8th Fire

In the opening episode of the four-part series 8th Fire, host Wab Kinew, from the Ojibways of Onigaming First Nation in Northern Ontario, and now a Winnipeg-based TV journalist, invites us to come "meet the neighbours." It's about time, since many Canadians say they have never met an Aboriginal person. This vibrant kaleidoscopic hour introduces a diverse cast of Indigenous characters living in cities. They are united in a shared bond as Canada's First Peoples and in their determination to reassert their culture within a wider population of non-Indigenous Canadians.

It's Time! challenges Canadians with this reality: if we don't improve our relationship with Aboriginal people, we will cripple our economy. Both the footage and the argument come in high definition and make the case that Canada is changing beneath our feet. In a dynamic two-minute walk through 500 years of history, 8th Fire host Wab Kinew explains how ancient Wampum belts hold a clue to the future. The Supreme Court of Canada now confirms the promises they hold as the truth. The First Nations of this country were not conquered. They signed treaties to share the land, and this means Aboriginal people must be consulted and accommodated when anyone wants to dig, explore or develop on their land.

Exploring land development, the biggest sticking point between Aboriginal peoples and the Canadian "settler" population.

Young Aboriginals are prepared to change the future and build a new relationship with Canada.