MEDIA INDIGENA : Indigenous current affairs (Rick Harp)

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/

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 “Lost_Forever” by Little Glass Men.

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.

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 Kenneth Williams, an assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s department of drama, plus Lakota activist and communications professional Taté Walker.

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.

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.

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? Plus, 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.

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.

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.

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

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/

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.

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).

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; Harm 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.

This week's Indigenous roundtable gets up close and personal with the people behind the show. As 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.

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.

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.

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.

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? Home 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. Absent 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.

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.

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. Learn 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.

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.

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.

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

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. Storm 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.

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 Bargains' 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.

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

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.' Sin of Omission: Why did the publisher of a famous Métis autobiography remove references to an alleged rape by an RCMP officer?

This week, 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.

This week: Press Proximity to Power. 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 episode 313. 

// CREDITS: 'Guitarista' by Mr Smith (CC BY 4.0).

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.

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.

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 director 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.

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. 

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.

THIS WEEK // Big Steps: How some ancient footprints confirm (yet 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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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

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.

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 lawyer 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

This week.. Politician contrition: an Alberta MLA walks back some sweeping off-hand comments about Aboriginal voter behaviour in his riding; A flyer 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: We 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.

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.

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.

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).

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) 

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.

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.

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.

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); 'Fater Lee' by Black Ant (CC BY).

Production assistance by Cassidy Villebrun-Buracas.

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.

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).

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.

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.

“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.

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.

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.

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.

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). 

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).

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.

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.

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

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.

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)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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)

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.

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.

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

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.”

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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. Rounding out this week’s Indigenous roundtable are host/producer Rick Harp along with the University of Alberta's Kim TallBear (Native Studies) and Ken Williams (Drama). // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.

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 “La maison rose-soleil” by Cuicuitte, and “One Time Last Time” by Soft and Furious. Our opening theme is “Bad Nostalgia (Instrumental)” by Anthem of Rain. This episode was hosted/produced/edited by Rick Harp; production assistance by Courteney Morin.

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).

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 & Blue” by Breath Before the Plunge, and “Sector Vector”, by Little Glass Men.

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.

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.