06/10/2020
In 1975, Cree singer Buffy Sainte-Marie became the first Indigenous person to make regular appearances on . But, before she agreed to participate, she asked the producers: “have you ever done any Native American programming?”
As writes in her biography of Sainte-Marie, "they hadn’t, but they called her back with a new offer to include her as a writer and contributor and appear as a semiregular cast member. She knew it would be a good opportunity to reach millions of young children and their parents with the same message she had been bringing to her concert audiences for years: 'Indians exist'.”
In an era with almost no representation of Indigenous voices in mainstream media, Buffy showed kids and parents alike the strength and pride of Indigenous People and culture. And, initially, her character “was the only adult on Sesame Street that could see Snuffleupagus, which was part of her bond with Big Bird”.
Hear music to celebrate Indigenous Kids, and a special song from down on Sesame Steeet, Sunday at 8PM on . Tune in at cbcmusic.ca/reclaimed
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