Dab Iyiyuu or Real People, are hard to come by these days. Sometimes I wonder if they are still around. They are scarce and I hope, not a dying breed like some people may claim, and say we are losing as a people and a nation. The francophone used to say the same thing about their culture and language, that they are losing their identity and their rights at the same time because someone else’s language was heard more often in the streets and not just in corporate boardrooms. But more and more often I hear three or four languages at the same time and I realize that we are not alone in the north anymore.
Dab Iyiyuu are everywhere and in every country and they uphold their traditions and culture just as much as we do. I think mankind has an inherent right to be who they want to be. It’s just that the numbers that divide us into groups and identities remain rigorously enforced and braced against change. Real people tend to maintain good lifestyles yet adapt readily and easily to change, while maintaining values and identity. Another thing about Dab Iyiyuu is that they tend to laugh a lot. That is really why I like them.
Dab Iyiyuu is also a series broadcast on APTN and it is made by real people from our home towns up north. It’s about our own people and what they think should be maintained as a culture and identity. These values are our identifiers with humanity and are maintained and passed down from generation to generation. Most often, it is the social environment that changes with time, as do belief structures, so… Dab Iyiyuu is a modern day maintainer of our values and culture that uses television. It is in practically every room you go and if it isn’t in a room, we miss it. Just don’t miss Dab Iyiyuu though because if you do, you’re missing a good thing.
I think that the “making of” the Dab Iyiyuu series should be told as it was a real experience that should be shared. This type of cultural maintainer is a logical step in our storytelling and traditions. Why watch video trash all day when you can watch Dab Iyiyuu and learn who you are and where you come from? I think our culture is ready for change in the way we maintain our culture and by adapting to change as easily as the real Dab Iyiyuu do. If they did not change or adapt, they would not be here and we would have lost our culture a long time ago. It is this ability to adapt and change that will keep our culture alive through modern technological means. That’s another reason why I like Dab Iyiyuu.
As for the laughing a lot part, here’s a quiz and just to help you out, the true answer is right after the question so that you don’t wear out your noggin scratchin’ it! Why did the Ptarmigan cross the road? Just so we could see him before he disappears again. How many HQ guys does it take to change a light bulb? Seven (true fact). Where did the word “dordik” come from? Waskaganish. Who invented syllables? The church. Who makes the best pizza? Dunno, haven’t had one yet. Why is there a squiggly little hair in your yero/gyro? It’s a cultural maintainer.
