Full Circle
Six years ago, Taken series co-creator Lisa Meeches called me to discuss a new series she was working on with her partners at Eagle Vision. They were looking for a researcher/writer to develop a first season. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy work. I had written and produced stories about missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls before.
When you call a family, and say you are with CBC Radio, the doors open and families will speak with you. However, when you call to say you are working on developing a show, people are less willing to share the stories of their loved ones. I knew this would change after season one, when families would see how carefully their stories were told.
I was struck by their resiliency. Most of my original interviews were with moms, sisters, and aunties of missing or murdered women and girls. They had not given up hope of finding their missing loved ones or getting justice for the ones who had been murdered.
Family
My daughter, Katarina Ziervogel, also worked on Taken. First, she was an intern with Eagle Vision, logging b-roll. Then she became a writer intern and social media producer. I am so proud of the work she has done on Taken. But perhaps the most poignant work came when she was cast to portray Danita Big Eagle.
I interviewed Danita’s mom, Diane Big Eagle, at least twice for different stories. I felt a connection to Diane. So, when Katarina told me she was cast to portray Danita, it felt like an arrow through my heart. I knew, however, that Katarina would portray Danita with care and respect. It was difficult to watch that episode as Katarina was dragged into a black SUV with tinted windows by three men. She looks back towards the house and screams ‘Mom.’
It’s haunting.
There are families who have to live with this every day of their lives. But with the release of these ten podcasts, it is another opportunity to share the stories of these women and girls (children, really) and perhaps find clues to where they could be or what happened to them.
It is an honour to bring Taken full circle, beginning as the original researcher and now writing the final articles. I know there are still thousands of stories to share, but I also know there are Indigenous storytellers and journalists carrying on this work as well. Perhaps, one day we won’t need to.
Sharing the stories of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls is important work. The team that brought you Taken worked hard to care for the women’s and their families’ stories. They have done their best to provide a platform to help shed light and perhaps bring new clues to their murders or disappearances. Some of these stories have been turned into a 10-part podcast series. We hope you will listen and share them with your networks, in the hope some of these crimes will be solved.
Kim Wheeler is a writer and publicist. She is the original writer/researcher for Taken. Her daughter, Katarina Ziervogel, is walking in her mom’s footsteps. Katarina also worked on Taken as a writer and social media producer. Kim is holding the doors open for her daughters to walk through.