Danny Knight giving a monologue during an episode of The Feather
The Feather is a satirical online news program, produced from an Indigenous point of view.
2 min. read
Satire has been around since Neanderthals made humourous cave paintings of the animals they hunted. In Native American culture, clown societies satirized the cultural aspects of their respective tribes. “Fast forward a few centuries and some stolen land later, and here we are with The Feather,” says Danny Knight, a stand-up comedian from the Muskoday First Nation, who now lives in Saskatoon.
The Feather is a satirical online news program, much like The Daily Show, produced from an Indigenous point of view. “We employ the tools of irony, hyperbole and satire in a way that has never been produced in modern media,” Knight states.
The principals of the project are Knight, Shawn Cuthand, Muskwa Lerat and founder Ryan Moccasin. The team collaborates to write, act, shoot, direct and produce the videos, using the studio at PAVED Arts to bring it all together. Indigenous People Arts and Artists grants and a Micro-Grant from SK Arts have made it possible.
The show’s format is an introductory monologue about current events, comedy sketches, a monologue tackling serious issues – such as how calling 911 doesn’t work for Indigenous people – and a mock on-location interview. Interviews have included talking with the fictional first Indigenous Police Chief of Saskatoon and an entrepreneur putting her own Indigenous spin on ice cream.
Knight notes, “At The Feather, we aim to package the daily news and present it in a funny and entertaining way. We will be there when breaking news happens. We will even make up a few of our own headlines while we are at it. The current events portions are disguised as real news but wrapped up in edgy comedy.”
The show is rooted in the Indigenous tradition of humour and the concept that laughter is healing. “Laughter disarms the viewer. They are willing to listen to serious issues because they can have a laugh or two. It creates a bridge,” Knight says. “Anytime I talk to an Indigenous person, they’re looking for a funny new show. And non-Indigenous people are hungry for Indigenous content, because they’re tired of seeing the same thing over and over again.”
The Feather reaches up to 40,000 people around the world through YouTube, Facebook and TikTok. “A lot of people love what we’re doing. Every once in a while, they go, ‘They shouldn’t be saying that,’” Knight laughs. “Our favourite is when people think we’re a real news site.”
Lancelot Knight and Muskwa Lerat work on a broadacast of The Feather