The ʔasqanaki Podcast by Smokii Sumac

In our final episode Smokii is joined by Cree/Scandinavian performing and recording artist, non-fiction writer, filmmaker Christa Couture. Smokii and Christa share their grief stories and Christa reads from her book How to Lose Everything Christa’s song "Hopeless Situation" is also featured on the episode.

The ʔasqanaki Podcast by Smokii Sumac honours connections between Indigenous storytellers through the Ktunaxa concept of ʔasqanaki: to tell two versions of the same story.

Tune in to hear Smokii and his guests share stories of how their work came to be, what inspires them to create, and which pieces of their work resonated so deeply with Smokii's experiences that he decided to create a whole show about it!

Christa Couture

Christa Couture is an award-winning performing and recording artist, non-fiction writer, filmmaker and broadcaster. She is also proudly Indigenous (mixed Cree and Scandinavian), queer, disabled, and a mom.

Over the course of her acclaimed career, Christa has become known, unenviably, as an expert in loss: singing, speaking and writing about the childhood cancer that led to the amputation of her left leg, abortion, and the tragic deaths of her two infant sons. When it came time to make her fourth album, 2016’s eclectic, upbeat and twangy Long Time Leaving, a more run-of-the-mill loss, divorce, provided inspiration.

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Those years of loss are revisited in her debut non-fiction book How To Lose Everything, published September 2020 by Douglas & McIntyre. But Christa’s most recent recording Safe Harbour tells a different story. Safe Harbour’s six songs were written during a thankfully tragedy-free, joyful time in Christa’s life that saw her leave Vancouver, her home of 17 years, and relocate to Toronto to start anew. During this time, Christa took a step back from recording and performing music to write her memoir, take on a daytime radio host job, and welcome a third child.

Content: Grief, Loss, Death of close relations including children, Amputation, Cancer, Birth, Adoption, and Adoption trauma, Disability and combating ableism, Anger, Therapy, Gratitude, Struggling with hating parts of ourselves, “Holding the Complexity,” Divorce, Memoir, Grief symptoms (and a critique of the “5 stages”), allowing space for all kinds of feelings, challenging binary thinking, sorrow, numbness, Survivorship, Luck, Sadness, public versus private experiences, moving, patience, the pandemic, growing around our grief, and becoming “okay.”

Thank you to our guest, Christa Couture and to Michael Ayotte at the National Music Centre in Calgary, for recording the episode.

Thank you, also, to our team, Sound Designer, Audio Engineer and Editor Greyson Gritt of Minotan Music Inc. and Producer Krystal Strong of Osum Artist Management.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In episode 6 Smokii is joined by Secwépemc musician and Smokii's hometown hero Miesha Louie. Smokii and Meisha discuss being of mixed ancestry and the legacy of residential schools. Miesha shares the songs “Mixed Blood Girls” and “Dig Me Out”.

The ʔasqanaki Podcast by Smokii Sumac honours connections between Indigenous storytellers through the Ktunaxa concept of ʔasqanaki: to tell two versions of the same story.

Tune in to hear Smokii and his guests share stories of how their work came to be, what inspires them to create, and which pieces of their work resonated so deeply with Smokii's experiences that he decided to create a whole show about it!

Miesha Louie

Where have all the riot grrrls gone? You ask – Miesha & The Spanks answer. If you’ve got a yearning for flashy yet classic hard rock, look no further – this Calgary-based duo has the guitar hero-worshiping, face melting, whisky belting sound that you’ve been seeking.

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A modern singer/guitarist and beloved fixture on the local scene, frontwoman Miesha Louie is the integral driving force behind Miesha & The Spanks. A mixed-Secwépemc artist living in Treaty 7 Territory, she’s devoted her entire career to inventing and playing instrumentally brilliant melodies that unleash her passions and her full-throated vocal tones.

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As a result, Miesha & The Spanks have become a tighter and more muscular version of themselves with each new release. Miesha’s solos are as quintessentially rock as they come. Her anarchic, femme-powered vibes causing audiences to erupt in devil-horn-raising celebration of razor-sharp hooks delivered with fire and flare.

Content: explicit language and conversations about being a “mixed blood girl,” covid19, being a mom of twins, anti-Indigenous racism, colourism, impacts of colonization, effects of residential school, personal stories of the residential school experience, mixed identities, internalized racism, disenfranchisement, bill C-31, party songs, motherhood, the labour of truth and reconciliation, orange shirts, and the news of the 215 unmarked graves at Kamloops Indian Residential school.

Thank you to our guest, Miesha Louie, and to Michael Ayotte at the National Music Centre in Calgary, for recording the episode.

Thank you, also, to our team, Sound Designer, Audio Engineer and Editor Greyson Gritt of Minotan Music Inc. and Producer Krystal Strong of Osum Artist Management.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In episode 5 Smokii is joined by Juno award winning Anishinaabe/Métis musician, G.R. Gritt. Smokii and G.R. discuss Indigenous joy, honouring and connecting to our ancestors and finding their voice post-hormone therapy. G.R. Gritt shares their songs “Ancestors” and “Quiet Years”.

The ʔasqanaki Podcast by Smokii Sumac honours connections between Indigenous storytellers through the Ktunaxa concept of ʔasqanaki: to tell two versions of the same story.

Tune in to hear Smokii and his guests share stories of how their work came to be, what inspires them to create, and which pieces of their work resonated so deeply with Smokii's experiences that he decided to create a whole show about it!

G.R. Gritt

G.R. Gritt's journey as an artist has been marked by a relentless pursuit of truth and authenticity. Their music serves as a platform for self-exploration, healing, and a powerful tool for reclaiming Indigenous identity and challenging colonial narratives. By fearlessly addressing themes of colonization, environmental justice, and personal transformation, G.R. Gritt has become a beacon of strength and resilience for all of the communities they are a part of. G.R. Gritt's music is a powerful testament to the fortitude of Indigenous and queer peoples, a call for unity and healing, and a celebration of the power of art to transform lives.

Content: explicit language and conversations about being two spirit and transgender, gender-affirming therapy, testosterone therapy, voice changes, singing, alcohol addiction, recovery, music, networking, connection, cultural teachings, ceremony, prayer, changes in personal relationships since “coming out,” memory, and memory loss, the difference support makes, transphobia, homophobia, ableism, enfranchisement, cultural belonging, colonization, and “the quiet years” when our languages, songs, and stories weren’t being shared.

The ʔasqanaki Podcast would like to thank our guest, G.R. Gritt, who is also the sound designer, audio engineer and editor for the show. This episode was recorded at the Root Down Studio in Toronto.

Thank you, also, to our Producer Krystal Strong of Osum Artist Management.

And we would like to thank the Canada Council for the Arts for their generous funding of season one!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In episode 4 Smokii is joined by Nisga’a writer, Janelle Silverwolf. Janelle and Smokii talk about grief ceremonies and matriarchy, and Janelle shares unpublished pieces, including a beautiful poem "Warrior Women: A letter to my Daughter" which touches on themes of #mmiw (missing and murdered Indigenous women)

The ʔasqanaki Podcast by Smokii Sumac honours connections between Indigenous storytellers through the Ktunaxa concept of ʔasqanaki: to tell two versions of the same story.

Tune in to hear Smokii and his guests share stories of how their work came to be, what inspires them to create, and which pieces of their work resonated so deeply with Smokii's experiences that he decided to create a whole show about it!

Janelle Silverwolf

Janelle Silverwolf is a Nisga’a woman from the house of Nagwau’un, of Laxgalts’ap, BC. She is an educator, beader, facilitator, writer, and Auntie advocate for Indigenous voices and success. She is currently working with the University of British Columbia as a Specialist in Strategic Indigenous Enrolment Initiatives. Her many years of experience in educational institutions and Indigenous communities have always been grounded by her artistic expression, cultural and family teachings. Art and culture are the roots that hold her up in Institutional work. She uses her writing and beadwork to tell stories of knowledges passed down, witnessed and earned.

The creation of artistic pieces is her way of sharing her medicine with community.

Content: matriarchy, missing and murdered Indigenous women, grief, ceremony, vigils, writing, personal stories of death, Highway 16-the highway of tears, hitchhiking, cultural roles, Elders, life transitions, mentions of the pandemic, the weight of cultural responsibilities, remembering, medication and side effects, relationships to water and water teachings, cleaning off, letting go, prayer, and cultural medicines.

The ʔasqanaki Podcast would like to thank to our guest, Janelle Silverwolf, and Keon at Just Music in Cranbrook, BC, for the session.

Thank you to our team, Sound Designer, Audio Engineer and Editor Greyson Gritt of Minotan Music Inc. and Producer Krystal Strong of Osum Artist Management.

And we would like to thank the Canada Council for the Arts for their generous funding of season one!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In episode 3 Dene poet and photographer Tenille Campbell joins Smokii to discuss Indigenous sovereignty over our bodies and auntie-hood. Tenille shares her poems “we aren’t all good aunties” and “thick indigenous women”.

The ʔasqanaki Podcast by Smokii Sumac honours connections between Indigenous storytellers through the Ktunaxa concept of ʔasqanaki: to tell two versions of the same story.

Tune in to hear Smokii and his guests share stories of how their work came to be, what inspires them to create, and which pieces of their work resonated so deeply with Smokii's experiences that he decided to create a whole show about it!

Tenille Campbell

Tenille K Campbell is a Dene/Métis author and photographer from English River First Nation, SK. She completed her MFA in Creative Writing from UBC and is enrolled in her PhD at the University of Saskatchewan. Her inaugural poetry book, #IndianLovePoems (Signature Editions, 2017) is an award-winning collection of poetry that focuses on Indigenous Erotica, using humour and storytelling to reclaim and explore ideas of Indigenous sexuality.

She is also the artist behind sweetmoon photography and the co-creator of tea&bannock. She currently resides in Saskatoon.

Content: nude photoshoots, cultural taboos, fatphobia, Indigenous representation, skirt shaming, ceremony, sovereignty, gender roles, dating, two-spirit teachings, anthropology, sexuality, sexual language, explicit language, residential schools, stereotypes, storytelling, cultural roles, gossip, community, Intimacy, Indigenous identity and “pretendians,” auntiehood, joy and kinship.

The ʔasqanaki Podcast would like to thank our guest Tenille Campbell, and send a thank you to Matthew Stinn at Rainy Day Recording in Saskatoon for the recording session. 

Thank you, also, to our team, Sound Designer, Audio Engineer and Editor Greyson Gritt and Producer Krystal Strong of Osum Artist Management .

And we would like to thank the Canada Council for the Arts for their generous funding of season one! 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The ʔasqanaki Podcast by Smokii Sumac honours connections between Indigenous storytellers through the Ktunaxa concept of ʔasqanaki: to tell two versions of the same story.

Tune in to hear Smokii and his guests share stories of how their work came to be, what inspires them to create, and which pieces of their work resonated so deeply with Smokii's experiences that he decided to create a whole show about it!

In this episode Smokii is joined by Cree/Trinadian author, educator and poet, Tasha Spillett. Tasha shares her book I Sang You Down from the Stars. Smokii and Tasha also discuss Indigenous births, babies, bundle keeping and motherhood.

Tasha Spillett

Tasha Spillett, PhD (she/her/hers) is a New York Times bestselling author who draws her strength from her Indigenous (Cree) and Trinidadian bloodlines. She is also a celebrated educator, scholar and public speaker. Tasha is most heart-tied to contributing to community-led work that centers the liberation of Indigenous women and women of color and creating a world that affirms the joy and well-being of children.

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As an educator, Tasha infuses her teaching pedagogy with her extensive cultural knowledge to support Indigenous students, and strives to build equitable relationships between all communities. Tasha acknowledges her unique opportunity as an Afro-Indigenous woman and responsibility to create learning environments that are culturally responsive, and foster belonging for Indigenous students, students of colour, and their families.

Tasha is also the author of the multi-award winning three volume graphic novel series, Surviving the City (HighWater Press), the New York Times bestselling picture book, I Sang You Down from the Stars (Little Brown Books and Owl Kids), and her most recent picture book, Beautiful You, Beautiful Me (Owl Kids).

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Tasha weaves her cultural identity in both her scholarly work and relational responsibility to contribute to a body of research that echoes Indigenous women’s demands for justice for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-Spirit people. Her work is both a continuation of the resistance against the assault of colonialism that she has inherited and a celebration of the beauty and brilliance that flows forward from those who have come before.

Content: birth, babies, bundle-keeping, adoption, Indigenous futurism, the 60s Scoop, foster care, mother-child relationships, grief, loss, kinship, umbilical cords, parenting, agency, Afro-Indigenous identity, Cultural Appropriation, homecoming, the Indigenous Voices Awards, therapy, ceremony, Indigenous aunties, cultural teachings, challenging tradition and the gender binary, two spirit teachings, liberation, love and power.

Thank you to Dr. Tasha Spillett and to Sierra Noble at Winnipeg's No Fun Club.

Thank you to our team, Sound Designer, Audio Engineer and Editor Greyson Gritt of Minotan Music Inc. and Producer Krystal Strong of Osum Artist Management.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The ʔasqanaki Podcast by Smokii Sumac honours connections between Indigenous storytellers through the Ktunaxa concept of ʔasqanaki: to tell two versions of the same story.

Tune in to hear Smokii and his guests share stories of how their work came to be, what inspires them to create, and which pieces of their work resonated so deeply with Smokii's experiences that he decided to create a whole show about it!

The first episode starts off strong with Tłı̨chǫ “Uncle of Indigenous Literatures” Richard Van Camp. In this episode Richard shares the story “Show Me Yours” from his book The Moon of Letting Go and Smokii and Richard discuss Indigenous literatures, what it means to be a man and honouring ourselves and each other as babies we once were.

Richard Van Camp

He is a graduate of the En’owkin International School of Writing, the University of Victoria’s Creative Writing BFA Program, and the Master’s Degree in Creative Writing at the University of British Columbia.

He is an internationally renowned storyteller and best-selling author. His novel, The Lesser Blessed, is now a movie with First Generation Films and premiered in September of 2012 at the Toronto International Film Festival. He is the author of five collections of short stories, six baby books, three children’s books, five comics and much more.

Content: adoption, grief, funerals, northern lights, masculinity, archival work, cultural connection, reconnection, photography, short stories, Indigenous literatures, ceremony, medicine, love stories, bad timing.

Thank you to Richard Van Camp and to Riverdale Recorders.

Thank you to our team, Sound Designer, Audio Engineer and Editor Greyson Gritt of Minotan Music Inc. and Producer Krystal Strong of Osum Artist Management.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.