The Laughing Drum: Recent Episodes
APTN
The Laughing Drum is a weekly satirical news and talk show that takes a sharply humorous look at Canadian and Indigenous politics, entertainment, arts and current events. In each episode, host Tim Fontaine uses actual news footage, field segments, interviews with guests and the Red Power Panel to dissect the issues facing Indigenous Peoples today.
In the season finale, The Laughing Drum looks at the literally never-ending saga of the Trans Mountain Pipeline, Quebec’s religious symbols law and Seattle’s non-Indigenous folks paying the rent. Plus, host Tim Fontaine bids farewell to the show!
The Laughing Drum looks at Scarborough NIMBYism, white folk demanding consultation, crappy polls and the media who love them and a look at the State of Two-Spirit Folk.
Canadian media vs. genocide, Doug Ford's paid vacation and weighing boycotts. Also, we bid farewell to panelist Sasha Mark. All that and more on this episode of The Laughing Drum.
The Laughing Drum takes a deep into the newly elected United Conservative Party’s optional land acknowledgements, how two Manitoba First Nations are dealing with the opioid and meth epidemic and how do Indigenous people vote in this current political climate?
Should media accept a $600-million bailout from the Liberals? What in the heck is going on in Ford’s Ontario? And now that we know Jody Wilson-Raybould and Jane Philpott are running as independents, what in the heck happens now? All that and more on this episode of The Laughing Drum.
Nazi and Confederate flags in Saskatchewan, A Canadian museum finally recognizes genocide and is Winnipeg sweeping the homeless under the rug? All that and more on The Laughing Drum this week.
Beyak is (temporarily) gone from the Senate, the timing of Trudeau’s Poundmaker exoneration is suspect and why don’t we care that nearly half of life on earth is dying?
All that and more on The Laughing Drum this week.
Should Indigenous folk bother going to the UN? Did the media drop the ball on that $50K water hookup bill? And do First Nations need a direct line to the Queen?
That and more, on this episode of The Laughing Drum.
What does a Conservative victory mean for Indigenous folk in Alberta and beyond? Do the Liberals know how to consult with First Nations? And what’s up with the response to Indigenous people speaking out about the Notre-Dame Cathedral fire?
The Laughing Drum’s Red Power Panel tackles that and more on this episode.
On this episode of The Laughing Drum, we dig into Joseph Boyden’s Paris adventure, Canada’s fear of brown immigration and whether reverse-non-consultation is really a thing in Vancouver’s Kitsilano neighbourhood.
Should a consultant be allowed to cash in on a potentially life-saving emergency housing deal for an Ontario First Nation? Can or should Indigenous people culturally appropriate from other Indigenous groups? And what the hell is going on with the SNC-Lavalin scandal now? All that and more on this episode of The Laughing Drum.
In this episode of The Laughing Drum, host Tim Fontaine sits down with the Red Power Panel and digs into viral video of the Prime Minister being an ass to people from the Grassy Narrows First Nation, how no one seems to be able to do anything about Senator Lynn Beyak’s racist website and how Winnipeg has a public library that has more security than most airports.
In this episode, recorded live at the Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival, host Tim Fontaine and the Red Power Panel step away from the headlines and instead attempt to solve some of the biggest issues facing Indigenous people today.
Our Red Power Panel this week is Kanietiio Horn (Letterkenny, Coffee With My Ma), Candy Palmater (The Candy Show) and Craig Lauzon (Royal Canadian Air Farce)
In this episode, recorded live at the Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival, host Tim Fontaine and The Laughing Drum regular Elissa Black Wolf Kixen dig deep into what the SNC-Lavalin scandal is doing to the Liberal relationship with Indigenous people.
Then, we hear some deep, cutting insights from a special Red Power Panel that includes Kaniehtiio Horn (Letterkenny), Candy Palmater (The Candy Show) and Craig Lauzon (Air Farce).
On this episode of The Laughing Drum, host Tim Fontaine and The Red Power Panel dig into the latest juicy news around the SNC-Lavalin scandal including the earth-shaking resignation of Jane Philpott from Trudeau’s cabinet, Gerry Butts’ testimony and Michael Wernick’s digging in. Because what the hell else is there?
On this week's episode of The Laughing Drum, host Tim Fontaine, The Red Power Panel and pretty much all of Canada is blown away by Jody Wilson-Raybould’s testimony about allegations of pressure from the Prime Minister’s Office.
On this week's episode of The Laughing Drum, host Tim Fontaine and the Red Power Panel set their sights on the continuing saga of Liberal MP Jody Wilson-Raybould and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Indigenous Services Minister Seamus O’Regans flying follies and gesturing about Alberta Premier Rachel Notley’s new Blackfoot headdress.
On this week's episode of The Laughing Drum, host Tim Fontaine adjusts the completely scientific Reconcili-Ometer™ before the Red Power Panel tears into stories about 12 Shades of Liberal MP Robert-Falcon Ouellette, the new Indigenous Languages Act and a NY Times article that declares 'thank God for Canada.'
On this episode of The Laughing Drum, host Tim Fontaine speaks with a freakin' Indigenous astronaut before the Red Power Panel dissects a story about story time with Trudeau and questions whether there should be two Indigenous holidays.
Then, we introduce The Laughing Drum Reconcili-ometer!
This week on The Laughing Drum, host Tim Fontaine sits down with filmmaker Sonya Ballantyne and finds out why she wants a Cree Barbie doll.
Then the Red Power Panel weighs in on how Saskatchewan conservation officials undertook a 16-month undercover sting in order to charge a First Nations man for selling $90 worth of fish. Seriously.
Host Tim Fontaine kicks off a new season of The Laughing Drum by sharing highlights from the show's last season — because he forgot to book guests for the premiere.
Disheveled, bearded and donning protective gear, host Tim Fontaine comes out of retirement to bring us the sights, sounds and bolo ties of the election for National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations in Vancouver, BC — the homeland of the Musqueam, Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh and Jesse from the Beachcombers.
In The Laughing Drum season finale, host Tim Fontaine examines a political scandal involving albino Hulk Doug Ford that's nothing at all like First Nations, and Trump's talk of taming America.
Then, the Red Power Panel weighs in on the Sixties Scoop settlement and what the hell was going on in a Globe & Mail article about the Winnipeg Jets that called Indigenous people a "stain”.
On this episode of The Laughing Drum, host Tim Fontaine examines Bill Morneau's white knightedness to Kinder Morgan, the whiteness of a Halifax university's residential schools class and the Royal Wedding.
The Red Power Panel goes hard on academic freedom and what a brown mayor could mean for Vancouver, before sharing some beautiful words with the newly wed Royal Couple.
On this episode of The Laughing Drum, host Tim Fontaine shares highlights from his fieldtrip to the Assembly of First Nations meeting in Gatineau, Quebec while the Red Power Panel talks the comedic dust-up surrounding Williams & Ree and the not-so-comedic-at-all controversy around the film adaptation of the Richard Wagamese novel Indian Horse.
This week on The Laughing Drum, host Tim Fontaine looks at the confusion around a papal apology, apparently cares what Shania Twain thinks and predicts the Royal Baby’s moniker.
The Red Power Panel tears truth a new one, tackling bears in weed-leaf headdresses, reconciliation and whether or not pipelines and oil are Indigenous business.
This week on The Laughing Drum, host Tim Fontaine looks at Winnipeg’s fear of a brown neighbourhood, who said (or is silent) what about Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain pipeline and a newspaper columnist’s annoyance with anything less than a white CBC.
Cree comic Howie Miller stops by and the Red Power Panel discusses Ellen’s beef with seal hunting and whether Trump has started WWIII.
On this episode of The Laughing Drum, host Tim Fontaine is excited the AFN election finally has another candidate before zeroing in on eagles in baseball - but not before making a canned meat on bannock sandwich!
The Red Power Panel tears truth a new one by discussing Alberta Health Services' postal gaffe and non-Indigenous folk taking up Indigenous spaces.
On this episode of The Laughing Drum, host Tim Fontaine questions whether the Pope's refusal to apologize for the largest child sex abuse scandal in history has anything to do with his denial of the existence of hell.
Then the Red Power Panel makes up some Indigenous holidays to replace Easter and discusses the pros, cons and cons of veganism. Also, rez dogs are winning the internet!
On this episode of The Laughing Drum, host Tim Fontaine tackles the rather genteel arrest of Green Party leader Elizabeth May, the Liberal vow to eliminate tuberculosis and viral video of porcupine salvation.
Then, the Red Power Panel weighs in on whether Indigenous folk will join #DeleteFacebook and whether they would accept corporate sponsorship from Satan if it means saving Indigenous languages.
On this episode of The Laughing Drum, host Tim Fontaine talks fearful farmers, sled dog doping and Doug Ford before the Red Power Panel weighs in on legalized pot and whether social media is the place where Canada and Indigenous communities can turn reconciliation into reconcili-ACTION.
This week, The Laughing Drum attempts to increase the sexiness of the National Chief’s job, asks whether aliens will get cell service before First Nations get clean water and host Tim Fontaine sits down with Anishinaabe singer-songwriter Leonard Sumner.
Then, the Red Power Panel discusses all things land, including whether there’s a violin small enough for white cottagers in Saskatchewan and displaced white South African farmers.
This week on The Laughing Drum, host Tim Fontaine channels his inner Billy Jack, attempts to stir up some political intrigue with the House of Chiefs and explains Canada's skewed vision of reconciliation.
Then the Red Power Panel stokes the fires of justice and decolonization before playing the first-ever on-camera game of the Lip Pointing Olympics.
Host Tim Fontaine takes a look at the new, new relationship offer from the Liberals, how the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion will work and is shocked to learn who’s competing at the winter Olympics.
The Red Power Panel teaches Trudeau how to snag and is judge and jury in a new segment called Shut Your Lips. Plus, the 100-meter lip-point.
Ottawa’s streamlining environmental reviews, Cheddar Man and Trudeau’s wooing of Amazon are taken on by host Tim Fontaine.
“Native social media” is looked at and the Red Power Panel weighs in on Black Panther and policing comedy.
Host Tim Fontaine examines Trudeau’s hecklers, the sort-of retiring of Chief Wahoo and the mothballing of a controversial Halifax statue – but not before he downs a freshly-made bannock and tea smoothie.
The Red Power Panel weighs in on offensive sports mascots and memorializing racist historical figures. Also, a new video game in honour of Ministers Carolyn Bennett and Jane Philpott!
Host Tim Fontaine turns his eye to the modern Hollywood Western — which is eerily like the old Hollywood Western. He examines the long slow car crash that is Senator Lynn Beyak, and joins Elissa Kixen, for an explosive chat about the splitting of Indigenous Affairs.
Tim also sits down for an interview with critically acclaimed musician and ‘gangster academic’ Tara Williamson to talk about her music, day job and who she would roundhouse-kick. Also, meet the finger puppets of Canadian politics!