Bighetty & Bighetty

Puppets? Really?! Yup. From Pukatawagan?! Uh huh. I know, it’s nuts. Wait ‘til you see what happens when a puppet goes in to get vaccinated.

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About Bighetty & Bighetty

The Bighetty brothers can’t help themselves. They’ve been finding new ways to get people to laugh ever since they can remember. A few years ago a chance run-in with a discarded puppet lead to a new age of ridiculousity and awesomeness. The puppet troop Bighetty & Bighetty was formed.

The puppets – named Marcl, Baptiste, Michel and The Chief – are quite the characters. As much as they’re reminiscent of the renowned Muppet or Sesame Street franchises, there’s one distinct difference: They’re clearly Indigenous. And they seem to have a mind of their own. The hilarious antics of these little dudes revolves around having fun with every day occurrences in their community, their wit and charm on display as they slide back and forth from English and Cree. When they aren’t hamming it up in front of a cell phone camera for an online video, they’re getting a smile a second performing at schools for children.

The brothers themselves – Ken, Andrew, Kelsey, Dan & Russell – didn’t have much of a background in performing, but they were born with the gift of humour. Lead by the eldest, Russell and his charismatic personality, they created characters based on what they saw around them in their own community. It wasn’t long when they realized that using the puppets to speak in Cree would be a fun way to engage children in learning the language.
It started with short skits to entertain friends and family. Before long, they had tens of thousands of views on social media and requests for performances from communities across Manitoba. If you believe it, they even take their show on the road – like rock stars – sometimes performing in 8 communities in 6 days. The puppets are mobbed by children. Even elders stop to talk to the Bighetty brothers, engaging with their alter egos.

Tragically, in the spring of 2018, Russell passed away. Deeply wounded, the remaining brothers carried on, determined to keep the joy of their performances alive. Russell would always say that there’s magic with the puppets and that a child’s smile is precious. Rather than sadness, the surviving brothers choose laughter.
The puppets, well they’ve got another idea entirely. Now knowing of how big of a deal they’re becoming – getting upwards of 50,000 views on some of their content – they’re starting to think that they should get their independence. Unaware of the nature of their existence, they’ve got a mission of their own, to move to self-determination. Who knows what could happen if the puppets have their way. Will the brothers continue to their joyous mission or will the puppets own misadventures create a havoc we have rarely seen on reserve?

Bighetty & Bighetty

Behind the Scenes

Productions

Going Native
A Life on the Line
Bighetty and Bighetty
Handcrafted Manitoba
The Drift
CBC Shorts