The Many Faces of Motherhood: APTN lumi Celebrates Mother’s Day

The Many Faces of Motherhood: APTN lumi Celebrates Mother’s Day

Just in time for Mother’s Day, APTN lumi invites you to explore the many faces of motherhood through an inspiring collection of Indigenous stories called Kikâwînawak (Our Mothers). From fierce protectors and resilient nurturers to chosen families and homecomings, these programs reveal that motherhood can be so many different things but at the heart of each bond it is about strength, humour, healing and unwavering love. Whether it’s a young mother starting fresh in North of North, a woman searching for her birth family in Little Bird, or a midwife reclaiming traditional birth practices in Spirit of Birth, these stories honour the diverse and powerful ways motherhood shapes our lives. 

Here are the stories you can find within our Kikâwînawak (Our Mothers) collection. 

North of North (series)
Motherhood means starting over, even when the road is messy.
This instant fan-favourite follows Siaja, a young Inuk mother determined to rebuild her life in Ice Cove after a very public breakup. With her daughter Bun by her side, she hopes for a fresh start, but small-town life, complicated relationships and her own mother’s looming presence make that easier said than done. Both heartfelt and hilarious, North of North captures the chaos, courage and comedy of motherhood in motion. 

Little Bird (series)
For some, motherhood is a mystery waiting to be rediscovered.
Little Bird follows Bezhig, an Indigenous woman who was adopted into a white Jewish family during the Sixties Scoop. Now an adult, she sets out to uncover the truth about her past and reconnect with the mother she lost. This powerful series explores identity, loss and the deep, often painful bond between mother and child. 

Rosie (movie)
Sometimes motherhood chooses you and sometimes, it looks nothing like you expected.
Set in 1980s Montreal, Rosie tells the story of a reluctant, street-smart francophone aunt who suddenly finds herself caring for her orphaned Indigenous niece. With help from her two fabulous best friends, she stumbles into a new kind of family – one built not by blood, but by love. It’s a tender yet funny reminder that motherhood can grow in even the most unlikely places. 

Spirit of Birth (series) – APTN lumi Original premiering on May 11
Motherhood is also tradition, knowledge and reclamation.
In this powerful docuseries, host Rebeka Tabobondung (Anishinaabe) draws from her own experience as a mother to explore Indigenous birth practices across Canada. Through intimate stories with midwives, birth workers and families, Spirit of Birth honours the sacred journey of childbirth and the cultural resurgence taking place in communities reclaiming their traditional ways of bringing life into the world. 

Night Raiders (movie)
For some mothers, love means risking everything to protect their children.
In a dystopian future where children are seized by the state, one Cree mother joins a resistance movement to rescue her daughter. Night Raiders is a gripping, female-driven drama that blends sci-fi with lived truths – a story of maternal bravery and the fierce love that endures, even in the darkest times. 

Acting Good (series)
And sometimes, motherhood is what you come home to even if it comes with a side of teasing and tough love.
When Paul returns to his remote First Nation community after failing to make it big in the city, he’s met with laughter, side-eye and the comfort of home. Though not centered on motherhood directly, Acting Good reminds us that family, especially our moms and aunties, are never far when it comes to keeping you grounded, humbled and loved. 

The APTN lumi Kikâwînawak (Our Mothers) collection will be available on the platform between May 9 and May 14. Share this with all the mamas you know who could use some laughs, some love and some inspiration. Visit watchaptnlumi.ca to watch or to start your free trial.