We are excited to be in the process of building our first constellations of collaborators around our first Hub: Digital Imaging. While representation alone should not be a final goal of digital NDN temporalities, media can provide an initial imaginary for NDN futures, one grounded in processes of communal- and self-transformation, defined through accessible modes of expression, and devised through collaborative methods. Representation in digital visual cultures will be the foundations of the the Digital Wahkohtowin & Cultural Governance Lab’s early research disseminations, wherein we will collaborate with with filmmakers, artists, and curators to produce digital visual cultures that represent Indigenous 2LGBTIA+ peoples through media initiatives.

The first Digital Imaging initiative is Kin, a web series that will stream on APTN Lumi in Fall 2022, directed by Cree-Métis director and artist Thirza Cuthand and Métis director Justin Ducharme. The Digital Wahkohtowin & Cultural Governance Lab will be home to a production collective that will work towards increased representation of Indigenous 2LGBTIA+ peoples in film, television, and other screen media. For more information, read our announcement of the Kin web series.

The second Digital Imaging initiative is @IndigiTikTok, a TikTok channel by and for Indigenous youth, developed by Dene community researcher and University of Denver Ph.D. student Charlie Amáyá Scott. If you haven’t read the charter for the platform yet, you can read it here.