MEDIA INDIGENA : Indigenous current affairs on Steno.fm

MEDIA INDIGENA : Indigenous current affairs

A weekly roundtable about Indigenous issues and events in Canada and beyond. Hosted by Rick Harp.

Sat, February 22, 2025
Storytelling on stolen land: Indigenous eyes on Canadian politics, Pt 2
On this episode: the back half of the all-Indigenous panel MI host/producer Rick Harp moderated at “Reimagining Political Journalism: Perils, Possibilities & What Comes Next”—convened last November by Carleton University’s School of Journalism and Communication in Ottawa—in which the audience joins in with their thoughts and questions for our all-star panelists: Candis Callison , Associate Professor in the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies and the School for Public Policy and Global Affairs at the University of British Columbia Veldon Coburn , faculty chair of McGill University’s Indigenous Relations Initiative and assistant professor at the Institute of Canadian and Aboriginal Studies at the University of Ottawa Brett Forester , a reporter and broadcaster with CBC Indigenous in Ottawa Pam Palmater , podcaster, professor and chair of Indigenous Governance at Toronto Metropolitan University Niigaan Sinclair , media commentator, Faculty of Arts Professorship in Indigenous Knowledge and Aesthetics at University of Manitoba’s Department of Indigenous Studies CREDITS: Our intro/extro theme is 'nesting' by birocratic; ' relaxed days , ' by snoozy beat (CC BY).
Sat, January 25, 2025
Storytelling on stolen land: Indigenous eyes on Canadian politics: Pt 1
On this episode: Reimagining Political Journalism, the title of a three-day November 2024 event at Carleton University’s School of Journalism and Communication in Ottawa, it included a formidable panel of Indigenous practitioners, moderated by MI’s own Rick Harp! Sub-titled “Perils, Possibilities & What Comes Next,” our all-Indigenous panel delved into all three over our 90-minute conversation—shared here as the first of two parts—a frank and freewheeling exchange on power, politics, and journalism in Canada, featuring: Candis Callison , Associate Professor in the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies and the School for Public Policy and Global Affairs at the University of British Columbia Veldon Coburn , faculty chair of McGill University’s Indigenous Relations Initiative and assistant professor at the Institute of Canadian and Aboriginal Studies at the University of Ottawa Brett Forester , a reporter and broadcaster with CBC Indigenous in Ottawa Pam Palmater , <a
Mon, September 30, 2024
Political Pontifications: Part 3
On this week’s collected, connected conversations, our three-part pile of political pontifications concludes its campaign—as does our Summer 2024 Series as a whole—with a comparison of activism versus access: in the pursuit of mainstream political influence, is it better to be in the room or out on the streets? Featured voices this podcast include (in order of appearance): • Brock Pitawanakwat, associate professor of Indigenous Studies at York University • Ken Williams , playwright and associate professor with the University of Alberta department of drama • Michael Redhead Champagne, a Winnipeg-based community leader, helper, author, and public speaker • Lisa Monchalin , criminology lecturer at Kwantlen Polytechnic University in B.C. • Trina Roache , assistant professor of journalism at the University of King’s College • Brett Forester, Ottawa-based reporter with CBC Indigenous // CREDITS: Creative Commons music this episode includes ‘ Expanding Cycle ’ and ‘ Up + Up (reprise/arise ) ’ by Correspondence (CC BY); ' rye ' by Tea K Pea (CC BY); ' Deep Dive ' by James Hammond.
Fri, September 20, 2024
Political Pontifications: Part 2
On this week’s collected, connected conversations (the seventh in our eight-part summer series): the push and pull of performative politics, where we address the question of just how far Indigenous individuals can advance Indigenous interests in a settler-centric system. Featured voices this podcast include (in order of appearance): • Brock Pitawanakwat , associate professor of Indigenous Studies at York University • Ken Williams , playwright and associate professor with the University of Alberta’s Department of Drama • Nick Martin , senior editor with National Geographic • Candis Callison , associate professor in the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies and the School for Public Policy and Global Affairs at the University of British Columbia • Kim TallBear , professor in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta, and Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Peoples, Technoscience & Society // CREDITS: Creative Commons music this episode includes ‘ Expanding Cycle ’ and ‘ Up + Up (reprise/arise ) ’ by Correspondence (CC BY); ' my bloody beating heart ' by kitchenromance (CC BY); ' Up & At Em ' by James Hammond; ' Level 2 ' by HoliznaCC0 (CC0).
Mon, September 09, 2024
Political Pontifications: Part 1
On this week’s collected, connected conversations (the sixth in our summer series): a political perusal of the prerogatives of power. The first in our three-part look back at the allure and limits of mainstream political participation, we begin with a Trudeau triple-header, a Liberal dose of discussions about the only federal leader this podcast has ever known. Featured voices this podcast include (in order of appearance): • Brock Pitawanakwat , associate professor of Indigenous Studies at York University • Ken Williams, playwright and associate professor with the University of Alberta’s Department of Drama • Candis Callison , associate professor in the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies and the School for Public Policy and Global Affairs at the University of British Columbia • Kim TallBear , professor at the University of Alberta Faculty of Native Studies, and Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Peoples, Technoscience & Society // CREDITS: Creative Commons music this episode includes ‘ Expanding Cycle ’ and ‘ Up + Up (reprise/arise ) ’ by Correspondence (CC BY); ' Harp Miniature ' by Vladan Kuzmanović (CC BY SA); ' Last Dance ' by Jahzzar (CC BY SA).
Thu, August 29, 2024
Why Canada Needs Natives Needy: Part 5
On this week’s collected, connected conversations (the fifth in our summer series): the conclusion to our five-part retrospective, Why Canada Needs Natives Needy, wherein we feature a few more settler-centric solutions to settler-made problems, as well as examples of what truly independent Indigenous initiatives look like. Featured voices this podcast include (in order of appearance): • Naiomi Metallic , associate professor of law at Dalhousie University, and Yellowhead Institute advisory board member • Tim Thompson , First Nations education advocate, and Yellowhead Research Fellow and advisory board member • Kim TallBear, professor in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta and Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Peoples, Technoscience & Society • Ken Williams, playwright and associate professor with the University of Alberta department of drama • Brock Pitawanakwat, associate professor of Indigenous Studies at York University • Terese Mailhot, author and associate professor of English at Purdue University • Robert Jago, writer, educator, co-founder and director of the Coast Salish History Project • Danika Billie Littlechild, assistant professor of law and legal studies at Carleton University, and Ethical Space research stream leader at the Conservation through Reconciliation Partnership • Dr. Jeffrey Ansloos, clinical psychologist, associate professor of Indigenous health and social policy at the University of Toronto, and Canada Research Chair in Critical Studies in Indigenous Health and Social Action on Suicide • Jesse Thistle, author and assistant professor in the department of humanities at York University // CREDITS: Creative Commons music this episode includes ‘ Expanding Cycle ’ and ‘ Up + Up (reprise/arise <
Mon, August 19, 2024
Why Canada Needs Natives Needy: Part 4
On this week’s collected, connected conversations (the fourth in our summer series): part four of Why Canada Needs Natives Needy, ranging from the precarity of charity to the dubious duty to consult. Featured voices this podcast include (in order of appearance): • Michael Redhead Champagne , Winnipeg-based community leader, helper, author, and public speaker • Lisa Monchalin, criminology lecturer at Kwantlen Polytechnic University in B.C. • Candis Callison , associate professor in the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies and School for Public Policy and Global Affairs at the University of British Columbia • Kim TallBear , professor in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta and Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Peoples, Technoscience & Society • Ken Williams , playwright and associate professor with the University of Alberta department of drama • Brock Pitawanakwat, associate professor of Indigenous Studies at York University // CREDITS: Creative Commons music this episode includes ‘ Expanding Cycle ’ and ‘ Up + Up (reprise/arise ) ’ by Correspondence (CC BY); ' Reflections ' by Kevin Hartnell (CC BY-SA); ' Pangea's Pulse ' by Aldous Ichnite' (CC BY); ' Extremely Tik-tok compatible for slow videos</s
Thu, August 08, 2024
Why Canada Needs Natives Needy: Part 3
On this week’s collected, connected conversations (the third in our summer series): our third installment of Why Canada Needs Natives Needy , in which we debunk diagnoses of Indigenous impoverishment peddled by settlers, often to their own benefit. And while some come off as almost comical, others appear downright disturbing. Featured voices this podcast include (in order of appearance): • Q. Anthony Ali , freelance writer, commentator and podcaster • Ken Williams , playwright and associate professor with the University of Alberta department of drama • Dr. Jeffrey Ansloos , clinical psychologist, associate professor of Indigenous health and social policy at the University of Toronto, and Canada Research Chair in Critical Studies in Indigenous Health and Social Action on Suicide • Candis Callison , associate professor in the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies and the School for Public Policy and Global Affairs at the University of British Columbia • Kim TallBear , professor in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta, and Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Peoples, Technoscience & Society // CREDITS: Creative Commons music this episode includes ‘ Expanding Cycle ’ and ‘ Up + Up (reprise/arise ) ’ by Correspondence (CC BY); ' Rising Heart ' by Sro (CC BY-SA); ' Just a Taste ' by Gagmesharkoff (CC BY); ' Day Off ' by Serat (CC BY).
Mon, July 29, 2024
Why Canada Needs Natives Needy: Part 2
On this week’s collected, connected conversations (the second in our summer series): part two of Why Canada Needs Natives Needy, our comprehensive look at the systematic incapacitation of Indigenous peoples, and how Canada’s overt efforts at social disintegration have fostered generations of individual displacement and disconnection. Featured voices this podcast include (in order of appearance): • Kim TallBear , professor in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta and Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Peoples, Technoscience & Society • Taté Walker, award-winning Lakota storyteller and community organizer • Candis Callison, associate professor in the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies and School for Public Policy and Global Affairs at the University of British Columbia • Trina Roache , assistant professor of journalism at the University of King’s College • Ken Williams , playwright and associate professor with the University of Alberta department of drama // CREDITS: Creative Commons music this episode includes ‘ Expanding Cycle ’ and ‘ Up + Up (reprise/arise ) ’ by Correspondence (CC BY); ' Addiction ' by Beat Mekanik (CC BY); ' Hope .mp3 ' by Vikrant Chettri' (CC BY ND); ' Stale Cookies Still Taste Pretty Good ' by Purrple Cat (CC BY SA).
Fri, July 19, 2024
Why Canada Needs Natives Needy: Part 1
The MEDIA INDIGENA 2024 Summer Series —our classic compendia of collected, connected conversations drawn from our voluminous eight-year archive—begins with the first in a five-part compilation, 'Why Canada Needs Natives Needy,' a wide-ranging rundown of all the ways this country has produced and perpetuates Indigenous dependency. And here in round one, we review its roots, entanglements which stretch back to the country’s very creation. Featured voices this podcast include (in order of appearance): • Naiomi Metallic , associate professor of law at Dalhousie University, and Yellowhead Institute advisory board member • Tim Thompson , First Nations education advocate, and Yellowhead Research Fellow and advisory board member • Adele Perry , distinguished professor with the University of Manitoba department of history and women's and gender studies, and director of the Centre for Human Rights Research at U of M • Ken Williams , playwright and associate professor with the University of Alberta department of drama • Robert Jago , writer, educator, co-founder and director of the Coast Salish History Project • Danika Billie Littlechild , assistant professor of law and legal studies at Carleton University, and Ethical Space research stream leader at the Conservation through Reconciliation Partnership • Patrice Mousseau , former broadcast journalist and Satya Organics owner/creator // CREDITS: Creative Commons music this episode includes ‘ Expanding Cycle ’ and ‘ Up + Up (reprise/arise) ’ by Correspondence (CC BY); ' A Little Serious Scrape ' by Liborio Conti; ' <a style= "color: rgb(53, 152, 219); text-decoration: underline;" href= "https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Michett/Palettes/Michett-Atmo/" target="_blank" rel=
Tue, July 09, 2024
Why Indigenous-led Genomics Matters: Part II
On this week’s round table—the last all-new episode before our summer series launches—the second half of our special live on location look at Indigenous-led genomics. Recorded at the Global Indigenous Leadership in Genomics Symposium at UBC back in May, part one brought us the basics of genomics, how it differs from genetics, and how Indigenous genomics compare to those of the mainstream. This time around, we hear from SING Australia's Amanda Richards-Satour (Adnyamathanha and Barngarla Community Engagement Coordinator with the Australian Alliance for Indigenous Genomics) and SING Aotearoa's Phillip Wilcox (associate professor of Mathematics and Statistics at the University of Otago. Also on hand, MI regulars Kim TallBear (University of Alberta Native Studies professor, Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Peoples, Technoscience and Society, and SING Canada co-founder) and Candis Callison , associate professor in the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies and School for Public Policy and Global Affairs at UBC. 📄 TRANSCRIPT : https://mediaindigena.com/why-indigenous-led-genomics-matters-part-ii-ep-349/ ♥ Renewed gratitude to UBC's School for Public Policy and Global Affairs, the Global Journalism Innovation Lab, and SING Canada, for making this event possible. 🖒 ☆ 100% Indigenous owned + operated, our podcast is 100% audience-funded. Learn how you can support our work to help keep our content free for everyone. ☆ // CREDITS: ‘ Frequency Unknown ’ by Aldous Ichnite (CC BY); our intro/xtro music is ‘nesting’ by <span style= "text-decorati
Fri, June 28, 2024
Why Indigenous-led Genomics Matters: Part I
What is genomics? In what ways might Indigenous genomics differ from its mainstream counterpart? And why is it important they be Indigenous-led? Answers to those questions and more on this special edition of MEDIA INDIGENA, recorded live on location at the Global Indigenous Leadership in Genomics Symposium, hosted this past May at the University of British Columbia. Joining Rick Harp for the first half of this two-part conversation were MI regular (and SING Canada co-founder) Kim TallBear, as well as Warren Cardinal-McTeague, UBC Assistant Professor of Forest and Conservation Sciences and SING faculty member. Much gratitude to UBC's School for Public Policy and Global Affairs, the Global Journalism Innovation Lab, and SING Canada, for making this event possible. 📄 TRANSCRIPT: https://mediaindigena.com/why-indigenous-led-genomics-matters-part-i-ep-348/ // CREDITS: ' Yacht Commander ' by Midnight Commando (CC BY 4.0); our intro/extro theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Mon, June 03, 2024
Close Encounters of the Colonial Kind: Part 2
This week: our return to the realm of IZ, the personification of critical Indigenous studies as imagined by MEDIA INDIGENA regular Kim TallBear (University of Alberta professor of Native Studies), a character she embodied in her keynote at “Of the Land and Water: Indigenous Sexualities, Genders and Ways of Being,” hosted earlier this year in Whitehorse by the Dechinta Centre for Research and Learning. And in this back half of the adventures of IZ (missed the first half? catch it here ), we hear her thoughts about a pair of close encounters: the first, “IZ Speaks Back,” a virtual date with a tiny troop of technophiles hoping to hear some extraterrestrial intel ; the other, “IZ Confesses,” a slick if surreal soirée celebrating racial diversity in science. Making space once again for Kim’s other worldly explorations, host/producer Rick Harp along with audio producer and MI editor, Cassidy Villebrun-Buracas. CREDITS: ♬ ‘ Futuristic Sci-fi Arpeggio ,’ ‘ Nebula Soundscape ’ and ‘ Space Journey Through Nebulae and Galaxy ’ by UNIVERSFIELD (CC BY-SA 4.0); ‘ Shit September ’ by Gagmesharkoff (CC BY 4.0); ‘ Your Choice ’ by <a href= "https://www.zapspla
Tue, April 16, 2024
From perogies to pemmican: what can two men switched at birth tell us about Indigenous belonging?
In this back half of our longer-than-expected mini INDIGENA, host/producer Rick Harp picks up where he left off (drinking deeply of coffee, commodity fetishism and character actor Wallace Shawn) with Kim TallBear (University of Alberta professor in the Faculty of Native Studies and Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Peoples, Technoscience and Society) and Candis Callison (UBC Associate Professor in the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies and the School for Public Policy and Global Affairs), as they discuss: Two men swapped at birth—one Indigenous, one not—receive apology from province a Dutch designer's appropriation of a Navajo word as her company's name sparks fashion flap a B.C. politico decries advisory on provincial website noting that many Indigenous peoples "may not identify with" the term 'British Columbians' CREDITS: ♬ ' All Your Faustian Bargains ' and ' Love Is Chemical ' by Steve Combs (CC BY 4.0). Edited by Cassidy Villebrun-Buracas and Rick Harp.
Mon, April 08, 2024
Spilling the beans on Indigenous involvement in the coffee trade
For our latest mini INDIGENA (the sweet + sour version of MEDIA INDIGENA), we yank on the global supply chain linking locals in Campbell River, B.C. to the opening of what’s only the second “Indigenous-operated, licensed Starbucks store” in Canada. And just like last time —when our MINI went long on what we meant to be just our opening topic—our content cup once again runneth over, as we eat up an entire episode exploring the ethics of commodity-based commerce as carried out by Indigenous participants at each end of the colossal coffee trade. Joining fairly-caffeinated host/producer Rick Harp the afternoon of Wednesday, April 3rd were coffee companions Kim TallBear (University of Alberta professor in the Faculty of Native Studies and Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Peoples, Technoscience and Society) and Candis Callison (UBC Associate Professor in the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies and the School for Public Policy and Global Affairs). CREDITS: 𝅘𝅥𝅯 ' All Your Faustian Bargains ' and ' Love Is Chemical ' by Steve Combs (CC BY 4.0); ' Dust and Conclusions ' by BIIANSU (via ZapSplat.com )
Mon, April 01, 2024
A Plethora of Pretendianism: Pt 2
This week: building upon last episode's commanding talk by MI's own Kim TallBear, in which she highlighted the insatiable settler drive to consume all things Indigenous—including so-called ‘identity’ claims staked by individuals— host/producer Rick Harp discusses her insights with fellow roundtable regulars Ken Williams (associate professor with the University of Alberta’s department of drama) and Brock Pitawanakwat (associate professor of Indigenous Studies at York University), a conversation peppered with a rundown of just the latest litany of colonial cosplayers making headlines. CREDITS: ' An Autumn ' by BIIANSU (via Zapsplat.com); our intro/extro theme is 'nesting' by birocratic. Edited by Cassidy Villebrun-Buracas and Rick Harp.
Sun, March 24, 2024
A Plethora of Pretendianism: Pt. 1
On this week’s program: a plethora of pretendianism! So much, in fact, it’s going to take two whole episodes to fit it all in. And here in part one, we take our deepest dive yet into the ultimate underpinnings of pretendianism—the political imperatives of whiteness. Driving the insatiable settler urge to possess every last thing, fueling the desire to assume and consume imagined Indigenous 'identities.' Indeed, such self-serving self-Indigenization is very much a byproduct of the colonial imagination, a contorted construct which privileges the individual over the collective, the racial over the relational, and possession over peoplehood. So says podcast regular Kim TallBear, who, by the end of this episode, so thoroughly unpacks the problematic formulation and foundation of so-called Indigenous "identity"—a hyper-individualized right to resources invoked in isolation from those it performatively pantomimes—you may never want to use the term again. A talk she delivered last month in Ottawa, it took place at a two-day symposium convened by the Wabano Centre —an Indigenous Centre for Excellence in Health Service based in the national capital region. One of four core presenters at the event, Kim shared the stage with Drew Hayden Taylor, Brenda Macdougall and Pam Palmater, with MI's Rick Harp as emcee/moderator for the event. CREDITS: ' One more day in orbit ' by Aldous Ichnite (CC BY); ' Horror background atmosphere for horror and mystical ' by Universfield (CC BY); ' Goshen's Lonely ' by Gagmesharkoff (CC BY). Our intro/xtro theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Sat, March 09, 2024
Close Encounters of the Colonial Kind: Pt. 1
This week: 'Close Encounters of the Colonial Kind,' the title of a talk given by our very own Kim TallBear (University of Alberta professor of Native Studies) at “Of the Land and Water: Indigenous Sexualities, Genders and Ways of Being,” hosted earlier this year in Whitehorse, YK by the Dechinta Centre for Research and Learning. Although rooted in her by-now familiar terrains of sexuality and science, Kim’s monologue was a bit of a departure from what we’re used to here on the podcast: delivered in the fictionalized voice of ‘IZ,’ she’s the personification of an Indigenous-driven movement of ‘unapologetic intellectual promiscuity,’ or what IZ herself calls “critical polydisciplinamorous engagement.” An adaptation of her 2023 Substack post / 2021 essay by the same name, Kim’s keynote so aroused our curiosity we had to have her flesh out the body of thought behind it. In the first of this two-part discussion, she walks MI host/producer Rick Harp and MI audio editor Cassidy Villebrun-Buracas through ‘IZ Speaks Back’ and ‘IZ Confesses,’ which together make up the first half of her talk. CREDITS: ♬ ' A Moment ' by Mr Smith (CC BY 4.0); ' Cryin' in my Beer ' by Jason Shaw (CC BY 4.0); 'As Time Passes' (via ZapSplat.com ); a sample of ' Staying’s Worse Than Leaving ' by Sunny Sweeney; our program intro/xtro theme is 'nesting' by birocratic. SFX: ' Deep Space Vibrations Ambience Loop ' by rhodesmas; ' Ambient space 4 ' by DylanTheFish. </em
Fri, March 08, 2024
APTN News Brief: March 8, 2024
Our lead story: residents from James Smith Cree Nation react to the conclusion of the Saskatchewan inquest into the in-custody death of mass killer Myles Sanderson, whose September 2022 stabbing spree killed 11 and injured 17.
Tue, February 27, 2024
Is the Supreme Court ruling on Canada's Indigenous child welfare law a victory for the status quo?
On this week’s Indigenous round table: legal limbo? Did the Supreme Court's recent rejection of Quebec’s constitutional challenge to Bill C-92 really cement the self-determination of Indigenous peoples on child welfare? Or did it seal in the status quo, one where the feds still hold all the cards and all the funds? A ruling described as “very beautiful” by one leader, hailed as paving “the road… for the transfer of authority” by another, such celebrations risk missing the core point of C-92’s critics: that it was always a half measure, keeping full authority and jurisdiction in the grips of the Canadian government. Making the supreme hype about the Supreme Court’s ruling all the more puzzling. Now that the pixie dust has settled, MEDIA INDIGENA regulars Brock Pitawanakwat (associate professor of Indigenous Studies at York University) and Ken Williams (associate professor with the University of Alberta’s department of drama) joined host/producer Rick Harp to try and decipher where things now stand after the ruling, drawing on the perspective of well-known child welfare advocate Cindy Blackstock, executive director of the First Nations Child & Family Caring Society. // CREDITS: Our theme is ' nesting ' by birocratic. Other music (i.e., bridges to and from Cindy Blackstock interview) sourced from Zapsplat.com .
Tue, February 13, 2024
Unflagging settler colonialism in Minnesota / Mni Sóta Makoce
This episode, another ‘mini’ INDIGENA (the easy-peasy version of MEDIA INDIGENA)—one where the first item went way longer than anyone expected! Joining host/producer Rick Harp on Tuesday, February 6th were Kim TallBear (University of Alberta professor in the Faculty of Native Studies) and Candis Callison (UBC Associate Professor in the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies and the School for Public Policy and Global Affairs), as they discuss the multiple Indigenous actors within Mni Sóta Makoce who helped drive the process of reimagining Minnesota’s contested state flag, the pushback, and the possible perils of engaging and enabling settler symbolism. CREDITS: 𝅘𝅥𝅯 ' All Your Faustian Bargains ' by Steve Combs (CC BY 4.0); ' Guatemala - Panama March ' by Heftone Banjo Orchestra (CC BY 4.0). 🕬 SFX ' Hockey fanfare ' by jobro.
Wed, January 24, 2024
The 'clean, green' face of colonialism
For our first mini INDIGENA of 2024, Candis Callison (associate professor in the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies and Graduate School of Journalism at UBC) and Kenneth T. Williams (associate professor with the University of Alberta’s department of drama), joined host/producer Rick Harp this Friday, January 19th to discuss: Norway to pay Sámi reindeer herders millions for violating their human rights How Canada led efforts to weaken original UN Indigenous rights declaration Why the Yellowhead Institute no longer tracks Canada's fulfilment of the TRC Calls to Action The Canadian Space Agency seeks Indigenous interns CREDITS: ' All Your Faustian Bargains ' and ' Love Is Chemical ' by Steve Combs (CC BY 4.0); ' Brass Burrough ' by Cagey House (CC BY); ' Free Tutti Church Organ (F 008) ' by Lobo Loco (CC BY).
Sun, January 07, 2024
Shaping a Syllabus for Indigenous Podcasting Studies
For our final episode of 2023, a live audience recording from the spring, when we took part in the ICA 2023 Pre-conference , “20 Years of Podcasting: Mapping the Contours of Podcast Studies,” hosted May 24th and 25th at Toronto Metropolitan University. Entitled, “Independent Indigenous podcasting as knowledge production,” this four-person roundtable was a rare opportunity to bring folks together in one place—Rick Harp, Brock Pitawanakwat, Kim TallBear—along with Candis Callison, who joined us remotely. Here’s the essence of our event: "Curious about podcasts as academic avenues, our discussion will explore both pragmatic and conceptual outcomes of independent Indigenous podcasting as a form of knowledge production, for both media and the academy… There is much overlap on [MI’s] roundtable between media-makers and academics, many of whom are regularly asked for media commentary on current Indigenous topics. Several of us work(ed) within Indigenous and mainstream print and broadcast media. We will explore how producing for a primarily Indigenous audience compares to addressing a mass audience." // CREDITS: Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Sat, January 06, 2024
CN Indigenous advisory board goes off the rails
This week, our penultimate program of 2023 reunites Kim and Ken for another mini INDIGENA (the rough and ready version of MEDIA INDIGENA) to discuss an array of items, including: a response to pushback against our discussion (ep 334) about state vs. federal recognition of tribes in the U.S. the mass resignation of CN Rail’s Indigenous Advisory Council, citing “the company's ineffective use of the Council's strategic input” plans announced for Anishinaabemowin version of the first ‘Star Wars’ movie Canadian bureaucrats crow about their new eagle-shaped correctional building “to support Indigenous inmates on their rehabilitation journey,” to which Twitter naturally reacted CREDITS: ' All Your Faustian Bargains ' and ' Love Is Chemical ' by Steve Combs (CC BY 4.0); Lifecycle by Fabian Measures (CC BY). Edited by Cassidy Villebrun-Buracas and Rick Harp.
Thu, December 28, 2023
Carbon Colonialism and Culpability
On this week’s round table: colonial carbon culpability. Calling it a “first-of-its-kind analysis,” a recent study by Carbon Brief has crunched the numbers on some 170 years of emissions, seen through the lens of climate justice. Entitled, “How colonial rule radically shifts historical responsibility for climate change,” the report adds a critical dimension to addressing the question of what—and who—has brought us to the brink of depleting our cumulative carbon budget, the maximum CO2 our planet can handle before global temperatures rise to dangerous levels. Among those carbon culprits with a gigatonne to answer for: the former British Empire, so vast it’s said every week a country somewhere celebrates their independence. So brutal that to factor in its era of extractive violence nearly doubles the UK’s contribution to (and thus responsibility for) climate change. On this episode, host/producer Rick Harp and MI regular Candis Callison sit with study co-author Simon Evans to discuss this tally of twin legacies many still struggle to navigate and repair. // CREDITS: Our intro/xtro theme is 'nesting' by birocratic. Episode edited by Cassidy Villebrun-Buracas and Rick Harp.
Thu, December 14, 2023
Where's There Smokes, There's Fire: Tobacco, Trade and Treaties
This week: where there’s smokes, there’s fire. Does a recent ruling by Quebec’s Superior Court have the potential to dramatically alter Canada's constitutional landscape? Known as R. v. Montour and White, the case takes its name from a pair of Mohawk tobacco traders who refused to pay millions in excise taxes on goods brought across the Canadian border. Import duties the defendants said violated the Covenant Chain, a series of treaties with the Haudenosaunee dating back to the mid-1600s. A defense the court not only accepted, but built upon to breathe new life into these centuries-old treaties, adopting the more recent lens of UNDRIP, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. A Declaration the Court held to be both binding and the floor of section 35 protections for Indigenous rights in Canada. And the Court didn’t limit the scope of its findings to just tobacco, or even the Mohawks. As some observers note, it affirmed the right of any and all First Nations to freely pursue economic development by their own chosen means, a view that goes well beyond the familiar, racist shackles of mere subsistence or moderate livelihood. Joining host/producer Rick Harp to smoke out the potential ramifications of this mammoth, 440-page judgement—a ruling (spoiler) Canada appealed days after our recording—Brock Pitawanakwat (Associate Professor of Indigenous Studies at York University) and Candis Callison (Associate Professor in the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies and the Graduate School of Journalism at UBC.) * 100% Indigenous-owned, we're 100% listener-funded: learn how you can help keep our content free for all at mediaindigena.com/support * CREDITS: ' Forest Heartbeat ' by malictusmusic (CC BY); our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic. Edited by Cassidy Villebrun-Buracas and Rick Harp.
Sun, December 03, 2023
The debate over state vs federal recognition of tribes in the U.S.
This week: controversy at the Congress. The National Congress of American Indians, that is. And according to its website, NCAI is “the oldest, largest, and most representative American Indian and Alaska Native organization serving the broad interests of tribal governments and communities.” A little too representative, claim critics, who allege entities are permitted if not encouraged to join the Congress as tribes with insufficient claims to being tribes. The core concern: recognition. Not just how, but by whom. A concern which came to a head last month at NCAI’s 80th annual convention, when a pair of resolutions pushed to restrict full membership rights to federally-recognized tribes, thereby limiting state-recognized tribes to non-voting associate membership. But is federal recognition the be-all and end-all of what makes a tribe truly tribal? Isn’t outsourcing who you are to outsiders itself oppressive? And why would the approval of a colonial country hellbent on your destruction be of help to anyone? Leading host/producer Rick Harp and Ken Williams (University of Alberta department of drama associate professor) through the nitty-gritty of this divisive debate is fellow MI regular Kim TallBear (U of A Faculty of Native Studies professor). 100% Indigenous owned + operated, MEDIA INDIGENA is 100% audience funded. Learn how you can support our work to keep our content free for all to access. // CREDITS: Our theme is ' nesting ' by birocratic. Edited by Rick Harp and Cassidy Villebrun-Buracas.
Mon, November 20, 2023
How Canada Diddles While The World Burns: A Climate Check-in
This week, yet another ‘mini’ INDIGENA (the fast + furious version of MEDIA INDIGENA), with some world-wide words for our 333rd episode (!!!), recorded the evening of Sunday, November 12th. No doubt sub-consciously inspired by the recent 5-year(ish) anniversary of our deep discussion of the 2018 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report—which gave us 12 years to act decisively and radically on carbon emissions to keep life viable for humanity by capping the increase in average world temperatures at a max of 1.5 degrees Celsius—host/producer Rick Harp invited MI regulars Kim TallBear (professor in the University of Alberta Faculty of Native Studies) and Candis Callison (Associate Professor in the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies and Graduate School of Journalism at UBC) to climb atop a cluster of climate stories to discuss how petro-states like Canada are delivering on that 1.5°C mission. ✪ 100% Indigenous owned + operated, MEDIA INDIGENA is 100%- audience -funded . Learn how you can support our work to help keep our podcast free for all to enjoy. ✪ CREDITS: ♫ ' All Your Faustian Bargains ,' ' Nowhere to Hide ,' and ' Love Is Chemical ' by Steve Combs (CC BY 4.0); ' New Shoes ' by HoliznaCC0; ' Lunar Dunes ' by Spinning Clocks (CC BY 3.0). ✂ Edited by Cassidy Villebrun-Buracas and Rick Harp.
Thu, November 02, 2023
Do statutes of limitations apply to treaties with First Nations? Canada sure hopes so
We wrap up October a titch late with another ‘mini’ INDIGENA (the quick + dirty version of MEDIA INDIGENA), featuring a quartet of tidbits, ranging from a federal security agency’s overt admonishment of Nunavut over ‘covert’ foreign investment in otherwise neglected infrastructure to new highway signs in Saskatchewan overtly delineating its many treaty boundaries to passing motorists. Joining host/producer Rick Harp the early afternoon of Friday, October 27 were Ken Williams (associate professor with the University of Alberta’s department of drama) and Trina Roache (assistant professor of journalism at the University of King’s College). CREDITS: ' All Your Faustian Bargain s ' and ' Love Is Chemical ' by Steve Combs (CC BY 4.0); ' Lazy Sumday ' by Sahy Uhns (CC BY); ' Au coin de la rue ' by Marco Raaphorst (CC BY-SA 3.0); ' Weissenborn, Six Trios for Three Bassoons ' by Grossman, Ewell, Grainger (CC BY-SA 3.0). Production assistance by Cassidy Villebrun-Buracas.
Sun, October 22, 2023
How might The Voice referendum echo for Indigenous peoples in Australia?
This week: another MINI INDIGENA featuring Kim TallBear (professor in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta) and Candis Callison (Associate Professor in the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies and the Graduate School of Journalism at UBC), who joined host/producer Rick Harp Wednesday, October 18 to discuss: where things go from here after a majority of Australians voted to reject the constitutional institution of an Indigenous advisory board known as The Voice the B.C. Supreme Court rejects a resident association's legal challenge against a massive Vancouver housing development project led by the Squamish Nation a new StatsCan report finds those accused of killing Indigenous women and girls are less likely to be charged with first-degree murder than cases involving non-Indigenous victims Twitter's in the shi**er, and its name change is the least of its problems: has it taken #NativeTwitter down with it? CREDITS: ' All Your Faustian Bargains ' and ' Love Is Chemical ' by Steve Combs (CC BY 4.0); ' Strange enough ' by HoliznaCC0; ' Racecar Drums ' by Daedelus (CC BY); ' Dobro Mashup ' by Jason Shaw (CC BY); ' <a style= "color: rgb(53, 152, 219); text-decoration: underline;" href= "https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Black_Ant/Free_Beats_Sel_3/Fater
Sun, October 08, 2023
First Thoughts on First First Nations Premier of Manitoba
MEDIA INDIGENA is back from its summer break with all-new shows, and we kick off with a far-ranging foursome of items, from a historic provincial election in Manitoba to the RCMP opting not to lay charges against a Yellowknife doctor for the unilateral sterilization of an Inuk woman. Joining host/producer Rick Harp for this first 'mini INDIGENA' of the season (recorded Friday, October 6) are two familiar voices, Brock Pitawanakwat (Associate Professor of Indigenous Studies at York University) and Ken Williams (assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s department of drama). CREDITS: ' All Your Faustian Bargains ' and ' Love Is Chemical ' by Steve Combs (CC BY 4.0); ' 2.12.05 elevator ' by BOPD (CC BY 4.0); ' Montmartre ' by Jahzzar (CC BY-SA 4.0); ' Music Box Rag ' by Heftone Banjo Orchestra (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Thu, September 21, 2023
Indigenous Journalisms: Part 8
For the eighth and final installment of our 2023 Summer Series, "Indigenous Journalisms"—our audio book club based on Reckoning: Journalism's Limits and Possibilities —co-author and MEDIA INDIGENA regular Candis Callison and host/producer Rick Harp finish out the series with Anishinaabe journalist, author and speaker Tanya Talaga as they discuss the chapter's conclusion. ✪ Indigenous owned + operated, MEDIA INDIGENA is 100%-audience-funded. Learn how you can support our work to help keep this podcast free for all to enjoy. ✪ // CREDITS: ' Saturn ' and ' Find Your Peace ' by HoliznaCC0; ' Heart of Acceptance ' by John Bartmann. All tracks are CC0 1.0.
Thu, September 07, 2023
Indigenous Journalisms: Part 7
For the seventh installment of our 2023 Summer Series, "Indigenous Journalisms"—an 8-part audio book club based on Reckoning: Journalism's Limits and Possibilities —co-author and MEDIA INDIGENA regular Candis Callison and host/producer Rick Harp welcome back Anishinaabe journalist, author and speaker Tanya Talaga to discuss the excerpt 'Sioux Lookout: Training New Journalists.' ✪ Indigenous owned + operated, MEDIA INDIGENA is 100%-audience-funded. Learn how you can support our work to help keep this podcast free for all to enjoy. ✪ // CREDITS: ' Saturn ' and ' Find Your Peace ' by HoliznaCC0; ' Heart of Acceptance ' by John Bartmann. All tracks are CC0 1.0.
Mon, August 21, 2023
Indigenous Journalisms: Part 6
For the sixth installment of our 2023 Summer Series, "Indigenous Journalisms"—an 8-part audio book club based on Reckoning: Journalism's Limits and Possibilities —co-author and MEDIA INDIGENA regular Candis Callison and host/producer Rick Harp sit with veteran Shoshone-Bannock journalist Mark Trahant one last time to discuss the excerpt "Geographies and Destabilizing 'the Local.'" ✪ Indigenous owned + operated, MEDIA INDIGENA is 100%-audience-funded. Learn how you can support our work to help keep this podcast free for all to enjoy. ✪ // CREDITS: ' Saturn ' and ' Find Your Peace ' by HoliznaCC0; ' Heart of Acceptance ' by John Bartmann. All tracks are CC0 1.0.
Fri, August 04, 2023
Indigenous Journalisms: Part 5
For the fifth installment of our 2023 Summer Series, "Indigenous Journalisms"—an 8-part audio book club based on Reckoning: Journalism's Limits and Possibilities —co-author and MEDIA INDIGENA regular Candis Callison and host/producer Rick Harp welcome back veteran Shoshone-Bannock journalist Mark Trahant to discuss the excerpt 'Perspectives, Expertise, and Knowledges.' ✪ Indigenous owned + operated, MEDIA INDIGENA is 100%-audience-funded. Learn how you can support our work to help keep this podcast free for all to enjoy. ✪ // CREDITS: ' Saturn ' and ' Find Your Peace ' by HoliznaCC0; ' Heart of Acceptance ' by John Bartmann. All tracks are CC0 1.0.
Mon, July 17, 2023
Indigenous Journalisms: Part 4
For the fourth installment of our 2023 Summer Series, "Indigenous Journalisms"—an 8-part audio book club based on Reckoning: Journalism's Limits and Possibilities —co-author and MEDIA INDIGENA regular Candis Callison and host/producer Rick Harp welcome back Anishinaabe journalist, author and speaker Tanya Talaga to discuss the excerpt 'Countering Erasure.' ✪ Indigenous owned + operated, MEDIA INDIGENA is 100%-audience-funded. Learn how you can support our work to help keep this podcast free for all to enjoy. ✪ // CREDITS: ' Saturn ' and ' Find Your Peace ' by HoliznaCC0; ' Heart of Acceptance ' by John Bartmann. All tracks are CC0 1.0.
Wed, July 05, 2023
Indigenous Journalisms: Part 3
For the third installment of our 2023 Summer Series, "Indigenous Journalisms"—an 8-part audio book club based on Reckoning: Journalism's Limits and Possibilities —co-author and MEDIA INDIGENA regular Candis Callison joins host/producer Rick Harp and special guest Anishinaabe journalist, author and speaker Tanya Talaga to discuss the excerpt 'Settler-Colonialism and Journalism.' ✪ Indigenous owned + operated, MEDIA INDIGENA is 100%-listener-funded. Learn how you can support our work to help keep this podcast free for all to enjoy. ✪ // CREDITS: ' Saturn ' and ' Find Your Peace ' by HoliznaCC0; ' Heart of Acceptance ' by John Bartmann. All tracks are CC0 1.0.
Fri, June 23, 2023
Indigenous Journalisms: Part 2
For the second installment of our 2023 Summer Series, "Indigenous Journalisms"—an 8-part audio book club based on Reckoning: Journalism's Limits and Possibilities —co-author and MI regular Candis Callison joins host/producer Rick Harp and return guest Indian Country Today editor-at-large Mark Trahant to discuss the excerpt 'Indigenous Journalists in Newsrooms.' ✪ Indigenous owned + operated, our podcast is 100%-audience-funded. Learn how you can support our work to help keep our content free for all to hear. ✪ // CREDITS: ' Saturn ' and ' Find Your Peace ' by HoliznaCC0; ' Heart of Acceptance ' by John Bartmann. All tracks are CC0 1.0.
Sun, June 11, 2023
Indigenous Journalisms: Part 1
The opening installment of MEDIA INDIGENA's 2023 Summer Series debuts a new format for this time of year: a kind of 'audio book club' built around eight excerpts from "Indigenous Journalisms," the penultimate chapter of the book, Reckoning : Journalism's Limits and Possibilities, co-authored by Mary-Lynn Young (professor, UBC School of Journalism, Writing, and Media) and MI regular Candis Callison (Associate Professor, UBC Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies and Graduate School of Journalism, and Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Journalism, Media and Public Discourse). And in part one of our series—centered on the first excerpt, simply entitled, "Introduction"—it's Candis herself who joins host/producer Rick Harp plus special guest Mark Trahant (Pulitzer Prize nominated Shoshone-Bannock journalist and Indian Country Today editor-at-large) to discuss how Indigenous journalists engage "new technologies for self-representation and the long history of mis- or non-representation by mainstream media." ✪ Indigenous owned + operated, our podcast is 100%-audience-funded. Learn how you can support our work to help keep our content free for all to hear. ✪ // CREDITS: ' Saturn ' and ' Find Your Peace ' by HoliznaCC0; ' Heart of Acceptance ' by John Bartmann. All tracks are CC0 1.0.
Sat, May 06, 2023
Thy shalt un-steal stuff from Indigenous people, pledges pontiff
For our final show of the 2022/23 season, we debut a somewhat new format—working title: ' the RADAR ' 📡—as M I regular Trina Roache, King's College assistant professor of journalism, joins host/producer Rick Harp to co-pilot a rapid review of items big and small. From the pope airing the idea of giving Indigenous peoples' stolen stuff back, to a group of Treaty 9 First Nations jointly suing Canada and Ontario for violating their collective jurisdiction, to Inuit-friendly eyecharts and quiche fit for a King, there's lots popping up on our (you guessed it) respective radars. Indigenous owned + operated, our podcast is 100%-audience-funded. Learn how you can support our work to keep it free for all to enjoy. // CREDITS: ♫ ' The Renaissance Man ' and ' Poolside ' by Little Glass Men; SFX: ' Sonar Ping ' by digifishmusic, ' Ship Radar ' by Eschwabe3, ' Sci-fi Sonar ' by thedutchmancreative.
Sat, April 08, 2023
How court injunctions do Canada’s dirty work to deny Indigenous rights
This week: The function of injunctions . When First Nations challenge the authority of a province or corporation to enact decisions that ignore Indigenous consent, there’s a handy legal tool those non-Indigenous parties can turn to: the injunction. Basically a court order which forces someone (or someones) to immediately put an end to a particular action, an injunction is, in principle, available to anyone who can make their case. But according to research by the Yellowhead Institute, decades of injunctions reveal how, in practice, they all too often expedite the use of force against First Nations who push back against reckless resource extraction. Now a new paper extends that research to more closely exam and explain how Canada’s legal system tends to favour corporate over Indigenous interests when it comes to injunctions—a tendency they argue is baked into its very core. On this episode, host/producer Rick Harp and MI regular Trina Roache (Rogers Chair in Journalism at the University of King’s College) are joined by Shiri Pasternak, Associate Professor of Criminology at Toronto Metropolitan University, and Irina Cerić, Assistant Professor of Law, University of Windsor, co-authors of “‘The Legal Billy Club’: First Nations, Injunctions, and the Public Interest” Indigenous owned + operated, our podcast is 100%-audience-funded. Learn how you can support our work so we can keep our content free for all to access. // CREDITS: Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Sun, March 26, 2023
Norval Morrisseau's illegal imitators forge a fortune
This week: when culture and commerce collide . Three underground art rings producing hundreds if not thousands of fake artworks worth as much as $100 million: some mind-boggling numbers shared by police during recently-announced arrests of eight people on 40 charges for allegedly forging the work of the late Norval Morrisseau. Known for his bright, bold colours and dramatic composition, Morrisseau’s work vividly conveyed the cosmology of his people. But where some saw something profound, others saw only profit, on both sides of the sale. Drawing on the in-depth documentary which helped propel the police invesitigation— There Are No Fakes —our roundtable explores the cultural disconnect that got us here, who’s hurt most by it all, and whether all of those charged—a relative of Morrisseau’s among them—deserve an equal share of the blame. Joining host/producer Rick Harp this episode are Ken Williams, assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s department of drama, and Brock Pitawanakwat, Associate Professor of Indigenous Studies at York University. Indigenous owned + operated, our podcast is 100%-audience-funded. Learn how you can support our work so we can keep our content free for all to access. // CREDITS: " Fern Music (Extended) " by Danny Bale (CC BY 4.0); Our theme is "nesting" by birocratic.
Mon, March 20, 2023
Water Insecurity and First Nations Suicide
Can a reserve’s chronically unsafe drinking water be associated with a greater risk of suicide for its residents? That’s the lethal link hypothesized in newly-released research entitled “Is Suicide a Water Justice Issue? Investigating Long-Term Drinking Water Advisories and Suicide in First Nations in Canada.” Co-authored by scholars Jeffrey Ansloos and Annelies Cooper, their investigative framework connects the colonial dots between relentless indignities inflicted upon Indigenous communities with the criminally disproportionate rates of premature Indigenous death. An Associate Professor and the Canada Research Chair in Critical Studies in Indigenous Health and Social Action on Suicide at the University of Toronto, Dr. Ansloos joins host/producer Rick Harp and MI regular Candis Callison (Associate Professor in the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies and the Graduate School of Journalism at UBC) to discuss the wider implications of this study. NOTE: The Hope for Wellness Helpline is available 24/7 at 1-855-242-3310, its online chat option at hopeforwellness.ca A wholly Indigenous owned and operated podcast, MEDIA INDIGENA is 100% audience funded. Learn how you can support our work so we may keep our content free for all to access. // CREDITS: Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Fri, March 10, 2023
Should we distinguish between 'pretendians' and 'descendians'?
This week: our second, long-overdue MINI INDIGENA of the season features regulars Trina Roache (Rogers Chair in Journalism at the University of King’s College) and Kim TallBear (professor in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta) as they join host/producer Rick Harp to discuss: • Why we don’t necessarily love the idea of a First Nations person as Canada’s next top cop • How a few Winnipeggers ain't lovin' some newly-proposed Indigenous names for city streets • Why Kim hates the idea of “Native heritage” as used by settlers • Monthly Patreon podcast supporter Raven asks: “What's your thoughts on the term ‘descendian’ (someone with distant Indigenous ancestry or connection) vs. ‘pretendian’? >> CREDITS: “Apoplēssein” by Wax Lyricist; “ Love is Chemical ,” by Steve Combs (CC BY); “arborescence_ex-vitro” by Koi-discovery
Fri, February 24, 2023
What ‘it just wouldn't do’ to say in Alberta
This week: P r e s s P r o x i m i t y t o P o w e r. For our latest TalkBack edition of MEDIA INDIGENA, where monthly supporters of the podcast debrief with us on our latest deep-dive discussion, MI regular Candis Callison and host/producer Rick Harp are joined by listeners as they follow up on their earlier sit-down with Regan Boychuk , an independent political economist and researcher whose paper, " Proximity to Power: The oilpatch & Alberta’s major dailies ," was the subject of <span dat
Sat, February 18, 2023
Why settlers may be the ultimate tourists
On our latest TalkBack edition, where monthly supporters of the podcast share their questions and comments, a follow-up with journalist Dawn Marie Paley about her piece, “Canadian developers are gentrifying Mexico’s beaches,” published at The Breach. Also back are host/producer Rick Harp and Associate Professor of Indigenous Studies at York University Brock Pitawanakwat, as we pick up where we left off last episode, “How Canadian tourists help endanger Indigenous lands in Mexico.” // CREDITS: ' Guitarista ' by Mr Smith (CC BY 4.0).
Sun, January 29, 2023
How Canadian tourists help endanger Indigenous lands in Mexico
This week: Storming the beaches . Some Canadian property developers hoping to lure so-called ‘snowbirds’ to sunny beachfront in Oaxaca, Mexico have hit a bit of a hitch: like, the fact that Indigenous people already own the beach. And according to a recent article in The Breach , such land theft by outsiders is all too common in the region, sparking concerns about environmental degradation and unchecked water use, which Indigenous locals fear risk the future of their territory. Put another way: same shit, different shores. On this episode, host/producer Rick Harp and roundtable regular Brock Pitawanakwat (Associate Professor of Indigenous Studies at York University) are joined by Dawn Marie Paley, a Vancouver investigative journalist now based in Mexico, and the author of Drug War Capitalism. // CREDITS: Our intro/extro is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Sat, January 21, 2023
Illuminating Big Oil's big shadow on the media
Media bias: something many suspect is at play in mainstream outlets. But proving it—that's a different story. Amidst the daily, dizzy churn that is the news cycle, finding a way to parse out and pin down reasonably comparable data isn't always obvious. But new research out of western Canada seems to have found a clever way around that: by looking at how different dailies treated the same original newswire stories within their respective papers. Spoiler alert: what you got to read depends on where you live. And the closer you lived to the oil sands, the less you're likely to see. On this episode, host/producer Rick Harp and roundtable regular Candis Callison (Associate Professor in the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies and the Graduate School of Journalism at UBC) sit down with Regan Boychuk, the political economist, roofer and researcher behind " Proximity to Power : The oilpatch & Alberta’s major dailies." // CREDITS: Our theme is nesting by birocratic. Sound effects include teletype fast speed by stratcat322 (CC BY-3.0).
Sun, January 15, 2023
Why Canada prefers to spend more money ‘rescuing’ First Nations than respecting them
This episode, a live debrief with our patrons on 'Oil and Gaslighting,' our December 21, 2022 discussion about the jarring juxtaposition between federal underfunding of First Nations’ preparedness for floods, fires and other disasters worsened by climate change on the one hand, and how Canada overfunds the extraction and emissions changing that climate on that other. Back to dialogue directly with patrons are Kim TallBear, professor in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta, and Candis Callison, Associate Professor in the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies and the Graduate School of Journalism at UBC. A conversation recorded live on Thursday, January 12, 2023. // CREDITS: ' Guitarista ' by Mr Smith (CC BY 4.0); ' Free Guitar Walking Blues (F 015) ' by Lobo Loco (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Thu, January 05, 2023
MEDIA INDIGENA Game On Edition 🎲 "Hit or Miss!" (ep 311)
Something of a different turn for us this episode, as we roll into the realm of games. A way to play off another side of our personalities and help host/producer Rick Harp hit his happy place, he somehow cajoled some of our roundtable regulars (and a few special guests) to join him at the table top this past New Year's Eve to play out the old year and bring in the new with a rousing game of Hit or Miss ! Among the fun folks who helped us get game the final day of December: University of Alberta Native Studies professor Kim TallBear, UBC journalism professor Candis Callison, Toronto Metropolitan University sociologist Chris Powell, poet/author/media producer January Rogers, and last but not least, Rick okâwiya—Rick's mom—Jane Glennon, ably assisted by hubby Dave. // CREDITS, MUSIC: ' Mike and Ron Jam ' and ' Instrumental Prelude ' by the Sluts with Nuts (CC BY); ' Did you know? (Curiouser and curiouser)' by Fabian (CC BY); ' Small Song ' and ' Synth - Homage to John Carpenter ' by Squire Tuck (CC BY); ' Independent Film ' by Steve Combs (CC BY-SA); ' Mudroom Jazz ' by David Dellacroce (CC BY); '<a style= "font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;" href= "
Tue, December 27, 2022
Oil and Gaslighting
This week: Oil and gaslighting. They say an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Guess which one the Canadian government funds way more than the other for First Nations emergencies like floods and fires? Karen Hogan knows the answer: in fact, the Auditor-General dedicated a whole chapter to it in her latest report, much like her predecessor did nine years prior. Since then, it’s been the usual flood of excuses and the burning through of budgets as Canada perpetually reacts after-the-fact to disasters it arguably helped enable through its seemingly unmitigated support for oil and gas extraction. Joining host/producer Rick Harp to run through the report, the response to it from Ottawa, and how Canada's rhetoric on curbing carbon compares to its actions in exactly the opposite direction are MI regulars Kim TallBear, professor in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta and Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Peoples, Technoscience and Society, plus Candis Callison, Associate Professor in the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies and the Graduate School of Journalism at UBC. // CREDITS: Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Tue, December 13, 2022
TalkBack: Alberta Sovereignty Act
THIS WEEK: Our second-ever 'TalkBack' edition of MEDIA INDIGENA, where monthly supporters of the podcast on Patreon get a chance to share their feedback live via Discord about our latest deep dive conversation. This time around, it's a debrief on our discussion of Alberta’s new Sovereignty Act . Back to dialogue directly with patrons are Associate Professor of Indigenous Studies at York University Brock Pitawanakwat, as well as Ken Williams, assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s department of drama. // CREDITS: ' Guitarista ' by Mr Smith (CC BY 4.0); ' Free Guitar Walking Blues (F 015) ' by Lobo Loco (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Mon, December 05, 2022
Alberta’s Sovereignty Act: Wexit Wake-up Call or Western Woolliness?
This week: Alberta sovereignty. Sovereign over what and whom, you may ask? Great questions, ones that finally got an answer last week when, on November 29, Premier Danielle Smith introduced her first bill, the Alberta Sovereignty within a United Canada Act. Or did they? Already it seems, Smith has done a western walk-back of some of the bill’s more controversial aspects—indeed, days after we recorded our discussion about it on December 2—making it a bit of a moving target. In any case, it never hurts to be Indigenously nervous when provincial premiers flirt with secession, especially when it could come at our expense. Joining host/producer Rick Harp at the roundtable once again to walk through the Act (such as it was at the time), and what Indigenous peoples there have to say about it, are Associate Professor of Indigenous Studies at York University Brock Pitawanakwat and assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s department of drama Ken Williams. // CREDITS: “ The Thought of You ,” by Squire Tuck; our intro/xtro theme is ‘nesting’ by birocratic.
Sat, December 03, 2022
Canada's colonial co-dependency with the Assembly of First Nations
This week: ' Nation to nation,' or funder to client? When it comes to describing the financial relationship between the Assembly of First Nations and the Canadian government which signs its cheques, critics are anything but kind. Through their jaded eyes, the department of Indian Affairs’ purse strings serve more like a leash on AFN, tightened whenever someone 'misbehaves.' And if this Chiefs’ lobby group can’t much function without so-called Canadian taxpayers’ money—which, to be fair, is more like First Nations' resources effectively given back to them—is this oddball offshoot of perennial paternalism the best we can do in this era of Reconciliaction? A long-standing question recently renewed by just-unearthed documents appearing to show federal bureaucrats committed to keeping the Assembly from coloring outside the lines. This week, Brett Forester, the CBC Indigenous reporter (and one-time host of Nation-to-Nation on APTN National News) who captured this story joins host/producer Rick Harp and roundtable regular Trina Roache, the Rogers Chair in Journalism at the University of King’s College to discuss the light these internal ISC memos may shed on the relationship between the two entities. // CREDITS: ' The Thought Of You ' by Squire Tuck (CC BY 4.0). Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Sun, November 06, 2022
Why mandatory English testing for some Indigenous nurses "smells like white supremacy"
On our first MINI INDIGENA of the season, host/producer Rick Harp and MI regular Trina Roache (Rogers Chair in Journalism at the University of King’s College) are joined by special guest Melissa Ridgen (former co-anchor of APTN National News, now a network managing editor at Global News), as they discuss: • The Siksika First Nation to create reportedly first-ever First Nation bylaw prosecutor's office in Canada • Trina’s RT of the @APTNNews post: “NDP MP Leah Gazan [successfully] reintroduced a motion to recognize what happened in Canada’s residential school system as an act of genocide…” • Rick’s RT of the @TorontoStar post: “Loblaw made $1 million per day in ‘excess’ profits in 2022, according to a new report analyzing rising prices in the grocery industry.” • Why a Northern Manitoba health leader says English language test a barrier to Indigenous nurses that “smells like white supremacy” >> CREDITS: “Apoplēssein” by Wax Lyricist; “ Sing Along with Jim ,” by Kevin MacLeod (CC-BY 3.0); “arborescence_ex-vitro” by Koi-discovery. SFX: 'Boing' by InspectorJ .
Mon, October 31, 2022
TalkBack: Mary-Ellen Turpel-Lafond
Introducing our first-ever 'TalkBack' edition of MEDIA INDIGENA, where monthly supporters of the podcast on Patreon get the chance to share their feedback about our most recent deep dive directly with our roundtablers. This week, we debrief about last week's conversation, “The unravelling story of Mary Ellen Turpel Lafond.” She's the high-profile figure in B.C. whose long-standing claims to biological Indigeneity were seriously undermined by a recent CBC News investigation. Returning for this TalkBack episode, MI regulars Kim TallBear (professor in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta) and Candis Callison (Associate Professor in the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies and the Graduate School of Journalism at UBC), recorded live inside our brand-new Discord on Friday, October 28. // CREDITS: “ Guitarista ” by Mr Smith (CC BY 4.0); “ Free Guitar Walking Blues (F 015) ” by Lobo Loco (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Thu, October 27, 2022
The unravelling story of Mary-Ellen Turpel-Lafond
This week: another one bites the dust? Who is the real Mary-Ellen Turpel-Lafond? A question very much on the minds of Indigenous people in Canada these days, still digesting the exhaustive and explosive CBC News investigation into her public and private life—not least, her repeated claims to being a treaty Indian as a daughter of a Cree man from a northern First Nation in Manitoba. A man the CBC could only verify as the B.C.-born settler son of settler parents of Euro-American ancestry. Just some of the troubling discrepancies documented by an exposé that’s thrown virtually everything about Turpel-Lafond’s life story into question. A narrative that, ‘til now, presented her rapid rise to influence as a remarkable journey against the odds. One the CBC seems to show goes largely against the facts. Joining host/producer Rick Harp to take a deep dive into what’s apparently only one of many such scandals of late, MI roundtab le regulars Kim TallBear (professor in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta and Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Peoples, Technoscience and Society, and Candis Callison (Associate Professor in the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies and the Graduate School of Journalism at UBC). // CREDITS: Our intro/extro theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Fri, September 30, 2022
Settler Election Fever
On our last Summer '22 episode of collected, connected conversations: settler election fever ! In this back half of our political retrospective on Election 2019 and more, we revisit the 2019 campaign's first debate, an infamous campaign scrum, and whether the real solution to our political woes might be an all-Indigenous party. Featured voices this podcast include (in order of appearance): • Hayden King , Executive Director of the Yellowhead Institute based at Toronto Metropolitan University • Vanessa Watts , Yellowhead fellow and Assistant Professor of Indigenous Studies and Sociology at McMaster University • Kim TallBear , Professor in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta and Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Peoples, Technoscience and Society • Candis Callison , Associate Professor in the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies and the Graduate School of Journalism at UBC • Brock Pitawanakwat , Associate Professor of Indigenous Studies at York University • Ken Williams , Assistant Professor with the University of Alberta's Department of Drama • Wawmeesh Hamilton , journalist and photographer // CREDITS: Creative Commons music this episode includes “ La Citadelle ” and “ The Tablets ” by Komiku, “ Trouvée dans la traduction ” by Alpha Hydrae, “ The Call of the Coyote ” by Monplaisir, “ High on Loungin’ ” by Wax Lyricist, and “<a href= "https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Cuicuitte/
Fri, September 23, 2022
Neech the Vote
In this set of collected, connected conversations (the penultimate episode in our Summer '22 series): Neech the Vote ! Was it really a year ago that Canada held its last federal election? A contest we didn’t much concern ourselves with, to be frank; after all, we’d gone hard on the election two years prior. But, looking back, maybe that 2019 campaign taught us all we needed to know about how Indigenous interests fare in such settler exercises. Featured voices this podcast include (in order of appearance): • Hayden King , Executive Director of the Yellowhead Institute based at Toronto Metropolitan University • Vanessa Watts , Yellowhead fellow and Assistant Professor of Indigenous Studies and Sociology at McMaster University • Kim TallBear , Professor in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta and Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Peoples, Technoscience and Society • Brock Pitawanakwat , Associate Professor of Indigenous Studies at York University • Ken Williams , Assistant Professor with the University of Alberta's Department of Drama • Therese Mailhot , author and Assistant Professor of English at Purdue University • Candis Callison , Associate Professor in the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies and the Graduate School of Journalism at UBC // CREDITS: Creative Commons music in this episode includes “ really beautiful my mambo ” and “ Regate ” by Jean Toba, “ Treasure finding ,” “ Love Planet ,” and “ <a style= "color: #3598db;" href= "https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Komiku/Poupis_incredible_adventures_/Komiku_-_Poupis_incredible_adven
Tue, September 13, 2022
A Seminar in Settlerology
On this week's collected, connected conversations (the sixth in our Summer '22 series): Settlerology . That’s right: our chance to turn that gaze around, to peer deep into the soul of settler society! Heck, who better to lead a course on colonial culture than Indigenous people? Featured voices this podcast include (in order of appearance): • Brock Pitawanakwat , Associate Professor of Indigenous Studies at York University • Christopher Powell , Associate Professor of Sociology at Toronto Metropolitan University • Candis Callison , Associate Professor in the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies and the Graduate School of Journalism at UBC • Kim TallBear , Professor in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta and Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Peoples, Technoscience and Society // CREDITS: Creative Commons music in this episode includes “ Little Green (Alt Take) ” by Wax Lyricist and “ Mr Paillettes Theme ” by Komiku. Our opening theme is “ Bad Nostalgia (Instrumental) ” by Anthem of Rain; our closing theme is “ Garden Tiger ” by Pictures of the Floating World. This episode was hosted/produced/edited by Rick Harp; production assistance by Courteney Morin.
Fri, September 02, 2022
The Brutality of Bureaucracy
For the fifth instalment in our Summer '22 series, we burrow into bureaucracy , the Canadian civil service which administers every aspect of Indian life from cradle to grave via the technocratic tentacles of Indian Affairs. Featured voices this podcast include (in order of appearance): • Shiri Pasternak , Assistant Professor in Criminology at Toronto Metropolitan University and co-founder at the Yellowhead Institute • Danika Billie Littlechild , lawyer and international Indigenous rights advocate • Robert Jago , writer/entrepreneur • Peter Di Gangi , land rights researcher and analyst with Sicani Research • Russ Diabo , Kahnawá:ke Mohawk analyst, writer, and activist • Brock Pitawanakwat , Associate Professor of Indigenous Studies at York University • Ken Williams , Assistant Professor with the University of Alberta's Department of Drama // CREDITS: Creative Commons music in this episode includes “ earthwork ” by Hinterheim, “ Adios ” by Stenifer, “ Je vous ai menti ” by BG du 72, as well as “ The Wind ” and “ Ambiant Wai t ” by Komiku. Our opening theme is “ Bad Nostalgia (Instrumental ) ” by Anthem of Rain; our closing theme is “ <a href= "https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Pict
Wed, August 24, 2022
Freedom of Speech
For the fourth instalment in our Summer '22 series of collected, connected conversations: freedom of speech . From censorship to libel, press access and accountability, there are many facets to free speech, and we’ve sounded off on many of them. Featured voices this podcast include (in order of appearance): • Ken Williams , Assistant Professor with the University of Alberta's Department of Drama • Brock Pitawanakwat , Associate Professor of Indigenous Studies at York University • Candis Callison , Associate Professor in the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies and the Graduate School of Journalism at UBC • Kim TallBear , Professor in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta and Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Peoples, Technoscience & Environment // CREDITS: Creative Commons music in this episode includes “ Beat 1 ” and “ Beat 3 ” by James Hammond, “ When You See Me Now Inst ” by holiznaRAPS, and “ 1 0 bucks guitar and dental floss strings #1 ” by Monplaisir. Our opening theme is “ Bad Nostalgia (Instrumental) ” by Anthem of Rain; our closing theme is “ Garden Tiger ” by Pictures of the Floating World. This episode was hosted/produced/edited by Rick Harp; production assistance by Courteney Morin.
Mon, August 15, 2022
Weaponized Words
On the third instalment in our Summer '22 series: weaponized words . The first of two shows sounding off on speech, we've stitched together a variety of verbiage, from all about threats to speech in part two to all about threats via speech here in part one. Featured voices this podcast include (in order of appearance): Ken Williams , Assistant Professor with the University of Alberta's Department of Drama Brock Pitawanakwat , Associate Professor of Indigenous Studies at York University Kim TallBear , Professor in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta and Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Peoples, Technoscience & Environment Tristan Ahtone , Editor at Large with Grist.org Leilani Rania Ganser , Chamoru and Kānaka Maoli writer, storyteller, and organizer // CREDITS: Creative Commons music this episode includes “ Purpur ” by Misha Dioxin, “ Billy Gomberg remix ” by Billy Gomberg, “ If You’re Ther ” by Nicola Ratti, “ Snowfall ” by Steinbruchel, “ She Walked in and Changed Nothing ” by smallertide, and “ Inescapable ” by Soft and Furious. Our opening theme is “ <span style="color:
Mon, August 08, 2022
The Battle to Belong: Part II
On the second instalment in our Summer '22 series: the battle over belonging . The back half of our investigation into inclusion—or is that excursion into exclusion? They're kind of two sides of the same coin to be honest, minted at our expense. Featured voices this podcast include (in order of appearance): • Candis Callison , Associate Professor in the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies and the Graduate School of Journalism at UBC • Kim TallBear , Professor in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta and Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Peoples, Technoscience & Environment • Jacqueline Keeler , journalist and author • Brock Pitawanakwat , Associate Professor of Indigenous Studies at York University • Ken Williams , Assistant Professor with the University of Alberta's Department of Drama // CREDITS: Creative Commons music this episode includes “ I care ” by Loyalty Freak Music, “ Hoist ” and “ Land Legs ” by Andy G. Cohen, and “ Bitcoin Day ” by Anonymous420. Our opening theme is “ Bad Nostalgia (Instrumental) ” by Anthem of Rain; our closing theme is “ Garden Tiger ” by Pictures of the Floating World. This episode was hosted/produced/edited by Rick Harp; production assistance by Courteney Morin.
Fri, July 29, 2022
Diving into Discord
Our season-ender is all about Discord: no, not some disagreement or friction somewhere, but Discord the digital platform, one which lets creators connect more directly and responsively with their audiences, free of all the ickiness of sites operated by huge social media corporations. A platform we’ll soon adapt and adopt as part of our podcast! And not only do we introduce you to the exciting world of Discord and a bit of how we plan to deploy it, you’ll also get to meet the person behind it: Courteney Morin , a new member of the MEDIA INDIGENA team thanks to our new partnership with the University of British Columbia’s School of Journalism, Writing, & Media. More specifically, its Global Journalism Innovation Lab, a project supported in part by funding from SSHRC, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. // CREDITS: Our opening/closing theme is ‘nesting’ by birocratic. Other music featured this episode: ' Up & At Em ' by James Hammond.
Wed, July 27, 2022
The Battle to Belong: Part I
Summer is back and so is MEDIA INDIGENA's Summer Series , our compendia of conversations collected and connected from over the past six years, coming up on 300 episodes of the podcast. Our first two shows of the summer are all about belonging , a subject neither dull nor academic for Indigenous peoples. After all, the Canadian state has worked so very hard to break the bonds that bind us. Featured voices this podcast include (in order of appearance): • Pam Palmater , Chair in Indigenous Governance at Toronto Metropolitan University, and the author of Beyond Blood: Rethinking Indigenous Identity • Paul Seeseequasis , writer/journalist behind the Indigenous Archival Photo Project • Damien Lee , Assistant Professor of Sociology at Toronto Metropolitan University and Canada Research Chair in Biskaabiiyang and Indigenous Political Resurgence • Kim TallBear , Professor in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta and Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Peoples, Technoscience & Environment • Candis Callison , Associate Professor in the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies and the Graduate School of Journalism at UBC • Taté Walker , award-winning Two Spirit storyteller • Cutcha Risling Baldy , Associate Professor and Department Chair of Native American Studies at Cal Poly Humboldt // CREDITS: Creative Commons music this episode includes “ Kite Fly High ” by Adeline Yeo (HP), “ Tree of Tears ” by Kevin Hartnell, “ Ronin ” by EXETEXE, and “ Acrylic on Canvas ” by Audionautix. Our opening theme is “ Bad
Sat, July 02, 2022
Canada wrote the book on Replacement Theory (ep 294)
For our eleventh 'MINI' INDIGENA of the season, we try something a little different this time ‘round: a face-to-face-to-face discussion recorded Friday, June 24 in Winnipeg! Joining host/producer Rick Harp this episode are MI regular Kim TallBear (University of Alberta professor in the Faculty of Native Studies) plus special guest Tasha Hubbard (Associate Professor, U of A Faculty of Native Studies, writer and filmmaker), as they discuss: • a recent poll which claims “millions” of Canadians believe in 'White Replacement Theory' • the struggle to stay focused, present and attentive against the constant pull of our digital devices • how ribbon skirts have apparently become mandatory for women • monthly Patreon podcast supporter Veronica asks what we think of the B.C. government suspending a $789 million rebuild of the Royal B.C. Museum after First Nations complained it's failed to repatriate items from its collection. >> CREDITS: Co-edited by host/producer Rick Harp and Courteney Morin, this episode featured the tracks ‘ Bahn Son g ,’ ‘ What ,’ and ‘ Tic Tac ’ by PCxTC (CC BY 4.0).
Tue, June 14, 2022
Return of the Treaty: Part 2
THIS WEEK: Return to Restoule —the back half of our conversation about the Restoule case, the litigation some say has advanced a re-consideration and re-interpretation of the 1850 Robinson treaties. In part one (ep. 291), we discussed the principle behind the treaties' unique annuity clause: an annual payment by the Crown to the Anishnabek Nation that would only rise as resource revenues did. An economic treaty right that bakes in a fair share of an expanding pie made with entirely Indigenous ingredients. A right the Crown’s refused to respect for decades, loss after loss in court has now brought them to the negotiating table, a possibly telling indication of what they think the Supreme Court of Canada will do with their request to appeal. And as the Court weighs that request, the Anishinabek side weighs their options for what the principle of a fair share might look like in practice, including how to remedy its breach. Options host/producer Rick Harp explores with the help of our returning guests Christina Gray and Hayden King, two of the driving forces behind the Yellowhead Institute report, “Treaty Interpretation in the Age of Restoule,” co-produced with JFK Law. // CREDITS: Our intro/extro theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Sun, June 12, 2022
A Saskatchewan university trades one extreme for the other over Indigenous identity
Our tenth 'MINI' INDIGENA of the season runs the gamut as usual, with MEDIA INDIGENA regulars Ken Williams (assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s department of drama) and Kim TallBear (U of A professor in the Faculty of Native Studies) joining host/producer Rick Harp Saturday, June 11 via the Callin app to discuss... • Riffing off “an African sense of western gender discourses” (as detailed in the book The Invention of Women by Oyeronke Oyewumi), Kim wants to know what Rick and Ken’s dating dealbreakers are; • Ken delves into the story of Cree/Métis scholar Réal Carrière, who told CBC he was rejected for a job by higher-ups at the University of Saskatchewan—despite the wishes of a mostly Indigenous hiring committ ee—due to a lack of documentation; • Boardgaming nerd Rick shares news sent his way about Ezhishin, the “first-ever conference on Native North American typography” set for this November; • monthly Patreon podcast supporter Mark asks us to discuss Bill 96, the new Quebec language law which will effectively require English-schooled students “of Kanien’kehá:ka, Cree, Inuit and Algonquin ancestry … to master two colonial languages to attain a college degree”
Thu, June 02, 2022
The Anishnabek fight for a fair share of their own pie
This week: Billions in back rent? A pair of treaties covering a territory roughly the size of France are at the heart of a legal fight for a fair share of its resource revenues. Known as the 1850 Robinson Treaties, together they span the north shores of both Lake Huron and Lake Superior, ancestral homelands of the Anishnabek Nation. A Nation forced to sue settler governments over a special section of these treaties, known as an annuity 'augmentation' clause—a yearly payment that’s supposed to grow in step with the staggering amount of wealth extracted annually from Anishnabek lands. And, while the Crown’s failure to honour its end of the bargain may not come as a surprise, what might is the success so far of Anishinaabe litigation, blazing a path that may have only one place left to go—the Supreme Court of Canada. How did we get here? Where might this all lead? And, just how do you make good on a debt amassed over some fifteen decades? The kind of mind-boggling, multi-million-dollar questions very much on the mind of our friends at the Yellowhead Institute, thoroughly explored in their new special report, Treaty Implementation in the Age of Restoule, co-produced with JFK Law. Joining host/producer Rick Harp this week for the first in a two-part discussion about the report: Christina Gray (Ts’msyen and Dene Research Fellow at the Yellowhead Institute and Associate at JFK Law, among the legal counsel taking part in the Restoule case's third stage) plus Hayden King (Anishinaabe from Beausoleil First Nation on Gchi’mnissing, executive director of Yellowhead at Toronto Metropolitan University). >> CREDITS: Our opening/closing theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Sun, May 22, 2022
Did media really just victim-blame a gunned-down Métis hunter?
This week, it's another 'MINI' INDIGENA, where we pack in sizzling-hot takes on a flurry of items via social audio. Joining host/producer Rick Harp on Friday, May 20 via the Callin app were MI regulars Ken Williams (assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s department of drama) and Trina Roache (Rogers Chair in Journalism at the University of King’s College) as they discussed: • Might more and more settlers in Australia be finally taking climate change a tad more seriously now that it's made some of their homes effectively uninsurable? • Did mainstream media really just victim-blame a gunned-down Métis hunter? • How a Reuters / Globe and Mail article ("Indigenous Canadians [sic] make a painful plea on eve of British royal visit") triggered many of Trina's pet peeves about reportage on Indigenous peoples; • monthly Patreon podcast supporter Courtney asks: "Should local First Nations hold approval/veto power over urban planning and land use decisions on their traditional territories?" >> CREDITS: ' Blueprint ' by Jahzzar (CC BY-SA 4.0); ‘ In Shadows ’ by William Ross Chernoff's Nomads (CC-BY); ‘ Feeling Like A Delicate Cookie ’ by Captive Portal (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Tue, May 10, 2022
The Colonial Complications of Indigenous Reproductive Choice
For our eighth 'MINI' INDIGENA of the season, MI regular Kim TallBear (professor in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta) and special guest January Rogers (Mohawk/Tuscarora poet, author, and media producer from Six Nations of the Grand River) join host/producer Rick Harp via the Callin app to discuss: i) Jacqueline Keeler’s recent piece, “Striking Down Roe v. Wade Leaves Native Women and Girls Even More Vulnerable”; ii) why the time may be right for a Mister Indian World competition; iii) how the pro sports team that brought us the ‘Tomahawk Chop’ took it upon themselves to add their voice to National Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day; iv) intersections between forced sterilization and criminalizing abortion >> CREDITS: ' Microship ' by CavalloPazzo (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Tue, May 03, 2022
Looking HBC’s ill-gotten gift horse in the mouth
Gift or grift? When it comes to the spoils of colonialism, perhaps none have been more spoiled than the Hudson’s Bay Company. A 17th century creature of empire which drove a global fur trade, HBC would go on to make itself synonymous with Canada, blanketed in the country’s foundational myths. Along the way, exploiting and extracting all it could from Indigenous lands, waters and peoples. These days, such nationalist nostalgia has taken a bit of a hit, it seems; so too, The Bay’s days of department store dominance. Which may help explain the company’s recent embrace of a novel way to launder its reputation: by handing over one of its most iconic buildings to a First Nations organization. But can this present make up for its past? Will this ultimate fixer-upper help renovate the Relationship—or just expose the gargantuan cracks in its foundations? Joining host/producer Rick Harp to construct an answer to these questions and more are roundtable regular Ken Williams, assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s department of drama, along with special guest Adele Perry, Distinguished Professor of History and the Director of the Centre for Human Rights Research at the University of Manitoba. // CREDITS: Our opening/closing theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Fri, April 22, 2022
How Canada sprinkles 'Reconciliation' on First Nations then tells them it's raining (ep 287)
Another week, another 'MINI' INDIGENA (our seventh of the season), where host/producer Rick Harp is joined by yet another pairing of APTN National News alumni, Trina Roache (Rogers Chair in Journalism, University of King’s College) and special guest Tim Fontaine (Editor-in-Grand-Chief of Walking Eagle News ) as they all discuss: i) how a brutal editorial cartoon out of Simcoe County, Ontario about the Pope’s so-called ' apology ' regarding residential schools has itself prompted not one but two apologies ii) whether anyone's got a decent working definition of decolonization iii) whether 'Reconciliation' is on the brink, if not outright over the edge, of becoming little more than a catch-phrase for Canadians iv) the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe's use of ancient DNA to try and support its claim for federal recognition by the U.S. government // CREDITS: ' Make Love ' and ' Everything You Ever Dreamed ' by Holizna; ' Clouds ' by Lucien Kemper x Fachhochschule Dortmund
Sat, April 16, 2022
Is it time to toss 'Indigenous' categories for mainstream arts awards? (ep 286)
For our sixth-ever 'MINI' INDIGENA, host/producer Rick Harp is joined by roundtable regulars—and fellow APTN National News alumni—Ken Williams (assistant professor, University of Alberta’s department of drama) and Trina Roache (Rogers Chair in Journalism, University of King’s College) to discuss: i) how some in Maine fear tribes potentially regaining some measure of sovereignty means they'll ‘flex their muscle’ on environmental, fish and wildlife, and economic development; ii) whether the recent haul of hardware by Indigenous creatives at the Canadian Screen Awards means we can now get rid of special ‘Indigenous’ categories; iii) how rampant and illegal poaching threatens wild white sage in California; iv) whether those who toppled the controversial ‘Gassy Jack’ statue in downtown Vancouver were out of line for not first checking with regional Indigenous people >> CREDITS: ' Blueprint ' by Jahzzar (CC BY-SA 4.0); ‘ In Shadows ’ by William Ross Chernoff's Nomads (CC-BY); ‘ Feeling Like A Delicate Cookie ’ by Captive Portal (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Sun, April 10, 2022
Getting Real With Artificial Intelligence
Hardly a day goes by it seems without news of some ‘revolutionary’ A.I.-driven tool ushering in a brave new world. Less said is who’ll be left out or left behind. Which is why, when it comes to Indigenous content, some fear much of artificial intelligence remains superficial ignorance. But can ‘The Cloud’ incorporate culture? Can we Indigenize as we digitize? And can the digital be made relational? Joining host/producer Rick Harp to tangle with these tricky, trippy questions and more are Kim TallBear, professor in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta, and Trina Roache, Rogers Chair in Journalism at the University of King’s College. // CREDITS: Our opening/closing theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Sat, March 05, 2022
How Ukrainian land defenders get to be brave and heroic to Canadian media yet Indigenous defenders don’t (ep 284)
On our latest 'MINI INDIGENA,' special guest Michael Redhead Champagne (Ininew helper, host, speaker & author) joins roundtable regulars Kim TallBear (University of Alberta Native Studies professor) and host/producer Rick Harp to discuss: i) Is it only propaganda when others do it? The blocking of RT (Russia Today) in some Western countries; ii) How Ukrainian land defenders get to be brave and heroic to Canadian media yet Indigenous defenders don’t; iii) Helper, organizer, advocate, rebel—a look at the roles we each can play in movement-building; iv) A sneak peek of We Need Everyone, Michael's forthcoming book that seeks to “empowers kids to find their gifts & use them to strengthen community.” >> CREDITS: ' Absorb ' by James Hammond (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Tue, February 15, 2022
Defund Defined (ep 283)
How should we speak of safety in society? How ought we to understand and manage the origins of risk? And in doing so, where might we position police’s role in producing either? Depending on who you talk to, “experiences may vary.” Now a new report out of Atlantic Canada’s largest urban centre proposes much less of a role for police in the larger justice equation—in some respects, no role at all. Prepared for no less than the Halifax Board of Police Commissioners, the report puts meat on the bones of the contentious concept of defunding. Joining host/producer Rick Harp this week: activist, artist and scholar El Jones, Assistant Professor of Political and Canadian Studies at Mount Saint Vincent University, and one of the lead authors of Defunding the Police: Defining the Way Forward for HRM [Halifax Regional Municipality]. Also at the table this episode, Trina Roache, the Rogers Chair in Journalism at the University of King’s College. // CREDITS: Our opening/closing theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Thu, February 10, 2022
Ottawa Overwhelmed (ep 282)
This week: the occupation of Ottawa. And as truckers and others continue to crash Canada's capital and beyond, it’s striking (if not surprising) to watch how these protests have been handled—or not—providing a stark contrast to the often paramilitarized approach taken to Indigenous-led direct actions. Remember the outcry over critical infrastructure, said to be under siege by extremist Indian insurgents? Perspective is everything it seems, and amidst multiple cities' ongoing troubles with truckers, our Indigenous roundtable shares theirs. Joining host/producer Rick Harp this week are Ken Williams (assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s department of drama) and Kim TallBear (professor in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta), a conversation we recorded the afternoon of February 8, 2022. // CREDITS: Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Sat, January 15, 2022
The odd turns taken with land acknowledgments (ep 281)
On our fourth-ever 'MINI INDIGENA,' the quick + quippy edition of the podcast, special guest Q. Anthony Omene (cultural and political commentator with the Rezistans Nwa media network) joins roundtable regulars Kim TallBear (University of Alberta Native Studies professor) and host/producer Rick Harp to discuss: i) the politics, optics and ethics of citing those who have "fallen from grace"; ii) the increasingly odd directions taken with land or territorial acknowledgments in the U.S.; iii) the political/historical notes struck by the new Disney series "The Book of Boba Fett"; iv) Q's follow-up reaction to our latest deep dive, "U.S.A. R.I.P.?" >> CREDITS: ' Microship ' by CavalloPazzo (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Thu, January 13, 2022
U.S.A. R.I.P. ?
How would you write a eulogy for the United States? Oh, you didn’t realize it was on death’s door? Guess you didn’t read the Globe and Mail over the holidays, when it published no less than six opinion pieces postulating no less than an imminent U.S. civil war. A civil war most agreed Canada needs to plan for. But is this really the twilight’s last gleaming for U.S. Empire? Would American apocalypse trigger Canadian cataclysm? Joining host/producer Rick Harp to flesh out these fretful settler scenarios and what they might (or might not) imply for Indigenous interests on both sides of the border are Ken Williams, assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s department of drama and Kim TallBear, U of A professor in the Faculty of Native Studies and Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Peoples, Technoscience & Environment. // CREDITS: " A quiet action sequenc e ," by Sami Hiltunen; our opening/closing theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Wed, December 29, 2021
The Rot of Reconciliation in Canada
This week: the racket of Reconciliation . It’s been some six years since the TRC issued its final report, complete with 94 Calls to Action. Has Canada listened? How would we know? Well, a couple of years ago we spoke to a couple of scholars who took on precisely those questions, generating a kind of ‘report card’ on Reconciliation. And suffice it to say, Canada didn’t do so hot back in 2019. Did they up their game in 2021? To find out, host/producer Rick Harp has reconvened Reconciliation reckoners Eva Jewell (Research Director at Yellowhead Institute, and Assistant Professor of Sociology at X University) and Ian Mosby, (Assistant Professor of History at X University) to hear their insights into what keeps that needle barely moving, and why they worry survivors’ pain is now a new profit centre for settlers. // CREDITS: Our opening/closing theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Wed, December 22, 2021
Cantankerous Cottagers
Displeasure Island. So distressed is an Ontario cottage owner that Indians could regain a significant say over some nearby islands in Georgian Bay, he’s somehow convinced his human rights are under attack. Ridiculous, right? Not to The Sudbury Star , a regional rag which not only took this settler shitshow seriously, it signal boosted their manifesto. An online screed warning readers that, once thousands of islands worth hundreds of millions of dollars are given to natives with "no connection to these islands," thousands of non-native boaters, kayakers, canoers and vacationers "will no longer be able to access thousands of kilometers of shoreline." Joining host/producer Rick Harp to interrogate this property rights propaganda and its call to circle the wagons on the water are roundtable regulars Brock Pitawanakwat (Associate Professor of Indigenous Studies at York University) and Ken Williams (assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s department of drama). // CREDITS: "Wavestate-Unheil-4" by Endzeiter ; our opening/closing theme is 'nesting' by birocratic. SFX: "Native Shaker 01.wav" by Sandyrb
Sat, December 11, 2021
Omigod Omicron (ep 277)
In this latest “rapid roundtable” on multiple topics via Clubhouse, Kim TallBear (professor in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta) and Brock Pitawanakwat (Associate Professor of Indigenous Studies at York University) join host/producer Rick Harp to discuss: the postponement of an Indigenous papal visit due to Omicron; how to support those reeling personally and professionally due to their defraudment by pretendians; the University of Saskatchewan formally asks a Métis political organization to vet the identity of applicants for Métis-specific jobs at the U of S; and their thoughts on the most recent MEDIA INDIGENA deep dive, "Trust, Truth and Treaties." >> CREDITS: 'Microship' by CavalloPazzo (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Sat, December 04, 2021
Trust, Truth and Treaties
On this week’s Indigenous round table: the gulf in understanding between settlers and First Nations people over treaties. A gap recently reinforced by none other than CBC Kids, the junior wing of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, after it hosted a 'debate' about whether Indigenous peoples should even get land back. A debate it grounded in the myth that treaties were all about First Nations losing their lands and rights. Joining host/producer Rick Harp to discuss the persistence and perils of such noxious notions—iffy ideas internalized by kids of all ages—are roundtable regular Ken Williams and special guest Sheldon Krasowski, author of No Surrender: The Land Remains Indigenous, who also serves as the director of research at the Office of the Treaty Commissioner in Saskatchewan, and adjunct faculty in Indigenous Studies at the University of Saskatchewan. // CREDITS: Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.'
Fri, November 26, 2021
Wet’suwet’en Solidarity
As long-time listeners know well, this isn’t the first time our podcast has looked at long-standing Wet’suwet’en efforts to block outside incursions into their territory. Indeed, last August’s double episode, 'Resource Resistance,' situated their struggle at its core. This time ‘round, we invite on a new perspective regarding recent events on the ground as well as the bigger political and economic picture. A lawyer from the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation, Kris Statnyk works exclusively with Indigenous peoples, practicing in the area of Aboriginal law. He shares his thoughts on this latest paramilitary raid on Wet’suweten land protectors—the RCMP's third in roughly three years—as well as his eyewitness account of solidarity actions in neighbouring Gitxsan territory. // CREDITS: Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Mon, November 08, 2021
When even an Indian Affairs minister says 'Land Back', can we still use it?
Our second crack at a “rapid round” of shorter conversations on multiple topics recorded via Clubhouse includes discussions on... whether '#LandBack' has been drained of its radical potential after an Indian Affairs minister's apparently unironic use of the term; how some people "Indian Up" their appearance for non-Indigenous audiences; and the retreat of Alton Gas from its Shubenacadie River project. Joining host/producer Rick Harp are Kim TallBear (professor in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta) and Trina Roache ( Rogers Chair in Journalism at the University of King’s College). >> CREDITS: ' Microship ' by CavalloPazzo (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Fri, October 29, 2021
Unsettled Settlers
When it comes to advancing Indigenous causes, is making settlers 'feel bad' a winning strategy? At least one settler pundit says 'no,' and he’s rounded up some Indigenous people who seem to agree with him. At issue: the apparent cultural war on Thanksgiving, where bad attitudes toward the cherished holiday have spilled across the U.S./Canada border like so much rancid gravy. And as the time of year nears for Americans to feel supremely thankful, leave it to some Indian ingrates to try and spoil the party! Or at least, so says one Postmedia columnist with an axe to grind and a column to fill. In a moment, we’ll subject this settler polemic to some good ol' fashioned line-by-line media critique, carving it open like an overcooked turkey with no thanks given. Joining host/producer Rick Harp at the 'table this week are regulars Kim TallBear (professor in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta and Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Peoples, Technoscience & Environment) and Trina Roache (Rogers Chair in Journalism at the University of King’s College). // CREDITS: Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Sun, October 17, 2021
Unhealthy Healers
CBC News has recently reported that a number of women have come forward with allegations of sexual assault against an Ontario medicine man. Although allegations are not the same as charges or convictions, the stories the women have shared are reminiscent of an all-too-familiar scenario: the kind of stories we’ve all heard whispered about certain healers, spiritualists or elders—individuals you ought not be alone with. Needless to say, it’s a perverse inversion of the roles and responsibilities such healers are supposed to embody and exemplify. The real question is how do they persist? How, despite the open secret of such misconduct, is it all too often met with silence? Joining host/producer Rick Harp to try to speak to those questions and more, plus hopefully nudge the conversation forward about what prevention might look like, are roundtable regulars Brock Pitawanakwat (Associate Professor of Indigenous Studies at York University) and Ken Williams (assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s department of drama). // CREDITS: Our opening/closing theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Fri, October 01, 2021
Canada's provincial patchwork of Orange Shirt Days (ep 271)
On our first-ever “rapid round” of shorter conversations on multiple topics (recorded via the social audio app Clubhouse), we discuss: provinces that won't make Orange Shirt Day a holiday; the stripping of a residential school advocate’s name from various Edmonton locations; and what happens on Twitter when an Israel state official tweets in support of Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Day. Joining host/producer Rick Harp on this inaugural audio experiment: Ken Williams (assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s department of drama) and Kim TallBear (professor in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta) >> CREDITS: ' Microship ' by CavalloPazzo (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Wed, September 29, 2021
An anti-carbon coup for Indigenous climate activists
Carbon coup. When it comes to fighting climate change, have Indigenous activists made much of a difference? Do we really know what their myriad anti-pipeline actions add up to? Turns out, a lot—now with the numbers to back it up. They come from a recent report that’s literally quantified the amount of greenhouse gas emissions either stopped or delayed thanks to Indigenous-led activism. But will this more concrete sense of the impact of Indigenous leadership translate into greater respect and recognition? Joining host/producer Rick Harp at the roundtable this episode are Associate Professor of Indigenous Studies at York University Brock Pitawanakwat, and Rogers Chair in Journalism at the University of King’s College Trina Roache. // CREDITS: Our opening and closing theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Mon, September 13, 2021
Grave Concerns
For Canadians, it was a revelation that seemingly came out of nowhere: the confirmation back in May of over 200 unmarked graves at Kamloops, BC, thought to be the remains of young people who decades ago attended one of Canada’s nearly 140 Indian Residential schools. Children who never got to go home to the families from whom they’d been forcibly removed. But if this first came to light late spring, why discuss it now? Because what began as some 200-odd graves has since multiplied to well over 1,000—with more, perhaps many more, expected. Many Canadians professed shock back in May. Has their concern grown in step with the number of confirmed dead? Has it translated into a substantively different approach to the urgent needs of Indigenous kids alive today? Why did it take literal radar to put these crimes on Canadians’ political radar? Joining host/producer Rick Harp to discuss these questions and more are Kim TallBear, professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta as well as Rogers Chair in Journalism at the University of King’s College Trina Roache. // CREDITS: O ur opening and closing theme is ' nesting ' by birocratic.
Tue, August 31, 2021
Coronavirus Conversations: Part 2
On this week’s collected, connected conversations—our final show of the summer—more of our COVID contemplations. Featured voices this podcast include (in order of appearance): • Candis Callison , Associate Professor in the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies and the School of Journalism, Writing and Media at UBC • Kim TallBear, Professor in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta and Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Peoples, Technoscience & Environment • Brock Pitawanakwat , York University Associate Professor of Indigenous Studies • Ken Williams , assistant professor with the University of Alberta's Department of Drama • Broadcaster and scientist David Suzuki // CREDITS: Creative Commons music in this episode includes “ Secret Circuit ” by Space Rhythm 2, “ Wake Up ” by Kai Engel, and “ Now You Are Here ” by Sergey Cheremisinov. Our opening theme is “ Soda Machine ” by Kabbalistic Village; our closing theme is “ Nocturne for Anastasiya " by Vlad Cuiujuclu.
Tue, August 17, 2021
Coronavirus Conversations: Part 1
On this week’s collected, connected conversations (the eighth in our summer series): part one of our pandemic ponderings. A disease that’s thrown many into disarray, COVID-19 has come up often on this podcast. And for good reason: disproportionately afflicted with health care gaps, Indigenous peoples' vulnerability made them the subject of dire predictions from the outset of this pandemic. Featured voices this podcast include (in order of appearance): • Dr. Jason Pennington , Assistant Professor of Medicine, University of Toronto; Scarborough General Hospital staff surgeon; joint strategic lead in Indigenous Health, U of T Faculty of Medicine • Dr. Lisa Richardson , clinician-educator, University of Toronto division of general internal medicine; joint strategic lead in Indigenous Health, U of T Faculty of Medicine • Mary Jane McCallum , Professor of History at University of Winnipeg • Brock Pitawanakwat , York University Associate Professor of Indigenous Studies • Ken Williams , assistant professor with the University of Alberta's Department of Drama • Candis Callison , Associate Professor in the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies and the School of Journalism, Writing and Media at UBC • Kim TallBear , Professor in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta and Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Peoples, Technoscience & Environment // CREDITS: Creative Commons music in this episode include s “ Hot Soup On Cold Days ” and “ Rest ” by PC III, and “ Reservoir Sunset (Full Synth Mix) ” by Axletree. Our opening theme is “ Soda Machine ” by Kabbalistic Village; our closing theme is
Thu, August 05, 2021
Education Exploration: Part 2
On this week’s collected, connected conversations (the seventh in our summer series): the back half of our education investigation. And this episode, it’s all uni, all the time, where talk of 'Indigenization' is all the rage. Featured voices this podcast include (in order of appearance): • Kim TallBear , associate professor in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta and Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Peoples, Technoscience & Environment • Ken Williams , assistant professor with the University of Alberta's Department of Drama • Adam Gaudry, Associate Professor and Associate Dean (Research and Graduate Studies) in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta • Brock Pitawanakwat , York University Associate Professor of Indigenous Studies // CREDITS: Creative Commons music in this episode includ e “ CRUZIN ” by Benedek, “ Dasein ” by Nihilore, and “ Scorch ” by Nctrnm. Our opening theme is “ Soda Machine ” by Kabbalistic Village; our closing theme is “ Nocturne for Anastasiya " by Vlad Cuiujuclu.
Tue, July 27, 2021
Education Exploration: Part 1
On this week’s collected, connected conversations (the sixth in our summer series): back to school. Well, not quite yet. But it is around the corner, so we thought we’d help you prep with an education-related retrospective. And with so much material to cover, we’ve set aside two dates on our course calendar. Featured voices this podcast include (in order of appearance): • Brock Pitawanakwat , York University Associate Professor of Indigenous Studies • Ken Williams , assistant professor with the University of Alberta's Department of Drama • Kim TallBear , associate professor in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta and Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Peoples, Technoscience & Environment // CREDITS: Creative Commons music in this episode includes “ The Insider ,” by Time to Move and Motivate, “ Weapon ” by Nctrnm, and “ Devil Man ” by Drake Stafford. Our opening theme is “ Soda Machine ” by Kabbalistic Village; our closing theme is “ Nocturne for Anastasiya " by Vlad Cuiujuclu.
Thu, July 15, 2021
The Right to Hunt & Harvest: Part 2
Moose, elk, bison, lobster, salmon: they're just some of the non-human relatives that Indigenous peoples have relied upon for centuries. A reliance that, in turn, made self-reliance possible for those peoples. That is, until it wasn’t—thanks to the kinds of colonial interference and impediments we discuss here in our fifth episode of the summer series, building on our last episode's look at fights over rights to hunt and harvest. Featured voices this podcast include: • Candis Callison , Associate Professor in the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies and the School of Journalism, Writing and Media at UBC • Kim TallBear , associate professor in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta and Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Peoples, Technoscience & Environment This episode is dedicated to the loving memory of Kwetasel'wet (Vera Wood). // CREDITS: This episode was edited and produced by Stephanie Wood and Rick Harp. Creative Commons music this episode includes “ spring_thaw ” by The Green Kingdom, as well as our opening theme “ Soda Machine ” by Kabbalistic Village and our closing theme “ Nocturne for Anastasiya " by Vlad Cuiujuclu.
Mon, July 05, 2021
The Right to Hunt & Harvest: Part 1
On this week’s collected, connected conversations (the fourth in our summer series), we go on the hunt for some rights recognition. Rights rooted in the ‘radical’ notion that Indigenous peoples ought to be able to live off their lands and waters. But, as we’ll hear over these next two episodes, those harvests are hampered—not only by the imposition of restrictions, but through the endangerment of the non-human relatives we’ve long relied on. Featured voices this podcast include (in order of appearance): • Patrice Mousseau , entrepreneur • Ken Williams , assistant professor with the University of Alberta's Department of Drama • Community organizer and youth advocate Michael Redhead Champagne • Criminologist Lisa Monchalin • Candis Callison , Associate Professor in the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies and the School of Journalism, Writing and Media at UBC • Kim TallBear , associate professor in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta and Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Peoples, Technoscience & Environment This episode is dedicated to the loving memory of Kwetasel'wet (Vera Wood). // CREDITS: This episode was edited and produced by Stephanie Wood and Rick Harp. Creative Commons music in this episode includes our opening theme (“ Soda Machine ” by Kabbalistic Village) and closing theme (“ Nocturne for Anastasiya " by Vlad Cuiujuclu).
Mon, June 28, 2021
Leisure & Rec
On this week’s collected, connected conversations, our summer series walks into the world of leisure and recreation—well, for some, anyway. For, as you’ll hear, it seems us pesky Indians can’t help but spoil settler fun! Featured voices this podcast include (in order of appearance): • Brock Pitawanakwat , York University Associate Professor of Indigenous Studies • Kim TallBear , associate professor in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta and Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Peoples, Technoscience & Environment • Candis Callison , Associate Professor in the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies and the School of Journalism, Writing and Media at UBC • Criminologist Lisa Monchalin • Community organizer and youth advocate Michael Redhead Champagne • Ken Williams , assistant professor with the University of Alberta's Department of Drama • Stephanie Wood , Cultural Editor, The Narwhal // CREDITS: This episode was edited and produced by Stephanie Wood and Rick Harp. Creative Commons music in this episode includes “Phase IV ,” by lo-fi is sci-fi, “ Montmartre ” by Jahzarr, “ Beaches ” by Alex Vaan, “ April ” by Kai Engel. Our opening theme is “ Soda Machine ” by Kabbalistic Village; our closing theme is “ Nocturne for Anastasiya
Thu, June 17, 2021
Law & Order: Part 2
This episode, the second in our summer series, part two of our look at law and order—emphasis on the latter. Because even though we’ll begin this episode with discussions about the courts and prisons (building on last episode’s walk-through of policing), there’s a much bigger picture at play here: the enforcement and reinforcement of a social order, an order that works hand in glove with the needs of settler colonialism. Featured voices this podcast include (in order of appearance): • Ken Williams , assistant professor with the University of Alberta's Department of Drama • Kim TallBear , associate professor in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta and Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Peoples, Technoscience & Environment • Wawmeesh Hamilton , journalist/photographer • Brock Pitawanakwat , York University Associate Professor of Indigenous Studies • Anishinabe broadcaster and arts administrator Jesse Wente • Candis Callison , Associate Professor in the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies and the School of Journalism, Writing and Media at UBC // CREDITS: Creative Commons music this episode includes “ Enterprise 1 ” by Languis, “ Dybbuk Box “ by Sergey Cheremisinov, “ Distilled ” by Nctrnm, “ SONNIK 1.0 ” by SONNIK, “ Snowfall ” by Steinbruchel. Our opening theme is “ Soda Machine ” by Kabbalistic Village; our closing theme is “ <a href= "https://soundcloud.c
Mon, June 07, 2021
Law & Order: Part 1
With the arrival of warmer weather, it's once again time for another MEDIA INDIGENA Summer Series, our compendia of conversations collected and connected from over the past five years of the podcast. With over 250 episodes to date, there’s certainly lots to choose from. And yet, there’s one subject that’s never far from the surface whenever we get together—justice. And from cops to courts to incarceration, these next two installments will take us on a whirlwind tour of Canada’s so-called justice system. Featured voices this podcast include (in order of appearance): • Anishinabe broadcaster and arts administrator Jesse Wente • Professor and Chair in Indigenous Governance at Ryerson University, Pam Palmater • Colleen Simard , writer/designer/filmmaker • Conrad Prince , child health and welfare advocate • Karyn Pugliese , Assistant Professor, Ryerson University School of Journalism • Ken Williams , Assistant Professor of Drama, University of Alberta // CREDITS: Creative Commons music in this episode includes " Fater Lee " by Black Ant as well as " Friction and " Lakehouse " by Nctrnm. Our opening theme is “ Soda Machine ” by Kabbalistic Village; our closing theme is “ Nocturne for Anastasiya by Vlad Cuiujuclu.
Sat, May 29, 2021
"Pollution is Colonialism": Part Two
Pollution is Colonialism Part Two: fresh off part one, host/producer Rick Harp and MI regular Candis Callison once again sit down with author, artist and marine scientist Max Liboiron. And in the back half of this extended conversation, we find out why Land is not so much a noun as it is a verb, and why anti-colonial is not the same as de-colonial, especially when it comes to methods for pollution science, methods which foreground values of humility, equity, and good land relations. // CREDITS: ‘ Smoke Factory, ’ by Jahzzar (CC BY 3.0); our theme is ' nesting ' by birocratic.
Thu, May 27, 2021
"Pollution is Colonialism": Part 1
Pollution is Colonialism: the straight-to-the-point title of a brand new book by Max Liboiron, Assistant Professor of Geography and Associate Vice-President of Indigenous Research at Memorial University, as well as the Director of CLEAR, or Civic Laboratory for Environmental Action Research. Among the book's core arguments: that any effort looking to resist environmental harms must trace them back to their ultimate source—the violence of colonial land relations. A violence, the author argues, even well-intentioned environmental science and activism can reproduce. In this first of two episodes featuring the author, we discuss how the world became awash in plastics, with part two dedicated to how we might better grasp and grapple with the larger forces producing this toxic legacy. Appearing alongside Dr. Liboiron, host/producer Rick Harp and MI regular Candis Callison, Associate Professor in the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies and the Graduate School of Journalism at UBC. // CREDITS: ' Quiet Outro ' by ROZKOL (CC BY 3.0); Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Sun, May 23, 2021
CASH BACK, Part 2 (ep 257)
This week: redress, compensation and restitution. In short, Cash Back! It's the second half of our effort to put meat on the bones of this call for First Nations economic justice issued in the latest Red Paper of the Yellowhead Institute—viewable at cashback.yellowheadinstitute.org —as we run through the ' Top 10' ways to actually get that cash back from Canada. Joining host/producer Rick Harp once again are Tim Thompson and Naiomi Metallic of the Yellowhead Institute. // Our musical theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Sat, May 15, 2021
CA$H BACK, Part 1
From Wealth to Welfare. Just how did Canada’s economy end up among the world's largest, anyway? Was it the sheer pioneering pluck of can-do Canucks? A steely determination tempered by visionary imagination and innovation? Exactly what has Canada done to amass, command and enjoy such wealth? Well, according to a hot-off-the-presses report from the Yellowhead Institute, they stole it. Entitled Cash Back: A Yellowhead Institute Red Paper , the report impressively details what can only be described as a colossal, colonial theft, the proceeds of which Canada continues to exploit and extract. Adding insult to imperial injury, not only has this country built itself up via the "transformation of Indigenous lands and waterways into corporate profit and national power," the report's authors argue it's forced "a cradle-to-grave bureaucracy" upon First Nations in the process, placing a "stranglehold on [their] each and every need." The result: a zero-sum economic game, a game Canada’s rigged in its favour to the ongoing detriment of First Nations. Joining host/producer Rick Harp for part one of this extended conversation about the report are two of its contributors: co-author and board member Naiomi Metallic , as well as Yellowhead Research Fellow Karihwakè:ron aka Tim Thompson. // CREDITS: Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Sat, May 01, 2021
"Canada’s Carbon Economy & Indigenous Ambivalence"
DILEMMA INDIGENA: For Indigenous peoples living under settler colonialism today, there are few choices that aren’t constrained, a predicament at the heart of a discussion in the brand new book, Regime of Obstruction: How Corporate Power Blocks Energy Democracy. Just published by Athabasca University Press, its 30-plus contributors include this week’s special guest, Clifford Atleo, an Assistant Professor of Resource & Environmental Management at Simon Fraser University, who joins us to discuss his chapter, “Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Canada’s Carbon Economy and Indigenous Ambivalence.” // CREDITS: Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Thu, April 22, 2021
Left in the Lurch by Laurentian U
Northern education rooted in the north: for many, it's a vision at the very heart of Laurentian University, a northern Ontario school that today is in turmoil. Administrators now pursuing a dramatic—some say draconian—process of retrenchment and austerity, cutting dozens of programs and positions. Seen as a tricultural hub serving the region’s English, French and Indigenous populations, the institution has not only shared a campus with the University of Sudbury (among others), it’s shared funding. Now that too will end. Putting the fate of the U of S Indigenous Studies program — among Canada’s oldest — up in the air. But as some try to make sense of all the slashing, critics allege the process remains shrouded in secrecy. Prompting some to wonder whether larger agendas and larger forces may be at play. Joining host/producer Rick Harp at the roundtable this week are MI regular Brock Pitawanakwat, Associate Professor of Indigenous Studies at York University, as well as special guest Celeste Pedri-Spade, an Associate Professor and Queen's National Scholar in Indigenous Studies at Queen’s University. // CREDITS: Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic. SFX: “ ding ” by tim.kahn (CC BY 3.0)
Sat, April 17, 2021
An Outpouring of Outrage, pt 2
It’s the second half of our conversation with artist Chief Lady Bird about her decision to design a beer can label in support of Indigenous women’s causes. In part one, we learned about how it all came to be and some of the reaction that’s poured forth in its wake. This time, we go deeper into popular misunderstandings and misrepresentations of drugs and addiction, drawing on the insights of a neuroscientist who not only studies drugs but unapologetically enjoys them too. Joining host/producer Rick Harp for even more social lubrication are Kim TallBear, associate professor in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta and Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Peoples, Technoscience & Environment, Candis Callison, Associate Professor in the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies and the Graduate School of Journalism at UBC, and our special guest, artist Okimaa Kwe Bihness, also known as Chief Lady Bird. // CREDITS: “ Tree Tenants ,” by Revolution Void (CC BY 3.0). Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Tue, April 13, 2021
Opening up a can of controversy: Pt. 1 (ep 252)
It was meant as a gesture in support of Indigenous women. A one of a kind design by an Indigenous artist known for her bold, provocative imagery. But when it comes to her latest work, it’s not what her art shows that’s sparked strife so much as where it’s shown—wrapped around a cold can of beer. Cue the beer can backlash, with some slamming the artist for supposedly glorifying or at least trivializing a substance many blame for violence against and among Indigenous people. This week, the first half of an extended conversation with Chippewa/Potawatomi artist Chief Lady Bird to learn more about the origins of her collaboration with the brewery, the outrage it tapped into, and why this topic can be so touchy to talk about—for us included. Also joining host/producer Rick Harp: MI regulars Kim TallBear, associate professor in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta and Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Peoples, Technoscience & Environment, and Candis Callison, Associate Professor in the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies and the Graduate School of Journalism at UBC. // CREDITS: Our theme is ‘nesting’ by birocratic.
Thu, April 01, 2021
When rez dogs become settlers' pet projects
Canine colonial. Is it apt to draw parallels between the worst ills of mainstream child welfare systems and those of animal welfare? It’s the potentially provocative thesis of the Vancouver Humane Society, a thesis they soon hope to put into practice. Joining host/producer Rick Harp for a decolonial discussion on dogs on and off the rez are MI regulars Ken Williams, assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s department of drama, and Kim TallBear, associate professor in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta and Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Peoples, Technoscience & Environment. // CREDITS: Episode edited by Stephanie Wood. Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Wed, March 31, 2021
Conservative Convention & Indigenous Interests
They’re one of Canada’s oldest political parties. Heck, they gave the country its first ever prime minister back in 1867. Today, the Conservative Party of Canada hopes to form the next federal government. They may get their chance: rumours of a summer election abound. Making the party’s recent policy convention—and the associated keynote speech of leader Erin O’Toole—possible windows into what another Conservative government might hold in store for Indigenous interests. Joining host/producer Rick Harp to parse the party's policies and pronouncements are Brock Pitawanakwat, Associate Professor of Indigenous Studies at York University, and Candis Callison, Associate Professor in the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies and the Graduate School of Journalism at UBC. CREDITS: “ Disco High ” by UltraCat (CC BY 3.0)
Sun, March 21, 2021
Indigenous Incivility
A crapload of controversy. Did an Indigenous member of the Manitoba Legislature cross the line when she claimed members of the governing Conservative party "just don't give a crap about Indigenous women and girls in this province"? The Speaker sure thought so: ejecting the member for refusing to apologize or withdraw her so-called indecorous language. Meanwhile, not so long ago, an Indigenous MP in New Zealand was also ejected from that Parliament for not wearing a tie, or, as he put it, “a colonial noose.” On this episode, our roundtable unpacks unparliamentary conduct: is it just the usual tempest in a teapot of petty politics, or a thinly-disguised dig at unruly, ill-mannered savages who refuse to behave? Joining host/producer Rick Harp are MI regulars Kim TallBear, associate professor in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta and Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Peoples, Technoscience & Environment, and Candis Callison, Associate Professor in the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies and the Graduate School of Journalism at UBC. // CREDITS: Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic. SFX: 'boo 01' by tim.khan ; 'Quiz Show Buzzer 2' by JapanYoshiTheGamer
Sat, March 13, 2021
A Vaccination Conversation (ep 248)
With COVID-19 immunization programs now underway in Canada and beyond, the basic questions of who, when and where have leapt to the fore. Will the most vulnerable be the most vaccinated in time? Some, like the Métis of Manitoba, say they’ve been left exposed, prompting their efforts to try and cut out the provincial middle man by going straight to the manufacturers. A situation that arguably raises questions about just how much control or capacity Indigenous governments actually have when it comes to safeguarding the health of their own peoples. Back at the roundtable with host/producer Rick Harp are Ken Williams, assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s department of drama, and Brock Pitawanakwat, Associate Professor of Indigenous Studies at York University. // CREDITS: This episode was edited by Stephanie Wood. Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Sun, February 28, 2021
High Hopes for Haaland
This week, high hopes for Deb Haaland —the congresswoman from New Mexico and citizen of the Laguna Pueblo who could make history as the first Indigenous person to ever serve as Secretary of the Interior for the United States. First things first, though: she still needs to be confirmed by the U-S Senate. Although committee hearings have wrapped up, a vote has yet to be held. But amidst all the excitement over her potential appointment, some have struck a more cautious tone about what it may—or may not—make possible. That includes Nick Martin, a staff writer at The New Republic and author of the recent piece, “Deb Haaland’s Ascent and the Complicated Legacy of Native Representation.” In this episode, Martin joins host/producer Rick Harp and roundtable regular Candis Callison to discuss why he thinks even “[some]one as capable as Haaland [confronts] an unfortunate truth… [that] whenever Native people have occupied positions of great power within [the] colonial machine [they’ve either left] embittered or transition[ed] themselves into an active participant in the grand American tradition of treaty-breaking and excuse-making.” // CREDITS: This episode was edited by Stephanie Wood. Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Sat, February 27, 2021
Creating Culpability for Colonial Cosplay (Pt. 2)
Punishment for Pretendians: the back half of our extended look at colonial cosplay. And if part one was all about the problem, this part’s all about solutions. Just what is to be done about all these faux First Nations actors, authors and academics? What mechanisms might we use, and by whose authority? Does it make sense to target all the players, or would it be better to re-write the rules of the game? Back with host/producer Rick Harp to assess what's been put forth as ways to sift through the grift are Candis Callison, Associate Professor in the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies and the Graduate School of Journalism at UBC, and Kim TallBear, associate professor in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta as well as Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Peoples, Technoscience & Environment. // CREDITS: This episode edited by Stephanie Wood. Music includes: “ Summer Tour Bird Windows ” by Strategy (CC BY 3.0); 'nesting' by birocratic.
Wed, February 24, 2021
Contemplating the Consequences of Colonial Cosplay
With issues of identity reaching a fever pitch of late, we thought we’d take its temperature. From Michelle Latimer’s contested claims to Indigeneity, to an ever-growing, quasi-underground list of Alleged Pretendians, not to mention a Twitter tempest over light-skin privilege, we’ll break down what’s at play, what’s at stake and—in part two—what might be ways out of this messy business. Joining host/producer Rick Harp at the roundtable are Kim TallBear, associate professor in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta and Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Peoples, Technoscience & Environment, as well as Candis Callison, Associate Professor in the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies and the Graduate School of Journalism at UBC. // CREDITS: This episode edited by Stephanie Wood. Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Sun, February 21, 2021
Why medically-assisted dying is very much an Indigenous issue
Medically-assisted death. It’s a controversial subject to say the least, precisely why any effort to legislate it has proven just as contentious. So it is in Canada, where laws have been challenged and critiqued, both in and out of court, as either too broad, too narrow or even both, depending on who’s doing the talking—and whom they’re talking about. And with the federal government poised to re-codify medical assistance in dying (MAID), there are those concerned the law’s expansion of access to it will do more harm than good, and that the gap between intent and outcome will see those already put at risk placed into even greater peril. One such critic is Andray Domise (aka Q), who in a recent Globe and Mail editorial argued that proposed changes to the law risk the reinscription of the Canadian colonial logic of eugenics. And Q is our special guest this episode, joining host/producer Rick Harp and roundtable regular Ken Williams, assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s department of drama. // CREDITS: Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Sun, January 31, 2021
Canada's effective monopoly on First Nations citizenship
A new brief from the Yellowhead Institute has shone a light on yet another Canadian government attack on the spirit if not the letter of a human rights order demanding equity for First Nations kids. Issued by the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal, the order supports the right of First Nations children to access the same essential public services as any other kid in Canada, free of delays due to disputes over who should pay for it. It's known as Jordan's Principle, named for the late Jordan River Anderson, whose all-too-short 5 years of life was marred by such jurisdictional disputes. Although everyone says they agree with the principle, their actions tell a different story, a new chapter of which is well documented in the recent Yellowhead brief, "Happy New Year To Everyone But Non-Status Kids: Jordan’s Principle & Canada’s Persistent Discrimination." In this episode, we sit down with Yellowhead Associate Fellow Damien Lee to learn more about what's driving federal moves to restrict the principle to Status Indian kids only—in other words, to only those kids Canada deems 'legitimately' Indian, regardless of who First Nations themselves claim as citizens. // CREDITS: This episode was edited by Stephanie Wood. Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Wed, January 27, 2021
Should the next Governor-General be First Nations?
Repping the Queen. With Canada’s last Governor-General stepping down due to scandal , there are those who say her replacement ought to be a First Nations person. And while the idea seems innocuous on its face—what with the bulk of their day-to-day duties confined to ribbon-cutting and rubber-stamping—there is one potential complication: the fact the role literally represents a foreign monarch whose assertion of dominion over Indigenous territories is still kind of controversial. Joining host/producer Rick Harp are roundtable regulars Brock Pitawanakwat, Associate Professor of Indigenous Studies at York University, and Ken Williams, assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s department of drama. // CREDITS: Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Fri, January 22, 2021
Farewell to Fish Farms? Pt 2
This week, the back half of our two-part foray into fish farms. Part one discussed the myriad problems with such aquaculture; this time around, we look at proposed solutions. Might they swap one set of issues for another, or represent a genuine step toward a truly sustainable future for species so central to coastal First Nations? Back with host/producer Rick Harp are Kim TallBear, associate professor in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta and Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Peoples, Technoscience & Environment, as well as Candis Callison, Associate Professor in the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies and the Graduate School of Journalism at UBC. // CREDITS: Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic; additional music by Andy. G. Cohen ('In Awareness') appears under a CC BY 4.0 license.
Tue, January 19, 2021
Farewell to Fish Farms?
Fish farm phase-out. And with the end of aquaculture as we know it in sight on British Columbia’s central coast, there is hope it could help spark a revival in the region’s once rich wild salmon population. Or, at the very least, halt the decline of species said to be at the foundation of numerous Indigenous cultures. But not everyone’s glad to see the farms fade away. In fact, there are those First Nations with a stake in the industry. Wading into these troubled waters with host/producer Rick Harp this episode are Kim TallBear, associate professor in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta, and Candis Callison, associate professor in the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies and the Graduate School of Journalism at UBC. // CREDITS: This episode was edited by Stephanie Wood. Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Sat, December 26, 2020
Back to Basics with David Suzuki: Pt 2
A second sit-down with Suzuki. In the first half of our discussion with Dr. David Suzuki, we learned how COVID inspired a return to his spoken word roots and why it was important to include Indigenous knowledge and voices in his new podcast . This time around, we explore whether the coronavirus is a kind of dry run for how we might—or might not—respond better to climate change going forward. Joining host/producer Rick Harp once more are Candis Callison, Associate Professor in the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies and the Graduate School of Journalism at UBC, as well as Kim TallBear, associate professor in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta. // CREDITS: Our opening/closing theme is 'nesting' by birocratic; '#1 Wish' by Jahzzar . SFX: 'FireBurning' by pcaeldries .
Thu, December 24, 2020
Back to Basics with David Suzuki: Pt 1
Scientist, broadcaster , activist, author , grandfather: David Suzuki has worn many hats over his eight-plus decades on the planet. A planet he continues to be both amazed by and concerned for as it faces catastrophic climate change. A trajectory made all the more challenging amidst a global pandemic. But it's precisely that pandemic that indirectly inspired Suzuki to do something he's never done before: start a podcast . It's a series featuring plenty of Indigenous voices—from Autumn Peltier to Jeannette Armstrong to Winona LaDuke —just one of many reasons we're honoured to welcome David as our special guest for this double-episode year-end discussion. In part one, David sits with host/producer Rick Harp as well as roundtable regulars Kim TallBear, associate professor in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta, and Candis Callison, associate professor in the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies and the Graduate School of Journalism at UBC. // CREDITS: Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic. SFX: "Campfire...' by YleArkisto
Wed, December 23, 2020
Bolivia for Beginners
Imagine what it would be like to live in a country where roughly half the population is Indigenous, said to be the highest such proportion in all of South America. Imagine too that, for over a decade, your president was himself Indigenous. Well, in Bolivia, that’s been the reality—and a fascinating one at that. A reality we delve into further with a special guest who’s written extensively about the ways in which Indigenous-led social movements have dramatically and fundamentally altered the mainstream political landscape. Joining host/producer Rick Harp this week are roundtable regular Brock Pitawanakwat, Associate Professor of Indigenous Studies at York University, and Carwil Bjork-James, author of The Sovereign Street: Making Revolution in Urban Bolivia. // CREDITS: This episode was edited by Stephanie Wood. Our theme music is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Wed, December 09, 2020
Pandemic Pandering Over Immunizing Indians
A western Canadian premier denounced by critics for bungling the province’s COVID response has now come under fire for questionable comments about immunizing Indians. We’re talking Manitoba, where Brian Pallister’s gone on-record as saying that federal moves to ensure First Nations get vaccines would somehow leave less for everybody else...? Trust us: that's only mildly paraphrased. Joining host/producer Rick Harp to review the real rhetoric used by the premier are Ken Williams, assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s department of drama, and Brock Pitawanakwat, Associate Professor of Indigenous Studies at York University. // CREDITS: Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Mon, November 30, 2020
Banking While Brown In B.C.
A Heiltsuk grandfather in British Columbia has recently launched a pair of human rights complaints almost a year after he and his young granddaughter were forced to stand outside a downtown Vancouver bank handcuffed for upwards of an hour. They’d been detained there by police after a bank manager suspected their Indian Status Cards were fake and called 911 to report a potential fraud-in-progress. Now a transcript of that call has come to light, and wouldn’t you know it, someone from Indian Affairs Canada may have actually contributed to this mess. Back at the roundtable with host/producer Rick Harp are Associate Professor of Indigenous Studies at York University Brock Pitawanakwat, and assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s department of drama, Ken Williams. // CREDITS: This episode was edited by Stephanie Wood. SFX: duck quack by dobroide ; whistle by InspectorJ . MUSIC: 'nesting' by birocratic (podcast theme); 'Happy Feet,' by Twisterium .
Tue, November 24, 2020
One last stand against northern dams
Decades of disruption and destruction later, massive portions of northern Manitoba have been effectively sacrificed for hydro mega-projects, to the seemingly exclusive and enduring benefit of urban interests to the south. Which makes it all the more urgent for a northern Indigenous coalition working to prevent such a fate for what’s said to be one of the last great wild places on Earth, the Seal River watershed. A pristine 50,000 square kilometre expanse of tundra, wetlands and forests, the area’s home not only to caribou and polar bears, birds and belugas, but to the people of the Sayisi Dene First Nation. In this episode, host/producer Rick Harp sits with Stephanie Wood—Cultural Editor with The Narwhal —to discuss her latest piece, "The last free river of Manitoba," her look at how the Sayisi Dene and the rest of this unique coalition hope to protect the watershed from industrial development forever. // CREDITS: Episode edited by Stephanie Wood. Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Tue, November 03, 2020
Eve of Election, Twilight of Empire? Part II
Voting day is just hours away in the USA, a day featuring a good number of Indigenous candidates at various levels: 111 in all, according to Indian Country Today. But even as some do their best to influence the outcome, others have serious questions about their effect, the kind of questions we got deep into over part one of our discussion. Here in part two, we talk about organizing vs. mobilizing, what some call ‘Voteps’ (and their possible Indigenous equivalents), how US and Canada Indigenous politics compare, economic democracy and more—including tentative efforts at predictions about what this week may bring. Back at the table with host/producer Rick Harp are recovering Democrat Kim TallBear, associate professor in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta, as well as special guest Trevor Beaulieu of the US-based podcast, “Champagne Sharks.” // CREDITS: This episode was edited by Stephanie Wood. Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Mon, November 02, 2020
Eve of Election, Twilight of Empire? Part I
Election and Empire: with U.S. voting day just around the corner, what will November 3rd bring? Will it be a worsening of the Republican shit-show that is the Trump presidency or will it be a slide over to that other party? You know the one, the party that can’t even commit to a fracking ban during a climate crisis, much less health care for all its citizens in the midst of a pandemic? And yet, though the outcome may not be immediately clear come election night, what arguably won’t change is where non-Settler interests fit into the big picture of American politics. Be they Black, Indigenous, or people of colour, most such voters are not kidding themselves about whether settler colonialism or white supremacy are on the ballot. So what does that mean then for any marginalized population’s participation in the electoral process? How far does it go, and could or should these energies be more productively invested elsewhere? Joining host/producer Rick Harp for the first half of this special, extended look at American politics are Kim TallBear, associate professor in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta, as well as lawyer and podcaster Trevor Beaulieu, the driving force behind “Champagne Sharks,” a US-based current events program on race, politics, and pop culture, as seen through the lenses of humour and psychology. // CREDITS: This episode was co-edited by Stephanie Wood and Rick Harp. Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Thu, October 29, 2020
The Undead Indians Haunting Canada's Dreams
Back to the border: part two of our extended look at a court case that should be getting more attention, but continues to fly under the radar of major Canadian media. At issue: the cross-border hunting rights of the Sinixt people, a people whose territory long pre-dates Canada, the U.S. and the man-made, imposed divide between them. A case in which Canada’s core argument rests on its claim that the Sinixt people are 'extinct.' But the Sinixt say reports of their demise are greatly exaggerated. Back at the roundtable with host/producer Rick Harp are Kim TallBear, associate professor in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta, and Candis Callison, Associate Professor in the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies and the Graduate School of Journalism at UBC. // CREDITS: This episode was edited by Stephanie Wood and Rick Harp. SFX: rattle by sandyrb ; hawk cry by reidedo . Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Sat, October 24, 2020
The Supreme Court case you've likely heard zero about (but ought to)
Beyond borders: It’s the shot that continues to be heard across time and states. And it was roughly 10 years ago that an un-licensed Sinixt hunter named Rick Desautel took down an elk in what’s now called British Columbia, thus landing himself in provincial court. Thing is, he lives in what’s now called Washington state, south of a dividing line that does precisely that to ancestral Sinixt territory. In this episode—the first of a two-part discussion on this notable case (one seemingly under-covered in Canada)—host/producer Rick Harp is joined by Kim TallBear, associate professor in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta as well as Candis Callison, Associate Professor in the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies and the Graduate School of Journalism at UBC, as our show re-visits a fight for rights which precede the imposed border between the US and Canada. // CREDITS: This episode was edited by Stephanie Wood and Rick Harp. Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Fri, October 16, 2020
Justice for Joyce Echaquan
It’s a gut-wrenching, even agonizing video. As a distraught, bed-ridden Joyce Echaquan pleads for help, a nearby nurse and an orderly at a Quebec hospital do not seem particularly concerned with her condition. "You're stupid as hell," one can be heard saying in French: the other tells the mother of seven she’s made bad choices in life, asking what her children would think of her behaviour. Those comments—streamed live to Facebook by Echaquan herself—have sparked a firestorm of reaction. But the sad truth is, it’s only the latest example of a Canadian health care system that fundamentally, and fatally, fails Indigenous people. And yet, despite all evidence, there persists a stubborn refusal to see racism as a systemic, social determinant of Indigenous ill-health. Joining host/producer Rick Harp this week to share their thoughts on this horrific incident and the reaction in its wake are Brock Pitawanakwat, York University Associate Professor of Indigenous Studies, and Candis Callison, Associate Professor in the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies and the Graduate School of Journalism at UBC. // CREDITS: This episode was edited by Stephanie Wood. Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Fri, October 09, 2020
Apoplexy in Alberta over Native Nomenclature
New sounds of the city. One of Canada’s largest centres— amiskwaciy-wâskahikan (aka Edmonton)—could be on the verge of Indigenizing the nomenclature of its political sub-divisions. Drawing on languages such as Blackfoot and Cree, the suite of newly-proposed names for Edmonton's 12 wards were recently voted on by city council, with a two-thirds majority favouring the switch . But there’s still a ways to go before it’s official, not to mention those critics who’d like these new names nullified. At the roundtable this week with host/producer Rick Harp—who himself proudly called Alberta's capital city home for almost two years while at CBC —two Edmontonians extraordinaire: Ken Williams, assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s department of drama, and Kim TallBear, associate professor in the U of A’s Faculty of Native Studies. // CREDITS: This episode was edited by Stephanie Wood and Rick Harp. SFX: Rimshot by Simon_Lacelle. Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Wed, September 30, 2020
The Anti-Indigenous Handbook: Part 2
THIS WEEK: 'Chapter 2' of The Anti-Indigenous Handbook. A look into the "constellation of corporations, special interest organizations, politicians, lobbyists, and hate groups work[ing] to limit or eliminate… [Indigenous] self-determination,” the ‘ Handbook ’ gathers together reports from the US, Canada and Australia. In part one of our sit-down with two of its contributors, we discussed Guåhan (aka Guam), as documented by Leilani Rania Ganser , a CHamoru and Kānaka Maoli writer, storyteller, and organizer. This time ‘round, we focus mostly on the story by Tristan Ahtone , a member of the Kiowa tribe and the editor in chief at The Texas Observer , who tells us how a university there shunted Indigenous people to the side. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic
Wed, September 30, 2020
The Anti-Indigenous Handbook: Pt 1
The Anti-Indigenous Handbook : A collective effort spanning three countries, this ' Handbook ' is the joint product of four media outlets: the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network , The Guardian Australia , High Country News , and The Texas Observer . And though each case embodies anti-Indigeneity in its own particular way, what they have in common are concerted, systematic efforts to "undermine [Indigenous] rights to land, resources, language, and culture … by relying on a variety of doctrines and practices that find root in scientifically false, racist, and legally invalid arguments." In this first of a two-part discussion, host/producer Rick Harp sits down with two of the contributors to this initiative: Leilani Rania Ganser , a CHamoru (Jeje and Romeo Clans) and Kānaka Maoli writer, storyteller, and organizer who works to include traditional Pasifika methods of storytelling into journalism, research, and water, land, and medicine protection, as well as Tristan Ahtone , a member of the Kiowa tribe and the editor in chief at the Texas Observer. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Thu, September 24, 2020
The fishy fight against Mi’kmaq rights
Settler panic in the Atlantic. Why do opponents of a new Mi’kmaq fishery in southwestern Nova Scotia speak as if it’s illegal when it has the support of a 21-year-old Supreme Court ruling? Why do they persist with arguments that the fishery could endanger the stock when not even 10 licenses are involved—an iota compared to the millions of pounds caught by the industry every year? And what might the UN Declaration on Indigenous rights have to say about all this? Joining host/producer Rick Harp this episode to discuss these questions and more are roundtable regulars Kim TallBear, associate professor in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta and Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Peoples, Technoscience & Environment, as well as Candis Callison, Associate Professor in the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies and the Graduate School of Journalism at UBC. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Fri, September 18, 2020
Reclaiming history, rekindling kinship
This week: Indigenous Gender and Sexuality Studies. A subject at the center of a talk delivered this past March by Dr. Jennifer Nez Denetdale, Professor of American Studies at the University of New Mexico, and the author of Reclaiming Diné History: The Legacies of Navajo Chief Manuelito and Juanita . Historic figures with a direct connection to Denetdale, as their great-great-great-granddaughter. But, as she argues in her presentation, it’s a history non-Diné often get wrong, especially on matters of gender and tradition. Y et her work isn’t confined to the academy; Denetdale also chairs the Navajo Nation Human Rights Commission. We hear about both this episode—our final installment of the 2019/20 Weweni Indigenous Scholars Speaker Series, run by the University of Winnipeg’s Office of Indigenous Engagement. // CREDITS: Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Mon, August 31, 2020
Resource Resistance: Part II
On this week’s collected, connected conversations (the last of our summer-long series), we bring you part two of our resource resistance retrospective. Yet, as part one revealed, these issues are hardly historical. Indeed, it was only six months ago that the Royal Canadian Militarized Police—in full riot gear and armed to the teeth—raided Wet’suwet’en activist camps for the second time in as many years to enforce an injunction secured by the Coastal GasLink corporation. And though the raid signaled another setback to grassroots efforts to stop the pipeline, things seemed different this time around, both during and after the raid. // CREDITS: Creative Commons music in this episode includes “ Headway ” and “ Tumult ” by Kai Engel , plus the following tracks by Andy G. Cohen: “ Sheffield Hall ” “ Space (Outro) ,” “ Scramby Eggs ,” plus “ Humming and Strumming .”
Sun, August 23, 2020
Resource Resistance (Part 1)
This week’s collected, connected conversations (the seventh in our summer-long series) make up the first part of a double-episode look at resource resistance , inspired by a struggle too big to ignore , one punctuated by striking video of back-to-back raids by militarized police against small Indigenous encampments in what's now known as interior British Columbia. Yet these dramatic events of 2019 and 2020 in ancestral Wet’suwet’en territory are but part and parcel of a much bigger picture. Their resistance to resource extraction—pushback on a pipeline that, if built, would move 2.1 billion cubic feet of fracked natural gas per day—carries loud echoes of battles across the world, battles against a fossil-fueled climate catastrophe. Featured voices this podcast include (in order of appearance): • Hayden King, executive director, Yellowhead Institute at Ryerson University. • Angela Sterritt, CBC Vancouver reporter and artist • Wawmeesh Hamilton, journalist/photographer • Ken Williams, Assistant Professor of Drama, University of Alberta • Brock Pitawanakwat, York University Associate Professor of Indigenous Studies • Kim TallBear, Associate Professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta and Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Peoples, Technoscience & Environment • Candis Callison, Associate Professor in the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies and the School of Journalism, Writing and Media at UBC // CREDITS: Creative Commons music in this episode includes “ Headway ,” by Kai Engel , “ Time ” by Pedro Santiago, “ Time to go home ” by Anonymous420, “ <a href= "https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Nctrnm/Habit_
Sat, August 15, 2020
Talkin’ Tech, Dabblin’ in Data
On this episode’s collected, connected conversations (the sixth in our summer-long series): we get down with data and tight with tech, tackling topics that range from social media to social services. Featured voices this podcast include (in order of appearance): • Kim TallBear, associate professor in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta • Ken Williams, assistant professor, University of Alberta department of drama • Karyn Pugliese, Assistant Professor, School of Journalism, Ryerson University • Lisa Girbav, broadcaster and podcaster • Candis Callison, Associate Professor in the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies and the School of Journalism, Writing and Media at UBC • Jennifer Walker, Canada research chair in Indigenous Health at Laurentian University; core scientist and Indigenous lead with IC/ES North // CREDITS: Creative Commons music in this episode includes “ Headway ” and “ Harbor ” by Kai Engel , The Institute Laboratories and Careful now, Stalker by ROZKOL, RENDER ME - Single by Nctrnm, Robot is chilling by Frederic Lardon, “ Black & Bl
Fri, August 07, 2020
From self-medication to self-determination: a deep dive into drugs
On this episode’s collected, connected conversations (the fifth in our summer-long series): navigating the harms and hopes associated with drugs. From alcohol to opioids, taxes to testing, you could say we’ve explored our fair share of substances on this show. Featured voices this podcast include (in order of appearance): • Kim TallBear, associate professor in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta • Tim Fontaine, head honcho at satirical news site Walking Eagle News • Solomon Israel, cannabis industry reporter • Ken Williams, assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s department of drama • Brock Pitawanakwat, Associate Professor of Indigenous Studies at York University • Patrice Mousseau, entrepreneur • Colleen Simard, freelance writer, clothing designer and filmmaker • Conrad Prince, Indigenous health and child welfare advocate • Lakota activist and communications professional, Taté Walker // CREDITS: Creative Commons music in this episode includes “ Headway ,” by Kai Engel , “ No Moon ” by Unheard Music Concepts, “ Mechanics Of Leaving ” by Haunted Me, The Apotheosis of All Deserts , by ROZKOL, “ Open Door ” and “ The Jewel and Me <span style="font-wei
Fri, July 31, 2020
Indigeneity & Inauthenticity in the Arts
On this week’s collage of collected, connected conversations (the fourth in our summer series): appropriation and authenticity. The second half of our extended foray into the arts, our topics range from tacky souvenirs to the endless parade of Settlers pining to play Indian, as we question the images of Indigenous people: who gets to make and profit by them, as well as what is and isn’t considered ‘authentic.’ Featured voices this podcast include (in order of appearance): • Ken Williams, assistant professor with the University of Alberta's Department of Drama • Brock Pitawanakwat, York University Associate Professor of Indigenous Studies • Kim TallBear, associate professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta • Taté Walker, Lakota activist and communications professional // CREDITS: This episode was produced and edited by Stephanie Wood and Rick Harp. Creative Commons music in this episode includes “ Headway ,” by Kai Engel , “ Startup nation ” by Anonymous 420, “ On the Run ” by ROZKOL, “ Dead From The Beginning Alive Till The End ,” by Doctor Turtle, Behind Our Efforts, Let There Be Found Our Efforts by LG17, plus “ Home Base Groove and “ Quasi_Motion ” by Kevin Macleod.
Thu, July 23, 2020
Indigenous (Mis-)Representation in the Arts
On this week’s collected, connected conversations (the third in our summer series), the arts take centre stage. A stage so wide, it’ll take two acts to cover it all. For our first act, we look at representation and misrepresentation, be it on-screen, on stage, or on the page. From gatekeepers to white fragility, it ain’t easy trying to be Indigenous in this industry. Featured voices this podcast include (in order of appearance): • Cutcha Risling Baldy, Assistant Professor and Department Chair of Native American Studies at Humboldt State University. • Candis Callison, Associate Professor at UBC's Graduate School of Journalism • Kim TallBear, Associate Professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta • Brock Pitawanakwat, York University Associate Professor of Indigenous Studies • Ken Williams, University of Alberta Assistant Professor of Drama • Taté Walker, Lakota activist and communications professional • Jessica Ka'nhehsí:io Deer, a Kanien'kehá:ka journalist at CBC Indigenous // CREDITS: This episode was produced and edited by Stephanie Wood and Rick Harp. Creative Commons music in this episode includes “ Headway ,” by Kai Engel , L'Etoile danse (Pt. 1) by Meydän, Jolenta Clears The Table by Doctor Turtle, “ New Years Day ” by Breath Before the Plunge, “ Love ” by Steve Combs, and “ <a href= "https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Little_Glass
Wed, July 15, 2020
Medical Myopia
In our second summer series collection of connected conversations: a checkup on the state of Indigenous health. A thorough examination of how the Canadian health system can all too often operate against Indigenous well-being via ill-considered policies and practices. Featured voices this podcast include (in order of appearance): • Mary Jane McCallum, professor of history at University of Winnipeg • Dr. James Makokis, a Cree physician based in Alberta • Dr. Lisa Richardson, clinician-educator, University of Toronto division of general internal medicine; joint strategic lead in Indigenous Health, U of T Faculty of Medicine • Dr. Jason Pennington, Assistant Professor of Medicine, University of Toronto; Scarborough General Hospital staff surgeon; joint strategic lead in Indigenous Health, U of T Faculty of Medicine • Colleen Simard, writer/designer/filmmaker • Conrad Prince, child health and welfare advocate • Pam Palmater, Chair in Indigenous Governance, Ryerson University’s department of Politics and Public Administration • writer/journalist Paul Seesequasis • Brock Pitawanakwat, Associate Professor of Indigenous Studies at York University • Ken Williams, assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s department of drama. • Amy Bombay, Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and the School of Nursing at Dalhousie University • Danika Billie Littlechild, lawyer and international Indigenous rights advocate • Robert Jago, writer/entrepreneur // CREDITS: This episode was produced and edited by Stephanie Wood and Rick Harp. Creative Commons tracks in this episode include “ Headway ” and “Interception” by Kai Engel , “ Isolated ” by Kevin MacLeod , “ <a href= "https://freemusicarchive.org/music/smaller
Tue, July 07, 2020
Confronting Canada’s Genocide
Once again this year, we at MEDIA INDIGENA have dug deep into our archives to bring you a summer-long series of collected, connected conversations, on a variety of topics: from drugs to data, the arts to activism. We begin with a subject some argue has always been at the heart of the Canadian project: genocide . Once dismissed outright as an object of any serious consideration in this country, there is today a compelling case to be made that Canada's past and present actions merit the label of genocide. Featured voices this podcast include (in order of appearance): • Ryerson University professor Chris Powell, author of Barbaric Civilizations: A Critical Sociology of Genocide • Historian James Daschuk, author of Clearing the Plains: Disease, the Politics of Starvation, and the Loss of Aboriginal Life • Brock Pitawanakwat, associate professor of Indigenous studies at York University • Ken Williams, assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s department of drama. • Candis Callison, Associate Professor in the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies and the Graduate School of Journalism at UBC • Kim TallBear, associate professor in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta and Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Peoples, Technoscience & Environment // CREDITS: This episode was produced and edited by Stephanie Wood and Rick Harp. Creative Commons music in this episode includes the tracks “ Headway ,” and “ Evermore ” by Kai Engel . Other tracks were “ A Vital Piece of Music for All Your Soundtrack Needs ,” by Ste
Tue, June 30, 2020
Reckoning: The Limits and Possibilities of Journalism, Pt. II
THIS WEEK: A systemic look at media. It’s the second half of our extended conversation with our very own Candis Callison and Mary Lynn Young, co-authors of Reckoning: Journalism’s Limits and Possibilities. Published by Oxford University Press, it’s the work of former practitioners in the field who now study and teach the craft at the University of British Columbia’s School of Journalism, Writing and Media. In part one of our discussion, we covered what kind of tool journalism is, and how the field tends to idealize itself, seemingly unaware of its continual performance of white masculinity. Here in part two, we get into what Callison and Young refer to as ”systems journalism,” an approach that moves storytellers away from a disinterested, objective 'view from nowhere' to a greater self-awareness about the murky, often choppy waters of identities and interests they themselves swim in. It's a call for journalism to work harder to make more visible and legible the social, economic, political, even biological structures that order all of our lives. // MUSIC: Our theme is ‘nesting’ by birocratic. Other music this episode: “Backed Vibes Clean” by Kevin MacLeod. Hear more of their work at incompetech.com. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
Sun, June 21, 2020
Reckoning: The Limits and Possibilities of Journalism, Pt. 1
On this episode: part one of our extended conversation on the limits and possibilities of journalism. And these days, we hear little about the latter, a lot about the former—even before COVID-19 took its toll on the industry. Some blame media companies’ downfall on the digital: the interwebs and smartphones shredding the business model of now-obsolete oligopolies. And yet, it’s not all cause for techno-driven doom and gloom. In fact, there are those who believe digital might actually be a doorway to better journalism, especially for those audiences legacy outlets have failed to reach, much less represent. Among the hopeful: Candis Callison and Mary Lynn Young , Associate Professors at UBC's School of Journalism, Writing and Media and the co-authors of Reckoning : Journalism’s Limits and Possibilities , a book about the media moment we’re living through, a time where crisis and opportunity co-exist. // MUSIC: Our theme is ‘nesting’ by birocratic. Other music this episode: 'Clean Soul,' by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), l icensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.
Fri, June 12, 2020
NAISA INDIGENA
THIS WEEK: NAISA INDIGENA. And just who or what is a “NAISA”? It’s the Native American Indigenous Studies Association. Or as they put it, a “professional organization for scholars, graduate students, independent researchers, and community members interested in all aspects of Indigenous Studies.” Many of whom gather every year to share and discuss their scholarship. And this year, that included us! And then, just like that, COVID-19 took out NAISA 2020. What’s a roundtable to do? Well, lemons do make for great lemonade, so get ready for some bittersweetness as we stage a roundtable about the roundtable. Joining host/producer Rick Harp are Associate Professor of Indigenous Studies at York University Brock Pitawanakwat, Ken Williams, assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s department of drama, Kim TallBear, associate professor in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta, and Candis Callison, Associate Professor in the Graduate School of Journalism at UBC. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Sat, June 06, 2020
The Fight for Food and Environmental Justice
THIS WEEK: Food and environmental justice. Topics at the heart of a talk given back in February by Dr. Priscilla Settee, Professor of Indigenous Studies at the University of Saskatchewan, and Adjunct Professor for the Natural Resources Institute at the University of Manitoba. A global educator and activist from Cumberland House Swampy Cree First Nations with a keen interest in Indigenous food sovereignty, she can now add David Suzuki Fellow to her list of accomplishments, a way to take her research deeper into the impacts of climate change on the environment and livelihoods of northern trappers. As with the other 2019/20 Weweni Indigenous Scholars Speaker Series lectures, Settee sat down immediately after her presentation—“The Impact of Climate Change and Environmental Degradation on Indigenous Knowledge Systems: What You Should Know”—to discuss her ideas further with MEDIA INDIGENA host/producer Rick Harp, an opportunity courtesy of the University of Winnipeg’s Office of Indigenous Engagement. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Sat, May 30, 2020
The 'Looting' of America
THIS WEEK: The ‘Looting’ of America. As if a pandemic wasn’t enough to contend with, disturbing video came out on social media this week of blatant police brutality against a black resident of the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, video that has sparked outrage in streets across the US. Outrage met with tear gas, smoke bombs and rubber bullets. Meanwhile, as can happen in such highly-charged, volatile situations, property has been damaged, even destroyed. People vs. property: guess how the media weighed harms carried out against both in their coverage—or how well their stories convey the role and function policing plays in the everyday lives of black and brown people? Joining host/producer Rick Harp to discuss these questions and more this week were Candis Callison, Associate Professor in the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies and the Graduate School of Journalism at UBC, as well as Kim TallBear, associate professor in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta and Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Peoples, Technoscience & Environment. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Tue, May 26, 2020
Inuit Knowledge and Heavens
On this week’s episode: “Indigenous Knowledge and Heavens,” the title of a talk delivered earlier this year by Inuk scholar, Dr. Karla Jessen Williamson . An Assistant Professor of Educational Foundations at the University of Saskatchewan, the Greenland-born academic is the first Inuk to be tenured at a Canadian university. Following Williamson’s lecture—the fourth in the 2019/20 Weweni Indigenous Scholars Speaker Series, organized by the University of Winnipeg’s Office of Indigenous Engagement—she sat down with MEDIA INDIGENA host/producer Rick Harp to discuss gender relations in post-colonial Greenland Inuit communities, and why she argues “genderlessness” is closer to their realities. // This episode edited by Rick Harp and Stephanie Wood. Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Sat, May 23, 2020
Scoping out Indigenous reaction to Canada's weapons ban
THIS WEEK: Weapons and exceptions. The Liberal government’s recently-announced ban on 1500 types of assault weapons is not going over well with certain gun owners. Could the exemption for, among others, Indigenous hunters make them a target? We cover which weapons the ban covers, and whether Canada always walks its talk concerning violence. Joining host/producer Rick Harp at the roundtable once again are Ken Williams, assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s department of drama, and Associate Professor of Indigenous Studies at York University Brock Pitawanakwat. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Sun, May 10, 2020
Internet Voting in Indian Country
THIS WEEK: 21st century voting, 19th century colonialism. An Ontario First Nation feels frustrated by the fact that, just weeks away from its June election, it still hasn’t got the green light from Indigenous Services Canada to hold their own vote under their own rules. Rules that include on-line voting, a system they say is critical amid concerns of COVID-19. Joining host/producer Rick Harp to discuss the delay and whether turning democracy digital in Indian Country is a good thing or not are Ken Williams, assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s department of drama, and Brock Pitawanakwat, Associate Professor of Indigenous Studies at York University. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Thu, April 30, 2020
The Battle O' Butter
THIS WEEK: Butter blowback. With next to no fanfare, the makers of Land O’ Lakes butter have stripped their packaging of a decades-old iconic Indian maiden. Prompting pouts a-plenty from some Settlers who found the switch distasteful—a butter backlash that spread across social media. But, no surprise, #NativeTwitter was more than ready with a flurry of counter-memes. Joining host/producer Rick Harp to share some of their favorites, plus discuss some of the ambivalent history behind the box, are roundtable regulars Candis Callison, associate professor in the School of Journalism at UBC, and Kim TallBear, associate professor in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta, as well as special guest Tim Fontaine, the big bird brain behind Walking Eagle News . // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Mon, April 27, 2020
Politics and public health in a pandemic
Patient privacy, public protection: they can feel at odds in this era of coronavirus. And yet, when it comes to the impacts of the virus on black and brown people, some say there’s not enough information being captured and communicated. But could knowing who is infected risk stigma in turn? Tackling these thorny questions and more with host/producer Rick Harp this week are Candis Callison, Associate Professor in the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies and the Graduate School of Journalism at UBC, as well as Kim TallBear, associate professor in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta and Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Peoples, Technoscience & Environment. // Our theme is ‘nesting’ by birocratic.
Fri, April 17, 2020
Coping and Commiserating in the Corona Era
THIS WEEK: Corona commiseration. It’s the topic on everyone’s mind, all the time —which itself can be a challenge, for us included. Inundated with infection information, how much might be too much for our mental health? It’s a real question: with so many media already covering Covid-19, should we? Joining host/producer Rick Harp to share their thoughts on exactly that and more are Ken Williams, assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s department of drama, and Brock Pitawanakwat, Associate Professor of Indigenous Studies at York University. // Music: “Surreal Forest,” by Meydän ; ‘nesting’ by birocratic (intro/extro theme).
Thu, April 09, 2020
The Rotten Roots of Academia in America
THIS WEEK: Post-secondary plunder. Cornell, MIT, Rutgers — can you guess what these prestigious U.S. centers of higher learning have in common? Well, together with scores of schools just like them, they all owe their existence and persistence to the systematic theft of Indigenous lands. Dating back to the late 1800s, this heartless campaign of dispossession has just been documented in agonizing detail by an Indigenous-led team of journalists at High Country News . Back at the roundtable with host/producer Rick Harp to discuss the report's findings are Candis Callison, associate professor in the School of Journalism at UBC, and Kim TallBear, associate professor in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Wed, April 01, 2020
A Rapid Rona Rundown
After hosting back-to-back episodes of special guest appearances concerning COVID-19, this time we re-connect with two of our regular roundtablers, both to see how they’re faring in this new era of "the rona" and which virus-related stories and developments they think will especially impact Indigenous people and communities. Back at the table with host/producer Rick Harp are Ken Williams, assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s department of drama and Brock Pitawanakwat, Associate Professor of Indigenous Studies at York University. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Sat, March 28, 2020
An Indigenous Historian's Take on COVID-19
THIS WEEK: Could the benefits of hindsight foreshadow the costs to come? As we discussed last episode, the collision of colonialism and COVID-19 carries additional layers of risk for remote and urban Indigenous populations. Among those already impacted, dozens of confirmed cases on the Navajo Nation in the American southwest and two presumptive cases on a northern Saskatchewan First Nation including a nurse who tested positive after travel abroad. The kind of scenario that’s prompted multiple First Nations and tribes to restrict access to their communities. Could history be repeating itself? We hear from Indigenous health historian Mary Jane McCallum , a Canada Research Chair in Indigenous People, History and Archives and University of Winnipeg history professor. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Thu, March 19, 2020
When Coronavirus Meets Colonialism
THIS WEEK: Flattening the curve, feeling the gap. COVID-19, the virus that first popped up in Wuhan, China, is now officially a global pandemic. And even though the vast majority of people who get COVID-19 will ultimately suffer either mild or even no symptoms, it’s the most vulnerable among us that we need to worry about and look out for. S o far in Canada, that’s largely meant promoting hand hygiene and social isolation. The goal: to stop a huge spike in cases to keep the healthcare system from being overwhelmed. But as governments work to keep Canadians’ demands on the system on a long, low curve, all too many Indigenous people could find they’re trapped in a gap. Multiple public health gaps, in fact, which, taken together, could compound the challenges facing prevention, treatment and containment of the virus among First Nations, Inuit and Métis populations. Joining host/producer Rick Harp to discuss this gap, including what some are doing to mitigate it, are two returning guests: Dr. Lisa Richardson, clinician-educator with the University of Toronto's division of general internal medicine, and Dr. Jason Pennington, a staff surgeon at Scarborough General Hospital and an assistant professor at the University of Toronto. Together, they serve as strategic leads in Indigenous Health with the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Medicine. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic
Tue, March 10, 2020
Boosting Canadian Corporate Culpability for Human Rights Abuse
When a company in one country is linked to human rights abuses in another, should they be held responsible for that abuse back home? According to Canada’s Supreme Court, yes! Which means a Canadian mining company operating in northeast Africa could stand trial for alleged violations of human-rights in the state of Eritrea. In this episode, host/producer Rick Harp is joined by Candis Callison, associate professor in UBC's Graduate School of Journalism, and Kim TallBear, associate professor in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta, as they dig deep into what broadening liability might mean for other Canadian companies extracting billions in resources from Indigenous territories across the globe. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic
Sun, March 01, 2020
Is Alberta becoming a police-state?
THIS WEEK: Is Alberta becoming a police-state? At least one critic thinks so, after the province’s recent introduction of Bill 1. Labelled the “Critical Infrastructure Defence Act," the bill will, in the words of the Premier, create new “stiff penalties for anyone who riots on or seeks to impair critical economic infrastructure.” Penalties he says are necessary in light of the “general atmosphere of lawlessness” created by recent Wet'suwet'en solidarity actions across the country. Joining host/producer Rick Harp this week to discuss the bill and why some fear its repercussions for activism (not least, Indigenous activism) are Ken Williams, assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s department of drama, and Brock Pitawanakwat, Associate Professor of Indigenous Studies at York University. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Mon, February 24, 2020
Pondering Political Pundits' Push Back on 'Protectors'
This week: Choosing our words carefully. When discussing those who oppose resource extraction, how important is it to call them protectors rather than protesters? And when it comes to the members of a dominant society horny for such extraction, how vital is it that they be called Settlers? Judging by the dust these debates still kick up, a lot! And wouldn’t you know it, among those kicking was our own Candis Callison , associate professor in the School of Journalism at UBC. Also at the roundtable this week with host/producer Rick Harp is Kim TallBear , associate professor in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Sun, February 16, 2020
Gauging the Gatekeepers
Tired of how the media has covered its event in recent years, an all-Indigenous basketball tournament in BC has decided it's had enough of 'negative press.' With one exception—a First Nations radio station that broadcasts the games live—other media hoping to cover the event have been denied access. Meanwhile, a Toronto playwright has made a point of discouraging non-Indigenous critics from reviewing her work. In this episode, we’ll discuss what these two attempts to influence who says what about whom may (or may not) have in common. Joining host/producer Rick Harp at the roundtable this time around are University of Alberta Department of Drama Assistant Professor Ken Williams and at York University Associate Professor of Indigenous Studies Brock Pitawanakwat. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Mon, February 10, 2020
Another paramilitary push against Wet'suwet'en camps in BC
THIS WEEK: Wet'suwet'en Redux . It’s an ever-changing story, yet all-too-reminiscent of other Indigenous struggles—and that’s just in supposedly pro-UNDRIP British Columbia. With #ShutCanadaDown solidarity rallies and blockades going up in different parts of Canada and beyond, we look at how police actions this time around compare to last year’s RCMP raid of the anti-pipeline, pro-sovereignty encampments in ancestral Wet'suwet'en territory. Joining host/producer Rick Harp this week are Candis Callison, associate professor in the School of Journalism at UBC, and Kim TallBear, associate professor in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Fri, January 31, 2020
'The Power Was With Us: Idle No More' (Pt. 2)
THIS WEEK: Part 2 of our discussion on APTN’s new retrospective docuseries, “ The Power Was With Us : Idle No More.” Picking up where Kim, Candis and Rick left off last episode —when they discussed the movement’s genesis—this time ‘round, Ken Williams (assistant professor, University of Alberta department of drama) and Brock Pitawanakwat (York University Associate Professor of Indigenous Studies) join Rick to explore the various crossroads confronting the different parties active at the time—and the consequences of their choices. To watch the series (co-directed and co-produced for APTN National News by Mr. Harp and Tim Fontaine), stream it via APTN’s Lumi service. To do so, visit aptnlumi.ca . // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Thu, January 30, 2020
'The Power Was With Us: Idle No More' (Pt. 1)
This week, the emergence of Idle No More, the Indigenous-led movement that’s arguably changed Canada forever. Now its arrival on the Canadian political scene is the subject of a major APTN National News retrospective docuseries, co-directed and co-produced by Rick Harp and Tim Fontaine. Entitled “The Power Was With Us: Idle No More,” the first of the two-part series is now available exclusively on LUMI—the streaming service of the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network ( aptnlumi.ca ). Joining Rick with their reflections are Candis Callison, associate professor in the School of Journalism at UBC and now with the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies, as well as Kim TallBear, associate professor in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Fri, January 24, 2020
Surviving the Scoop, Surviving the Fall
Once again, our podcast features a conversation based on our partnership with the Weweni Indigenous Scholars Speakers Series, a series made possible by the University of Winnipeg’s Office of Indigenous Affairs. This time, we hear from Dr. Karyn Recollet, Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto’s Women & Gender Studies Institute, and a Cree woman originally from the Sturgeon Lake First Nation in Saskatchewan. The title of her talk: “Quilted Glyphs: Theories of Speculative Landings for Indians on the Move.” // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Sun, January 12, 2020
Awakening Ancestral Languages
On this week’s program: awakening ancestral languages. Our very first episode of 2020 sees us return to our partnership with the Weweni Indigenous Scholars Speakers Series, sponsored by the University of Winnipeg’s Office of Indigenous Affairs. This time around, we’ll hear from Dr. Margaret Noodin, Professor of English at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and director of the Electa Quinney Institute for American Indian Education. She’s also a poet and passionate advocate for Anishnaabemowin language revitalization. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Tue, December 31, 2019
Why Indians aren’t tripping over Trump’s ‘Indian Country’ tweet
If you’re active on Twitter maybe you’ve seen it—the fuss some have kicked up over Donald Trump’s recent use of the phrase “Indian Country” in a tweet. But look carefully among those the most fussed: what you won’t find are many, if any, “Indians.” On this week’s Indigenous roundtable, we climb into this cross-cultural chasm of criticism, and discuss why even those ever-vigilant #NativeTwitter types feel there’s way bigger fish to fry. Joining host/producer Rick Harp for the final show of the decade are Candis Callison, Associate Professor at UBC's Graduate School of Journalism, and Kim TallBear, University of Alberta associate professor of Native Studies. // CREDITS: ‘nesting’ by birocratic (opening/closing theme); ‘Ukulele Song,’ by Rafael Krux (orchestralis.net)
Thu, December 26, 2019
The Slow Roll of Reconciliation in Canada
Did you know it’s been roughly four years since Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission issued its final report? If all you follow is mainstream media, likely not: which is odd, because the work of the TRC very much remains open in the form of its 94 Calls to Action — few of which are anywhere near complete. Joining host/producer Rick Harp to share their assessment of where Canada stands on those Calls are Ryerson University's Eva Jewell (Assistant Professor of Sociology) and Ian Mosby (Assistant Professor of History). An assessment recently published by the Yellowhead Institute in its brief, “Calls To Action Accountability: A Status Update On Reconciliation.” CREDITS: Opening/closing theme is 'nesting,' by birocratic; interstitial is 'Holiday Gift' by Kai Engel ( CC BY 4.0 ).
Tue, December 24, 2019
Putting an Indigenous Frame on Stock Photography
On this week’s Indigenous roundtable: Taking control, taking stock. How a First Nation in Ontario decided the only way they’re going to find images of Indigenous people that don’t rely on stereotypes is to make their own catalogue of stock photography. Joining host/producer Rick Harp to discuss how literally owning your own depictions is key to cultural self-determination are Kim TallBear (University of Alberta associate professor of Native Studies) and Candis Callison (Associate Professor at UBC's Graduate School of Journalism). CREDITS: This episode of the podcast was edited by Anya Zoledziowski; hosted and produced by Rick Harp. Our theme is nesting by birocratic.
Sun, December 15, 2019
The Burden Bureaucrats Bear at Indian Affairs
THIS WEEK: The Bureaucrats’ Burden. Could there be any job tougher than running Indian Affairs? Sources at Indian Affairs say “No!” According to a recent Global News story, senior officials at Indigenous Services Canada wish Canadians better understood all the great work they do, something they say has been "difficult" to communicate "effectively" thanks to obstacles like... Twitter bots? Joining host/producer Rick Harp this week to discuss this departmentaI dismay (and diagnosis) are Ken Williams, assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s department of drama, and Associate Professor of Indigenous Studies at York University Brock Pitawanakwat. CREDITS: Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic; SFX: Robot; Broken Telephone Circuit
Fri, November 29, 2019
Is Repatriation Really 'Reconciliation'?
This week: Bringing blood home. Over a half-century after their removal, a large cluster of blood samples from Indigenous islanders in Australia have been returned to whence they came. The result of direct negotiations with the affected community, the move has been held up as historic for the country. But if Australia’s on the bleeding edge of repatriation, what about the rest of the world? From skin to saliva, blood to bones, do we even know how much Indigenous material has been banked across the globe? And should we put repatriation under the banner of reconciliation? Joining host/producer Rick Harp to take the pulse of these and other questions are University of Alberta associate professor of Native Studies Kim TallBear, as well as Candis Callison, Associate Professor at UBC's Graduate School of Journalism. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Mon, November 25, 2019
Panning Pan-Northernism
“What was CBC North management thinking?” A question fresh on the mind of CBC audiences and CBC staff this week, shocked and dismayed at the decision to combine three territorial morning newscasts into one. A decision that proved short-lived, however: even before the ink was dry, CBC brass buckled under the backlash and reversed course. In this discussion, host/producer Rick Harp is joined by Ken Williams, assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s department of drama, as well as Candis Callison, Associate Professor at UBC's Graduate School of Journalism as they try to parse out the ‘logic’ behind the move, what it tells us about how well CBC gets the north, as well as what it would take—and who—to make things right going forward. // CREDITS: This episode was edited by Anya Zoledziowski; our theme is nesting by birocratic.
Mon, November 18, 2019
Grading "Indian Control of Indian Education" in North America
This week, class dismissed — or should we say class denied? A North Carolina advisory board has rejected a proposed Native charter school on the grounds its curriculum would be too radical. Of course, that’s all in the eyes of the beholder, but with funding all in the hands of the state, could this be a textbook case of education discrimination? And nearly a half century after the 1970s rallying cry “Indian Control of Indian Education,” how close is anyone to realizing that vision? Joining host/producer Rick Harp on the roundtable this week are Ken Williams, an assistant professor with the department of drama at the University of Alberta, and U of A associate professor of Native Studies Kim TallBear. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Mon, November 11, 2019
Escaping the Orbit of Settler Colonialism
It’s a dilemma that confronts much of Indigenous media: with so much of our time spent working to counter, correct and contextualize mainstream misinformation, do we not risk becoming “This Week in Settler Colonialism”? Does routinely responding to routine violations of our lands and lives see us become all-consumed by what the State does and doesn’t do? How do we resist that pull of a Settler center of gravity, and stop merely critiquing, and start actually creating outside of its orbit? Questions on our minds a lot these days as we begin a conversation on where else we might invest our attention and intentions, to build on our original mission as an Indigenous reality check on the misrepresentations of Settler-oriented media. Joining host/producer Rick Harp this week are Candis Callison, Associate Professor at UBC's Graduate School of Journalism, and Brock Pitawanakwat, Associate Professor of Indigenous Studies at York University. CREDITS: This episode of the podcast was edited by Anya Zoledziowski; hosted and produced by Rick Harp. Our theme is nesting by birocratic.
Wed, October 30, 2019
Post-Election Post-Mort Part-Two
This week, the back half of our post-Canadian-election post-mortem, featuring the Yellowhead Institute ’s Hayden King and Vanessa Watts. In part one of our discussion, we compared the relative prominence of so-called Indigenous issues this election versus the one before. Here in part two, we more concretely explore the likely machinations of a minority Parliament and how Indigenous interests might shake out. We also go deeper into Indigenous electoral participation: be it as voters or vote-getters, is it worth the return on investment? CREDITS // This episode was edited by Anya Zoledziowski; hosted and produced by Rick Harp. Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Fri, October 25, 2019
An Indigenous Post-Election Post-Mortem (Pt. 1)
Barely 3 days after the Liberals' return to power -- only this time, as a minority government -- we wonder what that could mean for Indigenous peoples going forward. Did Indigenous issues make a difference this election? Did Indigenous voters? Joining us this week to tackle these questions and more are two members of the Yellowhead Institute, a First Nation-led research centre based in the Faculty of Arts at Ryerson University: Executive Director Hayden King as well as Research Fellow Vanessa Watts. CREDITS: This episode was edited by Anya Zoledziowski; produced and hosted by Rick Harp. Special thanks to our friends at the Ryerson School of Journalism, whose support made this live event possible. Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Mon, October 14, 2019
Crunching the Numbers of Canadian Colonialism
It's been quite the week for the bottom-line of Canadian colonialism. First, a blunt assessment of what the lives of First Nations' kids are worth as the Liberals push to quash compensation for damage done by the child welfare system. Then, as part of an election scrum, a reporter casually suggests that covering the cost of access to safe, clean drinking water on-reserve amounts to writing a "blank cheque." So how is it that resolving a basic necessity and a fundamental inequity can both be framed as, if not implausible, at least impractical for a so-called developed economy? What do we make of a mainstream mindset that bristles at the cost of making either of these situations right? And under such a colonial calculus, is it any wonder who ultimately pays the price? Joining host/producer Rick Harp this week to crunch the numbers are Brock Pitawanakwat, Associate Professor of Indigenous Studies at York University, and Candis Callison, Associate Professor at UBC's Graduate School of Journalism. CREDITS // This episode was edited by Anya Zoledziowski; our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Tue, October 08, 2019
Is the Green Movement Still Too White?
This week, grousing over Greta. Even though millions recently took to the streets as part of world-wide Climate Strikes, the media still seems to reserve most of its spotlight for the teenage Swedish activist Greta Thunberg. And yet, not everyone’s a fan: from Maxime Bernier to Vladimir Putin, she seems to irk white cis male politicians in particular. But the idolatry of Thunberg has also received pushback from parts of Native Twitter, frustrated at how she seemingly gets all the accolades while Indigenous youth and youth of colour toil in relative obscurity. On this week's live-audience edition of MEDIA INDIGENA — recorded in Edmonton as part of LitFest's 'Author Pods' event series — we get into these Greta grumbles as a springboard into a larger discussion about allyship, white saviourism and the pros and cons of personifying and celebrifying a people’s movement. On stage with host/producer Rick Harp were Ken Williams, an assistant professor with the department of drama at the University of Alberta, and U of A associate professor of Native Studies, Kim TallBear. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Sun, September 29, 2019
Taking the Measure of Data on Indigenous Peoples
This week: taking the measure of data about Indigenous peoples. It's a bit of a departure from our usual roundtable format — the first of our live audience discussions connected to the annual Weweni Indigenous Scholars Speakers Series , sponsored by the University of Winnipeg’s Office of Indigenous Affairs . Starting us off is Dr. Jennifer Walker , Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Health at Laurentian University and Scientist and Indigenous Lead with IC/ES North . // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Wed, September 18, 2019
Dissecting the Debate on Indigenous Affairs
Who’da thunk it? For once, we at MEDIA INDIGENA are happy to be wrong—right out of the gate at the first leaders debate, Indigenous issues are on the radar of Canada’s federal election. But will they continue to enjoy that spotlight? And among those leaders who did take part in that first to-and-fro, who got it right and who got it left when it comes to 'Indigenous affairs'? Sharing their thoughts this week with host/producer Rick Harp are Kim TallBear , associate professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta, and Candis Callison , Associate Professor at UBC's Graduate School of Journalism. CREDITS: Phone hangup SFX: https ://freesound.org/s/189727/ Music: 'Cup of Wine,' by Ilya Truhanov from Fugue ; 'nesting' by birocratic
Sun, September 15, 2019
How will Indigenous issues fare this Canadian election?
This week: the not-so-amazing race to form Canada's next government! That’s right: it's federal election time from now until October 21. But will Indigenous interests factor much if at all into this election? We discuss the recent efforts by the Assembly of First Nations to make sure that happens. Joining host/producer Rick Harp at the roundtable are Brock Pitawanakwat, Associate Professor of Indigenous Studies at York University and Ken Williams, assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s department of drama. // CREDITS: Music: 'nesting' by birocratic (theme), 'Cup of Wine' by Ilya Truhanov from Fugue . Phone hangup SFX: https://freesound.org/s/189727/
Sun, September 08, 2019
Deodorizing Dior
From the second it hit social media, the new ad campaign for the House of Dior’s so-called 'Sauvage' cologne kicked up a stink. In fact, as soon as Native Twitter got wind of the new video—starring the notorious Johnny Depp—the blowback was fast, furious and less than fragrant. In our return to all-new episodes, we try to make 'scents' of why Indian Country’s collective nose is so out of joint. Back at the roundtable are Candis Callison, Associate Professor at UBC's Graduate School of Journalism and Kim TallBear, Associate Professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic
Wed, August 28, 2019
The serious business of self-Indigenization
On this week’s collected, connected conversations—the last in our Summer Series—the serious business of self-Indigenization. On its face, Indigenous identity would seem like it would be simple to understand who is and who isn’t First Nations, Inuit or Metis. That is, if you choose to look past the colonial elephant in the room. And yet, complicated and confusing as colonialism can make the identification process, it all comes down to knowing not only who claims which Nation or People—but which People or Nation claims them. Featured voices this podcast include (in order of appearance): Writer, blogger and educator Cutcha Risling Baldy and Lakota activist and communications professional, Taté Walker ; Kim TallBear , associate professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta, and writer Terese Mailhot ; CBC broadcaster and writer Waubgeshig Rice , and sports business columnist Jason Notte ; Ken Williams , assistant professor, University of Alberta Department of Drama, and Brock Pitawanakwat , Associate Professor of Indigenous Studies at York University; Adam Gaudry , Associate Professor and Associate Dean of Native Studies at the University of Alberta, and Darryl Leroux , Associate Professor, Social Justice & Community Studies, Saint Mary’s University. This podcast was edited and produced by Anya Zoledziowski and Rick Harp . CREDITS: Creative Commons <span style= "font-weigh
Mon, August 19, 2019
Conversations on the Climate Crisis
On this week’s collected, connected conversations (number eight in our Summer Series): comprehending and combating Climate Change. And as our current crisis continues to heat up the planet, it’s also lit a fire under MEDIA INDIGENA. That’s partly because we know that climate change disproportionately impacts Indigenous peoples—despite Indigenous knowledges offering critical clues to how to help combat imminent climate disaster. Featured voices this podcast include (in order of appearance): Russ Diabo, publisher/editor of the First Nations Strategic Bulletin; Candis Callison, Associate Professor at UBC's Graduate School of Journalism, and Kim TallBear, associate professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta; as well as Ken Williams, assistant professor with the University of Alberta's department of drama. This episode was produced and edited by Anya Zoledziowski and Rick Harp. CREDITS // Creative Commons music in this episode includes the following works by Sascha Ende : "Mystery Of Dandela (instrumental)," "Flucht (Romeos Erbe)," “Image film 033,” "Chord Guitar 002" and "Dreamsphere 8." We also featured the track "Beauty Flow" by Kevin MacLeod. Hear more of both artists’ work at incompetech.com and filmmusic.io . Our intro music comes courtesy of BenevolentBadger.com
Mon, August 12, 2019
Remaking the Indigenous Family (Pt. 2)
On this week’s collected, connected conversations (the seventh in our Summer Series): the other half of our two-part look at remaking the Indigenous family. Last episode, we got into the colonial principles of Settler family forms and norms. This episode, we lay out how they are applied in practice, with Indigenous people often on the receiving end. And if the expression “What you believe in, you budget” holds true here, it would seem the Canadian state has never been one to believe in either Indigenous children or their families. Featured voices this podcast include (in order of appearance) Sarah de Leeuw , Research Associate with the National Collaborating Centre for Indigenous Health (NCCIH); Kenn Richard , founder and former Executive Director, Native Child and Family Services of Toronto; Brock Pitawanakwat , Associate Professor of Indigenous Studies at York University, along with journalist and photographer Wawmeesh Hamilton ; Indigenous homelessness researcher Jesse Thistle ; and Ken Williams , assistant professor, University of Alberta's department of drama. This episode was produced and edited by Rick Harp. CREDITS // Creative Commons music in this episode includes works by Sascha Ende and Kevin MacLeod; learn more about their work at incompetech.com and filmmusic.io . We also featured songs by Stanislav Vdovin and Ilya Marfin; hear more by them on Fugue . Our intro music comes via BenevolentBadger.com .
Mon, August 05, 2019
Remaking the Indigenous Family (Pt. 1)
On this episode’s collected, connected conversations (the sixth in this Summer Series): Part One of “Re-making the Indigenous Family.” Said to be among society’s most sacrosanct institutions, 'The Family' is a core site and source of social reproduction. But is the Settler family form the only way to organize human relations? Does it matter that this dominant, mainstream form differs from those of Indigenous peoples? The answers to these questions are critical, for they are at the heart of why Canada’s child and family welfare systems have failed Indigenous children and families. And yet, as you’ll hear in this episode, what is a failure to some is of benefit to others, on a truly massive scale. Featured voices this podcast include (in order of appearance): Lakota activist and communications professional, Taté Walker , and Kim TallBear , associate professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta ; Candis Callison , Associate Professor at UBC's Graduate School of Journalism; Commentator and entrepreneur Robert Jago plus l awyer and international Indigenous rights advocate Danika Billie Littlechild . CREDITS // Creative Commons music in this episode includes the track "Beauty Flow" by Kevin MacLeod. Learn more about MacLeod’s work at incompetech.com and filmmusic.io . Our intro music comes via BenevolentBadger.com This episode was produced and edited by Rick Harp.
Sun, July 28, 2019
An Indigenous Chronicle of Christianity
On this week’s collected, connected conversations (the fifth of our summertime shows): how core concepts of Christianity continue to inspire and infuse the laws, attitudes and actions of supposedly secular Settler states toward Indigenous peoples. Featured voices this podcast include (in order of appearance): Kim TallBear , associate professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta and Candis Callison , Associate Professor at UBC's Graduate School of Journalism; Ken Williams , assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s Department of Drama and Brock Pitawanakwat , Associate Professor of Indigenous Studies at York University; Lakota activist and communications professional Taté Walker . This podcast was edited and produced by Anya Zoledziowski and Rick Harp. CREDITS: Creative Commons music in this episode includes the following works by Kevin MacLeod: "Rising", "Mirage", "Space 1990," " Agnus Dei X ", "Comfortable Mystery 2", "Dirt Rhodes", and "Beauty Flow." Learn more about the artist at incompetech.com and filmmusic.io . Our intro music comes via BenevolentBadger.com .
Sun, July 21, 2019
Reckoning with Reconcilation
On this week’s collected, connected conversations (the fourth in our Summer Series shows): reckoning with Reconciliation. But what is 'Reconciliation'? How should it happen? Questions that arise time and time again on our podcast. Questions that are essential to confront for any Settler colonial state like Canada—or at least would be if Canada was serious about moving away from a foundation built upon Indigenous dispossession, disjuncture and dislocation. Featured voices this podcast include (in order of appearance): Anishinaabe comedian, writer, media maker & community activator Ryan McMahon ; Ken Williams , assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s Department of Drama, and Brock Pitawanakwat , Associate Professor of Indigenous Studies at York University; Kim TallBear , associate professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta and Candis Callison , Associate Professor at UBC's Graduate School of Journalism; and writer/educator Hayden King . CREDITS: Creative Commons music in this episode includes the following works by Kevin MacLeod: "White Lotus," "Thinking Music," "Celebration," "The Way Out," "Private Reflection," "Unanswered Questions," and "Beauty Flow." Learn more about the artist at incompetech.com and filmmusic.io . Our intro music comes via BenevolentBadger.com. This episode was edited and produced by Rick Harp.
Sat, July 13, 2019
Putting Science under an Indigenous microscope
On this week’s collected, connected conversations (the third in our Summer Series), we head to the lab to put Science under the microscope. From archaeology to genetics to the ethics of biological research, Indigenous people are commonly subjects of study. Studies that often get us wrong or worse, just flat-out deny the worth of our own forms of inquiry and knowledge . Featured voices this podcast include (in order of appearance): Kim TallBear , associate professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta and Candis Callison , Associate Professor at UBC's Graduate School of Journalism; plus, Lakota activist and communications professional Taté Walker . CREDITS: Creative Commons music in this episode includes the following works by Kevin MacLeod: "Magic Scout Cottages", "On the Ground", “With a Creation,” and "Beauty Flow." Learn more about the artist at incompetech.com and filmmusic.io . Our intro music comes via BenevolentBadger.com . This episode was edited and produced by Rick Harp.
Fri, July 05, 2019
How Mainstream Media Misrepresent Indigenous Peoples
This week’s collected, connected conversations, the second in our Summer Series, feature a focus on the media. From blatant double-standards, to persistent narratives of First Nations ‘failure,’ to victim-blaming, Canadian media has long misrepresented Indigenous peoples, which is why we've so often reported on the reporters. Featured voices this podcast include (in order of appearance): Kim TallBear , associate professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta and Candis Callison , Associate Professor at UBC's Graduate School of Journalism; Ken Williams , assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s Department of Drama and Brock Pitawanakwat , Associate Professor of Indigenous Studies at York University; Michael Redhead Champagne , community organizer; author and journalist Waubgeshig Rice and writer/educator Hayden King . This episode was edited and produced by Rick Harp. CREDITS: Creative Commons music in this episode includes the following works by Kevin MacLeod: "New Direction" "Heartbreaking," “Crowd Hammer,” "Come Play with Me", "Amazing Plan: Distressed", and "Beauty Flow." Learn more about the artist at incompetech.com and filmmusic.io . Our intro music comes via BenevolentBadger.com
Thu, June 27, 2019
Confronting History, Unmaking Heroes
Given how all of our Summer Series shows dig deep into our archives, perhaps it’s only fitting that our first episode of the season explores history and heroes. Although, as you’ll hear, what constitutes the latter is certainly in the eye of the beholder. Featured voices this podcast include (in order of appearance): Kisha Supernant , anthropological archaeologist and associate professor at the University of Alberta; Ken Williams , assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s Department of Drama and Brock Pitawanakwat , Associate Professor of Indigenous Studies at York University; Lakota activist and communications professional Taté Walker and Kim TallBear, associate professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta; Candis Callison , Associate Professor at UBC's Graduate School of Journalism. This episode was edited and produced by Rick Harp. CREDITS: Creative Commons music in this episode includes the following works by Kevin MacLeod: "Wholesome," "Inspired," "Fluidscape" and "Beauty Flow" as well as "Sleepers" by Sascha Ende . Learn more about both artists at incompetech.com and filmmusic.io . Our intro music comes courtesy of Benevolent Badger .
Sat, June 15, 2019
An Indigenous Vetting of the 'V-Word': Victim
THIS WEEK: Vetting the V-word. 'Victims' and 'victimhood'—it's controversial conceptual territory for many, and depending on your vantage point, distressing for different reasons. In this, our third and final look at reactions stirred up by the report of the Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, we get into when the word works for us or potentially works against us, a larger conversation prompted in part by this comment from Manitoba NDP leader Wab Kinew: "I have no interest in my sons seeing themselves as the victims or survivors of genocide." // This episode was edited by Anya Zoledziowski. Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Wed, June 12, 2019
Why Canada and genocide belong in the same sentence
What’s in a word? Well, when that word is "genocide" and you’re part of Canada’s mostly-white, mostly-male commentariat, nothing, apparently. And if you’re like the Prime Minister, the word supposedly matters much less than the vague actions we should focus on going forward. In part two of our extended look at the report of the Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, we examine the steaming pile of hot takes that have come in its wake, including those of Settler media makers who've been at great pains to declare that 'Canadian genocide' is just not a thing, and that using the G word somehow threatens Canada's international reputation. // This episode was edited by Anya Zoledziowski. Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Tue, June 04, 2019
How Indigenous women and girls became targets for Canadian genocide
This episode, we discuss reaction to the final report of Canada's National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls . T his week marks the official release of that report, just days after details of a leaked copy were circulated by the media. But did publishing that "unauthorized document" compromise the core messages of the report? More importantly, did it risk further traumatizing families and friends of the murdered and missing? Joining host/producer Rick Harp to discuss these questions and more are Ken Williams, assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s department of drama, and Brock Pitawanakwat, Associate Professor of Indigenous Studies at York University. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Wed, May 29, 2019
Australian government tries to deport Indigenous people as “aliens”
This week: State of Alienation. It was a country that didn’t even exist 120 years ago. Yet, today, authorities in Australia are convinced they’re somehow justified in declaring certain Indigenous people to be illegal 'aliens,' individuals the state feels it has the right to kick off the continent despite their connection to cultures which have occupied that continent for tens of thousands of years. Joining host/producer Rick Harp back at the roundtable this week are Candis Callison, Visiting Professor of Canadian Studies at Princeton University and Kim TallBear, associate professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Fri, May 17, 2019
Running hatred up the flagpole in Saskatchewan
THIS WEEK: R aising (and removing) red flags in Saskatchewan. A small Prairie village suddenly finds itself at the centre of a storm after one of its residents publicly displays flags long associated with hate. Now a First Nations man is being investigated by police after taking it upon himself to take down those symbols. Joining host/producer Rick Harp back at the roundtable this week are Brock Pitawanakwat, Associate Professor of Indigenous Studies at York University, and Ken Williams, assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s department of drama. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Tue, May 14, 2019
Are there Indigenous pathways out of our planet's biodiversity crisis?
THIS WEEK: Earth’s bio-diversity death spiral — can we change course? A new United Nations study paints a dark picture of the future, a future pretty much guaranteed if we as a planet continue to follow a path of economic, political and ecological auto-asphyxiation. We discuss why some feel our greatest hope lies in the collective example set by many Indigenous peoples. Joining host/producer Rick Harp this week are Candis Callison, Visiting Professor of Canadian Studies at Princeton University, and Ken Williams, assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s department of drama. // This episode was edited by Anya Zoledziowski. Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Mon, May 06, 2019
All White History is Revisionist History
This week: How a lake in the States lost its Indigenous name, re-gained it, only to potentially lose it again because of a Minnesota court decision. Join us as we dive into the details of the Dakota waters known as Bde Maka Ska (aka Lake Calhoun). Sitting with host/producer Rick Harp at the roundtable this week are Brock Pitawanakwat, Associate Professor of Indigenous Studies at York University, and Kim TallBear, associate professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta. // // This episode was edited by Anya Zoledziowski. Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Fri, April 26, 2019
Are Indigenous reactions to the Notre Dame Fire a teachable moment for Settlers?
Picking up where last week’s round table left off, this week is the second half of our deep dive into the dark response to the Notre Dame Cathedral fire, as we explore whether the spiritual schism triggered by its destruction might actually contain ingredients of a “teachable moment” for non-Indigenous people. Back with host/producer Rick Harp at the round table are Candis Callison, Visiting Professor of Canadian Studies at Princeton University and Kim TallBear, associate professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta. Links referenced these past two episodes: Red Man Laughing, ' The Mourning Place ' All My Relations, ' Sacred is Sacred ' // This episode was edited by Anya Zoledziowski. Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Tue, April 23, 2019
The Settler/Indigenous 'Grief Gap' over the Notre Dame Cathedral Fire
This week: the Indigenous 'grief gap' over Notre Dame. We'll react to the reaction that flooded social media over footage of the fire that ripped through France's Notre Dame cathedral. What do we make of the apparent lack of sympathy displayed by some Indigenous meme-makers and their fans? Joining host/producer Rick Harp back at the roundtable this week are Candis Callison, Visiting Professor of Canadian Studies at Princeton University, and Kim TallBear, associate professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta. // This episode was edited by Anya Zoledziowski. Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Sun, April 14, 2019
Do non-Inuit get to perform Inuit throat-singing?
This week: Sonic sovereignty? With Inuit widely credited as creators of a distinctive form of throat-singing, does it follow that they alone should get to perform it? We’ll discuss the increasingly vocal fallout over the fact that a Cree throat-singer is up for an Indigenous Music Award. Joining host/producer Rick Harp at the roundtable once again are Brock Pitawanakwat, associate professor of Indigenous Studies at York University, and Ken Williams, assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s department of drama. // This episode was edited by Anya Zoledziowski. Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Mon, April 08, 2019
Liberal Smugness in the Face of Slow-Motion Genocide
This week: Crashing the Liberal party. After an advocate interrupts a recent partisan fundraiser to implore Canada’s prime minister to do right by a First Nation ravaged by industrial pollution, Justin Trudeau thought it'd be funny to thank her for her 'donation' as security escorted her out. Caught on video, the glib comment hit a nerve on social media, prompting some to wonder if it could cost Liberals at the ballot box this fall, thereby prompting retaliation by Liberal supporters in turn. Joining host/producer Rick Harp once again at the roundtable this week are Candis Callison, Visiting Professor of Canadian Studies at Princeton University, and Kim TallBear, associate professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta. // This episode was edited by Anya Zoledziowski. Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Mon, April 01, 2019
How Do We Solve "The Settler Problem"?
What happens when you reverse the lens and try to unpack what it means to be a Settler? What’s the difference between Settler colonialism and white supremacy—is it one of kind or degree? And can we ever hope to solve “The Settler Problem”? Joining host/producer Rick Harp at the roundtable this week are Associate Professor of Indigenous Studies at York University, Brock Pitawanakwat, and Chris Powell, Associate Professor of Sociology at Ryerson University and the author of Barbaric Civilization: A Critical Sociology of Genocide . // This episode edited by Anya Zoledziowski. Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Mon, March 25, 2019
Is Canada's forgiving loans it forced on First Nations "reconciliation"?
It's being called a reconciliatory move: a new Liberal budget forgiving interest charges on loans taken out by First Nations to cover the costs of treaty negotiations in British Columbia. But just how grateful should anyone be to a country that imposed such loans in the first place? Back at the roundtable with host/producer Rick Harp this week are Candis Callison, Visiting Professor of Canadian Studies at Princeton University, and Kim TallBear, associate professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Tue, March 19, 2019
Another class action for another stolen generation
This week, another stolen generation, another class action. Three billion dollars, thousands upon thousands of children. These are the stakes of a potential class action alleging the federal government knowingly and "systematically" underfunded child and family services on-reserve, a neglect that's led to the widespread removal of First Nations children from their homes. Negligence that now has legal teams seeking compensation on behalf of those who've suffered the consequences. Back with host/producer Rick Harp at the roundtable are Brock Pitawanakwat, Associate Professor of Indigenous Studies at York University, and Ken Williams, assistant professor with the University of Alberta's department of drama. // This episode edited by Anya Zoledziowski; our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Mon, March 11, 2019
Claiming Indigenous Rights to the 5G Wireless Radio Spectrum
On this week’s Indigenous roundtable: high-tech treaty rights. According to Māori in New Zealand, their treaty rights don’t just extend to resources of the land and sea, they also include a fair share of the radio spectrum known as 3G, 4G and (soon) 5G, that set of telecommunication frequencies our wireless devices depend on. But the reception from the Settler state so far has been anything but great. Joining host/producer at the roundtable this week are Candis Callison, Visiting Professor of Canadian Studies at Princeton University, and Kim TallBear, associate professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic. This episode was edited by Anya Zoledziowski.
Sun, March 03, 2019
A Head Scratcher of a Headdress
THIS WEEK: A headdress head scratcher. What exactly did the premier of Alberta — a province hell-bent on hydrocarbon exploitation, come what may — do to deserve the honour of a Blackfoot headdress? Then again, could it be that, as non-Blackfoot, it’s none of our goddam business? So what do we make of those Blackfoot who do seem to hate the idea? Joining host/producer Rick Harp at the roundtable this time: Brock Pitawanakwat, Associate Professor of Indigenous Studies at York University, and Ken Williams, assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s department of drama. // This episode was edited by Anya Zoledziowski. Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Sat, February 23, 2019
A Navajo Majority Sparks Upheaval in Utah
This week, a battle over boundaries in the state of Utah. We discuss the simmering split in San Juan County, where a majority Indigenous population now has an Indigenous majority representing it on the region’s top decision making body. And while some celebrate this new democratic era for the county, others agitate for its division. Back at the roundtable this week are Candis Callison, Visiting Professor of Canadian Studies at Princeton University, and Kim TallBear, associate professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta. // Our theme music is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Fri, February 15, 2019
The Deafening Silences in Canada's Indigenous Languages Act
Back from our brief hiatus, this week's show speaks frankly about why the Liberal government's proposed Indigenous Languages Act is mostly notable for what it doesn't say. Joining us this week is special return guest Lorena Fontaine , Indigenous academic lead and associate professor of Indigenous Studies at the University of Winnipeg. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Mon, January 14, 2019
War on the Wet'suwet'en?
This week... Another BC battlefront: Why Wet'suwet'en resistance to the Coastal Gas Link pipeline project is—and isn’t—so complicated to understand. Revitalizing MEDIA INDIGENA: Why us taking a break after 147 consecutive weeks is the best guarantee of many more episodes to come. L earn more on our website . Joining us for this special episode—recorded as a livestream with our supporters on Patreon —are Candis Callison, Visiting Professor of Canadian Studies at Princeton University, Kim TallBear, associate professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta, and Ken Williams, assistant professor with the U of A’s department of drama. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Sun, December 30, 2018
MAMASKATCH: A Cree Coming of Age (Pt. 2)
This week, the second installment in our two-part conversation with Darrel McLeod, author of Mamaskatch: A Cree Coming of Age. Winner of the 2018 Governor-General’s award for non-fiction, Mamaskatch has been lauded for its raw, revealing portrait of McLeod’s early years. Covering just over three decades, the book’s proven inspiring to many who have faced similar hardships. That includes host Rick Harp's mother, Jane Glennon, who once again joins in on the discussion. Last time out, we delved into Darrel’s rocky relationship with his mother, his gender fluidity and the special role birds have occupied throughout his life. This time round, we begin with a discussion of Darrel's arc as a writer, his up and down experiences with education, his resolve to share the truth come what may, and how Darrel struggled at times with his Cree identity. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Mon, December 24, 2018
MAMASKATCH: A Cree Coming of Age (Pt. 1)
This week, we present part one of our two-part conversation with Darrel McLeod, whose memoir recently won this year's Governor-General’s award for non-fiction. Also joining host/producer Rick Harp for this special edition of the roundtable: Rick's mom, Jane Glennon (née McCallum). According to the jury that awarded McLeod the $25,000 prize, " MAMASKATCH: A Cree Coming of Age dares to immerse readers in provocative contemporary issues including gender fluidity, familial violence, and transcultural hybridity. A fast-moving, intimate memoir of dreams and nightmares—[it is] lyrical and gritty, raw and vulnerable, told without pity, but with phoenix-like strength." Earlier this month, we three Cree sat in Sooke, BC together to reflect on Darrel's life stories, their often tumultuous trajectory, and what eventually brought them into being on the printed page.
Sat, December 15, 2018
Policing the Police of Thunder Bay
Policing the police: A new review of Thunder Bay law enforcement finds the quality of their investigations so flawed many need to be re-opened; Fighting fakery: How a BC media outlet is trying to tackle inauthentic 'Indigenous' art; Off track : Why is Mexico’s new president pushing for a railroad no one seems to want, least of all indigenous peoples whose lands would be threatened by it? Joining host/producer Rick Harp at the roundtable once again are Brock Pitawanakwat, assistant professor of Indigenous studies at the University of Sudbury, and Ken Williams, assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s department of drama. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic Note: The ' Horn Honk ' sound effect (by Mike Koenig) featured in this episode appears under a CC 3.0 license.
Sun, December 09, 2018
International Symposium on Indigenous Communities and Climate Change
This week, we share two presentations delivered on day two of the International Symposium on Indigenous Communities and Climate Change, hosted this December 6th and 7th by Princeton University in New Jersey. Part of a line-up featuring nine speakers in all, we share talks by MEDIA INDIGENA roundtablers Candis Callison (“Communal Lives and Climate Change: Convening spaces for Indigenous publics, narratives, and knowledge”) and Rick Harp (”Indigenous Independents: Navigating the Challenges of Indie Media Making”). For more on the event, visit https://www.princetonisiccc.com/schedule
Sat, December 01, 2018
Should Canada criminalize efforts to deny or trivialize the genocide of Indigenous peoples?
1. How to deal with denial? Can links be drawn between minimizing the intent and impacts of residential schools of the not-so-distant past with the contemporary practice of forced/coerced sterilization of Indigenous women in Canada? A question top of mind this week for roundtabler Ken Williams as he contemplates the implications of the story of a Canadian imprisoned in Germany for Holocaust denial. Does arguably comparable commentary regarding anti-Indigenous atrocities in Canada merit the same 'nip it in the bud' approach? 2. Murder of a missionary: An American met his end after trying to convert an isolated tribe in India. But if you’re looking for sympathy from Indigenous pockets of social media, best look elsewhere. Back at the roundtable with host/producer Rick Harp this week are Brock Pitawanakwat, assistant professor of Indigenous studies at the University of Sudbury, and Ken Williams, assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s department of drama. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic
Sat, November 24, 2018
Inflaming the Issue: Could fire-ridden California have benefitted from Indigenous knowledge?
1. Fighting fire with fire? Why some say the massive blazes ripping across parts of California did not have to be so furious or fatal, if only the state would listen more to Indigenous peoples. 2. Cultural linchpin or not-so-scenic buzzkill? Why some Ontario cottagers ain’t so 'wild' about the return of rice to the region. 3. Media muzzle? A southern U.S. tribe suddenly takes back the press protections it had only put in place three years prior. Joining host/producer Rick Harp at the roundtable this week are Candis Callison, Visiting Professor of Canadian Studies at Princeton University, and Kim TallBear, associate professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta. // Our theme is ‘nesting’ by birocratic.
Fri, November 16, 2018
SLAPPed Silly? Alberta First Nation threatens one of its own with $1M libel lawsuit
1. Child and family fraud? How a potential class action lawsuit against one B.C. social worker has exposed some gaping vulnerabilities in a system supposedly set up to care for kids. 2. Lodging complaints: What the mainstream media missed in its coverage of how a convicted child-killer ended up at an Indigenous-based correctional facility (though she's been subsequently removed). 3. Libellous or frivolous? An Alberta First Nation launches a million dollar lawsuit against one of its own over comments she posted to Facebook. Joining host/producer Rick Harp at the roundtable once again are Brock Pitawanakwat, assistant professor of Indigenous studies at the University of Sudbury, and Ken Williams, assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s department of drama. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Sun, November 11, 2018
Unpacking the Colonial Foundations of Philanthropy
THIS WEEK... What’s in a name? Everything, for Indigenous families hoping to reclaim their people's traditional naming practices. What gives with philanthropy? The author of a new book on the subject says it’s time to decolonize the sector. Grief over Greyhound: What will First Nations who once relied on the bus service do now that it's ceased operations in western Canada? Host/producer Rick Harp is joined once again by Candis Callison, Visiting Professor of Canadian Studies at Princeton University, and Kim TallBear, associate professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Sun, November 04, 2018
Will Brazil's New President Further Imperil Indigenous Peoples?
This week... The Will of Brazil : Indigenous advocates raise huge red flags over the election of super right wing president Jair Bolsonaro. Duty Delayed: The Supreme Court rules that Canada does not owe a duty to consult First Nations in the creation of any laws affecting them. Pre-school prevention: What would be so wrong with a new daycare aimed at Indigenous kids? Ask a certain group of property owners in Saskatoon. Joining host Rick Harp once again are Brock Pitawanakwat, assistant professor of Indigenous studies at the University of Sudbury, and Ken Williams, assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s department of drama. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Sun, October 28, 2018
Will Legal Cannabis Spark a Jackpot or Jeopardy for Indigenous Peoples?
This week, part two of our live show at the University of Winnipeg on the potential impacts of cannabis legalization on Indigenous peoples in Canada. Part one featured matters of jurisdiction and justice; this time 'round, we look at the way some dream of an economic jackpot while others foresee a nightmare of mental and moral jeopardy. Sponsored by the UWSA, the evening featured roundtable regular Kim TallBear (University of Alberta associate professor of Native Studies) as well as special guest roundtabler Tim Fontaine of Walking Eagle News and cannabis journalist Solomon Israel of TheLeafNews.com. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic
Thu, October 25, 2018
Questions of Cannabis Justice and Jurisdiction for Indigenous Peoples
On this week’s program, recorded live in Winnipeg, we stir the pot now that Canada’s cannabis countdown is complete , making it only the second country in the world to legalize marijuana. But what could this all mean for Indigenous peoples? Some see cannabis as the great green hope, but others aren’t nearly so high on the plant’s prospects for prosperity. In part one of our discussion, we explore matters of jurisdiction and justice with University of Alberta associate professor of Native Studies Kim TallBear, special guest Tim Fontaine, Editor-in-Grand-Chief of Walking Eagle News , and cannabis beat reporter Solomon Israel of TheLeafNews.com. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Sun, October 14, 2018
Why Decarbonization and Decolonization Go Hand-in-Hand
Twelve years. According to a new report from the UN-backed Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), that's how long we have to act both decisively and radically concerning the climate if we are to keep life viable for much if not most of humanity. Here's another number: 1.5 degrees Celsius. According to the same IPCC report, that’s the maximum increase in average world temperatures, relative to pre-industrial levels, that our planet can sustain before it will simply be unable to sustain us. That’s the bad news. But believe it or not, there is good news here too: many say keeping our planet below 1.5 is not only achievable, but realistic, though it will require a scale and scope of change that is simply unprecedented. This week, visiting professor of Canadian Studies at Princeton University Candis Callison, along with Kim TallBear, associate professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta, join host Rick Harp to grapple with these sobering facts, as well as discuss what’s behind them and where our world ought to go from here. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic
Sun, October 07, 2018
What Does Indigenization of Education Really Mean?
This week, our special live-audience episode in Edmonton, where we discussed... Protocol Schmotocol: What one professor’s slide into another’s DMs on Twitter in search of help on a highly-sensitive subject can teach us about ethical research... 'Indigenous Renaissance': Just one of many pointed phrases in the victory speech of Maliseet musician Jeremy Dutcher at this year’s Polaris Music Prize ceremony. But as Indigenous artists continue to rack up recognition in the broader arts world, should we see their success as made-in-Canada, or made despite it? Education 'Indigenization': Confused by what different institutions mean by the term? Special guest Adam Gaudry (Associate Dean and Associate Professor, Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta) walks us through what true reconciliation might look like in the academy. Featuring regulars Rick Harp, Kim TallBear and Ken Williams, it's the first-ever MEDIA INDIGENA roundtable recorded in front of a live audience. Thanks again to our event sponsor — the U of A Faculty of Native Studies — for making it all possible! // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Sun, September 30, 2018
What does Settler solidarity with Indigenous peoples look like?
This week we bring you 'part two' of last week's round table, one that ran unusually long because of our extended discussion about APTN’s controversial reality show, "First Contact." Those outstanding two topics are... Prime directive: A leaked video seems to show Canada’s PM scolding First Nations leaders for their time 'mismanagement'; plus, Settler solidarity — what might it really look like? Two examples from the Antipodes could show the way. Still seated at the round table: Brock Pitawanakwat, assistant professor of Indigenous studies at the University of Sudbury, and Candis Callison, visiting professor of Canadian Studies at Princeton University. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Thu, September 20, 2018
Some Second Thoughts on 'First Contact'
Provocative or problematic? We discuss why opinion is sharply divided over 'First Contact,' a new APTN mini-series showcasing Canadians’ deep ignorance about Aboriginal peoples. And, with our discussion going so in-depth and protracted, we eat up the time normally devoted to three topics! Joining host/producer Rick Harp at the roundtable this week are Brock Pitawanakwat, assistant professor of Indigenous studies at the University of Sudbury, and Candis Callison, visiting professor of Canadian Studies at Princeton University (on leave from UBC). // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic
Fri, September 14, 2018
Culture-making in an Age of Assimilation and Appropriation
1. 'Sinful' ceremony: a Cree community finds itself at spiritual odds over whether to allow a pow-wow some regard as blasphemous. // 2. Must the show go on? Robert Lepage's first attempt to tell "the story of Canada through the prism of [white-Indigenous] relations” — minus a single Indigenous actor — got cancelled. Now it appears the famous Quebec playwright will get to stage the show after all. // 3. Boyden’s back, and there’s gonna be trouble! Why a movie adapted from a controversial author’s work has made some uneasy in their seats. Back at the roundtable are Ken Williams, assistant professor with the University of Alberta's Department of Drama, and Brock Pitawanakwat, assistant professor of Indigenous studies at the University of Sudbury. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic
Sat, September 08, 2018
Settler consternation over consultation with Indigenous peoples
Is a controversial pipeline now a pipe-dream? Canada’s Federal Court of Appeal has just ruled that plans to expand the Trans Mountain pipeline are to be put on hold until the government gets its act together on the potential impacts of greater oil tanker traffic on marine ecosystems and on its failure to meaningfully consult Indigenous peoples. But is this ruling a slam dunk? What’s to be made of the heated, even hysterical, reaction from some quarters? And where could or should things go from here? Back at this all-new roundtable this week are Kim TallBear, associate professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta, and Candis Callison, v isiting professor of Canadian Studies at Princeton University (on leave from UBC). // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic
Tue, September 04, 2018
Surfacing abuse allegations against one of Canada's notorious man-camps
1. Man camp controversy: decades-old abuse allegations against hydro-dam workers finally surface in Manitoba. Might it spark a flood of similar complaints? 2. Stat spat: talk of a new federal holiday commemorating the survivors of residential schools gets mixed reviews 3. Mac attack: why the reputation of John A. Macdonald (Canada’s first prime minister) is getting taken off its pedestal — literally. Back at the roundtable are Ken Williams, assistant professor with the University of Alberta's department of drama, and B rock Pitawanakwat, assistant professor of Indigenous studies at the University of Sudbury. // Our theme is nesting by birocratic.
Fri, August 24, 2018
A Primer on Pipelines and Indigenous Peoples
Our ninth and final episode of our Summer Series collects and connects conversations about pipelines, in particular, the Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion project. Featured voices in this episode include (in order of appearance): Indigenous Resource lawyer Merle Alexander; Kim TallBear, associate professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta, and Candis Callison, associate professor at UBC's Graduate School of Journalism; Brock Pitawanakwat, assistant professor of Indigenous studies at the University of Sudbury, and Ken Williams, assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s department of drama. This 9-week series was hosted and co-produced by Rick Harp, with editorial and production assistance by Stephanie Wood. Creative Commons music this podcast includes the track 'Endeavour' by Jahzzar. Learn more at freemusicarchive.org.
Fri, August 17, 2018
Colten Boushie Retrospective
On this week's episode, the second-last show in our Summer Series , we revisit the troubling death of Colten Boushie—the 22-year old member of the Red Pheasant First Nation shot and killed back in August of 2016 by a then-54-year-old white farmer named Gerald Stanley. Featured voices this episode include (in order of appearance): Documentarian and University of Saskatchewan assistant professor of English, Tasha Hubbard, as well as Chris Andersen, then-interim dean at the University of Alberta’s faculty of Native Studies; Ken Williams, an assistant professor with the University of Alberta's department of drama, and, Brock Pitawanakwat, assistant professor of Indigenous studies at the University of Sudbury. Music this podcast includes two compositions by Welcome Wizard off their lunachild album: we heard the tracks “12 Diseases” and “Nautical Fistula.” We also heard the track “Endeavour” by Jahzzar. Learn more about these artists at freemusicarchive.org
Fri, August 10, 2018
Why It's Still Not Okay in Thunder Bay for Indigenous People
Our seventh Summer Series episode collects and connects conversations about Thunder Bay , a small northwestern Ontario city where a huge amount of hostility has been directed at Indigenous people. It’s a negativity so persistent and pervasive, it is seemingly ingrained across a variety of the region’s institutions. Featured voices in this podcast include: CBC journalist Jody Porter; Karyn Pugliese, Executive Director of News and Current Affairs with the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network, plus Lisa Girbav, a radio broadcaster from Tsimshian territory and a student at UBC; University of Alberta associate professor of Native Studies Kim TallBear, along with associate professor at UBC's Graduate School of Journalism Candis Callison; Ken Williams, an assistant professor with the University of Alberta's department of drama; Brock Pitawanakwat, assistant professor of Indigenous studies at the University of Sudbury. Creative Commons music in this podcast includes the song “Endeavour” by Jahzzar. Learn more at freemusicarchive.org
Fri, August 03, 2018
Moving beyond lip service for Indigenous languages
Our sixth Summer Series episode collects and connects conversations about language : more specifically, the politics of Indigenous language rights and funding in Canada. Featured voices this episode include: Lorena Fontaine, an associate professor of Indigenous Governance at the University of Winnipeg; Karyn Pugliese, APTN's Executive Director of News and Current Affairs, along with Lisa Girbav, radio broadcaster and student from the Tsimshian territory; Kim TallBear, associate professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta, plus Candis Callison, associate professor at UBC's Graduate School of Journalism. Creative Commons music in this podcast includes the song 'Endeavour' by Jahzzar. Learn more at freemusicarchive.org
Fri, July 27, 2018
Is Canada's newest solution to the Indian Act worse than the problem? (Part 2)
This week's episode, the fifth in our Summer Series, wraps up our two-part conversation with the Yellowhead Institute's Hayden King and Shiri Pasternak about their critique of the Trudeau government's Indigenous Rights, Recognition and Implementation Framework, a comprehensive set of laws and policies that, if implemented, could fundamentally change the course of Indigenous rights in Canada. Creative Commons music in this podcast includes the song 'Endeavour' by Jahzzar. Find our more at freemusicarchive.org.
Fri, July 20, 2018
Is Canada's newest solution to the Indian Act worse than the problem? (Part 1)
The fourth show of our Summer Series begins our two-part look at an emerging set of proposed laws and policies that, if implemented, could majorly affect — some say threaten — Indigenous rights in Canada. It's called the Indigenous Rights, Recognition and Implementation Framework , a wide-ranging, fast-moving initiative of the Trudeau government. In these next two episodes, Hayden King and Shiri Pasternak of the Yellowhead Institute share their concerns with the Framework as detailed in their special report, Canada’s Emerging Indigenous Rights Framework: A Critical Analysis. Creative Commons music in this podcast includes the song 'Endeavour' by Jahzzar. Find out more at freemusicarchive.org.
Fri, July 13, 2018
A taste of Indigenous food politics
Our third Summer Series episode collects and connects conversations about food: it’s a veritable buffet of some of our most filling discussions, from access to traditional foods to culture clashes over Settler vs. Indigenous diets. Featured voices this podcast include Iqaluit, Nunavut mayor Madeleine Redfern; Kim Tallbear, associate professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta; Lakota activist and communications professional Taté Walker; and Candis Callison, associate professor at UBC's Graduate School of Journalism. Creative Commons music in this podcast includes the track 'Endeavour,' by Jahzzar. Learn more at http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jahzzar/
Fri, July 06, 2018
Canada's systems of (mis)education and Indigenous peoples
Our second Summer Series episode collects and connects conversations about education : from inadequate funding to lack of Indigenous representation in many school curricula, we explore systemic issues and the lived experience of some Indigenous learners in this realm. Featured voices this podcast include (in order of appearance): Ken Williams, assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s department of drama, along with journalist and entrepreneur Patrice Mousseau; Brock Pitawanakwat, an assistant professor of Indigenous studies at the University of Sudbury; APTN News & Current Affairs director Karyn Pugliese; E ntrepreneur and commentator Robert Jago and lawyer and international advocate Danika Billie Littlechild; Kim Tallbear, associate professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta, and Lakota activist and communications professional, Taté Walker; Candis Callison, associate professor at UBC's Graduate School of Journalism Creative Commons music in this podcast includes the track 'Endeavour,' by Jahzzar. Learn more at http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jahzzar/
Sun, July 01, 2018
Water as a fundamental human and treaty right
For the first episode in our MEDIA INDIGENA: the Summer Edition series, we take a deep dive into water , from its status as a fundamental human and treaty right, to more nitty-gritty matters of funding, infrastructure and accountability. Featured voices this podcast include (in order of appearance): Amanda Klasing, senior researcher with Human Rights Watch; writer/designer/filmmaker Colleen Simard plus child health and welfare advocate Conrad Prince; entrepreneur and commentator Robert Jago, along with lawyer and advocate Danika Billie Littlechild. This episode was edited and produced by Stephanie Wood and Rick Harp. Creative Commons music in this podcast includes the track 'Endeavour,' by Jahzzar. Learn more at http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jahzzar/
Thu, June 21, 2018
Looking at Trump's brutal border policies through an Indigenous lens
THIS WEEK / Separation anxiety: as the U.S. catches criticism for splitting up migrant families and isolating their kids, some wonder if the concern comes off as just a little bit selective / Tipi takedown: an encampment set up near Saskatchewan's legislature in honour of stolen Indigenous youth is removed for being 'disruptive' / Right idea, wrong route: the Supreme Court rules that the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal does not have the legal mandate to go after discrimination in the Indian Act. Ken Williams, an assistant professor with the University of Alberta's department of drama, and Brock Pitawanakwat, assistant professor of Indigenous studies at the University of Sudbury, re-join host Rick Harp at the roundtable. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Sat, June 16, 2018
Why DNA "Indigenous ancestry" tests ain't worth a doggone dime
THIS WEEK // Survey says: We opine on a poll asking Canadians what they think should be done regarding Indigenous peoples. Statistically insignificant: The auditor general does a number on the federal government's glaring gaps in data for First Nations reserves. D oggone DNA: Think you can trust those genetic tests that tell you how 'Indian' you are? Guess you missed that recent story of a lab that verified the tribal ancestry of a chihuahua! Joining Rick Harp at the roundtable once again are Candis Callison, associate professor at UBC's Graduate School of Journalism, and Kim TallBear, associate professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Sat, June 09, 2018
Canada's First-ever First Nations Think Tank
This week — Yellowhead, Red Flags: We discuss the emergence of the Yellowhead Institute, a brand new First Nations think tank; we also look at why it's sounding the alarm over the Liberal government's 'Indigenous Rights, Recognition and Implementation Framework.' S in of Omission: Why did the publisher of a famous Métis autobiography remove references to an alleged rape by an RCMP officer? This we ek, host Rick Harp is joined by Brock Pitawanakwat, assistant professor of Indigenous studies at the University of Sudbury, and Ken Williams, assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s department of drama. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Mon, June 04, 2018
What will Canada buying Trans Mountain mean for Indigenous peoples?
Bitumen Buyer Beware? The Canadian government has just announced it will buy the beleaguered Trans Mountain pipeline project. Will their gamble pay off? And who loses if it doesn’t? * Trump-aganda! When it comes to a recent boast that Americans "tamed a continent," is POTUS 45 honestly all that brutal compared to other presidents — or just the most brutally honest? Two minutes for stereotyping: a non-native booster of the pro hockey team in Winnipeg finds himself on thin ice after referring to the deplorable conditions of some native people as "a terrible stain" on the city. Joining host Rick Harp once again are Candis Callison, associate professor at UBC's Graduate School of Journalism, and Kim TallBear, associate professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Tue, May 29, 2018
Dislodging the discourse of death and doom about Indigenous people
Sick and solo: why does Quebec still force northern kids who fly down south for care to do so all alone on air ambulances? Pity porn: we discuss a recent column critiquing the continued categorization of Indigenous people as dead, dying or doomed. Bitter brew: a VICE investigation exposes a Canadian coffee dealer’s efforts to support the white supremacist movement. Joining host Rick Harp at the roundtable this week are Brock Pitawanakwat, assistant professor of Indigenous studies at the University of Sudbury, and Ken Williams, an assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s Department of Drama. // Our theme is 'nesting,' by birocratic.
Fri, May 18, 2018
Why not everyone in Hawai'i is vexed over volcanoes
1. Love for lava: Why some Indigenous people in Hawai’i reject any effort to divert the flow of what others see as the utterly destructive output of the Kilauea volcano. 2. Home away from home: First Nations youth whose only chance for an education is far away in Thunder Bay advocate for a student residence in the city. 3. Living laboratories: a class action lawsuit seeks compensation for decades of medical experiments conducted on Indigenous people without their knowledge. Joining Rick Harp at the roundtable this week are Candis Callison, associate professor at UBC's Graduate School of Journalism, a nd Kim TallBear, associate professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta. // Our theme is nesting by birocratic,
Tue, May 15, 2018
The Paranoia and Perils of White Fright
This week // From bad to worse: amid accusations that racism drove an Indigenous dean of law away from Lakehead University, some question why it’s replaced her with a judge who jailed anti-mining Native leaders. Uneducated guess: how a white parent's paranoia almost turned two Native teens' dreams of college into a potential nightmare. Decision day: Quebec’s Superior Court quashes parts of Kahnawake’s controversial membership law. Back at the roundtable with host Rick Harp are Ken Williams, assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s department of drama, and U of A associate professor of Native studies Kim Tallbear. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Sat, May 05, 2018
A Second Slide into Settler Sexuality
Saddle up for our Settler sexuality sequel! Building on last week’s exploration of how Settler norms impact Indigenous notions of intimacy and interpersonal connections, we more explicitly discuss the erotically infused insights of Mohawk/Tuscarora writer, poet and broadcaster Janet Rogers. Insights she shared with our own Kim TallBear (associate professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta) at ConvergeCon, the annual conference working to build sex positive communities. Joining host Rick Harp to reflect on Kim and Janet's dialogue is Candis Callison, associate professor at UBC's Graduate School of Journalism. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Fri, April 27, 2018
Settler Sexuality's Slippery Slope
On this week's roundtable: Settler Sexuality . A subject at the heart of two recent talks by our own Kim Tallbear (one at the sex-positive communities event ConvergeCon, the other at SoloPolyCon), we thought we'd use it as an opportunity to take a longer look at an often troubling and taboo topic. In particular, we discuss the insights of her keynote — "Yes, Your Pleasure! Yes, Self-love! And Don’t Forget, Settler Sex Is A Structure" — at the 2nd Annual Solo Polyamory Conference in Seattle, Washington. An associate professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta, Kim discussed her work at the MEDIA INDIGENA roundtable with host Rick Harp and Candis Callison, associate professor at UBC's Graduate School of Journalism. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Mon, April 23, 2018
Are Kinder Morgan's pipeline benefit agreements a form of Indigenous consent or coercion?
1. Who will next lead the AFN? Two candidates say they’re set to run; a potential third is thinking about it. We’ll review the field of would-be leaders of the Assembly of First Nations. 2. Mutual benefit agreements: we look at what might drive First Nations to sign deals with the company behind the Kinder Morgan 'Trans Mountain' pipeline expansion. 3. Tiny houses: how big of a dent could they make in alleviating chronic over-crowding on reserve? Joining host Rick Harp at the roundtable again are Brock Pitawanakwat, assistant professor of Indigenous Studies at the University of Sudbury, and Kenneth Williams, assistant professor with the University of Alberta's Department of Drama. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Thu, April 12, 2018
How 'Canada Reads' still shunts Indigenous authors to the bottom of the book pile
THIS WEEK // Big Steps: How some ancient footprints confirm (y et again) what Indigenous people keep telling scientists —how we’ve been here for a very, very long time. / A Whale of a Culture: We peek through a window into how Iñupiaq people continue to co-exist with, and connect to, the creatures whose world they share. / ' Take it to the Altar': A viral video vividly illustrates how 'Canada Reads' still shunts Indigenous authors to the bottom of the book pile. Back at the roundtable are Candis Callison, Associate Professor at UBC's Graduate School of Journalism, and Kim TallBear, Associate Professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta.
Fri, April 06, 2018
Is there a 'Standing Rock North' in the making in British Columbia?
THIS WEEK // A 'Nope' from the Pope: Why does His Holiness seem wholly against saying sorry for the crimes of Church-run residential schools? / Exoneration Examination: The Canadian government just cleared the name of six First Nations leaders wrongfully sentenced to death in 1864. But was it motivated by justice — or just politics? / Standing Rock North? We look at whether on-the-ground resistance to twinning Kinder Morgan's pipeline in BC has the potential to match what happened in North Dakota. Joining host Rick Harp once again are Brock Pitawanakwat, assistant professor of Indigenous studies at the University of Sudbury, and Ken Williams, assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s department of drama. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Fri, March 30, 2018
Reading the larger lessons of Sherman Alexie's literary rise and fall
THIS WEEK / 'Sorry' for the racism: As National Geographic tries to atone for its problematic history with non-white people, we assess how much credit (and critique) they deserve. / 'Sorry' for the sexual harassment: As Native American writer Sherman Alexie continues his free-fall amid accusations of mistreating women, we’ll read into his story for larger lessons. / 'Sorry' (not sorry) for the journalism: A Canadian reporter faces potential jail-time for embedding himself inside an Indigenous-led protest against an east coast mega-project. Joining host Rick Harp at this week’s roundtable are Kim TallBear, associate professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta, and Candis Callison, associate professor at UBC's Graduate School of Journalism. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Sun, March 25, 2018
Indigenous podcasters on Indigenous podcasting
This week, the sound of two Indigenous podcasters podcasting, as MEDIA INDIGENA host/producer Rick Harp sits down with Wayne K. Spear ( waynekspear.com ), a self-described "writing machine" whose prolific nature extends to audio as well. A Six Nations (Haudenosaunee) gentleman from southern Ontario, Wayne's world also includes work in organizational development and executive coaching, often for Indigenous clientele. Now based in Toronto, Wayne was kind enough to recently host Rick at his home studio for an extended conversation, one that acted as a check-in at times on where MEDIA INDIGENA has ended up—and where it still hopes to go. (Our first such review took place back in July of 2016.) We're grateful to Wayne for allowing us to share this version of our recent sit-down on The Roundtable Podcast . // Our theme is ' nesting ' by birocratic.
Thu, March 15, 2018
Students call university's bluff on Reconciliation and Indigenization
This week... 1. A fair share of the pot: why a push to tax cannabis on-reserve is itself a taxing debate. 2. Cottage clash: why can’t a First Nation get full market value for its lakefront properties from its non-indigenous tenants? 3. Irreconcilable differences: an Indigenous student council says its members are fed up with being little more than an 'economy' to the University of Saskatchewan. Joining host Rick Harp this week are Brock Pitawanakwat, assistant professor of Indigenous studies at the University of Sudbury, and Ken Williams, assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s department of drama.
Fri, March 09, 2018
How soon is too soon to teach kids about residential schools?
Once upon a trigger: Did a school board and the media over-react after a parent found a children’s book about residential schools upsetting? Dumb pun: a Thunder Bay newspaper says it’s sorry for running a headline that makes light of a potential hate crime. Bite your tongues: A B.C. politician criticizes the province for investing more money in Indigenous languages revitalization instead of more cops. Joining host Rick Harp are Kim TallBear, associate professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta, and Candis Callison, associate professor at UBC's Graduate School of Journalism. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Fri, March 02, 2018
Where will Tina Fontaine's family find justice?
This week: A tale of two trials. Late last week, a jury found the man accused of murdering 15-year old Tina Fontaine to be "not guilty." The decision dealt another blow to those still processing the acquittal of the man once charged with the murder of 22-year-old Colten Boushie. Our roundtable is among those still working to process these court decisions, trying to make sense of how the Canadian justice system was seemingly incapable of producing anything remotely resembling resolution for the families of two young Indigenous people taken far too soon. We’ll discuss how we got here, the response and where justice for Tina and Colten might be found if not the courts. Joining host Rick Harp at the roundtable are Brock Pitawanakwat, assistant professor of Indigenous studies at the University of Sudbury, and Ken Williams, assistant professor with the University of Alberta's department of drama.
Fri, February 23, 2018
Will First Nations Factor into the Battle over Bitumen?
W ar in the west: as Alberta battles British Columbia over pipeline expansion, we look at whether a new front could open up against First Nations / R evisiting the review of resource projects: the Liberals claim their new bill better includes Indigenous perspectives in the assessment of energy mega-projects. Does it go far enough? / W hat's in a nickname? The US president jeeringly calls her 'Pocahontas.' But do Senator Elizabeth Warr en's claims to Indigeneity even remotely hold up? Back at the roundtable are Kim TallBear, associate professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta, and Candis Calison, associate professor at UBC's Graduate School of Journalism. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Thu, February 15, 2018
Injustice for Colten Boushie
It was a much-anticipated verdict in a much-discussed case: the 2016 shooting death of 22-year-old Colten Boushie, a member of the Red Pheasant First Nation in Saskatchewan. His accused killer: 56-year-old white farmer Gerald Stanley, charged with second-degree murder. A charge he was acquitted of last Friday evening, much to the shock, disgust, sadness and outrage of Indigenous people everywhere. This week on MEDIA INDIGENA, we discuss how we got to this point, the response, and where things might go from here. Joining host Rick Harp at the roundtable this week are Brock Pitawanakwat, an assistant professor of Indigenous studies at the University of Sudbury, and Ken Williams, an assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s department of drama. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Fri, February 09, 2018
How Canadian Media Put Indigenous Victims on Trial
This week: Toodle-loo Wahoo! The majorly racist logo of a major league baseball team is knocked out of the park in Cleveland... sort of. Turfed by Trudeau: The PM's cross country road show gets awkward when so-called 'hecklers' are shown the heck out. Media victim-blaming: Recent headlines about a 15-year old girl seem to put her on trial as much as her accused killer. Joining host Rick Harp this week are Kim TallBear, associate professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta, and Candis Callison, associate professor at UBC's Graduate School of Journalism. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Sun, February 04, 2018
Do Canadian court systems effectively exclude Indigenous people from juries?
This week: The trial of Gerald Stanley, the man accused in the shooting death of Colten Boushie. We’ll look at who gets to be on the jury, and who doesn’t. Raw numbers: A report leaked to the media reveals just how much governments shortchange First Nations child welfare services in Manitoba. And, the sound of silence: a political activist who would only speak Hawaiian in court finds a seriously unsympathetic ear in the judge. Joining host/producer Rick Harp are Ken Williams, an assistant professor with the University of Alberta's department of drama, and, Brock Pitawanakwat, assistant professor of Indigenous studies at the University of Sudbury. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Mon, January 29, 2018
A deep dive into the Doctrine of Discovery (and how it's never gone away)
This week: the 'Change the Date' debate. We discuss what seems to have been the most controversial Australia Day yet. Plus, divine intervention? As the Chilean government turns up the heat, why would the Pope push the Mapuche to turn the other cheek? And: bison on the brink? It's an animal many still revere — now, a scientist raises fresh concerns about its future. Joining host Rick Harp this week are Kim TallBear, associate professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta, and Candis Callison, Associate Professor at UBC's Graduate School of Journalism. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Sun, January 21, 2018
Peering into the Playbook for White Denial of Indigenous Injury
This week.. Politician contrition: an Alberta MLA walks back some sweeping off-hand comments about Aboriginal voter behaviour in his riding; A f lyer full of ire: anonymous posters at an Atlantic university proclaim Indigenous people to be the overwhelming "beneficiaries," not the "victims" of European culture. Debunking denial: W e take a deep dive into the playbook of White 'Denialism.' Brock Pitawanakwat, an assistant professor of Indigenous studies at the University of Sudbury, and Kim TallBear, associate professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta, return to the roundtable. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Sun, January 14, 2018
What to do about trolls like Senator Lynn Beyak?
This week: Beyak Booted — A Canadian senator’s website gets her kicked out of the Conservative Party for controversial content about Indigenous people. Speech impediment —Why would the Nova Scotia government push a school board to re-word its territorial acknowledgement? Under-'PrEP-ed' — Did Indigenous health advocates in BC drop the ball when it came to promoting a drug that helps prevent HIV? // At this week’s roundtable are Brock Pitawanakwat, an assistant professor of Indigenous studies at the University of Sudbury, and Ken Williams, an assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s department of drama. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Sun, January 07, 2018
Is Native Twitter More Than Just a Hashtag?
This week: #NativeTwitter — more than just a hashtag? Can its influence be felt off-line? Or is it simply a case of tweeting to the choir? Seal for sale — Facebook reverses its refusal of seal-skin-related items on its platform. Split-shooter — a British Columbia court rules that a U.S.-based Indigenous man can legally hunt in Canada because his people’s territory pre-dates the border. B ack at the roundtable are Ken Williams, an assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s department of Drama, and Kim TallBear, associate professor of Native Studiesat the University of Alberta. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Mon, January 01, 2018
An Indigenous Look Ahead to 2018
The second of our two-part look back and look ahead on the year almost behind us and the 12 months to come. What is, or what could be, their Indigenous significance? Back at our special four-member roundtable are Ken Williams, an assistant professor with the University of Alberta's department of drama, Kim TallBear, associate professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta, and Brock Pitawanakwat, assistant professor of Indigenous studies at the University of Sudbury. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Sat, December 23, 2017
An Indigenous Look Back at 2017
What made 2017 a year of Indigenous significance? What might be in store for 2018? This week's show assembles the fulsome foursome for this year-end exercise, one that will take two episodes to manage. J oining host Rick Harp for all this heavy lifting are Ken Williams, assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s department of drama, fellow U of A scholar Kim TallBear (associate professor of Native Studies), and Brock Pitawanakwat, assistant professor of Indigenous studies at the University of Sudbury. // Our theme is nesting by birocratic.
Sat, December 16, 2017
Does political corruption get covered differently when Indigenous people are involved?
Vote vice: we scrutinize the story of a Saskatchewan First Nation politician accused of buying votes with drugs, and muse over how media framing of stories about Indigenous corruption compares to coverage of mainstream political shenanigans ; H arm reduction on the rez: we explore the promise of a public health approach to drug addiction; ' Hawks hoax: will an online prank about the name of Washington’s football team score with its intended audience? Back at the table this week: Brock Pitawanakwat, assistant professor of Indigenous studies at the University of Sudbury, and Ken Williams, assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s department of drama.
Mon, December 11, 2017
Indigenous politician claims "First Nations don't believe in abortion"
Monumental fight: US President Trump announces he'll significantly shrink the boundaries of two protected areas in the state of Utah, despite their deep significance to multiple tribes. Urban plot : How Indigenous women in one California city hope to use a non-profit land trust to re-take territory, one piece at a time. Getting reproductive rights reductively wrong ? A politician hoping to lead Saskatchewan’s governing party flat out claims “First Nations don’t believe in abortion.” Back at the roundtable are K im TallBear, associate professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta, and Terese Mailhot, author and Tecumseh Postdoctoral Fellow at Purdue University.
Sun, December 03, 2017
Mohawk members turn to Quebec court over Kahnawake's refusal of non-Indigenous residents
Make BC 'Site C' free: A new summary of research into the mega-hydro project produces a flood of arguments against its completion. Will British Columbia's coalition government listen? H ome is where the hurt is: Rules preventing non-Indigenous people from residing on the Kahnawake reserve are now being challenged in court by some of its Mohawk members. A bsent audience: Canada’s auditor general claims politicians are basically ignoring his reports on indigenous issues. Returning are Brock Pitawanakwat, assistant professor of Indigenous studies at the University of Sudbury, and Ken Williams, assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s department of drama. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Mon, November 27, 2017
Is Pro-Development Anti-Indigenous, Vice-versa, or Neither?
1. We pore over a poll showing Native Americans who live in "majority-Native areas" in the U.S. face greater mistreatment than anyone else. 2. Pro-development = anti-Indian, or the other way around? We mine recent media narratives that declare environmentalists and First Nations at odds over resource extraction. 3. Breaking the boys club: we discuss musician and poet Joy Harjo speaking out on her struggles as a female Indigenous artist in male-dominated circles. A t the roundtable this week are K im TallBear, associate professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta, and Terese Mailhot, writer and Tecumseh Postdoctoral Fellow in English at Purdue University.
Sun, November 19, 2017
Child Welfare as an Arm of the Colonial State
This week, an extended conversation with Sarah de Leeuw, co-author of the recent paper , Turning a new page: cultural safety, critical creative literary interventions, truth and reconciliation, and the crisis of child welfare. Written with Margo Greenwood, the paper was produced as part of their work at the National Collaborating Centre for Aboriginal Health, where Sarah is a Research Associate, Margo the Academic Lead. Over the course of this discussion, we explore de Leeuw and Greenwood's argument that the ongoing crisis of Indigenous child apprehensions must be viewed in their historical and cultural contexts. That is, as an extension of long-standing violent discourses that validate the 'rights' of settler-colonial state powers like Canada to intervene into the lives of Indigenous families and communities with impunity. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Tue, November 14, 2017
Canada's highest court rules in favour of ski resort over sacred site
1. Downhill and out: Canada’s highest court rules against an Indigenous sacred site in favour of a ski resort. 2. White Hot: Conservative Twitter goes ballistic over a white professor’s claims that the white nuclear family reproduces white supremacy. 3. Re-Con: We check in on the second-ever Indigenous Comic Convention. Returning to the roundtable are Lakota activist and communications professional, Taté Walker, and Kim TallBear, associate professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Sat, November 04, 2017
The 12 Dimensions of Indigenous Homelessness
1. No joke: Why some racist Halloween stunts have people at one Alberta university upset (if not all that surprised). 2. Re-definition: Can expanding and enriching what homelessness means for Indigenous people help yield better responses? 3. S torm clouds: Why has an award-winning video game about a Thunderbird sparked some political rumblings? Back at the table this week are Brock Pitawanakwat, an assistant professor of Indigenous studies at the University of Sudbury, and Ken Williams, an assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s department of drama.
Sat, October 28, 2017
Why your kid will survive not being an 'Indian Princess' on Halloween
1. Hatin’ on Halloween? Why a non-native writer feels her 4-year-old was cheated of the chance to dress up as " a native princess." 2. Beothuk babble: Is an east coast Indigenous people reducible to their DNA? Some archaeologists and journalists seem to think so. 3. Another meal of seal: We’ll digest your comments about our earlier chat regarding one restaurant’s traditional menu. Back at the roundtable are Kim TallBear, associate professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta, and Lakota activist and communications professional, Taté Walker. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Sat, October 21, 2017
Acknowledging Toxic Indigenous Masculinity: Are We at a Turning Point?
1. In name only: How did an Ontario city manage to strike up an Indigenous working group—minus any Indigenous people? 2. Ciao, chief! As a gesture of what it calls reconciliation, a school board decides it needs to drop the word “chief” from all of its employees’ job titles. 3. Book bind: After a number of contributors pull out of an Aboriginal anthology over the inclusion of an author convicted of domestic assault, the author asks the publisher to remove his work instead. We’ll discuss whether this sequence of events has made new room to discuss Indigenous male violence. Back at the roundtable are Brock Pitawanakwat, an assistant professor of Indigenous studies at the University of Sudbury, and Ken Williams, an assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s department of drama. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Sat, October 14, 2017
Why traditional tastes in food turned some testy in Toronto
1. Taste Testy: How the introduction of traditional foods in mainstream settings have inspired some, and incited others; 2. Bad Optics? A massive telescope gets the green light on the island of Hawai'i over the objections of local Indigenous people; 3. Settlement for Survivors: Canada offers $800 million to victims of the Sixties Scoop, but critics claim it’s inadequate in more ways than one. Returning to the roundtable are Kim TallBear, associate professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta, and Taté Walker, Lakota activist and communications professional. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Sat, October 07, 2017
Justin Trudeau's Symbolic Politics Long on Gesture, Short on Goods
1. Unfair Share: A group of First Nations take Canada and Ontario to court for not honouring a 167-year-old promise to top up treaty payments as resource revenues rise. 2. CAP Kerfuffle : Is the leader of the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples even Aboriginal? 3. Shameful or Shameless? Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tells the United Nations that the "failure of successive Canadian governments to respect the rights of Indigenous Peoples… is our great shame." But do his deeds even remotely match his words? Returning to the roundtable are Brock Pitawanakwat, an assistant professor of Indigenous studies at the University of Sudbury, and Ken Williams, an assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s department of drama. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Sun, October 01, 2017
Did Indigenous women help wage a ‘witch hunt’ of Wab Kinew?
Has there been a media "witch-hunt" of Wab Kinew? A high-profile supporter has sounded a resounding 'yes.' But does the critique imply some Indigenous women are part of the pile-on? Multiple choice, singularly stupid: A BC parent is outraged after her 14-year old is assigned a test asking students to select the correct slur for an Aboriginal woman. Fashion fabrication: Yet another non-Indigenous designer stands accused of inappropriate appropriation. We’ll hear how Versace vexes the critics and share an example of how to design right. Returning to the roundtable are Kim TallBear, associate professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta, and Lakota activist and communications professional, Taté Walker. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Sat, September 23, 2017
Will Questions About Wab Kinew's Past Undo His Political Future?
This week... Kinew Conundrum : will old assault charges against the new leader of Manitoba’s New Democratic Party divide the Indigenous community? TB Plea : HIV/AIDS advocate Stephen Lewis issues a passionate call for the feds to step up their response to tuberculosis among Inuit. Unhappy Anniversary : a recent national magazine article suggests that, one year on, the missing and murdered women’s inquiry is imploding. Returning are Ken Williams, assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s department of drama and Brock Pitawanakwat, assistant professor of Indigenous studies at the University of Sudbury.
Sat, September 16, 2017
Cherokee Freedmen, Adam Beach Boycott, Indian Country Today
Fight of the Freedmen : Has a court victory for the descendants of ex-slaves of the Cherokee guaranteed the return of their citizenship? Casting controversy : Why Adam Beach wants other Aboriginal actors to boycott a new television series. Out of Print : why it looks very much like there’s no tomorrow for Indian Country Today . Joining host/producer Rick Harp are Kim TallBear, associate professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta, and Lakota activist and communications professional, Taté Walker. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Mon, September 11, 2017
Meet the MEDIA INDIGENA Roundtable
This week's Indigenous roundtable gets up close and personal with the people behind the show. A s long-time listeners know, we at the podcast have brought you a wealth of voices on a variety of topics, week after week. But, as of this very episode, we’re pleased to announce a shift to a more permanent roster: joining host/producer Rick Harp are Brock Pitawanakwat, Ken Williams, Kim Tallbear and Taté Walker. So, exactly who are these people? And if they’re gonna be roundtable regulars, shouldn’t we know a bit more about them first? Answering those questions is what this episode is all about. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Tue, September 05, 2017
Has Canada Cut Indian Affairs in Half or Cloned it?
Double the fun or double trouble? Seemingly out of nowhere, the federal Liberals have decided to re-arrange the political furniture as part of a late summer shuffle of their Cabinet. What is now Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada will be cleaved in two—in future, First Nations will have to deal with the department of "Crown-Indigenous relations and Northern Affairs" and the department of "Indigenous Services." But will INAC be cleaved so much as cloned? What does this ostensible re-org actually, concretely mean? In light of this unexpected shift, we’re doing a shift of our own this week to go as deep as possible on exactly these questions with special guests Russ Diabo, a Kahnawake Mohawk analyst, writer and activist, and Peter Di Gangi, a land rights researcher and analyst with Sicani Research. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Mon, August 28, 2017
Ottawa's new Indigenous court; Australia's cashless welfare cards; Iqaluit's first liquor store
Ottawa gets a new, Indigenous-only courtroom, but does the evidence support the move? Why critics say electronic welfare cards are being used to police the behaviour of recipients in Australia. How Iqaluit’s new beer and wine store hopes to keep a damper on drinking by customers. R ounding out this week’s Indigenous roundtable are host/producer Rick Harp along with the University of Alberta's K im TallBear (Native Studies) and Ken Williams (Drama). // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Mon, August 21, 2017
Charlottesville, Guam and the 'Eskimos' of Edmonton
This week... Why Indigenous people totally relate to recent violence over icons of intolerance in Charlottesville, Virginia; w e get into Guam, a strategic US island colony that found itself smack dab in the middle of nuclear brinkmanship with North Korea; and, Inuk singer Tanya Tagaq adds her voice to calls for the Edmonton Eskimos to change their team’s name. Returning to the roundtable are Lakota activist/communicator Taté Walker, and K im TallBear, associate professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta.
Sun, August 13, 2017
Child welfare's links to homelessness; BC overdose data; What is "authentic" Indigenous art?
This week's Indigenous roundtable: a new study seems to solidify the link between homelessness and contact with the child welfare system; new data reveals a disproportionate number of Indigenous deaths due to overdose in British Columbia; and, with the big Santa Fe Indian Art market around the corner, we discuss its approach to the perennial debate over "authentic" Indigenous art. Joining us are Lakota activist and communications professional Taté Walker and Kim TallBear, associate professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Sun, August 06, 2017
Starvation, Experimentation, Segregation, Trauma: Indigenous Health History
This week: Starvation, experimentation, segregation and trauma — to Mary Jane McCallum, these four words are critical concepts for any student of Indigenous health history. And she should know: a full professor of history at the University of Winnipeg, McCallum has studied and written about the subject extensively, including a recent article for The Canadian Historical Review . With a title that bears those four same words, McCallum’s piece discusses how these phenomena factor into every encounter of Indigenous people with mainstream health care systems, policies and research practices, and thus continue to racialize and colonize Aboriginal people. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Sat, July 29, 2017
White Settler Revisionism and Making Métis Everywhere (Part 2)
This week... the conclusion to our conversation with the authors of the recent article, "White Settler Revisionism and Making Métis Everywhere: The Evocation of Métissage in Québec and Nova Scotia." Scholars Adam Gaudry (Native Studies & Political Science, University of Alberta) and Darryl Leroux (Sociology & Atlantic Canada studies, Saint Mary’s University) return to discuss why this urge of some Settlers to 'play Métis' is a fantasy that could prove fatal to the rights of all Indigenous peoples in Canada. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Sun, July 23, 2017
White Settler Revisionism and Making Métis Everywhere (Pt. 1)
This week… the first in a two-part conversation that confronts the confusion and contention around what it means to be Métis. In their new article, "White Settler Revisionism and Making Métis Everywhere: The Evocation of Métissage in Québec and Nova Scotia." Co-authors Adam Gaudry (University of Alberta) and Darryl Leroux (Saint Mary’s University) argue that moves by some settler communities to insert a "Métis" identity into places and periods they don’t belong — namely, outside the Prairie homelands of the historic Métis Nation — all in an effort to "self-Indigenize," don’t just constitute wrong-headed fantasy, but a real and present danger to genuine Indigenous self-determination. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Sat, July 15, 2017
How Boring Bureaucracy Enables Inhumane Inequity in Canada
This week… a bit of a mid-summer break from our regular format as we take a deep dive into the fiscal infrastructure of colonialism in Canada. As technocratic as that sounds, our guest expertly deciphers how boring bureaucracy can enable inhumane inequity. Our guide on this journey is Shiri Pasternak, Assistant Professor in Criminology at Ryerson University, and the author of a 5-part series entitled, “Resistance 150: Unsettling Canada’s Hidden Economic Apartheid.” It appears on Ricochet.media, a digital news outlet dedicated to public interest journalism. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Sun, July 09, 2017
Tempest in a Teepee on Parliament Hill; Pressure at the Press Gallery
This week... tempest in a teepee: Indigenous people fight to set up a ceremonial camp on Parliament Hill for Canada Day. Did their actions shine a light on the controversy over Canada 150—or simply stoke the flames of a backlash? We also explore how a press conference meant to educate reporters on why that teepee went up seemingly mutated into a media lecture on how Indigenous people ought to conduct themselves. At the roundtable this week are K enneth Williams, an assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s department of drama, plus Lakota activist and communications professional Taté Walker.
Sun, July 02, 2017
How governmental ill will continues to plague Indigenous health care
This week, is the state of Indigenous health care plagued by governmental ill will? Some might think so in Alberta, where a pair of provincial employees were punted for a racist text message about a First Nations school principal. Meanwhile, in Ottawa, the political battle over health care inequity for on-reserve kids continues as the feds announce they want parts of a human rights ruling quashed. Joining us this week with their diagnoses of what might be at the root of both situations are two physicians. Dr. Lisa Richardson is a clinician-educator with the University of Toronto's division of general internal medicine. Dr. Jason Pennington is a staff surgeon at Scarborough General Hospital and an assistant professor at the University of Toronto. Together, they serve as co-Leads for Indigenous Health Education with the U of T’s Office of Indigenous Medical Education. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Sun, June 25, 2017
Language Funding Inequity Irks Inuit; Google Maps Adds Indigenous Communities
This week... When words fail: Especially when one hears about the enormous equity gap in federal funding between French and Inuit languages in Nunavut. Plus... Putting us on the map—literally. Google announces that users of its Maps app will now get to see thousands more Indigenous communities. But will that hide as much as it reveals? Back again at the roundtable are Karyn Pugliese, APTN's Executive Director of News and Current Affairs, plus Lisa Girbav, a radio broadcaster and student from the Tsimshian territory.
Sun, June 18, 2017
Why It's Not Okay in Thunder Bay for Indigenous Youth; Does Canada/AFN MOU Go Too Far?
This week: why things aren't okay in Thunder Bay. In the wake of two more Indigenous teens found dead in this northwestern Ontario city’s waterways, their home First Nations are sounding alarm bells, but local police maintain there is no crisis. A nd WTF is a MOU, and why should we care? We unpack the recent signing of a joint memorandum of understanding between the Canadian government and the Assembly of First Nations. Back again are Karyn Pugliese, APTN's Executive Director of News and Current Affairs with the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network and Lisa Girbav, a radio broadcaster from the Tsimshian territory and a student at UBC. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Sat, June 10, 2017
Assault victim forced to testify in chains and cuffs; Inuk granny jailed for opposing mega-dam
This week: Questioning curious carriages of justice in Canadian courts. Questions like, h ow is it that a victim of a brutal assault in Alberta not only gets locked up in remand against her will but was made to testify cuffed and chained?! And how did an Inuk grandmother from Labrador end up in an all-men ’s prison for opposing a controversial hydroelectric mega-project? Returning to the roundtable are Karyn Pugliese, APTN Executive Director of News and Current Affairs, and Lisa Girbav, a radio broadcaster from the Tsimshian territory and a student at UBC. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Sat, June 03, 2017
High-schoolers' "Cowboys & Indians" party; Diabetic dumped off bus
This week... outrageous outfits: A group of Alberta students host a controversial "Cowboys & Indians" costume graduation party. Plus, rough ride: a northern Manitoba man says he was unfairly ejected from a Greyhound bus — 5 hours from home — after his diabetes-related symptoms were mistakenly thought to be signs of drunkenness. Joining us this week are Karyn Pugliese, Executive Director of News and Current Affairs with the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network, and Lisa Girbav, a radio broadcaster from the Tsimshian territory and a student at the University of British Columbia. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Mon, May 29, 2017
Idle No More National Day of Action, 'Unsettling Canada 150'
This week, an extended conversation with two of the people behind 'Unsettling Canada 150.' Planned for the exact same date as Canada Day—July 1—this national, Indigenous-led day of action will serve as a counter-action to the multi-million dollar, orgiastic commemoration of the country’s 150th anniversary of Confederation. A joint initiative of the movements known as Idle No More and Defenders of the Land, 'Unsettling Canada 150' will feature a series of events in the weeks leading up to July 1st. Our guests are Janice Makokis, legal scholar and First Nations advisor, and First Nations policy analyst Russ Diabo. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Mon, May 22, 2017
Does '13 Reasons Why' sensationalize suicide? Aboriginal authors on the curriculum
On this week’s roundtable: sensationalizing suicide? We recount the critiques of 13 Reasons Why , the Netflix teen drama that's sparked controversy for centering the suicide of one of its characters. And shaking off Shakespeare: a mid the recent kerfuffle over cultural appropriation, we’ll discuss why one Ontario school board has booted the Bard in favour of Indigenous authors. Joining us at our roundtable are Jessica Deer, a staff reporter with the Eastern Door newspaper in Kahnawake, and, in Phoenix, Arizona, Lakota activist and communications professional, Taté Walker.
Sun, May 14, 2017
What could BC Election 2017 mean for Indigenous peoples?
This week, a breakdown of the BC election, the result of which is still up in the air, leaving Indigenous peoples with all sorts of questions. Questions like which would be better or worse for their interests, a Liberals/Greens coalition or NDP/Greens? How much Indigenous issues factored into this election, or how much Indigenous voters did? And how did Indigenous candidates fare? Our roundtable welcomes two BC-based journalists, Angela Sterritt of CBC Vancouver and CBC Indigenous, and Wawmeesh Hamilton, who works for CBC and Discourse Media. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Sun, May 07, 2017
How Canada's first Indigenous policy was founded on famine
This week, an extended interview with James Daschuk, author of Clearing the Plains: Disease, Politics of Starvation, and the Loss of Aboriginal Life . The award-winning book is a harrowing, historical account of Canada's original Aboriginal policy — re-location via starvation. In this conversation, originally recorded in 2014, Daschuk discusses his investigation into the roles that disease, climate and politics played in the deaths and subjugation of thousands of Aboriginal people in the late 1800s, an era when Canada’s first prime minister — John A. Macdonald — relentlessly pursued his so-called 'National Dream.' A pursuit that coincided with the often nightmarish existence of first peoples on the Plains. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Sat, April 29, 2017
Canada's Sexist Status Indian System
THIS WEEK: W e delve into an Indigenous woman's 30-year-plus court battle to regain her Indian Status, a battle that just resulted in victory in Ontario. But will Lynn Gehl's win against the sexism of Canada's Indian Status system endure? If so, what could it mean for thousands just like her? We then look at Bill S-3, a bill that, like Gehl's case, deals with gender discrimination in the Indian Act but, like most federal fixes in this area, only seems to exacerbate the problem it was meant to solve. Joining us again are scholar Pam Palmater and author Paul Seesequasis. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Sat, April 22, 2017
Transportation troubles threaten to leave Indigenous people stranded
This week: Transportation Troubles. In Saskatchewan, a recent government budget announced the shutdown of the STC, a provincial bus service that critics say is a lifeline for rural communities and reserves. Meanwhile in Manitoba, a First Nations owned airline was stunned to learn that it too could have its wings clipped after news that the province will end its support for a local airport. Returning to the roundtable to discuss the implications of these cuts are academic Pam Palmater and writer Paul Seesequasis.
Sat, April 15, 2017
How Health Canada Misdiagnoses the Needs of Indigenous Peoples
This week, a double dive into recent moves by Health Canada: first, its decision to fund the cost of a travel companion for pregnant Indigenous women who give birth outside their community; second, is social media an effective way for the department to connect to Indigenous kids in need of medical care? Sharing their diagnoses are scholar Pam Palmater and writer Paul Seesequasis. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Sat, April 08, 2017
Is the Globe and Mail Guilty of Whitesplaining? Third-Party (Mis)Management
THIS WEEK / Colonial Editorial: Why people like ex-TRC head Murray Sinclair are outraged by a Globe and Mail op-ed rejecting the idea that South Africa's experience with oppression parallels that of Canada’s. Is the Globe guilty of whitesplaining? / Third-party Mis-management: a federal Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs continues to hear whether the practice of forcing First Nations to rely on outside managers to run their communities can somehow be improved. The kind of question that kind of answers itself. Joining the roundtable are: Pam Palmater, the Chair in Indigenous Governance with the department of Politics and Public Administration at Ryerson University, along with writer and journalist Paul Seesequasis. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Mon, April 03, 2017
Has the Mainstream Media Acted on Calls to Promote Reconciliation?
On this week's Indigenous roundtable, we examine mainstream Canadian media and reconciliation. When the Truth and Reconciliation Commission issued its nearly 100 Calls to Action back in late 2015, the fourth estate was among the institutions encouraged to take up those calls. It's been well over a year: what action has been taken? What has that meant for how stories about Indigenous people get told? To what extent have national media managed to overcome their legacy as channels of Canadian colonialism? And how do individual Indigenous journalists navigate the needs and vantage points of news outlets serving a predominantly non-Indigenous audience? Joining us this week to discuss these questions are Waubgeshig Rice, author and video-journalist with CBC News Ottawa, and Hayden King, an assistant professor with Carleton University’s School of Public Policy & Administration.
Sat, March 25, 2017
Why Canada fights funding equity for First Nations kids; Dysfunction at Department of Indigenous Affairs Canada
On this week's roundtable: Federal foot-dragging. The Canadian Human Rights Tribunal ordered feds to stop underfunding child welfare on-reserve back in 2016. So why has it still yet to happen? And, Departmental dysfunction: a recent news report describes a section of Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada as a "deeply troubled, if not toxic, work environment." But is it a localized infection or a rot that's more wide-spread? Danika Billie Littlechild and Robert Jago return.
Sat, March 18, 2017
The Crime of Being Indigenous; Food Sovereignty Starved of Support
On this week's Indigenous roundtable: Do growing calls for tougher laws deliberately target some more than others? A look at the apparent push to increasingly criminalize Aboriginal behaviour by non-Aboriginal interests. Plus, how a disproportionate number of Indigenous people throughout Canada struggle with severe food insecurity. Returning to the roundtable are Danika Billie Littlechild and Robert Jago. // Our theme is nesting by birocratic.
Sat, March 11, 2017
Sisters Seeking Status Sperm; Push-back on Patriotism
This week — Attention Status Indian men: do you have sperm to spare? Some women on Craigslist are hoping you'll consider making what might be called a liquid transaction. And proudly unpatriotic: a Native student at an Oklahoma high school is reprimanded for refusing to pledge allegiance to the United States. Joining us once again are entrepreneur and commentator Robert Jago and lawyer and international advocate Danika Billie Littlechild. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Sun, March 05, 2017
Liberals Fail to Fix First Nations Fire & Water Services Gap
On this week's Indigenous roundtable: fire and water. A new investigation into the overall state of First Nations fire prevention and protection in Canada paints an abysmal picture. But with no shortage of suggested solutions, the real question is why they have yet to be implemented. And, a drop in the bucket: it's one of Trudeau's biggest promises to First Nations—an end to boil water advisories by 2020. And in fact some have been lifted, only to see other communities join the list. In the face of this glacial pace, has hope for real change from the Liberals pretty much evaporated? Joining us this month for the first time are Montreal-based entrepreneur and commentator Robert Jago and Danika Billie Littlechild, a lawyer and international advocate based in Maskwacis, Alberta.
Sat, February 25, 2017
Indigenous Institutionalization, Then and Now
This week, two troubling stories of Indigenous institutionalization. The first comes to us from an Ontario jail where 9 out of 10 inmates are Aboriginal—and 10 out of 10 reportedly face challenges of a mental, cognitive or addictive nature. The second features numbers no less startling: one young First Nations man, 18 years in the foster care system, put in and pulled out of 73 different homes! A hard life made only worse now that he's been charged with the recent killing of a Winnipeg transit driver. Joining us once again: scholar Brock Pitawanakwat and journalist Wawmeesh Hamilton. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Mon, February 20, 2017
Sixties Scoop Survivors' Legal Victory; Is it time for an Indigenous-led political party?
On this week's Indigenous roundtable… Success for Survivors : Despite attempts by both the Harper Conservatives and the Trudeau Liberals to keep former adoptees out of Ontario courts, not only was their Sixties Scoop class-action suit heard, they won. What could it mean for similar suits in other jurisdictions? And, Putting our peoples first : a one-time deputy premier under Manitoba’s previous NDP government thinks the party has abandoned Aboriginal people like him—will his pitch for a new party see Indigenous issues get more attention, or just more marginalized? Returning to the roundtable once again are Brock Pitawanakwat, an assistant professor of Indigenous studies at the University of Sudbury, and Wawmeesh Hamilton, a journalist and photographer based in Vancouver. //Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Sat, February 11, 2017
Indigenous Activists Actively Monitored; Hereditary Rivalry
This week, it's Women on the Watchlist: why were rallies in support of an inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls on the radar of Canada's national security apparatus?  Plus,   Inherited Issues: Rival claims to hereditary leadership in BC have ended up in a non-Indigenous court. Is this the ultimate in irony or just the logical outcome of outside interference? Back at the roundtable once again are Brock Pitawanakwat, assistant professor of Indigenous studies at the University of Sudbury, and Wawmeesh Hamilton, a Vancouver-based journalist and photographer. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Fri, February 03, 2017
Indigenous Women's Inquiry to Include Men; Battle Over BC Street Name
On this week's Indigenous roundtable: Make room for men—we try to decipher recent revelations that the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls will examine "ways in which the testimonies and stories of men and boys might be collected," sparking fears that it risks de-centering the voices and perspectives of those it was set up to serve. And: Street fight in Port Alberni, BC—what do you do when a road where you live is named after a dead white supremacist? According to a majority of city council, apparently nothing at all. Joining us are Brock Pitawanakwat , an assistant professor of Indigenous studies at the University of Sudbury, and Wawmeesh Hamilton , a Vancouver-based journalist and photographer.
Sat, January 28, 2017
'Race War' Rhetoric in Manitoba; Debating Downside of Donations to First Nations
This week, we discuss a western Canadian premier's racializing of the contentious issue of night-time moose hunting: could his hyperbole put Aboriginal people in the cross-hairs? And, the ambivalence of benevolence — an anonymous donor has pledged almost $400,000 to support a First Nation reeling after two 12-year-old girls took their own lives, seven months after the community’s request for federal suicide prevention funds went nowhere. But how could such a 'charity case' approach possibly work for the dozens of other communities in similar straits? Back again are criminologist Lisa Monchalin and youth advocate Michael Redhead Champagne. // Our theme is 'nesting,' by birocratic .
Mon, January 23, 2017
Arthur Manuel's Legacy; Liberals Transparent Backtrack on TRC Call to Action
This week, a look at the legacy of the late Arthur Manuel, whose vision of Indigenous rights was uncompromising. We also discuss a National Observer report suggesting that the Canadian government is backtracking on its pledge to be more transparent about its legal positions vis-à-vis Aboriginal and treaty rights. Our roundtable welcomes back Lisa Monchalin and Michael Redhead Champagne.
Sat, January 14, 2017
Poor Progress Report for Missing & Murdered Women's Inquiry; On-Reserve Rape Kits
On this week's roundtable: the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. Some 4 months after its official launch, critics question its progress to date ahead of its November 2018 deadline. And, on-reserve rape kits: Health Canada gets called out for not moving quicker on a request from northern Ontario First Nations trying to take action on sexual assault investigations. Joining us once again are criminologist Lisa Monchalin and youth advocate Michael Redhead Champagne.
Sun, January 08, 2017
Crashing the Canada 150 birthday party; Ice-fishing business freezes out Status Indians
On this week's Indigenous roundtable: a northern Ontario outfit that rents huts to ice-fishers is in hot water after an ad on Kijiji tells Status Indians to stay away! Plus, Canada 150: a century and a half after the country’s creation, what exactly do Aboriginal peoples have to celebrate? Joining the MEDIA INDIGENA roundtable this month are Lisa Monchalin , author of The Colonial Problem: An Indigenous Perspective on Crime and Injustice in Canada , and Michael Champagne , founder of Aboriginal Youth Opportunities and the Canadian Red Cross 2016 Young Humanitarian of the Year.
Sat, December 31, 2016
Indigenous Look Back at 2016; Joseph Boyden Identity Questions
On this week's Indigenous roundtable, we look back and ahead—what were the trends and themes that defined this past year for Indigenous peoples, and what might the next 12 months bring? According to our roundtable, 2016 was a breakout year for empowering Indigenous media artistry and activism. It also ended with a bang, as heated discussions about identity fraud re-ignited after new revelations about acclaimed author Joseph Boyden. Joining us once more are Cutcha Risling Baldy, Assistant Professor of American Indian Studies at San Diego State University, and Taté Walker, editor of Native Peoples magazine.
Fri, December 23, 2016
"Barbaric Civilization: A Critical Sociology of Genocide," by Christopher Powell
This week's podcast, a kind of holiday edition , features an interview Rick conducted back in 2011 with Ryerson University professor Christopher Powell about his then-new book, " Barbaric Civilization: A Critical Sociology of Genocide ," published by McGill-Queen's University Press. The interview appears courtesy of NCI-FM, where it first aired.
Sat, December 17, 2016
Jennifer Lawrence 'Sorry' for Sacred Site Slight; Cherokee Okay Same-Sex Marriage
On this week's Indigenous roundtable... Jennifer Lawrence's 'sorry' butt: the Hunger Games star has apologized after social media slammed her conduct at a sacred site in Hawai'i but critics say her mealy-mouthed words of so-called contrition only made things worse. And Cherokee choose change: a senior legal official with the tribe reverses a 9-year-old ban on same-sex marriage. We'll look into what prompted the decision and where other communities across the U-S stand on the matter. United yet again to talk United States’ stories making headlines are Cutcha Risling Baldy , an Assistant Professor of American Indian Studies at San Diego State University, and Taté Walker , editor of Native Peoples magazine.
Fri, December 09, 2016
Surprise at Standing Rock; Advisors to Trump pump privatizing treaty lands for oil and gas
On this week's roundtable... Return to the Rock: last episode, the future of the fight against the Dakota Access pipeline project seemed uncertain, with many opponents fearing the worst. Then on Sunday, to the surprise of many, the Army announced it would not permit construction to proceed. But will the company behind the pipeline listen? And, L ooming land grab? We'll discuss a Reuters report suggesting some members of the Trump team will push the President-elect to privatize treaty lands so billions in oil and gas reserves can finally be extracted. Joining us once again are Cutcha Risling Baldy , an Assistant Professor of American Indian Studies at San Diego State University, and Taté Walker , editor of Native Peoples magazine.
Sat, December 03, 2016
What's in Store for Standing Rock? Measuring Moana's Cultural Credibility
On this week's Indigenous roundtable... Where do things stand with Standing Rock? The struggle in North Dakota against the construction of the Dakota Access pipeline continues to face constant pressure from federal and state authorities. With winter weather only adding to the challenges, how much longer can these thousands of activists hold out? P lus, Pixar Polynesian: the Disney-owned studio's newest animated release is earning cautious kudos for its depiction of a young girl's quest to save her people. But is Moana really a respectful representation of Indigenous life or just more cultural tourism? This week’s roundtable features Cutcha Risling Baldy is an Assistant Professor of American Indian Studies at San Diego State University and Taté Walker, editor of Native Peoples magazine. // Our theme is nesting by birocratic.
Sun, November 27, 2016
BC's Brown Face of Poverty; First Nation's Teachers Strike
On this week's program... The all-too-brown face of child poverty in British Columbia: a new report details the frustratingly familiar reasons why and what to do, but will governments act? Plus, the bigger picture underlying why educators on a northern First Nation have walked out over wages at a reserve high school. Returning this week to our roundtable, Ken Williams, playwright-in-residence at the University of Saskatchewan and Patrice Mousseau, a journalist and entrepreneur. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Sat, November 19, 2016
Val d'Or police abuse probe; Suing over smudging
On this week's show... invalidation in Val d'Or : Why have three-dozen Aboriginal accusations of police abuse in this Quebec town come up empty? Plus, smudge grudge: a BC parent is suing her children's school because she claims it forced them to take part in a religious Indigenous ceremony. Joining us at this week's roundtable are Ken Williams, playwright-in-residence at the University of Saskatchewan and APTN News & Current Affairs director Karyn Pugliese. // Our theme is nesting by birocratic.
Sun, November 13, 2016
What will Trump presidency hold for Indigenous Peoples?; First Nation sees green in medical marijuana
On this week's program: Trump triumph ... what could the election of this outrageously racist man mean for Indigenous peoples in the US and beyond? And, another First Nation goes to pot . That is, if the Siksika in Alberta get their way, as Canada’s first Indigenous purveyors of medical marijuana. Joining us once again at the roundtable are Ken Williams and Patrice Mousseau. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Sun, November 06, 2016
Indigenous Moose Hunt Triggers Tension; Sexist Sticker Shock
On this week's Indigenous roundtable… Triggering Tension: non-Aboriginal hunters in Manitoba are upset after an Indigenous leader made no bones about bagging a bull in a no-kill zone; and, Sticker Shock: an Alberta trucker sets off a social media tsunami due to a giant decal on his rig that reads "one squaw too many." Joining us this week are two new roundtablers: from Saskatoon, Ken Williams, playwright-in-residence at the University of Saskatchewan and a former reporter with APTN National News. And in Vancouver, Patrice Mousseau, a journalist and entrepreneur whose broadcast credits include CBC, Aboriginal Voices Radio and the anchor chair for APTN National News.
Sat, October 29, 2016
Muskrat Falls Protest; Family Violence in Canada
This week's Indigenous current affairs roundtable discusses the controversial, much-criticized, Muskrat Falls hydro project in Labrador: has an 11th-hour negotiation addressed the critics' concerns? And the Public Health Agency of Canada has shone a spotlight on the issue of family violence in its annual report, including how it impacts Indigenous families. Joining us once again on this week’s roundtable are Colleen Simard and Conrad Prince. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.
Sat, October 22, 2016
Water rights fight in Alberta; Debating drug testing on-reserve
This week on our Indigenous current affairs roundtable: is Alberta all wet when it comes to Indigenous water rights? A recent story in the Globe and Mail suggests the province’s view may be skewed when it comes to whose rights take priority. Plus, a First Nation in British Columbia says it wants to administer drug tests to all its politicians and employees as a way to combat drug abuse. Will it work? Joining us once again are Colleen Simard and Conrad Prince . // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic .
Sat, October 15, 2016
Education funding finagle; Alarming abuse of kids in care in BC
This week, our Indigenous current affairs roundtable unpacks recent revelations that, despite federal bureaucrats saying the cupboard for First Nations education funding was full, the Liberals deliberately chose to delay a large chunk of it until after the next election. And, we’ll share our thoughts on an alarming report out of BC that shows First Nations kids in custody suffer alarming rates of sexual abuse. Joining us once again are Colleen Simard and Conrad Prince. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic .
Fri, October 07, 2016
Cop's controversial comments outrage Ottawa's Indigenous community
Ottawa's police force is taking some heat after one of its own appears to have posted racist comments on a local newspaper’s website. The commentary followed a story about the tragic and untimely death of acclaimed Inuk artist Annie Pootoogook. The police are investigating, calling her death "suspicious," but won’t get into specifics. Meanwhile, members of Ottawa's Indigenous community are outraged that a police officer would even publicly comment on the case, much less dismiss the idea that Pootoogook's death deserves to be spoken of in the same breath as the inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women. Sitting at the roundtable to discuss this incident, and what it may say about the attitudes of rank and file police, are Colleen Simard and Conrad Prince.
Fri, September 30, 2016
Questioning mainstream media's fixation on First Nation "failure"
A First Nation that only seems to get the spotlight when bad things happen is once again in the headlines: Shamattawa. Literally left devastated last week after a major fire destroyed key services and infrastructure — including the reserve's only grocery store — it's all the more worrisome when you consider the northeastern Manitoba community is only accessible by plane or boat most of the year. Then there's the disturbing cause of the blaze: according to the RCMP, it was started by a group of children, most of whom aren't even 12 years old. Shamattawa's high rates of poverty, unemployment, substance abuse and youth suicide are well-documented by news outlets. Less so are the efforts of its people to reverse these trends. Among the more determined is this week's guest: Michael Redhead Champagn e, founder of Aboriginal Youth Opportunities in Winnipeg.
Thu, September 22, 2016
The Perpetuation of Discrimination Against First Nations Children
For the third time in 9 months, the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal has ordered the federal government to end its discriminatory practice of inequitably funding child welfare services on-reserve. The Tribunal’s initial ruling happened in January, the result of a 2007 human rights complaint. But despite Indigenous Affairs Canada being told to "immediately remove the most discriminatory aspects of [its] funding schemes" for First Nations agencies, the federal government has failed to show the Tribunal how it’s done so. Will this latest order to comply make a difference? Joining us with her observations is lawyer Maggie Wente, part of the legal team advising the Chiefs of Ontario, which has "interested party" status at these proceedings.
Thu, September 15, 2016
Why is Canada so obsessed with long-lost white explorers?
According to The Guardian , it's a discovery that "challenges the accepted history behind one of polar exploration’s deepest mysteries." This week, 168 years after it sank, a ship once captained by the famous British explorer Sir John Franklin seems to have finally been found. Known as the HMS Terror, it was one of two large crafts used by the ill-fated Franklin expedition, now the stuff of legend for both Britain and its colonial offspring, Canada. But amidst these tales of Terror's ruin and reported recovery in Arctic waters, we might ask where Arctic people fit into all of this. Our guest this episode is Kisha Supernant , an anthropological archaeologist and associate professor at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. // Our theme is 'nesting,' by birocratic .
Fri, September 09, 2016
Standing Up for the Standing Rock Sioux
This week: Standing up for the Standing Rock Sioux. For the US state of North Dakota, massive deposits of unconventional oil have brought much prosperity for some, great pain to others. In a bid to get even more of that oil to market, a new project is underway: the Dakota Access Pipeline. But the 1900 km, $3.8 billion project has long been opposed by local Indigenous people, the Standing Rock Sioux , who argue any spill would both devastate regional water sources and desecrate sites of spiritual significance. Pipeline proponents claim it will boost jobs, revenues, even safety, when compared to oil moved by rail or road. My guest this week has been an ardent follower of this struggle. A member of the Cheyenne River Sioux tribe in neighbouring South Dakota, Taté Walker is the editor of Native Peoples magazine.
Sun, September 04, 2016
The State of Indigenous Homelessness
According to preliminary new data released this week, Indigenous people in Canada are 10 times more likely to use an emergency shelter than their non-Indigenous counterparts. That's according to the National Shelter Study , a decade-long look at the use of emergency shelter beds across the country. And for the first time ever, the study has tracked stats according to Indigenous identity. Our guest this week is Jesse Thistle , a graduate student of history who once spent much of his young adulthood in and out of homelessness and addiction. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic .
Fri, August 26, 2016
Sixties Scoop survivors take Canada to court
If families form the bedrock of Indigenous peoples, it seems Canada has devoted decades to their fracture and fragmentation. And, as child advocate Cindy Blackstock notes, were we to label the forced institutionalization of children in faraway residential schools as 'phase one' of that fracturing, the subsequent removal of generations of kids into the homes of non-Aboriginal strangers in the 1960s could be called 'phase two.' The so-called 'Scoop' removed thousands of kids from a number of provinces. But, this week, it was an Ontario court that heard the latest phase of a class action suit seeking compensation for what survivors say Canada denied them: rightful access to "Aboriginal customs, traditions and practices." Our guest is Raven Sinclair , associate professor of social work at the University of Regina, and a Scoop survivor herself.
Thu, August 18, 2016
The Killing of Colten Boushie: Will Justice Be Served?
Senseless, tragic and disturbing: words that rush to mind upon hearing the news of last week’s killing of Colten Boushie. A 22-year-old resident of the Red Pheasant First Nation in western Canada, Boushie was shot to death after he and four other Indigenous young people drove onto the property of 54-year-old, non-Indigenous farmer Gerald Stanley in hopes of getting help with a flat tire. What happened next is still under investigation, but that hasn’t stopped some from drawing and sharing their own hurtful and hateful conclusions via social media. Our guests this week both hail from Saskatchewan: Tasha Hubbard is a documentarian and assistant professor of English at the University of Saskatchewan; Chris Andersen is interim dean at the University of Alberta’s faculty of Native Studies. They share their thoughts as to what Boushie's death — and its contentious aftermath — might tell us about the state of Indigenous/non-Indigenous relations in that province and beyond. // Our theme: 'nesting' by Birocratic .
Fri, August 12, 2016
Why Won't Hollywood Let Adam Beach Live?
Will it happen again? Will someone portrayed on-screen by Aboriginal actor Adam Beach be quickly dispensed with, leaving us next to no time to really know his character? According to our guest this week, it's been something of a pattern for Mr. Beach — indeed, it's a fate faced by all too many Indigenous actors in Hollywood, as they appear all too briefly in mainstream television and film productions. Cutcha Risling Baldy is an Assistant Professor of American Indian Studies at San Diego State University. She's also the author of the 2015 blog post, " I Can't Believe You Keep Killing Off Adam Beach, NBC : Gender, Representation, Settler Colonialism and Native Cameos on Television." In the course of exploring what's at stake in how Indigenous people are represented by the major studios, we'll also discuss whether Beach's latest role as SlipKnot in the summer superhero flick, " Suicide Squad, " breaks with the pattern she's described. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic .
Fri, August 05, 2016
Critiquing Canada's Inquiry into Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women
When loved ones die, there’s no question who suffers most—their families. And of those who pushed hardest for the newly-launched National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, none fought more fiercely than the relatives of these stolen sisters. Now some of those families have been left disappointed by the details of its terms of reference. Such concerns are echoed by groups like the Native Women’s Association of Canada and Pauktuutit, who say there are fundamental flaws in the Inquiry’s scale and scope. Joining us this week with her reflections is Pam Palmater , Chair in Indigenous Governance at Ryerson University in Toronto. // Our theme is 'nesting' by Birocratic .
Thu, July 28, 2016
Food Insecurity in Canada's North
According to the WHO, food security is “when all people, at all times, have access to sufficient, safe, nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life.” In Canada's north, food access and affordability are critical issues —especially for many Indigenous communities — and government subsidies seem to only go so far. Madeleine Redfern, mayor of Iqaluit (Nunavut's capital city), discusses her territory's challenges with food insecurity and how the 'Nutrition North' subsidy program might be improved to better serve Inuit. // Our theme is 'nesting' by Birocratic .
Sat, July 23, 2016
Inaction on the Indian Act in Canada
This week on the program: Inaction on the Indian Act. Derided for decades, it’s hung in there as one of Canada’s oldest laws. Now there are hints from the federal Justice Minister that its days could be numbered... just not right away. Joining us with her thoughts on the delayed dismantling of the Act is Naomi Sayers, a law student active in legal reform and education who writes under the banner of kwetoday.com .// Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic .
Fri, July 15, 2016
Aboriginal Anxiety About The Police
An Indigenous broadcaster shares his personal and political perspective on police treatment of Aboriginal people, an issue he recently wrote about in his Huffington Post piece, "This Is Why People Of Colour Fear The Police." Jesse Wente is the d irector of Film Programmes at TIFF Bell Lightbox, and a long-time CBC Radio pop culture columnist. He joined us from Toronto. // Our theme is 'nesting' by Birocratic.
Tue, July 12, 2016
Podcast Progress Report: How Are We Doing?
Fresh off our week at the Podcast Movement conference in Chicago, the team behind MEDIA INDIGENA 'checks in' on our progress 18 weeks into the show. We share our experiences, lessons and successes—including our ultimate, larger vision for the show's future, both on and off the mic. Featuring Ian Milne , MI's Head of Audience & Partnership Development. // Our theme is 'nesting' by Birocratic .
Thu, June 30, 2016
The work to keep Indigenous families together
New research out of the University of Toronto into Indigenous child welfare has highlighted what some already suspected: that, when it comes to investigations of abuse or neglect, Indigenous families in Ontario are way more likely to be investigated than their white counterparts—130 per cent more, in fact. The disparity grows even greater for child removal , with young Aboriginal people 168 per cent more likely to be taken. But such over-representation is not unique to Ontario. Canada-wide, the most recent numbers show fully a third of all children and youth in care are Aboriginal. Our guest this week is Kenn Richard, executive director of Native Child and Family Services of Toronto. // Our theme is "nesting" by Bee-row-Crat-ic.
Sun, June 26, 2016
Could legal action make Canada walk its talk on Indigenous languages?
This week: the fight for funding of Indigenous languages. Despite the best efforts of the Canadian government to wipe out the roughly 60 Aboriginal languages in that part of the world (what some call deliberate linguicide) those ancestral tongues are not yet stilled. But this is no time for complacency, which is why people like Lorena Fontaine, an associate professor of Indigenous Governance at the University of Winnipeg, is part of the team behind a lawsuit that they hope will force Canada to truly walk its talk on Indigenous language revitalization. // Our theme is 'nesting' by Birocratic .
Thu, June 16, 2016
Indigenous peoples and public health
According to its proponents, Indigenous public health goes beyond the original concept to encourage health practitioners to be more aware of the larger social, political and historical issues and dynamics that often drive Aboriginal health disparities. This week’s episode comes to you from Toronto, host to “Public Health 2016,” the annual conference of the Canadian Public Health Association (CPHA). Our guests are Nancy Laliberte and Alycia Fridkin of the Provincial Health Services Authority of British Columbia. // Our theme is 'nesting' by Birocratic .
Thu, June 09, 2016
Human rights watchdog urges equal access to clean drinking water for First Nations
"Contaminated, hard to access or toxic." According to a new Human Rights Watch report, that’s what all too many First Nations endure when it comes to safe, quality drinking water—in some cases, for decades. Our guest this week is Amanda Klasing, a senior HRW researcher and the author of its report, “Make it Safe: Canada’s Obligation to End the First Nations Water Crisis.” // Our theme is 'nesting' by Birocratic
Sun, June 05, 2016
Separating the rhetoric from the realities of Reconciliation in Canada
One of Canada's largest provinces now says it's sorry for its "silence in the face of abuses and deaths at residential schools... [and] for the continued harm that generations of abuse is causing to Indigenous communities, families and individuals." The formal apology by the Ontario government comes almost one year after Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission issued its final report. But will Ontario’s actions speak louder than its words? Joining us with his reflections on the rhetoric versus realities of reconciliation is comedian and podcaster Ryan McMahon. // Our theme is "nesting" by Birocratic .
Sat, May 28, 2016
Series of Indigenous student deaths prompts search for answers
This week, we get an update on the inquest into a series of young First Nation fatalities in northwestern Ontario, where seven Indigenous students have died over a 10 year period in the city of Thunder Bay. Our guest is Jody Porter, a local CBC journalist who's covered this story for years, including regular updates from the inquest. // Our theme is "nesting" by Birocratic .
Tue, May 24, 2016
Pushback against poll purporting Native "indifference" to Washington Redskins team name
This week we take a long look at a provocative poll recently published by the Washington Post about their home town pro football club, the "Redskins." The paper claims the results supposedly show "how few ordinary Indians have been persuaded by a national movement to change the football team’s moniker." Not surprisingly, team owner Daniel Snyder immediately celebrated the findings, but critics claim the poll should be punted for its shaky methodology and the way it ignores how a racial slur like the R-word diminishes Indigenous self-esteem as well as poisons mainstream attitudes toward Native peoples. Our guests this week are Jason Notte , a sports business columnist for MarketWatch.com, as well as Ottawa-based journalist and author Waubgeshig Rice . // Our theme is "nesting" by Birocratic .
Sat, May 14, 2016
Will a bigger piece of the pipeline pie win more Indigenous support for Northern Gateway?
Recently, Canadian energy giant Enbridge announced it was prepared to boost the Aboriginal stake in their Northern Gateway project up to 33 per cent. Mired in controversy pretty much from the get-go, that includes how it seems to have seeded tension among Indigenous peoples, dividing them into pro- and anti-pipeline camps. But will Enbridge's new offer be enough to win more Indigenous support? Sharing his thoughts: Merle Alexander, a partner and specialist in Aboriginal Law with the law firm Gowlings WLG in Vancouver. // Our opening and closing theme is 'nesting' by Birocratic .
Fri, May 06, 2016
The growing Indigenous economic footprint in Canada
This week on the program: the ever-growing economic footprint of Indigenous peoples. A recent report out of Atlantic Canada suggests Aboriginal spending benefits the region significantly, to the tune of $1.14 billion annually. But it's actually a trend across the country. Joining us with her insights into these numbers is Maureen Googoo, owner-editor of Kukukwes.com , a site dedicated to covering Indigenous news in eastern Canada. // Our opening and closing theme is 'nesting' by Birocratic .
Thu, April 28, 2016
De-coding Canada's coy comments about free, prior and informed Indigenous consent
Adopted by most countries back in 2007, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) faced but a handful of holdouts: the USA, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. Flash forward to last week, when a senior Canadian politician said his government was developing a so-called "Canadian definition" of at least some portions of UNDRIP, including the bedrock notion of free, prior and informed Indigenous consent. Helping us to decipher what that could mean going forward is Hayden King, Director of the Centre for Indigenous Governance at Ryerson University. // Our opening and closing theme is 'nesting' by Birocratic .
Fri, April 22, 2016
What might Manitoba's new government mean for Aboriginal peoples?
This week on the program, making sense of Manitoba's Election. As a province with one of Canada's largest proportions of Aboriginal people, it's worth asking what the end of the NDP's 17-year run in favour of the Progressive Conservatives could mean to Indigenous interests going forward. Sharing his thoughts is long-time journalist Trevor Greyeyes , editor of the First Nations Voice newspaper. // Our opening and closing theme is 'nesting' by Birocratic .
Thu, April 14, 2016
Understanding what drives Indigenous suicide
The remote Ontario community of Attawapiskat is but one example of a First Nation caught in the grips of a devastating suicide epidemic. This week, professor of psychiatry Amy Bombay joins us to explore the bigger picture and difficult histories underlying these all-too-common issues facing reserves across Canada. // Our opening and closing theme is 'nesting' by Birocratic .
Fri, April 08, 2016
US Election 2016 and Native Americans
Just how much attention have Indigenous issues been getting from the front-runners in the US presidential primaries thus far? Simon Moya-Smith of Indian Country Today fills us in. Our opening and closing theme is 'nesting' by Birocratic .
Fri, April 01, 2016
The ongoing medical crisis on First Nations
"An ongoing medical crisis." According to doctors serving First Nations west of James Bay, that is the current state of Aboriginal health for the northern Ontario region. Dr. James Makokis is a Cree family doctor based in Alberta who also teaches at Yellowhead Tribal College and the Universities of Alberta and Toronto. He shares his perspective on the health care challenges and barriers facing Indigenous communities right across Canada. Our opening and closing theme is 'nesting' by Birocratic .
Fri, March 25, 2016
Budget 2016 Breakdown
Some call it "historic." Its authors say it's "unprecedented." But what does Budget 2016 really offer Indigenous peoples in Canada? We asked Cindy Blackstock—executive director of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada and an associate professor at the University of Alberta—to help us break it down. // Our opening and closing theme is 'nesting' by Birocratic .
Thu, March 17, 2016
United Nations report on Canada and Indigenous peoples
A United Nations expert review committee recently reported on how well Canada has treated Indigenous peoples under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Constitutional law researcher and professor Karen Busby outlines some of the issues flagged by the committee. Our opening and closing theme is 'nesting' by Birocratic .
Thu, March 10, 2016
Climate change
Russ Diabo , publisher/editor of the First Nations Strategic Bulletin , joins MEDIA INDIGENA's Rick Harp to discuss what, if anything, came out of a recent meeting on climate change between leaders of three national Aboriginal organizations, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Canada's premiers. Our opening and closing theme is 'nesting' by Birocratic .

MEDIA INDIGENA : Indigenous current affairs

Storytelling on stolen land: Indigenous eyes on Canadian politics, Pt 2

Storytelling on stolen land: Indigenous eyes on Canadian politics: Pt 1

Political Pontifications: Part 3

Political Pontifications: Part 2

Political Pontifications: Part 1

Why Canada Needs Natives Needy: Part 5

Why Canada Needs Natives Needy: Part 4

Why Canada Needs Natives Needy: Part 3

Why Canada Needs Natives Needy: Part 2

Why Canada Needs Natives Needy: Part 1

Why Indigenous-led Genomics Matters: Part II

Why Indigenous-led Genomics Matters: Part I

Close Encounters of the Colonial Kind: Part 2

From perogies to pemmican: what can two men switched at birth tell us about Indigenous belonging?

Spilling the beans on Indigenous involvement in the coffee trade

A Plethora of Pretendianism: Pt 2

A Plethora of Pretendianism: Pt. 1

Close Encounters of the Colonial Kind: Pt. 1

APTN News Brief: March 8, 2024

Is the Supreme Court ruling on Canada's Indigenous child welfare law a victory for the status quo?

Unflagging settler colonialism in Minnesota / Mni Sóta Makoce

The 'clean, green' face of colonialism

Shaping a Syllabus for Indigenous Podcasting Studies

CN Indigenous advisory board goes off the rails

Carbon Colonialism and Culpability

Where's There Smokes, There's Fire: Tobacco, Trade and Treaties

The debate over state vs federal recognition of tribes in the U.S.

How Canada Diddles While The World Burns: A Climate Check-in

Do statutes of limitations apply to treaties with First Nations? Canada sure hopes so

How might The Voice referendum echo for Indigenous peoples in Australia?

First Thoughts on First First Nations Premier of Manitoba

Indigenous Journalisms: Part 8

Indigenous Journalisms: Part 7

Indigenous Journalisms: Part 6

Indigenous Journalisms: Part 5

Indigenous Journalisms: Part 4

Indigenous Journalisms: Part 3

Indigenous Journalisms: Part 2

Indigenous Journalisms: Part 1

Thy shalt un-steal stuff from Indigenous people, pledges pontiff

How court injunctions do Canada’s dirty work to deny Indigenous rights

Norval Morrisseau's illegal imitators forge a fortune

Water Insecurity and First Nations Suicide

Should we distinguish between 'pretendians' and 'descendians'?

What ‘it just wouldn't do’ to say in Alberta

Why settlers may be the ultimate tourists

How Canadian tourists help endanger Indigenous lands in Mexico

Illuminating Big Oil's big shadow on the media

Why Canada prefers to spend more money ‘rescuing’ First Nations than respecting them

MEDIA INDIGENA Game On Edition 🎲 "Hit or Miss!" (ep 311)

Oil and Gaslighting

TalkBack: Alberta Sovereignty Act

Alberta’s Sovereignty Act: Wexit Wake-up Call or Western Woolliness?

Canada's colonial co-dependency with the Assembly of First Nations

Why mandatory English testing for some Indigenous nurses "smells like white supremacy"

TalkBack: Mary-Ellen Turpel-Lafond

The unravelling story of Mary-Ellen Turpel-Lafond

Settler Election Fever

Neech the Vote

A Seminar in Settlerology

The Brutality of Bureaucracy

Freedom of Speech

Weaponized Words

The Battle to Belong: Part II

Diving into Discord

The Battle to Belong: Part I

Canada wrote the book on Replacement Theory (ep 294)

Return of the Treaty: Part 2

A Saskatchewan university trades one extreme for the other over Indigenous identity

The Anishnabek fight for a fair share of their own pie

Did media really just victim-blame a gunned-down Métis hunter?

The Colonial Complications of Indigenous Reproductive Choice

Looking HBC’s ill-gotten gift horse in the mouth

How Canada sprinkles 'Reconciliation' on First Nations then tells them it's raining (ep 287)

Is it time to toss 'Indigenous' categories for mainstream arts awards? (ep 286)

Getting Real With Artificial Intelligence

How Ukrainian land defenders get to be brave and heroic to Canadian media yet Indigenous defenders don’t (ep 284)

Defund Defined (ep 283)

Ottawa Overwhelmed (ep 282)