Indigenous people, in my head, were the "before" times. Something to learn about in history class, but relevant in today's world.

This is a mindset I no longer hold.

I think it's important to understand that Indigenous people are not only still here, they're a full culture in their own right, and that they go through the same things any of us do.

The stars in this constellation are the things that showed me that idea the most.
Beans is another glimpse into a young Indigenous girl's life, but with a very different setting. I found it gave off The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas vibes, in that it dealt with a serious topic through the lens of an uninformed child. It really pulled me away from the idea that all of this was just something in the history books to study.
Another project by Drew Hayden Taylor, the documentary was a bit of a shock to me. To think someone would so flagrantly lie just to get ahead a little. It was a really insightful look into a problem modern Indigenous people had for me.
This book really opened my eyes to the idea that Indigenous teenagers were just like anybody else (silly to say now, but it was a bit of an wake up call for me).

Most of the Indigenous media I had seen had people proudly flying their flag, but here was a girl that was almost ashamed of it. It's a take I hadn't really seen before, and made me reconsider a lot of things.
Theland was a treat to watch, but also really showed me that Indigenous art was still around.

I think, outside of just looking plain cool, the LED hoops represent something - the merging of old and new. Lots of Indigenous media talks about tradition, but here was something old with something new. Their art could adapt, and still be important in the modern age.
Autumn Peltier is definitely inspirational. She's been campaigning for better water quality since she was young, and has been in some pretty crazy places. She showed me that Indigenous people are able to work with the government, and deal with modern problems.
A Tribe called Red, as well as all the other music artists featured in the seminars, was really cool to see as a big music fan. Grade 10 music had taught me a little about Indigenous music, but to see it mixed with some very modern styles was super interesting.