2023 Winner

CASE SUMMARY

According to Amnesty International, sexual stereotypes continue to be a major factor in violent attacks towards Indigenous Women and Girls.

Indigenous Women are 16 times more likely to be murdered or go missing than any other group, and 4 out of 5 Indigenous Women will experience violence in their lifetime. In an effort to change this, The National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls delivered 231 Calls for Justice, including the task to “take proactive steps to break down the stereotypes that hypersexualize and demean Indigenous women and girls, and to end practices that perpetuate myths that Indigenous women are more sexually available and ‘less worthy’ than non-Indigenous women because of their race or background”.

In partnership with Muskrat Magazine, a prominent Indigenous art and culture magazine, the agency wanted to answer this call and fight the stereotype, to help bring necessary truth to centuries of misrepresentation of Indigenous Women and Girls.

The hypersexualized ‘Indian Princess’ portrayed in popular media continues to shape a false narrative about Indigenous women, perpetuating the stereotypes that lead to violence against them. The most famous of these portrayals is the story of Pocahontas, watched by generations of families with their young children. But what many have been led to believe is a fairy tale, is in fact the first documented account of a missing and murdered Indigenous girl, and a demeaning and harmful misrepresentation of the truth.

To fight the stereotype and bring much-needed attention to the truth, it was time to flip the script and tell the real story of Pocahontas, starting with her real name; Matoaka. Introducing “Missing Matoaka” - a full-length alternative and historically accurate audio track to the Disney version, synced with every syllable on screen.

In this feature-length alternative audio track, Pocahontas - whose real name was Matoaka - narrates the existing Disney movie but from an Indigenous perspective. With the help of Indigenous historians, the entire movie was re-written and all new dialogue was re-recorded word for word in sync with the original by Indigenous writers and Indigenous voices, with music composed and performed by Indigenous artists. With PR as its engine, the initiative was launched on June 21, 2022, National Indigenous Peoples Day, and the alternative track was made available at www.MissingMatoaka.ca.

Audiences were encouraged to “play this alternative audio over a common movie about Pocahontas to learn the real story”. It should be noted that, as an agency, the agency would not have taken on a project of this importance without Indigenous creative leadership. Their screenwriters were Indigenous women, their lead voice talents were Indigenous women and Indigenous men, and their client’s organization was founded and run by an Indigenous woman.

Every single decision was informed and decided upon by a female-led Indigenous team. From an Indigenous diversity standpoint, they also represented and included different nations from across Turtle Island (North America), including Oneida Nation (Haudenosaunee/Iroquois), Métis Nation, Chippewa Nation (Anishinaabe), Poundmaker Cree Nation and Wasauksing First Nation (Ojibway, Odawa and Pottawatomi). To uphold the principle of Equity, any additional, non-Indigenous person who assisted on the project was brought on as an ally and chosen because they wanted to contribute to the project and learn and change their perspective on what it meant to be a settler and ally.

The story was picked up by hundreds of news outlets, getting over 100 million impressions within the first week alone. Commentary clearly showed that people were moved by the project. They are still getting emails and interactions from the project to this day.

The work was designed to get a quick response on National Indigenous People’s Day but also live on forever as a cultural, educational object producing long-term impact in reshaping stereotypes of Indigenous Women. So, most importantly, The Chiefs of Ontario, The Indigenous Women’s Council, and educators across the continent have reached out for permission to share Missing Matoaka with their communities and students to use as a teaching tool. They are also told Disney is working on applying a warning before Pocahontas. Finally. Their full-length audio track continues to live on MissingMatoaka.ca as a resource for the public. When you change the narrative, you change the future.

Credits

Missing Matoaka Credits

BBDO Canada
Chief Creative Officer: Max Geraldo
SVP, Executive Creative Director: Derek Blais
Chief Strategy Officer – Sarah Henderson
SVP, Integrated Production: Beatrice Bodogh
SVP, Business Director/Brand Reputation: Rebecca Flaman
Senior Project Manager: Fernanda Rodrigues
Art Director: Olga Netaeva
Copywriter: Hailey Ireland
VP, Digital Production: Jason Dick
Executive Story Editor: Fabio Montanari
Screenwriter: Lauren DeLeary
Screenwriter: Camille Beaudoin

Muskrat Magazine
Published and Editor-in-Chief - Rebeka Tabobondung

Original music score & sound design created by: TA2 Sound & Music
Director and Composer: Steve Gadsden
Audio Director: Oliver Wickham

Original music licensed through Canyon Records: Northern Cree - Singing Group
Nikamo -Sing! - Album
Singer's Song - Track

Voice Talent:
Matoaka and Matoaka Young Narrator: Quinn Roffey
John Smith, Ben, Lon, Thomas, Wiggins, Englishman 1 & 2: Steve Gadsden
Chief Powhatan, Governor Ratcliffe, Kekata, Kocoum, Native American Warrior, Namontack: Derek Blais
Grandmother / Elder: Dorothy Peters
Nakoma: Jocelyne Couture

Public Relations
Glossy PR
Hype PR