Indigenous docuseries dives deep into Canadian waterways

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Tantoo Cardinal narrates Water Worlds the first Indigenous underwater exploration docuseries to air in Canada.

While most climate stories are foreboding in nature, documentarian Len Morissette chose to find the silver lining among the dark clouds.

His new 13-part APTN documentary series Water Worlds, which premieres on APTN, offers a look under the surface of numerous and critical Canadian waterways, including ones here in B.C. The series digs into the impact humans are having on aquatic ecosystems and shows the stewardship and people who are working to keep these important ecological areas and waterways thriving.

“Water worlds is a journey of our planet’s fragile ecosystems and what’s affecting them, and how people are working together using two-eyed seeing knowledge to put it back together,” said Morissette, who is a Mistawasis, Sask., band member and a former president of the Alberta Native Friendship Centre, anchors the series that combines traditional Indigenous knowledge with modern science. Through this lens, the story of what is going on below the surface of oceans, lakes, and wetlands across Canada is told.

For over a decade Morissette, with his company CIA Solutions, has filmed and produced over 200 commercials and films, as well as music videos including creating documentaries about and for First Nations across Canada. But Water Worlds is his first TV series. The project was made even more daunting by the fact he was going to shoot a lot of it underwater. Suddenly, issues like atmospheric conditions, water clarity, currents and depths were part of the production puzzle.

“Will the fish show up that day?” said Morissette with a chuckle when talking about the challenges of working in the watery wilds.