Knockabout Media

“IMAGINATION MEANS NOTHING WITHOUT DOING.”
– Charlie Chaplin

PODCASTS

Sick People Need More Than Pills – The Story of a National Crime

2022 marks the 100th anniversary of the publication of The Story of a National Crime. It was written by Dr. Peter Henderson Bryce. It was an eighteen-page pamphlet containing evidence of neglect, negligence and harm to First Nations children and their communities. From 1904 to 1913, Bryce was the medical inspector for the Department of the Interior and Indian Affairs. It was not the first time he had spoken out. This pamphlet was his appeal for justice and his condemnation of federal inaction. In this series, we look at the practices, policies, and official correspondence to reveal the intentional actions and acts of indifference that contributed to poor health and lethal outcomes. There will be examples of people who pushed back – the whistleblowers – the parents, the Indigenous communities, the bureaucrats, and members of the clergy. The experts interviewed highlight how archival documents only reveal part of the history and that numerous questions remain.Content Warning: This series talks about Indian Residential Schools, medical racism, segregated health care, and missing patients.If you are a Residential School Survivor or Intergenerational Survivor, you can access support through the National Indian Residential School Crisis Line at 1-866-925-4419. Mental health and crisis support is also available through Hope 4 Wellness at 1-855-242-3310.Credits:Written/Produced by Maia-Foster SanchezCo-Producer: Ryan BarnettAdditional Voices: Gabriel MaracleOur series advisors are Teresa Edwards, Kaila Johnston, and Erin Millions.Artwork by Caleb Ellison-DysartA Knockabout Media Production | Funded by the Government of Canada Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

COMING SEPTEMBER 29: THE STORY OF A NATIONAL CRIME – Once Upon a Time in Hollywood North

Peter Henderson Bryce was a medical doctor, civil servant and public health expert. In 1907, after surveying 35 residential schools, he submitted a report to the Department of Indian Affairs detailing clear connections between Residential Schools, tuberculosis and high student mortality rates. His recommendations fell on deaf ears and would not be revealed publicly until he was forced to retire. Fifteen years after his initial report, he published an 18-page “appeal for justice”—a pamphlet containing his findings and recommendations, and condemning the government’s lack of action to address illness and death in the Residential School System and First Nation communities. Indigenous peoples continued to experience disproportionate impacts of tuberculosis for years to come. Eventual federal intervention involved a confusing web of enforced medical care leaving Survivors and patients’ families to seek answers and closure.The Story of a National Crime podcast comes from Knockabout Media, and is made possible by The Government of Canada.For more information visit: http://www.nationalcrimepod.ca

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ABOUT US

KNOCKABOUT MEDIA specializes in creative non-fiction storytelling for the cultural and media sectors. Our team brings a shared 25+ years of production experience with a proven track record in bilingual documentary and educational programming. We’re passionate about developing inventive ways to communicate real stories, whether through participant-based documentary, animation, 360° immersive videos, podcasting, or a suite of combined practices. We are supported by a national network of subject matter experts, cinematographers, editors, illustrators, animators, sound engineers and colorists to bring your stories to your audience.

VIDEO

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SERVICES

PODCASTS
81% of podcast listeners listen to all or most of an episode. With stats like that, there’s no audience quite like a podcast audience. Let us help you build and steward your audience with a personalized podcast series for your project or organization.

DOCUMENTARY SERIES
We can provide the creative vision and expertise to develop short form and long form documentary content to meet your programming objectives. Our team is equipped to manage projects from development to delivery.

EXPLAINERS
Do you have a core message or key concept that you need explained in a minute or two? Our team can help you distill complex subject matter into short, engaging videos for a general or target audience.

WHO WE ARE

Maia Foster-Sanchez

Producer, Maia is an Ottawa-based oral historian, documentarian, and disaster researcher. She is passionate about storytelling, knowledge mobilization, arts-based research, and ethics. Maia has conceived and created several documentary and podcasts series, most recently working in collaboration with an advisory circle, academic consultants, and participants on the upcoming STORY OF A NATIONAL CRIME podcast. She holds a Bilingual Honours B.A. in History from Glendon College and an MA in Disaster and Emergency Management from Royal Roads University. In 2021, Maia received the Governor General’s Gold Medal at RRU for her Master’s thesis work.

Ryan Barnett

Founder + Principal, Ryan is a creative producer and writer. For more than a decade, he has created thousands of minutes of bilingual video and podcast programming for the cultural sector. His work has been installed in museums, featured on CTV, CBC television and radio, in The Globe & Mail, National Post, Canada’s History, Canadian Geographic and dozens of other publications. Ryan is also the producer and host of the podcast series Once Upon a Time in Hollywood North. His writing has been published by Firefly Books in North America and Éditions Glénat in Europe. Ryan’s work has been viewed 100MM+ times in broadcast and online.

Sonia Gemmiti

Producer, Sonia is a filmmaker and multidisciplinary artist. In 2021, she earned accolades from festivals in North America and Europe for her film Face à ma fenêtre (Outside My Window), which included the theme prize, Make Your Life a Masterpiece, at the 2021 Asolo Art Film Festival. The film most recently screened at the 50^th annual Dance on Camera Festival (NYC), co-presented by Film at Lincoln Center. Her installation work has shown at Come Up to My Room, Myseum of Toronto’s Intersections festival and dance: made in canada/fait au Canada. Sonia also has a distinguished decade-long career as a Set Designer, which includes Guillermo del Toro’s Crimson Peak (2015), nominated for the Art Directors Guild Excellence in Design Award (2016).