Stories among our sixty-three distinct Aboriginal cultures have purpose. They are central to what is commonly called our “oral tradition”. Stories are related for the recipient to gain insight, a teaching method. In my experience storytellers are not frivolous with their stories. Generally speaking, they tend to take their opportunities quite seriously. Often, the stories donít follow western concepts of story telling.
Contemporary makers of television programs still today rely on the concept of conflict as the basis for dramatic development. Yet North American governments and viewing audiences, especially parents, are highly critical of the amount of violence on television.
Yet children are drawn to the medium in pursuit of violence. They are constantly seeking out television programs and video games that provide the physical conflict approach to entertainment. I watch children playing Nintendo and being drawn into the fantasy world of destroying your opponents. The next day these kids are trying to destroy each other in the school yard. A teacher told me that what ever a child is playing is what that child is learning.
North American television is bought and sold around the world and it is still based on these concepts of conflict established by Eisenstein theories developed during the Russian Revolution, which developed meaning from conflict. An Aboriginal channel could, on the other hand, create meaning through harmony.
An Aboriginal channel would allow for the first time the opportunity for programming to be developed on concepts of peace and harmony.