Indigenous play uses game show format to raise questions about “Pretend Indians” (Pt. 1 of 2)
Blood Sport, a play written by Six Nations member January Rogers, was recently released in book form a month ago by Turtle’s Back, a publishing company based on Six Nations. It also had a reading as part of the 2023 Weesageechak Begins to Dance Festival in Toronto.
The play takes a humorous but thought provoking look at true indigenous identity using a game show format with contestants, who claim to be native. It’s a topic that has reached national if not international attention with recent questions raised about the identity of singer/songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie.
CKRZ had a lengthy conversation with January Rogers to discuss the play, identity and Buffy Sainte-Marie. In part one of two, Rogers says there are many people struggling with and trying to claim their “real” identity.
(Disclosure: January Rogers is a board member at CKRZ.)