Moccasin Flats

Moccasin Flats is a Canadian drama television series that ran for three full seasons. The show, which has aired on the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) and Showcase Television since 2004, is co-produced by Big Soul Productions Inc. (Toronto) and Stephen Onda Productions Inc. (Regina). It takes place in Moccasin Flats, Regina, Saskatchewan, an urban reserve where the inhabitants struggle to maintain their cultural identity while overcoming poverty, gangs, violence, and racism. The series features award-nominated actor Andrea Menard and original music by Donald Quan.

The original incarnation of Moccasin Flats was as a 2002 short of the same title. This movie was the product of an Indigenous youth media empowerment workshop called repREZentin', which teamed Indigenous youth with industry professionals in an effort to create short films and videos that told their stories. The short told the story of Justin, a young Indigenous man who has just found that he has been accepted to university. While he is grateful for the opportunity, he is afraid to leave his friends and family (particularly his younger brother) behind in the harsh neighbourhood of Moccasin Flats. His fears are compounded when his archrival, who is also the former pimp of his ex-prostitute girlfriend, is released from jail and back into the Flats.

The popularity of the short film led to the creation of the Moccasin Flats television series that starred many of the youth from the original film.

The third season of Moccasin Flats was nominated for three Gemini Awards. [1] It is the first Indigenous-created, produced, and controlled dramatic series in North America.[2]