Indigenous people have been falling in love, getting their hearts broken, and snagging at the powwow since time immemorial. But now, APTN is bringing the Indigenous dating scene to TV, without the rose ceremonies, the helicopter exits, or the producer-fed confessionals found in typical reality dating shows. Rezervations for Two lands June 15 on APTN and APTN+, packed with rez humor, real talk, and exactly zero scripted nonsense. Episode one streams free on YouTube the same day, so nobody gets left out of the chatter when the moccasinwire lights up.
A co-production between APTN, Animiki See Digital Production, and Media Rendezvous, the series brings together Indigenous singles spanning a broad mix of ages, nations, gender identities, and sexual orientations. From there, it tosses them into a dating format that bears little resemblance to the polished, predictable dating shows. Funny in places, soft in others, sometimes a beautiful trainwreck, the show makes room for the full mess of dating Indigenously.
Season one was filmed in Winnipeg, and most of the show takes place at The Forks, a gathering place for communities for thousands of years, steeped in a rich history. Daters share fireside chats by the river, go on creative dates at the central market, and have real conversations in places shaped by ceremony and community. Whatever sparks fly between the daters, the history of The Forks can only fuel the fire.
Kairyn Potts and Scott Wabano steer the ship as hosts. Best friends in real life, they bring that closeness straight onto camera. Every dater goes on two blind dates, and the hosts review the footage together as they react in real time. Awkward silences, rough flirting attempts, sparks flying out of nowhere, all of it gets the “fairy god-auntie” treatment, which is what the show calls their hosting style. The reactions are arguably as essential to the experience as the dates themselves.
Meet the Hosts
Kairyn (Kai) Potts (he/him) is Nakota Sioux from Treaty 6 Territory, with family ties to Paul Band First Nation and the Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation. He’s a Two-Spirit content creator based out of Tkaronto, whose work spans writing, acting, modeling, hosting, and youth advocacy. His advocacy work focuses on Indigenous youth, especially queer youth and those navigating the child and family services system. He has held a board seat with 2Spirits in Motion and represented the Youth Suicide Prevention Team.
In 2022, TikTok recognized him on its Global Discover List as one of the platform’s 50 top changemakers worldwide. Viewers may already know him from hosting Snapchat Canada’s debut original series, Reclaim(ed), or from his run on APTN’s 7th Gen. He co-founded Neechi Clan in 2022, an Indigenous gaming organization built to open up opportunities for Indigenous youth across gaming and streaming scenes he participates in himself on Twitch and TikTok.
Scott Wabano (they/them) is a Two-Spirit Cree from the Mushkegowuk and Eeyou Istchee territories. An award-winning stylist, designer, and creative director, Scott has been featured in Vogue, Forbes, ELLE, FASHION, and The National Post, and was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for impact across fashion, media, and culture. Their design work champions sustainable practices while challenging colonial narratives baked into the industry. Beyond fashion, Scott co-hosts The Real Rank Podcast, a culture-forward show grounded in humor and real talk, and frequently emcees community events, panels, and live conversations.
They founded Wabano, a genderless Indigenous-owned fashion label that uses design as a learning tool, and serve as chairperson of Two-Spirits of Eeyou Istchee. They are also a co-founder of the Real Rank Youth Foundation, which builds leadership development programs and safer, more affirming spaces for Indigenous and 2SLGBTQ+ youth. Whether the setting is a stage, a screen, or a community space, the thread running through Scott’s work remains the same: Indigenous stories, identities, and voices carry power.
Why It Matters
Crystal Dubois, APTN’s Development, Factual and Special Events Executive, framed it this way: “We’re really excited to bring Rezervations for Two to APTN audiences. This show is about finding your forever snag and keeping it real while you do. Nothing is scripted. It’s packed with rez humour and heart, and it’s a true celebration of love in all its forms. We want Indigenous and non-Indigenous viewers alike to see us as we really are: vibrant, funny and full of life. This is us, unfiltered, unapologetic and totally fabulous.”
Dating shows pile up across every streamer and network right now, yet Natives are often missing and when Indigenous people do appear, they seldom get the chance to be goofy, awkward, romantic, or vulnerable on screen on their own terms. Rezervations for Two flips the script. Real people, real connections, Indigenous relationships shown the way they actually exist: layered, joyful, complicated, ordinary in the best possible sense. No one way to be Indigenous, no one way to fall for somebody, and the show does not attempt to flatten any of it.
“It’s bold, it’s unpredictable, it’s real, and that’s dating,” says Wabano. Potts adds, “The sparks don’t hold back, and neither do the daters.”
For anyone hoping to be on the next round, the casting window is open.. Production is gearing up for season two in Toronto, with a premiere set for 2027.
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