Meet Yetibaey Evans: Creative Director of PBS 'Molly of Denali'

The Spark

Molly of Denali is a children's show on PBS centered around Molly, an Alaska Native girl, her dog Suki, and friends on their adventures in Alaska. The show is created by a team that includes Indigenous advisors, and is the first nationally children's program to feature Native American and Alaska Native lead characters. Yatibaey Evans, the Creative Producer of the program, says the impact of the show has been massive.

"So Alaska has 229 different recognized tribes, and there are other tribes here as well. And it's important to do our best to represent the indigenous people here in Alaska and have our characters reflect the real lives of people here. And many there are many people that are, you know, part of one tribe, but there are also many people that are part of multiple tribes."

Yetibaey also shared the show is currently breaking stigmas and stereotypes associated with Indigenous people. The show also could impact STEM education in Alaska.

"Well, Alaska is at the forefront of climate change. And children who grow up here are observing in their own lives the impacts of rising temperatures that they see on the environment, as well as the animals that are around, and some of the patterns that are observed, and the cultural values and environmental connections that are shared within Molly can encourage kids to further engage within Stem education, because when children can relate to their own lived experience, then they're more apt to want to learn more about it and do learning in that way. It's an amazing opportunity that we have to share through Molly because this is our lives."

Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.