Little Bird (TV series)

Little Bird is a Canadian drama television series, which premiered on Crave and APTN lumi on May 26, 2023. Created by Jennifer Podemski and Hannah Moscovitch with the participation of Jeremy Podeswa as an executive producer, the series centres on a First Nations woman who was adopted into a Jewish family during the Sixties Scoop, as she attempts to reconnect with her birth family and heritage.

The series stars Darla Contois as Esther Rosenblum/Bezhig Little Bird, alongside Ellyn Jade, Osawa Muskwa, Joshua Odjick, Imajyn Cardinal, Mathew Strongeagle, Eric Schweig, Lisa Edelstein, Braeden Clarke and Michelle Thrush in supporting roles, with episodes directed by Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers and Zoe Hopkins.

The series was created concurrently with, but separately from, the drama series Unsettled.

Distribution

The series, the first original drama series to be commissioned by Crave since its rebranding from The Movie Network in 2018, is distributed by Crave, APTN, and APTN Lumi.

Main Cast

• Darla Contois as Bezhig Little Bird/Esther Rosenblum, a young woman born on the Long Pine Reserve in Saskatchewan. Although her family is devoted and loving, Bezhig and two of her siblings are apprehended by Child Protection Services after an incident with Bezhig, her twin brother Niizh, and the police.
• Lisa Edelstein as Golda Rosenblum, Bezhig/Esther's adopted mother. Now divorced, Golda is shown to be somewhat withdrawn and skeptical of middle class society.
• Ellyn Jade as Patti Little Bird, the birth mother of Bezhig and her siblings. Although initially soft-spoken and gentle, Patti is forced to fight to try to regain custody of her three younger children.
• Osawa Muskwa as Morris Little Bird, Bezhig's birth father. On the day his three younger children are apprehended, Morris has taken his elder son Leo on his first hunt. Morris is shown to be a devoted and protective husband and father.
• Rowen Kahn as David, fiancé of Bezhig/Esther.
• Joshua Odjick as Niizh, the younger Little Bird son who is apprehended with his sisters.
• Imajyn Cardinal as Dora Mueller, Bezhig's younger sister who is adopted into a strict family in Saskatchewan; she tells Esther/Bezhig she has run away from home.
• Braeden Clarke as Leo Little Bird, Bezhig's elder brother. On the day his siblings are apprehended, Leo goes on his first hunt with his father.
• Alanna Bale as Adele, a trainee case worker when the Little Bird children are apprehended. Adele is disturbed by her superior's methods and mentality, but rarely voices this.
• Eric Schweig as Asin, the grandfather of Leo, Bezhig, Niizh and Dora, who takes care of Leo while the others are apprehended; father of Morris.
• Michelle Thrush as Brigit, an aunt of Bezhig and her siblings.

Episodes

', a documentary film profiling the real-life stories of actual Sixties Scoop survivors, was released on June 30 concurrently with the final episode of the series.