Little Bird is a six-part Canadian drama about the Sixties Scoop, when First Nations children were forcibly removed from their families and adopted by white households. It follows Esther Rosenblum, originally Bezhig Little Bird, as she searches for the family taken from her after her father was killed while challenging child protection officials. The review argues that the series matters because it depicts the enduring personal and cultural harm caused by colonial policies with dignity, tenderness and controlled anger.

Set to air on Sky Atlantic from 18 August, the drama shows Esther’s uneasy position between her adoptive Jewish family in Montreal and relatives living on reserves. Her investigation reveals sealed adoption records, racism within official systems and the very different lives experienced by siblings separated at the same time. Although fictional, the programme is rooted in real history, and each episode notes that Indigenous children remain disproportionately represented in Canada’s care system.