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When people think of television programs about Alaska, most will probably think of “The Deadliest Catch” or “Alaska State Troopers” or “Bering Sea Gold” or other similar reality shows. These programs portray the roughness, remoteness, dangers, and beauty of Alaska, and in some cases, they are pretty good reflections of reality. However, these reality shows also portray Alaska as very white, and this could not be further from reality.
Enter “Molly of Denali,” a new PBS Kids series that is different from the rest – not just because it is the first-ever national children’s show that features Native Peoples – but also because it is not a reality show. Ironically, however, this animated program is arguably the most real of all the Alaska shows. One way “Molly of Denali” is very real is through its characters, as they seem to reflect the racial diversity of Alaska more accurately. And I am hyped.
The lead character is Molly, a 10-year-old Alaska Native (Athabascan) girl who lives with her parents in the fictional town of Qyah. In their town, there are elders and other characters who represent the different Alaska Native groups. Then there’s the fact that the series was created by a team of mostly indigenous writers, producers, advisers, and actors. This reflects the reality that approximately 20 percent—or 1 out of 5—Alaskans are Native, the highest percentage of Native people in the country.
In addition to Native representation, the show includes characters of other racial or ethnic backgrounds, as reflected by some of the main supporting characters like Molly’s two best friends: Trini is Black and Tooey is Alaska Native and Japanese. The racial diversity of the cast was intentional, according to the show’s creative producer Princess 'Daazhraii' Lucaj (Neets'aii Gwich'in), as they sought to accurately reflect Alaska’s Peoples:
“Growing up in Alaska - I was a pretty transient kid going back and forth between no running water and running water places. In Anchorage we lived in Mt. View & Fairview and our neighbors were people from the Dominican Republic, Korea, and Mexico. In Fairbanks I had friends who were Filipino and from places like Guam. People don't realize what diversity we have in our state.”
As a Filipino man who is married to an Athabascan woman, and as a father to three Filipino-Athabascan (or Filibascan) children, one of the many things that excite me about the show is that one of the characters is a girl named “Vera Malakas” who is of Filipino-Athabascan heritage. (Note: Malakas is the Tagalog word for “strong.” So the character’s name almost sounds like she is “Very Strong.”) This is a reflection of the long history of Filipinos in Alaska, going as far back as the 1700s, and the long history of relationships between Filipinos and Alaska Native Peoples. This is a reflection of the reality that many Alaska Native-Filipinos (Tlingipinos, Eskipinos, Indipinos, Filibascans, etc.) exist and go back several generations. Many of them experienced marginalization and invisibility because of their heritages, and so to now have an Alaska Native-Filipino character in such a high profile show is a validation of their long presence and history in Alaska, but also a hope for a better experience for future generations of Alaska Native-Filipinos. Finally, their existence and experiences will be seen, acknowledged, and validated.
Another reason I am so hyped is because, as a psychological scientist, I know that a positive racial or ethnic identity is important for the well-being of children of color. Research has shown that children’s racial or ethnic identity begins to be shaped quite early in life – as early as age 3 or 4. Research also tells us that – in addition to what parents, immediate family, and one’s immediate community tells kids about their heritage – messages from the larger society also makes a difference in how kids feel about their racial or ethnic identity. One powerful way that we receive messages from the larger society is through media, and research tells us that when children see their race or ethnicity represented in media, their well-being is strengthened! However, the flip-side of that is also true; when children – particularly children of color – don’t see themselves in media, their well-being suffers.
As rapper Ruby Ibarra share in her song "Background":
"'Ate can you paint me?'
Is what my youngest sister’s sayin’ ‘cuz we never seen her face up on that TV.
That’s nothin like me, until, I don’t like me."
Indeed, there’s this thing called “symbolic annihilation” – a fancy term for what happens when people don’t see characters who look like them in media. Basically, lack of media representation tells people that they – or their racial or ethnic group – are unimportant. And the lack of racial or ethnic representation in mainstream media sends a very clear message that the larger society does not value many marginalized Peoples. For a long time now, the message that many children of color have received from the larger society is that they are unseen, not valued, and not important.
This is why “Molly of Denali” is especially needed, and why it is especially powerful. It accurately reflects the Peoples of Alaska – especially the children of Alaska. The show tells children of historically marginalized communities that they are seen, valued, and important.
“Molly of Denali” teaches children that their cultures, their languages, their perspectives, and their worldviews are all sources of strength. This makes the show empowering, and when our children are empowered, then our communities are powerful. When our youth believe that they matter, then our communities matter. When our young people believe in their voice, then our communities will be heard. When our young people are well, then our communities will be healthy.
By acknowledging our communities’ realities and existence, “Molly of Denali” looks like a good path toward community wellness.
