Nikan Productions and Radio-Canada OHdio present the youth podcast Let me tell you, directed by Bastien Gagnon-Lafrance and entirely supported by Indigenous creators. This new series, which is available in eight episodes, is now available on the Radio-Canada OHdio website and application.
Designed for school-aged children, Let Me Tell You aims to awaken their curiosity and introduce them to indigenous cultures through eight objects and symbols rich in history and meaning. Each episode offers a playful exploration of different indigenous peoples of Quebec through lively narration and concrete examples. Music, food, housing and hunting become anchor points for understanding various facets of the life of the First Peoples. The series also highlights essential principles — respect, sharing, connection to the territory and the community — in order to make them accessible to young listeners.
A public listening session will take place on Friday, March 6 at 3 p.m. at Cinéma Beaubien as part of the Montreal International Children’s Film Festival (FIFEM). Young audiences will be able to experience the series in a movie theater while excerpts from the podcast will be presented, accompanied by a discussion led by Philippe Fehmiu. This exchange will take place with the director Bastien Gagnon-Lafrance, the co-writer Mélanie O’Bomsawin, and several guests, notably the singer Shauit – who will perform songs on the drum, the Abenaki chief Jacques Watso, the actor and guardian of the territory Jean Luc Kanapé and the president of Nikan Productions, Kim O’Bomsawin. Free entry, by reservation.LET ME TELL YOUBalado. 8 episodes of 13 to 17 minutes. 2026. In French version. Director: Bastien Gagnon-Lafrance | Animation: Océane Kitura Bohémier-Tootoo | Screenplay: Bastien Gagnon-Lafrance, Mélanie O’Bomsawin, Andréanne O’Bomsawin, Kim Arseneault | Search: Kim Arseneault | Content advice: Médérik Sioui | Teaching advice: François-Xavier Panaccio | Editing: Bastien Gagnon-Lafrance, Mélanie O’Bomsawin | Sound recording: Bastien Gagnon-Lafrance | Sound design, design and mixing: Benoît Dame, Jérémie Jones | Original music: Atamone | Technique: Sound Shift | Illustrations: Niaka Agency | Production: Kim O’Bomsawin, Nadia Koromyslova (Nikan Productions)
EPISODE 1 – THE POW-WOW Among the natives, there is a large outdoor gathering where hundreds of people in colorful outfits dance for hours. It is a place to discover cultures, taste traditional dishes and admire crafts. Welcome to the powwow! Host Charles Bender explains its astonishing origin, Kanien’kehá:ka dancer Barbara Diabo presents different dances, from fancy dance to hoop dance.
EPISODE 2 – THE CARIBOUL The caribou is the central animal for many First Peoples because it provides everything necessary to live: food, clothing and tools. Melissa Mollen Dupuis, from the Innu nation, explains how this deer was vital to the survival of her people and remains at the heart of the imagination and culture, and Jean Luc Kanapé, guardian of the territory, talks about the importance of preserving its natural habitat.
EPISODE 3 – MAPLE SYRUP Long before the arrival of Europeans, indigenous peoples were already harvesting maple sap to make a precious sugar. Patrice Ottawa, Atikamekw, talks about how he still makes syrup today using traditional methods, while Abenaki chef Lysanne O’Bomsawin shares her best maple-based recipes.
EPISODE 4 – THE DRUMThe drum is central to the music of the First Peoples. Teueikan among the Innu, water drum among the Iroquoians, mistikwaskihk among the Eeyou and so on! As Indigenous Nations are very diverse, they all have different ways of making and using the drum, as singer Shauit and storyteller Charles Api Bellefleur passionately explain.
EPISODE 5 – THE CANOTBefore the car, the train or the plane, provisions and news traveled by canoe. Historian Médérik Sioui explains the essential role of this boat in the exchanges and communications of the First Peoples, while the Anishinaabe artisan Karl Chevrier talks about how he still makes them today in the traditional way, from birch bark.
EPISODE 6 – THE IGGAAK (SNOW GLASSES)Before the invention of sunglasses, the Inuit, these people of the Arctic, invented very special glasses to see better when the light reflects very strongly on the snow. Professor Krista Ulujuk Zawadski explains the ingenuity of this entirely Inuit invention and fashion designer Taalrumiq talks about the contemporary iggaak that she is bringing up to date.
EPISODE 7 – TRADITIONAL HOUSESA great sense of community and mutual aid is necessary for 10 to 15 families to live together, under the same roof. From the igloo to the wigwam, via the shaputuan, Wendat historian Médérik Sioui presents the differences in the dwellings of the First Peoples — from the materials used to the social role of the Iroquoian longhouse, to the seasonal cycle of Algonquian dwellings.
EPISODE 8 – THE THREE SISTERS Squash, beans and corn complement each other perfectly when they grow. Some First Peoples have known this for millennia, long before the arrival of Europeans. Alexandra Picard-Sioui of the Wendat nation talks about the importance of these three pillars of the diet of the first inhabitants of the St. Lawrence River and Abenaki chef Jacques Watso gives the secrets of his famous sagamité soup.About the directorCreative and enterprising, Bastien Gagnon-Lafrance puts his expertise in television, radio and event production to the service of a mission that is close to his heart: providing a powerful platform for the voices of the First Peoples Peoples and celebrate their cultural wealth. Wendat from Wendake, Bastien grew up in James Bay and has worked in the audiovisual industry for many years. Previously Head Producer for podcasts at Quebecor, he played a key role in the creation of numerous successes. His career has also led him to distinguish himself in the production, design and research for various radio and television projects, in addition to also being co-founder of the OFF Festival in Quebec.