b'YOUNG VOICESMartin to be a part of something bigger.available on the Indigenous Geographic30 staff members, Indigenous Geographic She began working in Inuit communitiesEducational Platform. continues to unite Indigenous peoples by as a community social service worker andgiving them opportunity to build capacity consultant, but felt that as a frontlineDue to systemic barriers, Indigenous- within their own communities and learn worker, she didnt have a voice. owned film companies are few and farfrom one another through film.between. Indigenous-led productions, I started off as frontline, then realizedwith accurate stories and representationsAs she continues on her journey, Martin working [on the] frontline, your voice isof diverse Indigenous voices, are theconcludes with advice that she would gift watered down and it doesnt seem to haveheart of bringing forward social inequitiesto her younger self: There is hope. Every any impact. I started looking at ways of howfor positive change. This is what makesdecision that you are going to be making I could advocate more, then I went intoIndigenous Geographic uniqueaimpacts your future, and [with] every policy, Martin shares. I started supportingfocus on authenticity, making sure thatdecision you make, you need to think Inuit-specific policy development inIndigenous communities feel representedabout thatyou need to be determined Ontario and working with ministries withinand honouring the importance ofand motivated in good ways. And if you the province, working with Inuit organiza- Indigenous data sovereignty. And now,are, then all those things will fall into place tions. I have been working in that kind ofafter four years of operation and with overwhen its meant to be. capacity for a number of years.Elected president of the Inuit Youth Council in 2019, Martins work later led her to join an Indigenous Advisory Council with her local school board, repre-senting and supporting Inuit students and their families and ensuring that Inuit peoples are being heard and receiving necessary resources in schools. This is where Martin met her business partner, Matt LeMay, a Mtis man with similar experiences of underrepresentation.I was talking about the underrepresen-tation of Inuit, and when I was going to school here in Redford County, I didnt feel represented, I didnt feel heard, Martin says. We were having these brain-storming conversations [about] how we can ensure there is proper presentation, proper resources for First Nations, Inuit and Mtis students.Martin and LeMay connected over shared values and interests. The two carry similar lived experiences as part of underrepre-sented demographics within Canada, as both Mtis and Inuit peoples have historic- WE ARE AN INDIGENOUS-OWNEDCrystal ally been pan-Indigenized rather thanVIDEO PRODUCTION COMPANY Martinrecognized as distinct groups of people& educational platform that amplifies with their own rich cultures and histories. Indigenous voices and shares Indigenous After partnering for a professional oppor- stories from across Turtle Island and the globe.tunity, conversations and ideas aboutWe specialize in producing documentary and feature how to truly amplify Indigenous peoplesfilms, E-learning tools, and commercial & corporateMatt Lethrough film began to shape the idea forvideos. We are experienced at capturing and MaIndigenous Geographica productiondocumenting Indigenous oral history, working withycompany dedicated to building capacityIndigenous communities, Residential School Survivors, in Indigenous communities across Turtlegovernments, corporations, & not-for-profits.Island and making sure that First Nations, Inuit and Mtis peoples feel representedindigenousgeographic.caand heard. Indigenous Geographic has created a variety of documentaries and educational content, including the multi-award-winning documentary WaitingINDIGENOUS PEOPLE.for Justice, along with the documentaryINDIGENOUS STORIES.Echoes of the Ice, which highlights the impacts of climate change on the Inuits traditional food systems, and is exclusively Ontario Native Womens Association11'