From Ice Cove to the World: Anna Lambe on Reclaiming Inuit Storytelling
This week on Matriarch Movement, host Shayla Oulette Stonechild sits down with Anna Lambe — an Inuk actress, host, and emerging filmmaker from Iqaluit, Nunavut, and one of the most compelling Indigenous voices in film and television today. Anna first broke onto the international stage with The Grizzlies, earning a Canadian Screen Award nomination, and followed it with a second nomination for her role as Sarah in Trickster. She now leads the APTN, CBC, and Netflix co-production North of North, which earned her nominations for a Gotham Award and an Independent Spirit Award and won her Best Lead Performer in a Comedy Series at the 2026 Canadian Screen Awards.
In this conversation, Anna opens up about her rapid rise in the industry, the pressure of being seen as a spokesperson for her entire community, and what she's learned about herself through playing Siaja. She shares what it was really like filming Season 2 on Arctic sea ice in temperatures below -50°C, why she believes Indigenous stories deserve to center joy instead of trauma, and what matriarchy means to her as an Inuk woman. She closes with powerful advice for the next generation of young Inuk women dreaming of a life in film.
Follow Anna Lambe: Instagram @anna.r.b.lambe
Watch North of North Season 2: streaming on CBC, APTN, and Netflix
This episode is part of Season 6 of Matriarch Movement, Indigenous Voices of This Generation, proudly sponsored by Indigenous Screen Office and YouTube Canada. Thank you to both organizations for supporting this season and helping amplify Indigenous storytellers across Turtle Island.
00:14 – Introduction to Anna Lambe and the episode
01:33 – Anna introduces herself
02:26 – From Trickster and The Grizzlies to leading North of North
03:52 – Following intuition instead of a traditional acting path06:19 – The pressure of representing an entire community
10:51 – Who is Siaja, and how she differs from Anna
13:23 – Filming Season 2 in -50°C on Arctic sea ice
15:54 – Community reception: from embarrassment to being seen as Siaja
18:31 – The future of Indigenous storytelling: centering joy over trauma
22:24 – What matriarchy means to Anna
23:52 – Advice to young Inuk women pursuing film and TV
26:16 – Where to follow Anna + where to watch Season 2
26:31 – Thank you to Indigenous Screen Office and YouTube Canada
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