Auntie Up!

Get to know the team of researchers behind Know History, a proud sponsor of Auntie Up! 

And now, we'd like to introduce you to one of our sponsors; Know History. 

In a country that continuously tries to drag us down, we have to uplift ourselves. That may be easier said than done, but the Aunties are gonna give it a try.

What does it mean when people say Defund the Police? Does it mean get rid of the police force in your city? Or does it mean find healthier solutions for a better and more safe community? Why has the call to defund the police become so loud in recent years? Joining the Aunties are Mi’kmaq lawyer and the chair in Indigenous governance at Toronto Metropolitan University Pam Palmater, and Eleanore Sunchild, Q.C. an Indigenous lawyer from the Thunderchild First Nation

In many Indigenous cultures, humor is medicine. It’s not out of the ordinary to have an auntie, uncle, cousin or friend tell a spontaneous joke, usually at the most inappropriate times to get the whole room laughing. But that’s why it’s our medicine. It helps us get through some really hard times and we’ve had a few. With millions of views on social media Amber-Sekowan Daniels and Geraldine King have the cure for whatever ails you.

Writing our truths can take a lot out of our own mental and physical wellness. But when you are writing out your issues and engaging in this form of therapy, how do you keep from crossing over to trauma porn? And is that for readers to determine for themselves? Author Katherena Vermette joins the Aunties to talk this through.

As our stories, history, music, art and culture grow in popularity – so do the people who want to belong. How do we determine who belongs and how do we weed out those who want to take advantage of the almighty funding dollar? Dr. Winona Wheeler and Sadie-Phoenix Lavoie join the Aunties to wade through the weeds on pretendians and identity.

What would the media look like if we told our own stories without a colonial lens? Auntie Up! talks with Connie Walker, host of the podcast Stolen: Surviving St. Michael's. 

When it comes to our bodies, Indigenous women have lived through sexual assualts, forced sterilization and childhood sexual abuse. But we are reclaiming our bodies and our sexual health. Joining the Aunties to talk about our sexual health is Dr. Suzanne Shoush and midwife Cheryllee Bourgeois, and guest host Rosanna Deerchild

Our teachings, worldviews, and values are all connected, just as we are to one another – All our relations. Colonial rule did all it could to silence women’s voices, to sever their connections and break the circle. Nahanni Fontaine, organizer of the Matriarch Summit and Andrea Menard, founder of Matriarchs in Training are working hard to strengthen the circle again. Hosted by Kim Wheeler and Rosanna Deerchild.