Princesses Rocking the runway
It takes a whole lot of confidence to rock the catwalk with ease… Imagine when the worldwide beauty standards are currently not – and have never been – in your favour. Blonde, blue eyes, large tight breast and tinny tiny waist are not common Aboriginal traits. That doesn’t mean Indigenous traits aren’t beautiful, it just means “beauty” is not catered to them. Being confident in the way you look and carry yourself is not a trait that all indigenous girls are born with. For a lot of young women and girls, a shot at modelling, especially for an audience that is not Indigenous is a chance to build self-esteem and self-worth, important tools when you are part of the group of people who are the most at risk in the country.
Standards of beauty – now, there’s a truly subjective issue! While it’s an easy enough task today to consult fashion archives from recent years, the challenge becomes far more complex to try and chart as elusive a topic as shifting concepts of beauty among indigenous peoples, especially as they applied to a distant past when oral tradition was the primary form of history. Add to that the need to approach such an elusive subject with numerous different Aboriginal nations, each with its own, often-complex history, customs, tradition – and therefore, inevitably, standards of beauty. It’s a safe bet that some grey areas may well remain, even under the most arduous scrutiny. Yet, these quibbles aside, the subject remains an interesting one which undoubtedly deserves attention, if only to debunk some myths that have lingered on for far too long! Keywords: race, indigenous, ethnicity.
Primary Title
- Princesses
Episode Title
- Rocking the runway
Date Broadcast
- Monday 27 September 2021
Start Time
- 19 : 30
Finish Time
- 20 : 00
Duration
- 30:00
Series
- 1
Episode
- 6
Channel
- Maori Television
Broadcaster
- Maori Television Service
Programme Description
- Standards of beauty – now, there’s a truly subjective issue! While it’s an easy enough task today to consult fashion archives from recent years, the challenge becomes far more complex to try and chart as elusive a topic as shifting concepts of beauty among indigenous peoples, especially as they applied to a distant past when oral tradition was the primary form of history. Add to that the need to approach such an elusive subject with numerous different Aboriginal nations, each with its own, often-complex history, customs, tradition – and therefore, inevitably, standards of beauty. It’s a safe bet that some grey areas may well remain, even under the most arduous scrutiny. Yet, these quibbles aside, the subject remains an interesting one which undoubtedly deserves attention, if only to debunk some myths that have lingered on for far too long! Keywords: race, indigenous, ethnicity.
Episode Description
- It takes a whole lot of confidence to rock the catwalk with ease… Imagine when the worldwide beauty standards are currently not – and have never been – in your favour. Blonde, blue eyes, large tight breast and tinny tiny waist are not common Aboriginal traits. That doesn’t mean Indigenous traits aren’t beautiful, it just means “beauty” is not catered to them. Being confident in the way you look and carry yourself is not a trait that all indigenous girls are born with. For a lot of young women and girls, a shot at modelling, especially for an audience that is not Indigenous is a chance to build self-esteem and self-worth, important tools when you are part of the group of people who are the most at risk in the country.
Classification
- G
Owning Collection
- TV & Radio
Broadcast Platform
- Television
Languages
- English
Captions
Live Broadcast
- No
Rights Statement
- Made for the University of Auckland's educational use as permitted by the Screenrights Licensing Agreement.
Subjects
- Indigenous women
- Feminine beauty (Aesthetics)--Social aspects
- Documentary television programs--Canada
Genres
- Community
- Documentary
Contributors
- Angie-Pepper O'Bomsawin (Director)
- Louis-François Grenier (Writer)
- Luc Lainé (Producer)
- Orlando Arriagada (Producer)
- Cayenne (Production Unit)
- Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (Production Unit)
- Canada Media Fund (Funder)
Subjects
- Indigenous women
- Feminine beauty (Aesthetics)--Social aspects
- Documentary television programs--Canada