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Wild Archaeology season finale: Inuit of Rigolet, Part 2

On this, the final episode of Season 1 of Wild Archaeology, we return to Double Mer site in Rigolet, Nfld. This last locale is referred to as a historical site as it contains artifacts from only the last few hundred years.

First, we visit the lab situated within The Net Loft town museum. It is here that Dr. Lisa Rankin and her team clean, preserve and catalogue each day’s various finds. Because the lab is located in the museum, anyone from the town is able to wander in and see what the archaeologists have recently unearthed. Lisa explains some of the more interesting artifacts include several that illustrate the meshing of European and Inuit cultures.

Dr. Rudy explains this site, in particular, was ideal for their final adventure because it helps to illustrate how archaeologists interpret artifacts as they view them in concert with other finds. A picture unfolds when viewing the artifacts as a larger canvas rather than separate and isolated items. It is when viewed in this context that we are able to understand how the people at this particular location once lived.

Then we return to the dig site, and Jacob first finds an iron nail used in the construction of the sod-covered homes. Later, he finds exactly what he was hoping to: an iron knife blade that was manufactured in Europe and would have been traded for. Later, Jenifer finds a gun-flint that was also manufactured in Europe.

We also get a flavour for the local  fauna. Jacob and Jenifer have the opportunity to try raw sea urchin. Something tells me that Jacob will not have sea urchin on his “must have again” list.

As a final farewell to Season 1, Jenifer  and Jacob share their bittersweet thoughts about their experiences and all that they have learned throughout their journeys as they explored Indigenous cultures across Canada.

Thank you to Dr. Rudy, Jacob, Jenifer, and all of the crew behind Wild Archaeology. I have thoroughly enjoyed watching and learning from your experiences. Now, all of you go get busy and make Season 2!

You can return and stream season one of Wild Archaeology here at  APTN.

If you are curious to learn more about Double Mer, you can listen to this CBC radio segment from Labrador Morning that aired on August 21, 2014.

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Angry Inuk — The Truth about Seal Hunting in Canada

Last month I had the opportunity to see Angry Inuk at the South Western International Film Festival, and during the follow-up Q&A, filmmaker/narrator Alethea Arnaquq-Baril informed the audience that Super Channel would begin airing her film in the next month. I knew at that moment I had to cover this documentary.

Airing Monday, Angry Inuk explores how the the ads promoting International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and Greenpeace—the image of a crying harp seal pup (we learn that all seals cry; it is a natural defense against the cold that prevents their eyes from freezing)—is deliberately used to tug at our heart strings and make us open our pocketbooks. But what we don’t realize is that sealing is a way of life for the Inuit, without which the people would starve.

Environmentalists encourage us to reduce our carbon footprint by buying locally produced food items. Without the seal hunt, the Inuit must fly in food from the south. Additionally, anti-fur advocates are marketing a non-sustainable byproduct from the petrochemical industry; an industry that is contributing to air and water pollution globally. Conversely, seal skin is a natural, waterproof byproduct of a sustainable and local food source that does not require drilling, pipelines or industrial manufacturing plants to produce.

Ms. Arnaquq-Baril’s documentary takes the viewer on a journey to her land, the Arctic. We go seal hunting. We see how her community is tied culturally and economically to the seal hunt. We also learn how the anti-sealing ban by the European Economic Community (EEC) has and continues to hurt those who live in Canada’s northern regions.

So, why should anyone tune in and watch? Well, in light of the recent Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s  Calls to Action, the Canadian government’s announcement for an national inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, and the #NoDAPL standoff at Standing Rock, North Dakota, now is clearly the time when the public will no longer tolerate racist fiscal policies. Angry Inuk brings to light how the anti-sealing movement and the seal product ban by the EU fashion industry continue to plague the Inuit residing in Canada and elsewhere around the globe. When the film finished, I turned to my friend and simply said, “I am buying something seal skin,” because I was so motivated by this story. She heartily agreed with me. She too is currently shopping for seal skin.

Angry Inuk premieres Monday at 8 p.m. ET on SC4 and will be available on Super Channel On Demand as well, beginning tomorrow until Dec. 28. You can view a trailer here.

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An interview with Jenifer Brousseau of Wild Archaeology

I recently caught up with Jenifer Brousseau, co-host of APTN’s Wild Archaeology, and we had a quick chat about her time on the show. Jenifer shared some funny behind-the-scenes stories and also talked about how this remarkable experience continues to shape her life today.

What was the most challenging aspect of this show for you, and what was the reward?
Jenifer Brousseau: Everything from a technical aspect was challenging because we visited remote areas from coast to coast to coast. Every terrain we trekked on was always a challenge. From climbing mountains up the Squamish, B.C., in the very first episode to trekking on the tundra at Richards Island, NWT. The tundra was really difficult because you cannot go fast. It is bumpy like moguls on a ski hill so you have to walk carefully or you will break your ankle. But each of those challenges was a part of the beauty in it; being able to do these physical challenges. But at the end, it was like Christmas because you would go somewhere and you find these amazing artifacts and you think that trek was just so worth it.

Can you tell me one of your funniest memories that viewers did not get to see?
That would have to be the time a bottle washed up on shore when we were at Calvert Island, B.C. It was the mystery of the finger in the bottle, or what was rumoured to be a finger. The freaked out the archaeology students who found it while having a fire on a beach.  Rumours spread quickly throughout camp and we thought this might be one wild episode gone sideways. Everyone discussing the story behind this finger. Dr. Farid Rahemtulla of the Hakai Institute was finally found, and examined the finger only to discover that the finger was actually just a parsnip.

Now that some time has passed since filming ended more than a year ago, what for you is the most memorable experience?
Going to the Pacific West Coast and experiencing the beauty that we saw there was incredible, and then going to the old long house and being on sacred ground there was a highlight. But one thing that really stood out for me was the day we went to Head-Smashed-In, AB, and we sat in the teepee with Reg Crowshoe. You only see a portion of it in the show, but we sat in that teepee with him for most of the day. I remember at the end of the day, going out for dinner and not feeling hungry because I had sat listening to Reg Crowshoe all day long and I was full. I think when you sit with an elder and you hear the richness of these stories it is like being fed a big steak dinner, but for your soul.

Having had this opportunity to participate in Wild Archaeology, what are you personally taking forward?
I have worked in our communities for many years with youth and young people doing workshops, but I have always been on my own journey of my own reclamation. I grew up with a sense of identity crisis, not knowing who I am, not feeling comfortable in my own skin. I didn’t understand our history and growing up I didn’t feel that I knew much.  And while I have been on this journey on Wild Archaeology, I still had my work in my communities. So this has been a journey of my own reclamation.

One of the major things outside of Wild Archaeology, I am also artistic director of Imagi’Nation Collective, which offers youth mentoring, suicide prevention and life promotion workshops. And I think a lot of what this show has done for me has been really magical for me  because I can use this reclamation that I have had in going on this journey and learning all that I have learned about my history. The history of First Nations people, the history of my ancestors has been this beautiful tapestry that has unfolded before me.

Just recognizing the beauty of where I come from  and the strength that I come from, the resilience that I come from, the creativity that I come from  are all amazing things. As I share in the work that I do promoting life and suicide prevention, these are things that I can impart. I toured with a production of a play that I wrote seven years ago called ‘Beneath the Surface,’ and I think that there is a real irony in that what I do as a host on Wild Archaeology because as I dig beneath the surface but in this play, I talk about our stories and traumas and our healing. Now on Wild Archaeology I talk about our resilience and our strength and my own personal reclamation. It is a really beautiful tie-in for who I am what I do and what I can share with Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canada.

Any closing thoughts for young viewers out there?
I think in doing this project I had to have my eyes wide open and I think I would recommend: have your eyes wide open to learn our stories because that is where our foundation is. Knowledge is power and I have said this on the show: ‘When  you know the truth of who you are and where you have come from then you know the truth of where you are going and you can walk in that strength and understanding that you are the the result of the love of thousands and that is what our ancestors say to us.’

My thanks go out to Jenifer for taking the time to share her story with us at TV, Eh? I personally learned a lot as I listened to her story and her remarkable adventures on Wild Archaeology.

The final episode of Wild Archaeology can be seen Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. ET on APTN.

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Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Wild Archaeology: Inuit of Rigolet, Part 1

Nope, Jenifer and Jacob are NOT AT ALL COMPETITIVE! We begin the penultimate episode of Wild Archaeology finishing up at the site in Sheshatshui.

SNAP! Jacob a.k.a. “artifact magnet” found a bi-face and then SNAP!, moments later, Jenifer found aher own bi-face in the exact same quadrant. We learn that Jacob’s Groswater and Dorset paleo Eskimo end blade is not native to the area of their dig and therefore  indicates an interaction between Inuit and Innu communities of Labrador happening at this site. Meanwhile, Jenifer’s is a locally crafted little red quartzite knife blade.

Then we head off to Rigolet to meet up with Dr. Lisa Rankin at Double Mer, an 18th-century Inuit site in Labrador demarked with semi-subterranean sod huts. What is unique to this site is it is a location that was a traditional meeting ground in the summer months for various ethnic groups. This site is also our first glimpse at post-European contact artifacts making an appearance with nails ideal for building the superstructure of the sod homes.

And, true to form, Jacob finds the first artifact, a piece of leather that has markings to indicate it had been sewn. Jenifer comes across a couple of decorated beads in her quadrant the likes of which had not been found previously.

We are down to the final episode next week, with Part 2 of Inuit of Rigolet. This has been such a fun adventure, I hate to see it end.

Wild Archaeology airs Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m. ET on APTN.

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Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Daily Planet spreads sci-tech cheer for all to hear during “High-Tech Toys Week”, beginning December 5 on Discovery

From a media release:

It’s beginning to look a lot like…“High-Tech Toys Week”! Santa’s helpers, better known as the team behind Discovery’s daily sci-tech series DAILY PLANET, are hard at work preparing for every tech toy-lover’s favourite week of the year, “High-Tech Toys Week”. Airing exclusively on Discovery beginning Monday, Dec. 5 through Friday, Dec. 9 at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT, DAILY PLANET explores a week full of boundless innovation and imagination.

From a life-size Transformer car to vertical air hockey, viewers are invited to join co-hosts Ziya Tong and Dan Riskin as they fill Santa’s sleigh with the season’s most exciting, outlandish, and coveted high-tech toys from around the world.

“High-Tech Toys Week” was the second most-watched theme week on DAILY PLANET during the 2015/16 broadcast year, trailing only “Future-Tech Week”. DAILY PLANET, the world’s only nightly science broadcast reaches more than 1.3 million viewers each week and continues to win the 7 p.m. ET timeslot among Canadian entertainment specialty channels during the 2016/17 broadcast year among all key adult demographics.

Highlights from DAILY PLANET’s “High-Tech Toys Week” include:

“Transformer Car”
The BMW can now shapeshift from a car into huge robot, thanks to a prototype designed by Turkish company, Letrons. The Antiomon is a real-life, nearly five-metre tall Transformer with driving capabilities. A total of five working models were developed by a team of 12 engineers, with each featuring a 35,000 hydraulic cylinder system that allows for quick and effective transformations. DAILY PLANET meets with the development team to discuss the Antiomon’s price tag in advance of its consumer debut.

“Teal Highspeed Drone”
George Matus was 11 years old when he flew his first drone and was immediately blown away. By 16, Matus was competing as a professional drone racer and acting as a test pilot for new aircraft. Today, Matus is the CEO of his own drone and software company, Teal. After years of flying, crashing, rebuilding, and modifying dozens of versions of drones, Matus has completed his dream drone, the Teal. The highly impressive unmanned aircraft flies at more than 120 kilometres per hour, can operate in wind speeds of 64 kilometres per hour, and has a built-in camera, GPS, and autonomous capabilities. From gaming and augmented reality to security applications and agriculture, Matus wants to make this drone do anything the imagination can conjure. Testing diffferent flight propellers and evaluating for speed, noise, and handling, Matus and the Teal team join DAILY PLANET as they race to get to market “the world’s fastest production drone in its class.”

“Climball”
What is the result when pinball, air hockey, wall climbing, and a splash of augmented reality mix together? Climball – a high-tech, fast-paced game combining augmented reality technology with rock climbing. The physically engaging game tracks the players’ movements while they compete to volley a virtual ball. DAILY PLANET climbs on board to get a closer look at the tech behind the newest way to get into shape.

“The PancakeBot”
Marking the very first food printer of its kind, the $300 PancakeBot is the brainchild of Miguel Valenzuela, a civil engineer, inventor, and father living in Norway. A container of batter is attached to PancakeBot’s mechanical printing arm where underneath sits a flat, heated griddle that acts as its canvas. Users can turn almost anything into a yummy breakfast treat – a child’s drawing, a product image, a team’s logo, or even a favorite piece of artwork. DAILY PLANET meets with Valenzuela, who spills the batter on PancakeBot’s food printing technology.

“Amphibious Helicopter”
Novelty car builder Jeff Bloch, also known as SpeedyCop, is the master of developing crazy, homemade cars. He’s built a fighter jet car, an upside down Camaro, and even a car that stretches out like an accordion – all capable of racing at 24 Hours of LeMons, a series of endurance races held on paved courses across the U.S. This year, Bloch recycled a damaged helicopter from the Vietnam War and transformed it into a mighty machine that can race on land and in water, making the gadget an entirely amphibious helicopter. Although it can’t take flight just yet, it has some truly astounding capabilities! DAILY PLANET meets Bloch to discuss how he intends to take these off-the-wall vehicles from the junkyard to the racetrack.

“Carr-E”
Many city drivers have experienced the congestion of downtown roadways during rush hour – the impatience, the frustration, and the worry. Well, Ford Motor Company is hoping to prevent commuter frustration with the “Last Mile Mobility Challenge”. One of this year’s finalists is Kilian Vas, a Ford engineer who has designed and built the Carr-E. An easily transported, segway-like vehicle, the Carr-E can propel motorist through all types of traffic. Carr-E’s ultrasonic sensors and built-in GPS allow it to navigate through busy streets, avoiding any obstacle thrown in its path. DAILY PLANET meets with Vas to test out the four-wheel, electric pedestrian assistant that could potentially be the next big breakthrough in urban commuting.

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