This week, the sound of two Indigenous podcasters podcasting, as MEDIA INDIGENA host/producer Rick Harp sits down with Wayne K. Spear (waynekspear.com), a self-described "writing machine" whose prolific nature extends to audio as well. A Six Nations (Haudenosaunee) gentleman from southern Ontario, Wayne's world also includes work in organizational development and executive coaching, often for Indigenous clientele.

Now based in Toronto, Wayne was kind enough to recently host Rick at his home studio for an extended conversation, one that acted as a check-in at times on where MEDIA INDIGENA has ended up—and where it still hopes to go. (Our first such review took place back in July of 2016.) We're grateful to Wayne for allowing us to share this version of our recent sit-down on The Roundtable Podcast.

// Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.

This week... 1. A fair share of the pot: why a push to tax cannabis on-reserve is itself a taxing debate. 2. Cottage clash: why can’t a First Nation get full market value for its lakefront properties from its non-indigenous tenants? 3. Irreconcilable differences: an Indigenous student council says its members are fed up with being little more than an 'economy' to the University of Saskatchewan.

Joining host Rick Harp this week are Brock Pitawanakwat, assistant professor of Indigenous studies at the University of Sudbury, and Ken Williams, assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s department of drama.

Once upon a trigger: Did a school board and the media over-react after a parent found a children’s book about residential schools upsetting? Dumb pun: a Thunder Bay newspaper says it’s sorry for running a headline that makes light of a potential hate crime. Bite your tongues: A B.C. politician criticizes the province for investing more money in Indigenous languages revitalization instead of more cops.

Joining host Rick Harp are Kim TallBear, associate professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta, and Candis Callison, associate professor at UBC's Graduate School of Journalism.

// Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.

This week: A tale of two trials. Late last week, a jury found the man accused of murdering 15-year old Tina Fontaine to be "not guilty." The decision dealt another blow to those still processing the acquittal of the man once charged with the murder of 22-year-old Colten Boushie. Our roundtable is among those still working to process these court decisions, trying to make sense of how the Canadian justice system was seemingly incapable of producing anything remotely resembling resolution for the families of two young Indigenous people taken far too soon. We’ll discuss how we got here, the response and where justice for Tina and Colten might be found if not the courts.

Joining host Rick Harp at the roundtable are Brock Pitawanakwat, assistant professor of Indigenous studies at the University of Sudbury, and Ken Williams, assistant professor with the University of Alberta's department of drama.

War in the west: as Alberta battles British Columbia over pipeline expansion, we look at whether a new front could open up against First Nations / Revisiting the review of resource projects: the Liberals claim their new bill better includes Indigenous perspectives in the assessment of energy mega-projects. Does it go far enough? / What's in a nickname? The US president jeeringly calls her 'Pocahontas.' But do Senator Elizabeth Warren's claims to Indigeneity even remotely hold up?

Back at the roundtable are Kim TallBear, associate professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta, and Candis Calison, associate professor at UBC's Graduate School of Journalism.

// Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.

It was a much-anticipated verdict in a much-discussed case: the 2016 shooting death of 22-year-old Colten Boushie, a member of the Red Pheasant First Nation in Saskatchewan. His accused killer: 56-year-old white farmer Gerald Stanley, charged with second-degree murder. A charge he was acquitted of last Friday evening, much to the shock, disgust, sadness and outrage of Indigenous people everywhere. This week on MEDIA INDIGENA, we discuss how we got to this point, the response, and where things might go from here.

Joining host Rick Harp at the roundtable this week are Brock Pitawanakwat, an assistant professor of Indigenous studies at the University of Sudbury, and Ken Williams, an assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s department of drama.

// Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.

This week: Toodle-loo Wahoo! The majorly racist logo of a major league baseball team is knocked out of the park in Cleveland... sort of. Turfed by Trudeau: The PM's cross country road show gets awkward when so-called 'hecklers' are shown the heck out. Media victim-blaming: Recent headlines about a 15-year old girl seem to put her on trial as much as her accused killer.

Joining host Rick Harp this week are Kim TallBear, associate professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta, and Candis Callison, associate professor at UBC's Graduate School of Journalism.

// Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.

This week: The trial of Gerald Stanley, the man accused in the shooting death of Colten Boushie. We’ll look at who gets to be on the jury, and who doesn’t. Raw numbers: A report leaked to the media reveals just how much governments shortchange First Nations child welfare services in Manitoba. And, the sound of silence: a political activist who would only speak Hawaiian in court finds a seriously unsympathetic ear in the judge.   

Joining host/producer Rick Harp are Ken Williams, an assistant professor with the University of Alberta's department of drama, and, Brock Pitawanakwat, assistant professor of Indigenous studies at the University of Sudbury.

// Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.

This week: the 'Change the Date' debate. We discuss what seems to have been the most controversial Australia Day yet. Plus, divine intervention? As the Chilean government turns up the heat, why would the Pope push the Mapuche to turn the other cheek? And: bison on the brink? It's an animal many still revere—now, a scientist raises fresh concerns about its future.

Joining host Rick Harp this week are Kim TallBear, associate professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta, and Candis Callison, Associate Professor at UBC's Graduate School of Journalism.

// Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.

This week.. Politician contrition: an Alberta MLA walks back some sweeping off-hand comments about Aboriginal voter behaviour in his riding; A flyer full of ire: anonymous posters at an Atlantic university proclaim Indigenous people to be the overwhelming "beneficiaries," not the "victims" of European culture. Debunking denial: We take a deep dive into the playbook of White 'Denialism.'

Brock Pitawanakwat, an assistant professor of Indigenous studies at the University of Sudbury, and Kim TallBear, associate professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta, return to the roundtable. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.

This week: Beyak Booted—A Canadian senator’s website gets her kicked out of the Conservative Party for controversial content about Indigenous people. Speech impediment—Why would the Nova Scotia government push a school board to re-word its territorial acknowledgement? Under-'PrEP-ed'—Did Indigenous health advocates in BC drop the ball when it came to promoting a drug that helps prevent HIV? // At this week’s roundtable are Brock Pitawanakwat, an assistant professor of Indigenous studies at the University of Sudbury, and Ken Williams, an assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s department of drama. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.

This week: #NativeTwitter—more than just a hashtag? Can its influence be felt off-line? Or is it simply a case of tweeting to the choir? Seal for sale—Facebook reverses its refusal of seal-skin-related items on its platform. Split-shooter—a British Columbia court rules that a U.S.-based Indigenous man can legally hunt in Canada because his people’s territory pre-dates the border.

Back at the roundtable are Ken Williams, an assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s department of Drama, and Kim TallBear, associate professor of Native Studiesat the University of Alberta. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.

The second of our two-part look back and look ahead on the year almost behind us and the 12 months to come. What is, or what could be, their Indigenous significance?

Back at our special four-member roundtable are Ken Williams, an assistant professor with the University of Alberta's department of drama, Kim TallBear, associate professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta, and Brock Pitawanakwat, assistant professor of Indigenous studies at the University of Sudbury. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.

What made 2017 a year of Indigenous significance? What might be in store for 2018? This week's show assembles the fulsome foursome for this year-end exercise, one that will take two episodes to manage. Joining host Rick Harp for all this heavy lifting are Ken Williams, assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s department of drama, fellow U of A scholar Kim TallBear (associate professor of Native Studies), and Brock Pitawanakwat, assistant professor of Indigenous studies at the University of Sudbury. // Our theme is nesting by birocratic.

Vote vice: we scrutinize the story of a Saskatchewan First Nation politician accused of buying votes with drugs, and muse over how media framing of stories about Indigenous corruption compares to coverage of mainstream political shenanigans; Harm reduction on the rez: we explore the promise of a public health approach to drug addiction; 'Hawks hoax: will an online prank about the name of Washington’s football team score with its intended audience?

Back at the table this week: Brock Pitawanakwat, assistant professor of Indigenous studies at the University of Sudbury, and Ken Williams, assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s department of drama.

Monumental fight: US President Trump announces he'll significantly shrink the boundaries of two protected areas in the state of Utah, despite their deep significance to multiple tribes. Urban plot: How Indigenous women in one California city hope to use a non-profit land trust to re-take territory, one piece at a time. Getting reproductive rights reductively wrong? A politician hoping to lead Saskatchewan’s governing party flat out claims “First Nations don’t believe in abortion.”

Back at the roundtable are Kim TallBear, associate professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta, and Terese Mailhot, author and Tecumseh Postdoctoral Fellow at Purdue University.

Make BC 'Site C' free: A new summary of research into the mega-hydro project produces a flood of arguments against its completion. Will British Columbia's coalition government listen? Home is where the hurt is: Rules preventing non-Indigenous people from residing on the Kahnawake reserve are now being challenged in court by some of its Mohawk members. Absent audience: Canada’s auditor general claims politicians are basically ignoring his reports on indigenous issues.

Returning are Brock Pitawanakwat, assistant professor of Indigenous studies at the University of Sudbury, and Ken Williams, assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s department of drama. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.

1. We pore over a poll showing Native Americans who live in "majority-Native areas" in the U.S. face greater mistreatment than anyone else. 2. Pro-development = anti-Indian, or the other way around? We mine recent media narratives that declare environmentalists and First Nations at odds over resource extraction. 3. Breaking the boys club: we discuss musician and poet Joy Harjo speaking out on her struggles as a female Indigenous artist in male-dominated circles.

At the roundtable this week are Kim TallBear, associate professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta, and Terese Mailhot, writer and Tecumseh Postdoctoral Fellow in English at Purdue University.

This week, an extended conversation with Sarah de Leeuw, co-author of the recent paper, Turning a new page: cultural safety, critical creative literary interventions, truth and reconciliation, and the crisis of child welfare. Written with Margo Greenwood, the paper was produced as part of their work at the National Collaborating Centre for Aboriginal Health, where Sarah is a Research Associate, Margo the Academic Lead. Over the course of this discussion, we explore de Leeuw and Greenwood's argument that the ongoing crisis of Indigenous child apprehensions must be viewed in their historical and cultural contexts. That is, as an extension of long-standing violent discourses that validate the 'rights' of settler-colonial state powers like Canada to intervene into the lives of Indigenous families and communities with impunity. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.

1. Downhill and out: Canada’s highest court rules against an Indigenous sacred site in favour of a ski resort. 2. White Hot: Conservative Twitter goes ballistic over a white professor’s claims that the white nuclear family reproduces white supremacy. 3. Re-Con: We check in on the second-ever Indigenous Comic Convention.

Returning to the roundtable are Lakota activist and communications professional, Taté Walker, and Kim TallBear, associate professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta.  // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.

1. No joke: Why some racist Halloween stunts have people at one Alberta university upset (if not all that surprised). 2. Re-definition: Can expanding and enriching what homelessness means for Indigenous people help yield better responses? 3. Storm clouds: Why has an award-winning video game about a Thunderbird sparked some political rumblings?

Back at the table this week are Brock Pitawanakwat, an assistant professor of Indigenous studies at the University of Sudbury, and Ken Williams, an assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s department of drama.

1. Hatin’ on Halloween? Why a non-native writer feels her 4-year-old was cheated of the chance to dress up as "a native princess." 2. Beothuk babble: Is an east coast Indigenous people reducible to their DNA? Some archaeologists and journalists seem to think so. 3. Another meal of seal: We’ll digest your comments about our earlier chat regarding one restaurant’s traditional menu.

Back at the roundtable are Kim TallBear, associate professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta, and Lakota activist and communications professional, Taté Walker. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.

1. In name only: How did an Ontario city manage to strike up an Indigenous working group—minus any Indigenous people? 2. Ciao, chief! As a gesture of what it calls reconciliation, a school board decides it needs to drop the word “chief” from all of its employees’ job titles. 3. Book bind: After a number of contributors pull out of an Aboriginal anthology over the inclusion of an author convicted of domestic assault, the author asks the publisher to remove his work instead. We’ll discuss whether this sequence of events has made new room to discuss Indigenous male violence.

Back at the roundtable are Brock Pitawanakwat, an assistant professor of Indigenous studies at the University of Sudbury, and Ken Williams, an assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s department of drama. // Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.

1. Taste Testy: How the introduction of traditional foods in mainstream settings have inspired some, and incited others; 2. Bad Optics? A massive telescope gets the green light on the island of Hawai'i over the objections of local Indigenous people; 3. Settlement for Survivors: Canada offers $800 million to victims of the Sixties Scoop, but critics claim it’s inadequate in more ways than one.

Returning to the roundtable are Kim TallBear, associate professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta, and Taté Walker, Lakota activist and communications professional.

// Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.

1. Unfair Share: A group of First Nations take Canada and Ontario to court for not honouring a 167-year-old promise to top up treaty payments as resource revenues rise. 2. CAP Kerfuffle: Is the leader of the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples even Aboriginal? 3. Shameful or Shameless? Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tells the United Nations that the "failure of successive Canadian governments to respect the rights of Indigenous Peoples… is our great shame." But do his deeds even remotely match his words?

Returning to the roundtable are Brock Pitawanakwat, an assistant professor of Indigenous studies at the University of Sudbury, and Ken Williams, an assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s department of drama.

// Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.