What do you think of when you think of Indigenous well-being? If your mind jumps straight to history or trauma, this episode will challenge and expand that perspective. 

As we approach Orange Shirt Day, conversations about truth and reconciliation often centre harm and hardship, and while acknowledging those truths is necessary for healing, this episode invites a deeper reflection. What does Indigenous well-being look like beyond survival?  

In this episode, host Susu B. sits down with Rainingbird Daniels, a proud Plains Cree, Sioux, and Dakota student from Sturgeon Lake First Nation located on Treaty 6 territory also known as Saskatchewan. Now in her fourth year of Indigenous Studies at York, Rainingbird is the President of the Indigenous Students Association, a work-study student at the Centre for Indigenous Languages and Knowledges, and an active student leader on campus. 

Together, they unpack what well-being can look like from an Indigenous lens: community, advocacy, culture, and reclaiming joy. Rainingbird shares what it means to hold space in student leadership and everyday life and reflects on the importance of community connection, and cultural pride. They also explore how simple actions, like wearing an orange pin on Orange Shirt Day, support the community in achieving collective healing. 

Episode Resources:

Indigenous Alumni Network 

• York Indigenous Alumni Network  

Indigenous Council 

• IC Member List 
• Terms-of-Reference-IC-APPROVED JAN 2017 

Indigenous Programs of Study 

• Indigenous Studies at York 
• Wüléelham 

Student Groups 

• Indigenous Students Association at York 
• Osgoode Indigenous Students Association 

Indigenous Friends 

• Indigenous Friends 

Services 

• Career Centre 
• Atkinson Centre for Mature and Part-time Students 
• Counselling & Disability Services 
• Centre for Human Rights 
• York University Cooperative Day Care 
• Lee Wiggins Day Care (Part-time option)