After discussing the intricacies of bark biting and insurance fraud, CBC news reporter Tanner Smith looked over to Indigenous onlookers to see if they noticed how “at one” he was with nature.
“I know they way into their heart is through wildlife,” said Smith. “If it’s anything like the romanticized version of how Disney portrays them, then certainly an interview with their beloved deer population would disarm them.”
News organizations have taken extra measures to gain the trust of Indigenous communities. Small gestures such as offering tobacco, sleeping in the wilderness until a spirit animal or a rescue team arrives, and reporting objectively through the scope of Canada’s colonial history have really turned the tides of journalism in their favor.
Local community member Randall Littlefoot was also interviewed after the deer. “You know, I think it’s cute and all. But the way into our heart isn’t through Bambi over there. It’s through treating us like actual human beings.”