The Urbariginal

CBC Indigenous
The Urbariginal

Rudy Kelly’s dad was a great chief of the Tsimshian Nation - a champion of the language, culture, and community. Everyone loved him. But did Rudy? As a kid, he looked up to him. Idolized him. But also feared him. And even hated him. He told Rudy that to succeed, he would have to leave everything behind: his family, friends, and culture. In this six-part series, Rudy's journey brings him back in time, to learn how colonization impacted Indigenous people, from those who lived it. To find out who and what his dad really was, and to discover more about himself - the Urbariginal

Episodes

  1. Bonus: How to celebrate National Indigenous People’s Day all summer long

    JUN 21

    Bonus: How to celebrate National Indigenous People’s Day all summer long

    Today we have a special bonus episode for you from our sibling show Unreserved, a fearless space for Indigenous voices. Host Rosanna Deerchild is ready to Indigenize your summer with a tastemaker’s guide to the best books, movies, podcasts and more.  More episodes of Unreserved are available at: https://link.chtbl.com/CfNRPC2Z

    52 min

  2. 2023-05-31

    Episode 6: The All Native

    Rudy brings us to the one place where he feels kinship with his people and connection to his culture: a basketball tournament where hope and victory, halibut and clam fritters, drumming and dance, help him feel truly All Native.

    30 min

  3. 2023-05-31

    Episode 5: People of the Salmon

    Rudy returns to his father’s village Lax Kw’alaams and finds himself in the middle of a community torn apart by a global industrial project that could bring with it wealth, or the destruction of the resource they are sworn to protect: the salmon.

    33 min

  4. 2023-05-31

    Episode 4: The Old Rugged Cross

    Rudy struggles with the death of his father and his Christian burial because of the role the church played in attempting to suppress and eradicate Indigenous culture, and discovers how the people he is close to are learning to heal.

    38 min

  5. 2023-05-31

    Episode 3: It takes a village

    Rudy uncovers shocking truths about his father's past and seeks answers from his parents' closest friends to understand the struggles of Indigenous peoples in the face of cultural upheaval.

    32 min

  6. 2023-05-31

    Episode 2: Apache Passing

    Rudy was so good at acting white, that even his white friends forgot he was Indigenous. He meets with a friend who he never knew was Indigenous and grapples with the idea of connecting to culture as a way to create meaningful change.

    32 min

  7. 2023-05-31

    Episode 1: Do the White Thing

    He honoured his father’s wish to leave his Tsimshian family, community and culture behind to succeed in the white world, but now Rudy finds himself caught between two cultures and travels to his family’s first home for answers.

    24 min

  8. TRAILER

    Introducing: The Urbariginal

    Join Rudy Kelly, Tsimshian author, and entertainer, on a deeply personal journey to reconcile the legend of his father, a powerful chief, with the man he knew - who drove him away from his community and culture. The Urbariginal goes beyond Rudy’s own experiences, to show how colonization affected Indigenous people, by hearing from those who lived it. All six episodes will be released on Wednesday, May 31, 2023.

    2 min

Trailer

4.8
out of 5
66 Ratings

About

Rudy Kelly’s dad was a great chief of the Tsimshian Nation - a champion of the language, culture, and community. Everyone loved him. But did Rudy? As a kid, he looked up to him. Idolized him. But also feared him. And even hated him. He told Rudy that to succeed, he would have to leave everything behind: his family, friends, and culture. In this six-part series, Rudy's journey brings him back in time, to learn how colonization impacted Indigenous people, from those who lived it. To find out who and what his dad really was, and to discover more about himself - the Urbariginal

Information

More From CBC Indigenous

You Might Also Like

To listen to explicit episodes, sign in.

Stay up to date with this show

Sign in or sign up to follow shows, save episodes and get the latest updates.
Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

Asia Pacific

Europe

Latin America and the Caribbean

The United States and Canada