Are you willing to challenge your perceptions about First Nations?

First Contact, a new documentary, explores this question, by taking six Canadians, all with stereotypical opinions about Indigenous People, on a unique 28-day exploration of Indigenous Canada.

It’s a reality TV show, like the Biggest Loser, only what people are invited to shed are not excess pounds, by tired ways of thinking bogged down by prejudice and lack of any real contact with indigenous people, beyond the mainstream media diet.

According to the series website, “It is a journey that will turn their lives upside down, challenging their perceptions and confronting their prejudices about a world they never imagined they would see. This exploration of the true Indigenous experience in Canada will change the participants’ lives forever.”

First Contact is airing over three nights (September 11 – 13, 7 pm) on APTN. In addition to the 1-hour broadcasts, on September 12 and 13 there will also be 1-hour live “reunion” shows (at 8 pm) where the Indigenous hosts (September 12) and non-Indigenous participants (September 13) will reflect on their experiences.

If you don’t have APTN, the shows will be available for download the day after they air.