YORKTON -- A Saskatchewan man is breaking down the often stereotyped representations of Indigenous people in movies and television shows, through a Disney Channel series.
Stereotypical images were the norm in Hollywood movies for decades with writing often portraying Indigenous people in a negative light. But that image is changing, thanks to Jacob Pratt.
Pratt’s production company, Skoden Entertainment, produced three pieces for Disney’s series "Use Your Voice."
These pieces featured Indigenous youth doing positive things and making a difference in their community.
"A part of our goal is to like dispel those stereotype and misconceptions and you know present Indigenous people as we actually are," Pratt said.
Jacob Pratt spoke with CTV News via video call on Dec. 17.
Pratt, who is from the George Gordon First Nation, grew up not seeing people like him on television or the silver screen.
He said having proper representation on-screen will allow future generations to see the possibilities available to them.
"Making sure I have an impact in bringing Indigenous stories and Indigenous faces to the entertainment industry is really important to me because I want those little kids like me to be able to see somebody like them, to you know help encourage them or inspire them so they can see that those things are possible for them," Pratt explained.
Pratt says his approach to the stories starts with going in from a genuine and authentic place.
"When I go into something I’ll say like 'OK, would what I’m doing right now back home make people proud of what they're seeing' and that what they're seeing is legitimate and makes sense and if I can say yes I know that my family and everybody back home would be inspired and proud of what we're doing then I’m doing my job properly.”
Pratt also hopes to show that Indigenous stories are feasible and can be just as entertaining as non-Indigenous stories.
The three episodes of use your voice aired in November and can be found on the Disney Channel’s Instagram and YouTube page.
