Featuring Songwriter Leonard Sumner,
Poet Tasha Spillet, and Attorney Amanda Sansregret
Directed by JJ Neepin
Anishinaabe MC, Singer-Songwriter Leonard Sumner's storytelling flows directly from the shores of Little Saskatchewan First Nation, located in the heart of the Interlake of Manitoba. Sumner's self-determined sound is evidence of his ability to simultaneously occupy landscapes of multiple musical genres including; Hip-Hop, Spoken Word, Country, and Rhythm and Blues. With every vibration of the strings on his guitar, Leonard rattles the dust off truths that have been buried for far too long. In this era of unsettling history and healing wounds of the past, Sumner's music is an expression of medicine that walks the line between fortitude and fragility.
In this episode, Leonard sets out to write a song that reflects on the unjust verdicts in the Colton Boushie and Tina Fontaine cases. Joined by Poet Tasha Spillet, and Attorney Amanda Sansregret, Leonard digs into the systemic racism that has built the ‘justice’ system in Canada. The episode asks us to reframe our understanding of justice and who it is serving. The meaning of the word justice in Ojibwe, Leonard explains, ‘Doesn’t mean one side is punished and one side isn’t punished. It means that we acknowledge that something has been done that is wrong and we need to make it right. That's what the justice system should be about - making things right - not about who’s right or who is wrong.”
In this devastating opening to the episode that features Anishinaabe songwriter Leonard Sumner, audio clips play from the Colton Boushie and Tina Fountaine trials as images of the structures of Canadian Justice are shown, asking us to reframe our understanding of “justice is blind”.
Watch the music video for Leonard Sumner’s song From This Town. This music video was edited by Francis Laliberte.
Songwriter Leonard Sumner is accompanied by his music producers Rusty Matyas and Boogey the Beat as they walk through the songwriting and studio recording process for From This Town.
Anishinaabe MC/Singer/Songwriter Leonard Sumner's storytelling flows directly from the shores of Little Saskatchewan First Nation, located in the heart of the Interlake of Manitoba.
Sumner's self-determined sound is evidence of his ability to simultaneously occupy landscapes of multiple musical genres including; Hip-Hop, Spoken Word, Country, and Rhythm and Blues.
With every vibration of the strings on his guitar, Leonard rattles the dust off truths that have been buried for far too long. On stage he poetically sings awake the consciousness of audiences may have been unaware of their slumber.
In this era of unsettling history and healing wounds of the past, Sumner's music is an expression of medicine that walks the line between fortitude and fragility.
JJ (Jenna) Neepinis an Indigenous writer & director based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. She is a member of the Fox Lake Cree Nation. JJ has written, directed and produced several short films alongside her sister/partner/producer; Justina Neepin with their company JJ Neepin Films INC.
JJ has also directed for several documentary television productions including EagleVision’s/APTN’s TAKEN (Seasons 2-4) about Canada’s Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women & Girls, APTN’s/Red Cloud’s THE OTHER SIDE Season 5, APTN’s Indigenous Music Doc Series and AMPLIFY Season 1. Not only a director, JJ was also an Associate Producer on the new CBC/SiennaFilms Production TRICKSTER–Season1 (airing in fall of 2020). JJ was a winner of the 2019 Women in the Director’s Chair (WIDC)/CBC Films Talent Development Award for her feature script LUMINOUS. She was selected as 1 of 8 Directors for the Women in the Director’s Chair (WIDC) Story & Leadership Program 2018-2019. JJ was also chosen alongside 5 other female directors for the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television’s Inaugural 2017/18 Directors Program for Women.
When JJ is not on set, she is writing, reading true crime, scrolling through Tumblr or binge-watching Netflix.
From This Town was recorded at Paint Box Studio.
Creative music production and recording studio in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They have a broad assortment of analog, digital and creative tools to help you bring your music to the best place possible.
Address: 200A - 600 Shaftesbury Blvd, Winnipeg
Website: www.paintboxrecording.com
Song producer: Boogey the Beat & Rusty Matyas
Filming locations: City of Winnipeg
