Dr. Savannah Howse-Smith stars in upcoming TV docuseries to air in Cree and English on APTN
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The first series from Wapanatahk Media, a women-led Indigenous production company based in Vancouver, will air beginning May 3-4 on APTN.
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Produced in partnership with Thunderbird Entertainment’s Great Pacific Media, the Dr. Savannah: Wild Rose Vet series will premiere on APTN in Cree on May 3 (7:30 p.m.) and in English on May 4 (8:30 p.m.).
New episodes will air every Wednesday for the docuseries that follow Dr. Savannah Howse-Smith, a Métis veterinarian who runs the Rocky Rapids Veterinary Service in rural Alberta’s Drayton Valley area.
From wildlife rescues to C-sections of cows, Dr. Savannah is on a mission to keep rural Alberta’s pet and animal population healthy, while taking time to embrace and care. explore her cultural identity as a Métis woman.
“Authentic Indigenous representation is central to our mission at Wapanatahk Media,” said company co-founders Tania Koenig-Gauchier and Shirley McLean. “Our goal is to provide a platform for new Indigenous voices, and we are proud to present Dr. Savannah: Wild Rose Vet, and highlight the incredible lived experiences, successes — and challenges — of a young Métis woman living in rural Alberta.
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According to Women in View’s On Screen 2021 report, Indigenous women continue to be grossly underrepresented in the media. For example, of the 43% of women in key television creative positions in 2019, only 6.44% were Black women and women of color and 0.94% were Indigenous women, and although 50% of all television directors were women, only 12% were black. women and women of color and less than 1% were Indigenous women.
Dr. Savannah’s production is a big boost to those numbers, as the series, which has already been renewed for a second season, currently employs seven Indigenous women in editing, writing and production roles.