Unreserved

A winter count is history in pictures. But a 200 year-old notebook written in the Lakota language shows just how important the written word can also be. Around the globe communities are recognizing the invaluable role language plays in holding and sharing our people’s stories. Many languages are so at risk that the UN declared the International Decade of Indigenous Languages to raise awareness and mobilize communities. Halfway through that decade, Rosanna hears from language learners and speakers who are reclaiming and revitalizing their languages.

It’s a sacred gift to tell the stories that we carry – that’s one of the lessons Tanya Talaga shares with emerging writers. Rosanna speaks with the award-winning author and other creatives about how they lift each other up by creating safe spaces, supporting each other’s art and offering opportunity and mentorship to the next generation.

Reconnecting with language, family and culture is a journey without a map. It's one Melissa Powless Day has been walking through and sharing about in her poetry as she seeks reconnection and belonging. We also reflect on lessons and wisdom shared from Indigenous authors Rosanna has spoken with to help us move into the new year.

Who are the cookie people in your life? They bring light and calm in moments of chaos and darkness, and their gifts – whether they’re delicious treats, kind words, or time – hold lessons for us all. Rosanna digs into the season of giving and hears that some of the best gifts are those that come with lessons and stories. These gifts connect us to the past and give us hope for the year to come.

Beaver mimicry is helping scientists on Blackfoot territory keep water on the land and put an end to decades of drought. It’s one of many ways Indigenous people look to our beaver kin for lessons on restoring balance to ecosystems. Rosanna hears how traditional knowledge and stories about beaver make us more nurturing, generous and wise.

Forget the birthday candles, some celebrations call for dynamite! Salmon are returning to river systems all along the Pacific coast where they are the lifeblood of communities. Along the Klamath River, one salmon warrior fulfilled a lifelong dream to blow up one of the dams that had blocked salmon for decades. Rosanna hears how efforts around destruction and restoration are bringing the salmon home.

Siibii means river in Cree – a body of water with no fixed form. That description resonates with the pop singer/songwriter now known as Siibiii. Rosanna sits down for an intimate conversation to hear how Siibii’s questions around gender, sexuality and neurodiversity have helped them to heal and come into themself.

From Kookums on campus to artists with new names, Rosanna explores what it means to know your story, be grounded in yourself and share all the love (even if it takes a little rage to get you there).

The dress will never be worn by anyone but the names that adorn it. Hundreds of names of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls line a haute couture gown at the Winnipeg Art Gallery. That’s where Rosanna captured the stories of many designers at a special event.

An old cigar box full of memories helps Maidy Keir learn about her uncle Welby who died in World War II. Now some of these treasures are on display in the Netherlands in an exhibit honouring the Indigenous soldiers who helped liberate the country eighty years ago. Rosanna hears stories that honour our veterans and those who continue to serve today.