Pieces is hosted by Indigenous storyteller, Jeremy Ratt
CBC British Columbia released an original podcast today, Pieces. Pieces explores Indigenous identity and is hosted by 19-year-old Jeremy Ratt who self-identifies as half Indigenous and half Caucasian.
Listeners will join Ratt as he discovers his Indigenous roots and explores what it means to be Indigenous. Ratt finds strength in his Indigenous identity, leading to conversations with new faces in unfamiliar places, gaining wisdom and finding the missing pieces to his past and present along the way.
“I always knew that more Indigenous stories needed to be told and I’m so proud of how Pieces turned out. Podcasting is an intimate and personal medium and really suits the themes of identity and self I explored in Pieces,” says Jeremy Ratt, host of Pieces. “The stories are authentic and I feel the podcast will resonate with anyone figuring out who they are in our complex world.”
“I have had the pleasure of working on multiple podcasts at CBC British Columbia that reflect contemporary Canada, we are always on the lookout for interesting stories and diverse voices,” says Shiral Tobin, Director, Journalism and Programming CBC, British Columbia. “When Jeremy first came to us with the idea for Pieces, we knew it was a story that needed to be told. We are humbled and proud Jeremy trusted CBC British Columbia to help tell this deeply personal story.”
Pieces is out today and is available at CBC Listen, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify.
EPISODE BREAKDOWN
Episode 1 – Who am I?
Jeremy and his mother Carmen reflect on how Jeremy’s nomadic upbringing and Carmen’s memories of her father influenced Jeremy’s worldview. While embarking on his identity journey, Jeremy starts to pray to his late grandfather for guidance in search of himself.
Episode 2 – Stereotypes and Shame
The memory of a racist cartoon weighs heavily on Jeremy’s youth, so he sets about carving a new image in his own mind. In doing so, a new world of Indigenous culture is unlocked by past mentors and a community of content creators.
Episode 3 – Identity 101
Indigenous advocates help Jeremy remember his safe space that was once middle school. A moment of hope and learning about the weight and importance of being partially Indigenous follows.
Episode 4 – Run Another Take
An intergenerational trauma specialist and a former acting school instructor help Jeremy explore the struggles of being defined as a “survivor.”
Episode 5 – I Am…
After a raw conversation with his father and a separate lesson from his mentor, Jeremy looks to his future with the resolve to stay creative in spite of past experiences. He comes to a chaptered conclusion of who he is — and who he wants to be.
