Page 14 - aruba-today-20201215

a14 people & arts
Tuesday 15 december 2020
'Big Sky' stumbles in addressing Native American criticism

By LYNN ELBER ma, debuted in November
LOS ANGELES (AP) — After with a plot about two sis-
ABC's "Big Sky" drew Na- ters abducted by possible
tive American censure for sex-traffickers. The sisters
overlooking an epidemic are white, and early epi-
of violence against Indig- sodes omitted any mention
enous women and girls, its of the high rate of missing
producers set about mak- and murdered Indigenous
ing changes. But the first, women and girls, including
hurried steps were called in Montana.
"bumpy" and insulting by After a succession of tribal
Native leaders. leaders and Native advo-
The reaction illustrates how cates in the U.S. and Can-
even well-meaning cre- ada criticized the omission,
ators may struggle with producers said their "eyes
growing demands for di- have been opened" and
versity and authenticity they were working with In-
— especially with an eth- digenous groups to bring
nic group that Hollywood attention to the ongo-
has at best ignored and at ing tragedy. They sought
worst stereotyped beyond guidance from National
recognition. Congress of American In-
Shelly R. Fyant, chairwom- dians, the largest and old-
an of the Confederated est representative body for
Salish and Kootenai Tribes America's nearly 600 tribal
of Montana, said she was nations.
blindsided by a request to Native American actress Stefany Mathias poses for a photo in Vernon, British Columbia Canada "In its failure to represent the
use a tribal seal on "Big Sky" on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2020. life-or-death crisis of missing
when she was unaware the Associated Press and murdered Indigenous
Flathead Nation tribe might women, Disney has erased
be written into a scene. "Our tribe and our identity with people and environ- Disney-owned ABC, mark- tragedies that impact tribal
The email inquiry to Fy- and our government is not ments, Nunan said, adding ing writer-producer David Nations across North Amer-
ant's office, from a Native going to be subcontracted that it could been the case E. Kelley's return to network ica," Congress President
American guest actor also out." for "Big Sky" if its first priori- TV after a string of cable Fawn Sharp said in a state-
tasked as a cultural adviser The quick turnaround for ties were Native Americans successes ("Big Little Lies," ment to The Associated
for the series, was sent Dec. episodic TV makes revisions and the human trafficking "The Undoing"). The series Press.
9 — three days before the possible but not advisable, toll. is based on a 2013 novel, The organization is fulfilling
proposed scene was to especially when sensitive "But it's almost impossible to writer C.J. Box's "The High- its job of supporting tribal
tape in Canada, where the issues are at stake, said make something feel truly way," which doesn't ad- nations' sovereign govern-
Montana-set series is in pro- producer Tom Nunan (the authentic if one tries some- dress Native issues. ments by "educating Dis-
duction. Oscar-winning "Crash"), a how to 'reverse engineer' it Producers, including ABC's ney on the appropriate
It was "insulting" to discover former network and studio after the fact," said Nunan, Disney sibling 20th Televi- way to respectfully address
the show planned to depict head. a lecturer at the University sion and Kelley's company, this issue with impacted Na-
the tribe absent consulta- Research and hard work of California, Los Angeles, did not comment for this tions and learn from their
tion and a slap at efforts to can make "material ring graduate school for the- article. leaders" and experts on
combat crime against In- incredibly true," even for ater, film and TV. The Tuesday night series, a Indigenous subjects, Sharp
digenous people, she said. writers initially unfamiliar "Big Sky" was a plum for standard private-eye dra- said.q

Justin Bieber, U.K. health workers team up for charity song

LONDON (AP) — Justin Health Service charities. humbled to team up with
Bieber has teamed up with The choir gained fame them for a charity single
a choir of London medical when it vied with Bieber that will benefit NHS work-
staff to record a special in 2015 for the Christmas ers on the frontlines of this
charity Christmas single. No. 1 song. Bieber urged pandemic and pay trib-
The choir, made up of his millions of fans on Twit- ute to their unbelievable
nurses, doctors and other ter to support the choir, dedication."q
health care staff working not him, and it eventually Solution Sudoku
in the British capital's Lew- won the top spot on the
isham and Greenwich pub- singles chart. The star then 12/15 Difficulty Level
lic health service, joined travelled to London and 8 6 2 3 1 9 7 5 4
the Canadian pop star for presented them with their 3 7 1 8 5 4 2 9 6
a special version of his song charity award. 9 4 5 2 7 6 3 8 1
"Holy" in a bid to top the "It's great to be reunited 2020 Conceptis Puzzles, Dist. by King Features Syndicate, Inc. 4 5 7 6 2 3 9 1 8
Christmas chart. with the Lewisham and 6 2 3 1 9 8 5 4 7
Choir members recorded Greenwich NHS choir, as 1 9 8 7 4 5 6 3 2
In this Jan. 27, 2020 file photo, Justin Bieber arrives at the Los their vocals at London's fa- we share a fun bit of U.K.
Angeles premiere of "Justin Bieber: Seasons." Justin Bieber has 2 8 9 4 3 7 1 6 5
teamed up with a choir of London medical staff to record a mous Abbey Road Studios. chart history together," 7 3 4 5 6 1 8 2 9
charity Christmas single. Profits from the collabo- said Bieber, 26. "Especially 5 1 6 9 8 2 4 7 3
Associated Press ration will go to National in these difficult times, I'm
Puzzle on Page 13