Frontier is history with a bold edge
Frontier
Sundays, Discovery
FISH GRIWKOWSKY
If you were going to dramatize an especially gripping chapter in our nation’s history, you could hardly do better than Discovery Canada’s bold choice in its new series Frontier.
The network’s first commission of a scripted drama, Frontier is set in the late 18th-century fur trade inside a struggle for dominance between French traders, the Hudson’s Bay Company and indigenous people.
“I was very happy coming on board and hearing they were going to make Canadian edgy,” says Edmonton-born actress Jessica Matten (Blackstone, A Red Girl’s Reasoning), who plays Ojibwa tracker Sokanon on Frontier.
Starring Jason Momoa, Frontier mixes Game of Thrones-level betrayal and throat-slitting with the intricacies of North American colonization, where ruthlessness was basic company policy.
Q Did you first encounter Sokanon in script form?
A I read for it — auditioned. But little did I know behind the scenes a well-respected indigenous filmmaker named Elle-Maija Tailfeathers had contacted the Blackie brothers — the producers of Frontier — and said it would be very cool to have an (indigenous) adviser to serve Sokanon justice. She said she’d done this short film a few years ago (A Red Girl’s Reasoning) about a strong indigenous woman, and wanted those guys to watch this. It’s never been played much in TV or film before, if you think about it. They watched and right away were (like), “This is the spirit of Sokanon!”
Q She’s extremely kick-ass — can you talk about playing these roles where action speaks louder than words?
A The great thing about her is that as much as she’s this badass using her hands and killing people, she’s also very much the reasoning within the Black Wolf Company, Jason Momoa’s gang. She’s kind of the heart of the group, and gets Jason Momoa’s character to really think about what he’s planning to do.
Q Does her name have meaning we should be aware of?
A It means “rain” in Ojibwa. And it’s very interesting because Jason Momoa, Harp, they more or less have this brother-sister relationship. He very much is the fire, and she’s the rain.
Q From what I’ve seen so far, indigenous people are played quite fairly. Were you privy to discussion about this?
A The producers have been wonderful in making sure they’d done their due diligence in how we are representing our people. They didn’t want the Hollywood Pocahontas character. And they tackle hard issues as the season evolves, and they’re not afraid to go there, which I really applaud. We do have a cultural adviser on board, and have been very receptive to suggestions I have as well. I reach out to elders and my family and community to make sure this is correct.
Q That must be a good feeling. A What I appreciate in Frontier is they’re never afraid to show different looks of indigenous people — not your stereotypical feather in headband. Back in the day, a lot of Metis people looked very mixed, with Caucasian blood.
Q Can you talk about Gina, who you played on Blackstone?
A I was there to highlight stories of gambling addiction and how that has affected our communities as well. Show creator Ron E. Scott was never afraid to shine a light on issues our communities face. There was controversy: “You’re showing the dark side of our people.” But I think it humanized challenges which came as a result of residential schools. Q Jason Momoa was just seen carrying a knife around in L.A. He seems like a fun guy to work with, seriously.
A I can’t wait for him to come back and shoot his scenes so I can make fun of that spark he was carrying. OK, are you camping? I couldn’t be more happy for him for all his success — he’s a genuinely good person. We went though some crazy weather out here. He was always the first one to be the leader and perk everyone up. He’s a goofball, but very professional.