Rising Indigenous actor steps into the spotlight to make his people proud
Indigenous actor Joel Montgrand loves every opportunity to create captivating characters for audiences to enjoy.
“If they are Indigenous, I try to show they have a rich life,” Montgrand told Daily Hive. “Of I’m playing a white guy because I can be mistaken for a white guy, then I try and do the same.
“Creating compelling art, on stage or screen, is how I celebrate who I am and how I try to make my people proud.”
Montgrand grew up in Treaty 6 and Treaty 10 territories in Northern Saskatchewan and is currently based in Vancouver. He is also mindful that National Indigenous History Month and National Indigenous Peoples Day are being commemorated in June across Canada.
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In cooperation with Indigenous organizations, the Government of Canada chose June 21, the summer solstice, for the observation of National Indigenous Peoples Day. It is a time for all Canadians to acknowledge and celebrate the unique history, diverse cultures, and remarkable contributions of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples.
When asked what the two events mean to him, the Rocky Cree man belonging to Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation shared that he tries to make meaningful moments out of them.
“I smile when I see non-natives in orange, but that still doesn’t fix everything,” Montgrand said. “I try and just be mindful of what’s going on and I’m glad that we are at least in other people’s thoughts.
“We resist, take back, grow, and come together. Existing and being proud of who we are is important, and I’m glad we can create spaces where we can share and remind each other of that.”
Joel Montgrand (Kristine Cofsky Photography/Submitted)
Montgrand is doing just that with his acclaimed work onscreen. He wowed viewers in his role as Eddie Qavvik on HBO’s True Detective: Night Country and also portrays Hakoda on the live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender series on Netflix.
“It’s so important that these shows showcase Indigenous actors onscreen. I read critiques online about True Detective, and some people were mad that Indigenous issues were in a TV show they liked to watch. To that, I say, “Good.”
“Those are the people that need to see more of us presented in real ways. They want to live in a world where they can put their hands on their ears, close their eyes and pretend we don’t exist or have a right to demand our place on this continent. But we are here, and we aren’t going anywhere. This is our home, and we will always be here.
“If seeing us on screen represented in real ways and not having to be trapped in stereotypes or only playing small roles forces them to recognize us as people, then good. We are storytellers, and we’re finally going to make sure our stories are told well.”
Joel Montgrand in True Detective: Night Country/HBO
The Beans star is helping others share their stories as the host and creator of Actors and Ancestors. Montgrand created the film and TV podcast to uplift Indigenous actors and is already hard at work on the second season.
“I love our acting community. Everyone in the acting world knows someone who knows someone else and has a story with them. With Indigenous actors, it is even closer, and we all have different struggles and perspectives.
“Actors and Ancestors is not exclusively for Indigenous people either; anyone who wants to learn about the industry and our people can tune in and hopefully have a few laughs with us.”
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Past guests of the podcasts include Kali Reis (True Detective), Anna Lambe (The Grizzlies) and D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai (Reservation Dogs).
“I’m trying to show that we are not a monolith and how so many have learned through our struggles. It takes tenacity to be an actor, and no one is more tenacious than our people.”
Montgrand also shared some advice when asked how people can learn more about Indigenous heritage and culture.
“Take all that stuff school taught you about us and throw it out,” he said. “Thankfully that won’t be much. At least it wasn’t when I was a kid. We were a literal footnote on one page in one of the history books I remember reading in school.
“Go check out a pow wow and don’t be shy. We like visitors and friends, so become an ally. We love allies.”
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