly inspiring to see.”
The series features 13 episodes, each highlighting a different changemaker from across Canada and the United States, from rappers in Yellowknife to someone who had worked hard to master the arts of tanning, flint knapping and pit house building.
The series is already available on APTN Lumi for streaming as of May 4 and will be premiering on the APTN channel this coming Saturday. Viewers are encouraged to check their local listings for on-air showtimes.
