Welcome to Urban Rez Productions

Shirley Bear Receives Order of Canada

It gives me great pride to announce that today my sister Shirley was appointed a Member to the Order of Canada. Shirley has been a hard working member of the Urban Rez Crew leading our language speakers during the last four seasons of producing Maliseet language television programs for APTN. She was awarded for her devotion to art and politics.

My sister has been a very private person for the last 16 years since our mother, the late Susie Bear, passed away. Her work on a novel has absorbed her and brought her artistic expression in recent years. She was surely one of the busiest activists during the 70’s and 80’s and was a key strategist for the fight to correct the discriminatory sections of the Indian Act. Shirley Bear was a hero to many women. She is an inspiration and current matriarch to our family, the Noel and Susie Bears of Tobique First Nations.

In 2010 a solo exhibition took place at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery of Shirley Bear’s work. I created and produced a video portrait for her that would be shown exclusively at the gallery. It was a private gift, artist to artist, brother to Oldest sister. I asked her today if I could put it on our site.

This is my homage to a beautiful and inspirational woman.

WATER WALK LAUNCH 2011

Grandmother Josephine Mandamin began her walk in Puget Sound on April 9, 2011 with a ceremony hosted by Skokomish nation. We followed her for five days as she, Shelley, Sylvia and Tina walked through a temperate rain forest to get to their first mountain pass. On the way to the pass she was assisted by Lisa and her daughter Dark Feather with Jesse assisting with the staff and Joanne carrying the pail. I am sure there were others whose names I can’t remember. This is the first installment of Waterwalk 2011. This fall on APTN you can see the full journey.