District man involved in CBC mini-series

Rainy River First Nation resident Art Hunter is hoping he’ll be seen on national television next week.
Hunter spent three days at Old Fort William in Thunder Bay last May, acting in a number of scenes for the CBC mini-series, “Canada, A People’s History,” which currently is being aired.
“My younger brother is in the [mini-series]. We’re pretty proud of him so we’ve all been anticipating the show on [Jan. 7],” said Hunter’s brother, Al.
Art Hunter is keeping modest about his role until he sees how much of it is actually aired but he did participate in several scenes for the critically-acclaimed mini-series.
“I played a Cree trading captain, probably just a small part,” he said Tuesday. “I took part for three days but I don’t know how much will be on.”
Among the scenes Hunter was involved with included in a birchbark canoe paddling down the Kam River, inside the fort at the “trading shop,” a pipe scene where he smokes a pipe with a European inside the fort, a trading scene outside the fort, and a small celebration scene outside the fort.
“I was wearing one of those red military jackets and a tri-corn hat with feathers,” said Hunter, adding he had long hair with little tan ties hanging down the front.
“When I asked them if I could braid it, they said they didn’t braid it back then. I thought that was kind of funny but I went along with them,” he added.
“It was a lot of fun, I learned a lot.”
Hunter took a two-year Aboriginal Cultural Interpretation Program offered by Seven Generations Educational Institute here and Sir Sanford Fleming College–and landed the role indirectly through it.
“One of the people working at Old Fort William was hired to teach us interpretation so after the spring semester was over, she called and said CBC was interested in doing a documentary and if I was interested to send a picture,” recalled Hunter, who received a phone call shortly after sending in his photograph.
His appearance may be one of two television gigs for the Rainy River F.N. resident, who also went to Toronto to film an interview for the talk show, “Buffalo Trails,” on APTN television, hosted by former “Smoke Signals” host Evan Adams.
Hunter was on the show to talk about the Kay-Nah-Chi-Wah-Nung Historical Centre located along Rainy River west of Barwick.