MEDIA INDIGENA : Indigenous current affairs

This episode, the return of BFF: Beyond Fires and Floods—our extended series on Indigenous climate narratives rooted in a 3-day gathering at UBC of journalists, scholars and experts in late 2025. An event co-convened by MEDIA INDIGENA regular Candis Callison and host/producer Rick Harp, so far we've shared its first two days of discussion. And with one still to come, this episode is about something that's always nagged at us: the fact long-time roundtabler Ken Williams wasn't able to be at BFF. So we came up with the next best thing, a check-in with the man himself about what he's heard so far, and what he might've said had he been there.

// CREDITS: Our intro/extro theme is 'nesting' by birocratic; 'Cloud Seven' by Joseph Sacco (CC-BY); 'Pink Shores' via ZapSplat.com

In this fourth and final instalment of "Petrostate Pushback"—our 2026 mini-summer-series on Indigenous resistance to energy extraction and exploitation—the back half of our investigation into infrastructure, from the material to the relational.

Featured voices this podcast include (in order of appearance):

• Trina Roache, Assistant Professor of Journalism, University of King's College

• Kenneth T. Williams, playwright and Associate Professor of Drama, University of Alberta

• Candis Callison, Professor with the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies and the School for Public Policy and Global Affairs, University of British Columbia

• Kim TallBear, Professor of American Indian Studies at the University of Minnesota–Twin Cities

• Max Liboiron, Professor of Geography, Memorial University of Newfoundland, director of the Civic Laboratory for Environmental Action Research (CLEAR)

• Clifford Atleo Jr., Senior Advisor and Associate Vice-President of Indigenous Affairs, UBC

• Dr. Jeffrey Ansloos, Associate Professor of Indigenous Health and Social Policy at the University of Toronto, Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Studies in Health, Suicide, and Environmental Justice

// CREDITS: Creative Commons music this episode includes 'Lemongrass' by 1000 Handz; 'Coalescence' by Masteredit; 'Baryon' by Grumplefunk; 'Grounded' by Ketsa; 'After The Train Left' by Pamela Yuen; 'Artificial Rain ( LoF i, Chill )' by Lo-Fi Astronaut. Our series' opening theme is 'Ice Temple' by HoliznaCC0; its closing theme is 'Upstream Color' by Mark Wilson X. This episode was hosted/produced/edited/written by Rick Harp.

On the third instalment of "Petrostate Pushback," our 2026 mini-summer-series on the Indigenous-led struggle for climate justice, we look at the climate implications of infrastructures, structures which invariably reflect and reinforce the priorities of power. (Part one of two.)

Featured voices this podcast include (in order of appearance):

• Clifford Atleo Jr., Senior Advisor and Associate Vice-President of Indigenous Affairs at the University of British Columbia

• Candis Callison, Professor with the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies and the School for Public Policy and Global Affairs, UBC

• Max Liboiron, professor of geography at Memorial University of Newfoundland, director of the Civic Laboratory for Environmental Action Research (CLEAR)

• Jeannette Armstrong, Associate Professor of Indigenous Studies and Canada Research Chair in Okanagan Indigenous Knowledge and Philosophy at UBC Okanagan

• David Suzuki, award-winning scientist, environmentalist and broadcaster

• Dr. Jeffrey Ansloos, Associate Professor of Indigenous Health and Social Policy at the University of Toronto, Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Studies in Health, Suicide, and Environmental Justice

// CREDITS: Creative Commons music this episode includes 'Photo Album' and 'Vanish' by 1000 Handz; 'On the Wing' by Mr Smith; 'Attempting to Chill' and 'A Bit Redundant' by Gagmesharkoff. Our series' opening theme is 'Ice Temple' by HoliznaCC0; its closing theme is 'Upstream Color' by Mark Wilson X. This episode was hosted/produced/edited/written by Rick Harp.

Our 2026 mini-summer series "Petrostate Pushback" continues with part two—'Tactics and Terrains'—as we focus on the various frontlines of Indigenous resistance to governments and corporations trying to sacrifice their territories for massive energy projects.

Featured voices this podcast include (in order of appearance):

• Lisa Kingshott, communications and broadcasting expert

• Karyn Pugliese, journalist and editor

• Kris Statnyk, Indigenous rights lawyer

• Irina Cerić, Assistant Professor of Law at the University of Windsor

• Shiri Pasternak, Associate Professor of Criminology at Toronto Metropolitan University

• Trina Roache, Assistant Professor of Journalism at the University of King's College

• Candis Callison, Professor with the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies and the School for Public Policy and Global Affairs, University of British Columbia

• Kim TallBear, Professor of American Indian Studies at the University of Minnesota–Twin Cities

• Ken Williams, playwright and Associate Professor with the University of Alberta's Department of Drama

• Brock Pitawanakwat, Associate Professor of Indigenous Studies at York University

// CREDITS: Creative Commons music this episode includes: 'Sherpa Foot,' 'Zoot,' 'Mini,' and 'North Star' by Mr Smith; 'OST Music Box 2' by HoliznaCC0; 'TBD,' '15-Mile Stretch,' and 'Downpour' by Gagmesharkoff; 'Sanctuary' by Pamela Yuen. Our series' opening theme is 'Ice Temple' by HoliznaCC0; its closing theme is 'Upstream Color' by Mark Wilson X. This episode was hosted/produced/edited by Rick Harp.

Introducing the first in our four-part series for Summer 2026! Collected, connected conversations drawn from our decade-deep archive, it's a mini-series that falls smack dab in the middle of our mega-series, Beyond Fires & Floods: Indigenous Narratives in an Era of Extremes, our co-convened gathering of climate journalists, scholars and experts. Which is why we thought it only makes sense to make these compilations climate-compatible with the overarching theme of 'Petrostate Pushback': Indigenous resistance to the political, cultural and economic forces driving resource extraction and exploitation—the costs of which fall disproportionately on Indigenous lands, waters and those who depend on them. And with BFF rooted in the realm of media, what better place for us to start, as we banter on 'both sides' binaries, bitumen bias, and bravery as viewed via the myopic lens of mainstream news.

Featured voices this podcast include (in order of appearance):

• Terese Mailhot, author and Visiting Assistant Professor of English and Creative Writing at Sweet Briar College in Virginia

• Kim TallBear, Professor of American Indian Studies at the University of Minnesota–Twin Cities

• Clifford Atleo Jr., Professor, Senior Advisor and Associate Vice-President of Indigenous Affairs at the University of British Columbia

• Regan Boychuk, co-founder of Reclaim Alberta and the Alberta Liability Disclosure Project

• Candis Callison, BFF co-convenor, Professor with the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies and the School for Public Policy and Global Affairs at the University of British Columbia

• Kwame Mckenzie, practicing psychiatrist, CEO of Wellesley Institute

• David Suzuki, award-winning scientist, environmentalist and broadcaster

• Michael Redhead Champagne, Ininew advocate, speaker and author

// CREDITS: Creative Commons music this episode includes: 'When Time Called Me Darling,' 'Mercury' and 'Jupiter' by HoliznaCC0; 'JMHBM' by Thumper; and, 'She Walked in and Changed Nothing' by smallertide. Our series' opening theme is "Ice Temple" by HoliznaCC0; its closing theme is "Upstream Color" by Mark Wilson X. This episode was hosted/produced/edited by Rick Harp.

ON THIS EPISODE… Part 12 of BFF: Beyond Fires and Floods, our extended climate series based on a three-day gathering of Indigenous journalists, scholars and experts we co-convened last fall at UBC. And at the tail-end of BFF's second day, we set aside time for participants to pause and reflect on all they'd heard to that point, a session we entitled 'Synthesis.'

Kickstarting it all last episode, invited respondents Alice Te Punga Somerville and Kim TallBear, whose opening insights last episode set the stage for the responses to follow, including those of fellow BFF attendees Lagipoiva Cherelle Jackson, Pasang Sherpa, Renae Watchman, Kaila Jefferd-Moore, Cutcha Risling Baldy, and Eriel Tchekwie Deranger.

// CREDITS: Our intro/extro theme is 'nesting' by birocratic; 'Cloud Seven' by Joseph Sacco (CC-BY). SFX: 'Dropping the mic' by freesound_community from Pixabay.

ON THIS EPISODE: Part 11 of BFF: Beyond Fires and Floods, our extended series on Indigenous climate narratives, based on conversations we co-convened over 3 days last fall at UBC. And with a lot of ground covered those first two days, we thought it best to end day two with a session for reflection, an open-ended exchange we entitled 'Synthesis.' (So, if by chance this is your very first foray into BFF, it's recommended you start from the start, to get the most out of all this episode's call-backs and references.)

Kicking things off, respondents Alice Te Punga Somerville and Kim TallBear, who offered their observations before co-moderators Candis Callison and Rick Harp would throw it to the floor for wider discussion.

// CREDITS: Intro theme 'nesting' by birocratic; 'Torches and Pitchforks' by Gagmesharkoff (CC-BY); 'Cloud Seven' by Joseph Sacco (CC-BY); 'fairitale 2' by Ondrosik (CC-BY).

ON THIS EPISODE: the tenth takeaway from BFF: Beyond Fires and Floods, our extended series on Indigenous climate narratives, collecting close to 40 journalists, scholars and experts last fall at UBC. This time 'round, the closing portion of "Taking on Water," which, if you caught the first half, got a little 'fishy' as we went along. Proving perhaps that everything and everyone is connected at some point in time and space, including our panelists Tara Atleo, Shannon Waters, Tristan Ahtone and Zoe Todd, as we continued to interweave waters' well-being with that of fish and humans, supplemented by the thoughts of fellow BFF attendee Ozzy Michelin.

// CREDITS: Our intro/extro theme is 'nesting' by birocratic; 'Cloud Seven' by Joseph Sacco (CC-BY).

ON THIS EPISODE: The ninth instalment of BFF: Beyond Fires & Floods—our extended series on Indigenous climate narratives—presents the beginning of "Taking on Water," the fourth session of our gathering's second day, encapsulated as follows:

Oceans cover some two-thirds of the planet; watersheds traverse and transcend human borders. Water is literally everywhere, yet that hasn't stopped colonial governments from trying to control and contain its movements, along with the lives of those it sustains. From rivers and lakes, to oceans and ice, this session looks at how Indigenous narratives work to convey the upstream sources and downstream consequences of melting glaciers, rising sea levels, floods, and droughts, both for aquatic life and the Indigenous lifeways dependent on them. Meanwhile, with bodies like wide-ranging watersheds complicating any formulation of climate-related problems and solutions, what does that imply for the structure and scope of our storytelling?

Joining MI host/producer Rick Harp are panelists Tristan Ahtone (sitting in for Grist-mate Anita Hofschneider), Tara Atleo, Zoe Todd, and Shannon Waters.

🕮 Learn more about BFF, including our core sponsors, at mediaindigena.com/BFF

// CREDITS: Intro/extro theme 'nesting' by birocratic; 'Cloud Seven' by Joseph Sacco (CC-BY); 'Seen from the Unseen' by Ondrosik (CC-BY).

ON THIS EPISODE: The eighth instalment of BFF: Beyond Fires & Floods—our extended series on Indigenous climate narratives—presents the back half of "Reframing Fire & Forests," recorded at day two's third session. Moderated by UBC Professor (and MI regular) Candis Callison, she re-joins panelists Warren Cardinal McTeague, Keara Lightning, Leonard Linklater, and Bernard Perley, with follow-up responses by fellow BFF attendees Matteo Cimellaro and Olga Ulturgasheva.

Learn more about BFF, including our core sponsors, at mediaindigena.com/BFF

// CREDITS: Our intro/extro theme is 'nesting' by birocratic; 'Cloud Seven' by Joseph Sacco (CC-BY).