A Day To Listen

2023 Host Shoshona Kish speaks to Jean Teillet about the legacy of the Riel family, her Indigenous rights work surrounding Indigenous identity fraud and the complications around Métis identity. 

Teillet is an author, women’s rights advocate, and Indigenous rights lawyer. In October of 2022 she wrote a report on Indigenous Identity Fraud. She has appeared at the Supreme Court of Canada twelve times in Indigenous rights cases. Ms. Teillet’s popular history, The North-West is Our Mother: The Story of Louis Riel’s People, the Métis Nation was one of the Globe & Mail’s top 100 books of 2019 and won the Carol Shield’s and Manitoba Day awards. She is the author of Métis Law in Canada and has written for academic journals, the Globe & Mail, and Macleans. A frequent public speaker throughout Canada and internationally, Jean has been awarded the highest honour of her people, the Order of the Métis Nation. The Indigenous Bar Association has awarded Jean its highest honour, Indigenous Peoples Counsel. She has three honorary doctorates (University of Guelph, Windsor University, and Law Society of Ontario). In recognition of decades of work with midwives, Jean has been made an honorary lifetime member of the Association of Ontario Midwives. She is a member of the Manitoba Métis Federation and is the great-grandniece of Louis Riel.

https://pstlaw.ca/jean-teillet/

https://twitter.com/jeanteillet

2023 Host Aysanabee speaks to former NHL player Jordin Tootoo about his community work and his experience as the first Inuk player to be drafted by the league. Over his 13-year career, he played for the Nashville Predators, Detroit Red Wings, New Jersey Devils, and Chicago Blackhawks, banking 161 points, including 65 goals, in 723 career games. A true leader both on and off the ice, Tootoo has since become a vocal mental health advocate dedicated to giving back to his communities. He speaks to the power of creating a culture of inspired inclusivity and explores what real teamwork looks like, both at home and work. You can pre-order Jordin's new book Mind Over Matter which comes out October 17th.

2023 Host Shoshona Kish speaks with Dr. Amy Cardinal Christianson, an Indigenous Fire Specialist with the National Fire Management Division at Parks Canada. She is Métis from Treaty 8 territory, currently living in Treaty 6.  Her research explores Indigenous fire stewardship, Indigenous wildland firefighters, wildfire evacuations, and Indigenous research methodology. Amy also co-hosts the Good Fire podcast, which looks at Indigenous fire use around the world. She recently co-authored the book “First Nations Wildfire Evacuations: A Guide for Communities and External Agencies” with Tara K. McGee and “Blazing the Trail: Celebrating Indigenous Fire Stewardship” with Indigenous colleagues.  She is a board member for the International Association of Wildland Fire and a member of the International Research Advisory Panel for Natural Hazards Research Australia. Find more of her work:

UBC Press | First Nations Wildfire Evacuations – A Guide for Communities and External Agencies, By Tara K. McGee, Amy Cardinal Christianson and First Nations Wildfire Evacuation Partnership

Good Fire Podcast-YourForest (yourforestpodcast.com)

2023 Host Aysanabee has a conversation with fellow musician Jeremy Dutcher about his commitment to Indigenous language revitalization through his art. Jeremy Dutcher is a Two-Spirit song carrier, composer, activist, ethnomusicologist, and member of Neqotkuk (Tobique First Nation) in Eastern Canada. He gained international acclaim for his album Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa, which earned him the 2018 Polaris Music Prize and Indigenous Music Album of the Year at the 2019 JUNO Awards. His musical style blends the songs of his community with neoclassical, jazz, and pop influences, and has led him to collaborate with such iconic artists as Buffy Sainte-Marie and Yo-Yo Ma. Dutcher’s work has taken him to the world’s great concert halls, NPR’s Tiny Desk, and the judges’ table of Canada’s Drag Race. Find out more about Jeremy: https://jeremydutcher.com/

2023 Host Shoshona Kish has a beautiful conversation with her mother, Banakonda Bell about the knowledge she holds as an elder. Banakonda Kennedy-Kish (Bell), Bear Clan, is a Traditional Practitioner and Elder-in-Residence at Laurier University’s Lyle S. Hallman Masters of Social Work program, in the Indigenous Field of Studies. She co-authored Case Critical: Social Services and Social Justice in Canada (2017, Between the Lines Publishers) and a chapter of Social Work Ethics: Progressive, Practical and Relational Approaches (2017, Oxford University Press). Banakonda has served Indigenous communities for over forty years.

2023 Host Aysanabee speaks to Jared Visitor, the great-nephew of Chanie Wenjack (the 12-year-old boy whose death in 1966 sparked national attention and led to the first inquest into the treatment of children at residential schools). Jared is a university student working towards becoming a teacher in remote northern communities. He has been helping to fight forest fires for ten years all over Canada. Jared loves to speak to youth about his experiences and learning in the subject of trauma and psychology. He volunteers regularly with youth and enjoys singing and playing guitar. He works for the Anthropology department at Lakehead University and is currently training for a half marathon. 

2023 Host Shoshona Kish speaks to international Indigenous superstar Buffy Sainte-Marie about her career, her childhood, and the history of Indigenous peoples in Canada. As both a cultural and musical icon, she has left an enduring impact over her six-decade career. Her powerful voice and songwriting have inspired generations of musicians, activists and educators. Breaking free from past norms and industry constraints, she debuted with the groundbreaking album “It’s My Way!” in 1964. As a self-taught musician from childhood, Buffy’s inventive guitar tunings shaped her unique sound and influenced future artists. With degrees in Oriental Philosophy and Education, she gained recognition in New York’s Greenwich Village coffee houses before soaring to international fame. An innovator in digital art and electronic music in the late 1960s and 1970s, Buffy holds fifteen honorary degrees, including a Ph.D. in Fine Art. Through her vast catalogue of songs, like “Universal Soldier”, and her advocacy for education and Indigenous rights continue to inspire resilience amid challenges, securing her status as a songwriter great. Find out more information about Buffy Sainte-Marie and her incredible work on her website: https://buffysainte-marie.com/

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Dr. Duke Redbird, Elder, Poet, Human Rights Activist, Educator, and Artist. With a legacy stretching back to the 1960s, he is a pillar of First Nations literature in Canada, and has practiced a number of art disciplines including poetry, painting, theatre, and film. He was a trailblazer throughout the 60's & 70's giving voice to Indigenous people at major institutions and folk festivals across the country. From 1994-2009, he was an arts & entertainment reporter for CITY TV in Toronto.  

Laurie Hermiston is an Anishinaabe Kwe from Batchewana First Nation in Northern Ontario. She is strong advocate, community practitioner and partnership specialist with over 20 years of experience working in the Indigenous community on local, provincial and national levels. She has organized many community engagement projects, advisory circles and symposiums in Ontario, and presented to countless audiences on Indigenous issues.