The Rez was a first nations, Canadian

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 television series, which aired on CBC Television

CBC Television

CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...

 from 1996 to 1998. Most of the characters were based on W.P. Kinsella's short story collection Dance Me Outside

Dance Me Outside

Dance Me Outside is a 1995 drama film directed and co-written by Bruce McDonald. It was based on a book by W.P. Kinsella,-Plot:Set on the Kidabanesee reserve in Northern Ontario. Silas Crow is a young man confused about his direction in life; he wants to take an automobile mechanic's course in...

, which had been made into a film by director Bruce McDonald.

McDonald and Norman Jewison

Norman Jewison

Norman Frederick Jewison, CC, O.Ont is a Canadian film director, producer, actor and founder of the Canadian Film Centre. Highlights of his directing career include In the Heat of the Night , The Thomas Crown Affair , Fiddler on the Roof , Jesus Christ Superstar , Moonstruck , The Hurricane and The...

 were executive producers of the series, which chronicled life in a First Nations

First Nations

First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...

 community.

The series was filmed in the Parry Sound

Parry Sound District, Ontario

Parry Sound District is a census division of the Canadian province of Ontario. Its seat is Parry Sound. Its boundaries are Muskoka to the south, the Sudbury District, the French River and Lake Nipissing in the north, Nipissing District, Ontario and North Bay in the north and east and parts of...

 region at Harrison's Landing in Carling

Carling, Ontario

Carling is a township in Ontario, Canada, located in the District of Parry Sound on Georgian Bay. Killbear Provincial Park is located in the municipality.The CBC Television series The Rez was shot there at Harrison's Landing.-Communities:*Adanac...

 Township.

All episodes run around 23 Minutes.

Cast

• Ryan Rajendra Black - Silas Crow
• Jennifer Podemski - Sadie Maracle
• Darrell Dennis
  Darrell Dennis
  Darrell Dennis is a native Canadian comedian, actor, screenwriter and radio personality.He has appeared in various Canadian television series including Northwood and The Rez...
  
   - Frank Fencepost
• Tamara Podemski - Lucy Pegamegaaba
• Elaine Miles
  Elaine Miles
  Elaine Miles is an American actress best known for her role as Marilyn Whirlwind in the television series Northern Exposure.-Biography:...
  
   - Mad Etta (season 2)
• Gary Farmer
  Gary Farmer
  - History :Farmer was born in Ohsweken, Ontario into the Cayuga nation and Wolf Clan of the Haudenosaunee/Iroquois Confederacy. Farmer attended Syracuse University and Ryerson Polytechnic University, where he studied photography and film production....
  
   - Chief Tom
• Adam Beach
  Adam Beach
  Adam Ruebin Beach is a Canadian Saulteaux actor.He is best known for his roles as Tommy on Walker, Texas Ranger, Kickin' Wing in Joe Dirt, Marine Private First Class Ira Hayes in Flags of Our Fathers, Private Ben Yazzie in Windtalkers, Dr...
  
   - (played Frank Fencepost in Dance Me Outside, but was recast in the series as "Charlie")
• Kari Matchett
  Kari Matchett
  Kari Matchett is a Canadian television and film actress. She played Mariel Underlay in Invasion, Lisa Miller in 24, and Kate Filmore in the cult favorite science fiction movie Cube 2: Hypercube. She currently appears in the USA television series Covert Affairs.-Early years:Matchett was born in...
  
  - Tanya Nanibush
• Patricia Collins - Eleanor Nanibush
• Herbie Barnes - Joseph Crow
• Monique Mojica - Mad Etta (Season 1)
• Shirley Cheechoo
  Shirley Cheechoo
  Shirley Cheechoo is an award winning Cree actress, writer, producer, director, and visual artist, probably best known for her solo-voice or monodrama play Path With No Moccasins, as well as her work with De-Ba-Jeh-Mu-Jig theatre group...
  
  - Simone Crow

Episodes and synopsis

Pilot Movie (1995) : Dance Me Outside (84 minutes)

Season 1 (1996–1997):

1. Dressed Like a Fish- The marina's owner dies. For fun Frank stages his own mock funeral with the others. Who will take over the marina?
2. Golf and Politics- Sadie organizes a boycott against the bar/marina and insists that Silas and Frank quit working for Eleanor, the new owner.
3. A Little Revealing- Sadie showcases her revealing wear to Silas after Silas is asked to become a male stripper.
4. The Longhouse- Frank locks Lucy in a shack in hopes she will think and reconsider her plans to leave for Toronto.
5. The Lark- Silas' mentally impaired brother goes to a group home.
6. Dirty Girls, Kill Kill!- Frank hires strippers to fight in a vat of pudding to raise money. Sadie is upset by what she sees as sexism.

Season 2 (1997–1998):

1. Strange Bedfellows- A stranger comes to run for chief versus Chief Tom. Sadie backs him at first, until Charlie digs up his past (and present) behavior.
2. They Call Her Tanya- Eleanor's daughter is introduced to the Rez. All the boys are looking her way.
3. Poster Girl- Local girls are asked to try-out to become a cover-girl for a clothing line. Sadie is against it at first, but when she is chosen as the model she changes her tune.
4. Like Father, Like Son- Silas' birth father comes back to the Rez, but Silas is not happy about it. His father is given the sentence of living alone on an island to win back the respect of the locals.
5. Granted- The reservation band announces a $5000 youth grant.
6. Lust- Silas' challenged brother, Joseph, traumatizes a young girl with unwanted touch.
7. Windigo- Silas and Frank think they are cursed and must fight and defeat the Windigo spirit.
8. No Way to Treat a Lady- Frank likes Tanya, but Tanya likes Charlie, which causes friction at a party. More friction is happening elsewhere when Eleanor and Simone are being hit-on by three troublemakers at a bar.
9. A Rock and a Hard Place- Charlie and Tanya's relationship grows. Meanwhile, he, Silas and Frank are working for a racist construction foreman. Frank gets revenge on the foreman in an explosive finale.
10. Der deutsche Indianer- A German historian comes to the Rez to learn some native stories from Silas and Frank. The only problem is that he knows more native stories and history than the boys do.
11. Too Many Chiefs- Sadie takes over from Chief Tom.
12. No Reservations-Part 1- Silas finds Sadie in bed with another man.Frank sees Lucy working the streets of Toronto.
13. No Reservations-Part 2- Frank tries to rescue Lucy from working the streets. Silas wants Sadie back.

Awards and nominations

At the 1997 Gemini Awards, Jennifer Podemski was nominated for "Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role" for the episode "Golf and Politics".

At the 1998 Gemini Awards, Patricia Collins was nominated for "Actress in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Series" for the episode "They Call Her Tanya". Producer Brian Dennis was also awarded the Canada Choice Award for this episode.

Also at the 1998 Gemini Awards, Ryan Rajendra Black was nominated for "Best Performance by an Actor in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role" for the episode "Lust".