The second season of Yukon Harvest will debut on APTN in English on June 10 and in Northern Tutchone starting June 5.
Yukon Harvest is a documentary TV show that chronicles the adventures of Indigenous guides and hunters as they journey into the remote wild to connect with the land, share in culture, find personal healing and give back to the community.
The series is directed by Todd Forsbloom, a Métis filmmaker and production manager, and produced by Rogue River Films Inc. based in Duncan, British Columbia. It will be showing after almost two years of filming.
“It’s a lot of work,” Forsbloom said.
“It’s quite a long project because we filmed predominantly in the fall between August to October because that is typically the hunting season.”
He noted the show is about different people from different communities and backgrounds connecting and reconnecting to the outdoors.
“It could be people who haven’t gone out to hunt or harvest ever in their life and maybe others who used to do that when they were younger or a long time ago and now they’re going back out,” he said.
“Now they get to go with experienced, Indigenous hunters so they get to learn and be a part of it and reconnect with something that has been in their tradition and families for generations.”
The first season of the series was released in 2021. Season two continues the adventures of the hunters and guides from season one now following them back into their own communities across the country.
Filmed across Canada, Yukon Harvest highlights the beauty of the country while capturing real life stories of families, communities, connection and tradition, following real people and their emotional journeys.
Filming locations include Kamloops (T’kemlúps) and Fort St. John in B.C., Whitehorse, Mayo, Dawson City, Stewart Crossing and wilderness in the Yukon and the Northwest Territories as well as Winnipeg and Bloodvein in Manitoba.
The series, which was nominated in top factual categories at the Canadian Screen Awards for season one, will also be released under the title Dän K’eht’e in Northern Tutchone.
The team said it was important to create a lasting record of the language that is only spoken fluently by a limited number of people.
“Our hope with the show is that it will inspire people to learn more about the outdoors and reconnect with some of the values and traditions that have been in our family for generations,” Forsbloom added.
“We hope that the show will inspire some to want to reconnect with that culture again.”
Another goal, he continued, is that it will inspire some who are already very active in hunting and harvesting to want to teach other people.
“We don’t want this to be a one person’s journey. Maybe that person can teach a young person in their family, a cousin or a friend,” he said.
“The show shows how happy it makes everyone when people are teaching and are learning and sharing.”
Contact Patrick Egwu at patrick.egwu@yukon-news.com