This week, a battle over boundaries in the state of Utah. We discuss the simmering split in San Juan County, where a majority Indigenous population now has an Indigenous majority representing it on the region’s top decision making body. And while some celebrate this new democratic era for the county, others agitate for its division.

Back at the roundtable this week are Candis Callison, Visiting Professor of Canadian Studies at Princeton University, and Kim TallBear, associate professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta.

// Our theme music is 'nesting' by birocratic.

Back from our brief hiatus, this week's show speaks frankly about why the Liberal government's proposed Indigenous Languages Act is mostly notable for what it doesn't say. Joining us this week is special return guest Lorena Fontaine, Indigenous academic lead and associate professor of Indigenous Studies at the University of Winnipeg.

// Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.

This week... Another BC battlefront: Why Wet'suwet'en resistance to the Coastal Gas Link pipeline project is—and isn’t—so complicated to understand. Revitalizing MEDIA INDIGENA: Why us taking a break after 147 consecutive weeks is the best guarantee of many more episodes to come. Learn more on our website.

Joining us for this special episode—recorded as a livestream with our supporters on Patreon—are Candis Callison, Visiting Professor of Canadian Studies at Princeton University, Kim TallBear, associate professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta, and Ken Williams, assistant professor with the U of A’s department of drama.

// Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.

This week, the second installment in our two-part conversation with Darrel McLeod, author of Mamaskatch: A Cree Coming of Age.

Winner of the 2018 Governor-General’s award for non-fiction, Mamaskatch has been lauded for its raw, revealing portrait of McLeod’s early years. Covering just over three decades, the book’s proven inspiring to many who have faced similar hardships. That includes host Rick Harp's mother, Jane Glennon, who once again joins in on the discussion.

Last time out, we delved into Darrel’s rocky relationship with his mother, his gender fluidity and the special role birds have occupied throughout his life. This time round, we begin with a discussion of Darrel's arc as a writer, his up and down experiences with education, his resolve to share the truth come what may, and how Darrel struggled at times with his Cree identity.

// Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.

This week, we present part one of our two-part conversation with Darrel McLeod, whose memoir recently won this year's Governor-General’s award for non-fiction.

Also joining host/producer Rick Harp for this special edition of the roundtable: Rick's mom, Jane Glennon (née McCallum).

According to the jury that awarded McLeod the $25,000 prize, "MAMASKATCH: A Cree Coming of Age dares to immerse readers in provocative contemporary issues including gender fluidity, familial violence, and transcultural hybridity. A fast-moving, intimate memoir of dreams and nightmares—[it is] lyrical and gritty, raw and vulnerable, told without pity, but with phoenix-like strength."

Earlier this month, we three Cree sat in Sooke, BC together to reflect on Darrel's life stories, their often tumultuous trajectory, and what eventually brought them into being on the printed page.

Policing the police: A new review of Thunder Bay law enforcement finds the quality of their investigations so flawed many need to be re-opened; Fighting fakery: How a BC media outlet is trying to tackle inauthentic 'Indigenous' art; Off track: Why is Mexico’s new president pushing for a railroad no one seems to want, least of all indigenous peoples whose lands would be threatened by it?

Joining host/producer Rick Harp at the roundtable once again 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.

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Note: The 'Horn Honk' sound effect (by Mike Koenig) featured in this episode appears under a CC 3.0 license.

This week, we share two presentations delivered on day two of the International Symposium on Indigenous Communities and Climate Change, hosted this December 6th and 7th by Princeton University in New Jersey.

Part of a line-up featuring nine speakers in all, we share talks by MEDIA INDIGENA roundtablers Candis Callison (“Communal Lives and Climate Change: Convening spaces for Indigenous publics, narratives, and knowledge”) and Rick Harp (”Indigenous Independents: Navigating the Challenges of Indie Media Making”).

For more on the event, visit https://www.princetonisiccc.com/schedule

1. How to deal with denial? Can links be drawn between minimizing the intent and impacts of residential schools of the not-so-distant past with the contemporary practice of forced/coerced sterilization of Indigenous women in Canada? A question top of mind this week for roundtabler Ken Williams as he contemplates the implications of the story of a Canadian imprisoned in Germany for Holocaust denial. Does arguably comparable commentary regarding anti-Indigenous atrocities in Canada merit the same 'nip it in the bud' approach? 2. Murder of a missionary: An American met his end after trying to convert an isolated tribe in India. But if you’re looking for sympathy from Indigenous pockets of social media, best look elsewhere.

Back at the roundtable with host/producer 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.

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1. Fighting fire with fire? Why some say the massive blazes ripping across parts of California did not have to be so furious or fatal, if only the state would listen more to Indigenous peoples. 2. Cultural linchpin or not-so-scenic buzzkill? Why some Ontario cottagers ain’t so 'wild' about the return of rice to the region. 3. Media muzzle? A southern U.S. tribe suddenly takes back the press protections it had only put in place three years prior.

Joining host/producer Rick Harp at the roundtable this week are Candis Callison, Visiting Professor of Canadian Studies at Princeton University, and Kim TallBear, associate professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta.

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1. Child and family fraud? How a potential class action lawsuit against one B.C. social worker has exposed some gaping vulnerabilities in a system supposedly set up to care for kids. 2. Lodging complaints: What the mainstream media missed in its coverage of how a convicted child-killer ended up at an Indigenous-based correctional facility (though she's been subsequently removed). 3. Libellous or frivolous? An Alberta First Nation launches a million dollar lawsuit against one of its own over comments she posted to Facebook.

Joining host/producer Rick Harp at the roundtable once again 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.

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THIS WEEK... What’s in a name? Everything, for Indigenous families hoping to reclaim their people's traditional naming practices. What gives with philanthropy? The author of a new book on the subject says it’s time to decolonize the sector. Grief over Greyhound: What will First Nations who once relied on the bus service do now that it's ceased operations in western Canada?

Host/producer Rick Harp is joined once again by Candis Callison, Visiting Professor of Canadian Studies at Princeton University, and Kim TallBear, associate professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta.

// Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.

This week, part two of our live show at the University of Winnipeg on the potential impacts of cannabis legalization on Indigenous peoples in Canada. Part one featured matters of jurisdiction and justice; this time 'round, we look at the way some dream of an economic jackpot while others foresee a nightmare of mental and moral jeopardy.

Sponsored by the UWSA, the evening featured roundtable regular Kim TallBear (University of Alberta associate professor of Native Studies) as well as special guest roundtabler Tim Fontaine of Walking Eagle News and cannabis journalist Solomon Israel of TheLeafNews.com.

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On this week’s program, recorded live in Winnipeg, we stir the pot now that Canada’s cannabis countdown is complete, making it only the second country in the world to legalize marijuana.

But what could this all mean for Indigenous peoples? Some see cannabis as the great green hope, but others aren’t nearly so high on the plant’s prospects for prosperity. In part one of our discussion, we explore matters of jurisdiction and justice with University of Alberta associate professor of Native Studies Kim TallBear, special guest Tim Fontaine, Editor-in-Grand-Chief of Walking Eagle News, and cannabis beat reporter Solomon Israel of TheLeafNews.com.

// Our theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.

Twelve years. According to a new report from the UN-backed Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), that's how long we have to act both decisively and radically concerning the climate if we are to keep life viable for much if not most of humanity.

Here's another number: 1.5 degrees Celsius. According to the same IPCC report, that’s the maximum increase in average world temperatures, relative to pre-industrial levels, that our planet can sustain before it will simply be unable to sustain us.

That’s the bad news. But believe it or not, there is good news here too: many say keeping our planet below 1.5 is not only achievable, but realistic, though it will require a scale and scope of change that is simply unprecedented.

This week, visiting professor of Canadian Studies at Princeton University Candis Callison, along with Kim TallBear, associate professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta, join host Rick Harp to grapple with these sobering facts, as well as discuss what’s behind them and where our world ought to go from here.

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This week, our special live-audience episode in Edmonton, where we discussed... Protocol Schmotocol: What one professor’s slide into another’s DMs on Twitter in search of help on a highly-sensitive subject can teach us about ethical research... 'Indigenous Renaissance': Just one of many pointed phrases in the victory speech of Maliseet musician Jeremy Dutcher at this year’s Polaris Music Prize ceremony. But as Indigenous artists continue to rack up recognition in the broader arts world, should we see their success as made-in-Canada, or made despite it? Education 'Indigenization': Confused by what different institutions mean by the term? Special guest Adam Gaudry (Associate Dean and Associate Professor, Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta) walks us through what true reconciliation might look like in the academy.

Featuring regulars Rick Harp, Kim TallBear and Ken Williams, it's the first-ever MEDIA INDIGENA roundtable recorded in front of a live audience. Thanks again to our event sponsor—the U of A Faculty of Native Studies—for making it all possible!

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This week we bring you 'part two' of last week's round table, one that ran unusually long because of our extended discussion about APTN’s controversial reality show, "First Contact." Those outstanding two topics are... Prime directive: A leaked video seems to show Canada’s PM scolding First Nations leaders for their time 'mismanagement'; plus, Settler solidarity—what might it really look like? Two examples from the Antipodes could show the way.

Still seated at the round table: Brock Pitawanakwat, assistant professor of Indigenous studies at the University of Sudbury, and Candis Callison, visiting professor of Canadian Studies at Princeton University.

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Provocative or problematic? We discuss why opinion is sharply divided over 'First Contact,' a new APTN mini-series showcasing Canadians’ deep ignorance about Aboriginal peoples. And, with our discussion going so in-depth and protracted, we eat up the time normally devoted to three topics!

Joining host/producer Rick Harp at the roundtable this week are Brock Pitawanakwat, assistant professor of Indigenous studies at the University of Sudbury, and Candis Callison, visiting professor of Canadian Studies at Princeton University (on leave from UBC).

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1. 'Sinful' ceremony: a Cree community finds itself at spiritual odds over whether to allow a pow-wow some regard as blasphemous. // 2. Must the show go on? Robert Lepage's first attempt to tell "the story of Canada through the prism of [white-Indigenous] relations”—minus a single Indigenous actor—got cancelled. Now it appears the famous Quebec playwright will get to stage the show after all. // 3. Boyden’s back, and there’s gonna be trouble! Why a movie adapted from a controversial author’s work has made some uneasy in their seats.

Back at the roundtable are Ken Williams, assistant professor with the University of Alberta's Department of Drama, and Brock Pitawanakwat, assistant professor of Indigenous studies at the University of Sudbury.

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Is a controversial pipeline now a pipe-dream? Canada’s Federal Court of Appeal has just ruled that plans to expand the Trans Mountain pipeline are to be put on hold until the government gets its act together on the potential impacts of greater oil tanker traffic on marine ecosystems and on its failure to meaningfully consult Indigenous peoples.

But is this ruling a slam dunk? What’s to be made of the heated, even hysterical, reaction from some quarters? And where could or should things go from here?

Back at this all-new roundtable this week are Kim TallBear, associate professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta, and Candis Callison, visiting professor of Canadian Studies at Princeton University (on leave from UBC).

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1. Man camp controversy: decades-old abuse allegations against hydro-dam workers finally surface in Manitoba. Might it spark a flood of similar complaints? 2. Stat spat: talk of a new federal holiday commemorating the survivors of residential schools gets mixed reviews 3. Mac attack: why the reputation of John A. Macdonald (Canada’s first prime minister) is getting taken off its pedestal—literally.

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

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Our ninth and final episode of our Summer Series collects and connects conversations about pipelines, in particular, the Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion project. Featured voices in this episode include (in order of appearance): Indigenous Resource lawyer Merle Alexander; Kim TallBear, associate professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta, and Candis Callison, associate professor at UBC's Graduate School of Journalism; 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.

This 9-week series was hosted and co-produced by Rick Harp, with editorial and production assistance by Stephanie Wood.

Creative Commons music this podcast includes the track 'Endeavour' by Jahzzar. Learn more at freemusicarchive.org.

On this week's episode, the second-last show in our Summer Series, we revisit the troubling death of Colten Boushie—the 22-year old member of the Red Pheasant First Nation shot and killed back in August of 2016 by a then-54-year-old white farmer named Gerald Stanley. Featured voices this episode include (in order of appearance): Documentarian and University of Saskatchewan assistant professor of English, Tasha Hubbard, as well as Chris Andersen, then-interim dean at the University of Alberta’s faculty of Native Studies; 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.

Music this podcast includes two compositions by Welcome Wizard off their lunachild album: we heard the tracks “12 Diseases” and “Nautical Fistula.” We also heard the track “Endeavour” by Jahzzar. Learn more about these artists at freemusicarchive.org

Our seventh Summer Series episode collects and connects conversations about Thunder Bay, a small northwestern Ontario city where a huge amount of hostility has been directed at Indigenous people. It’s a negativity so persistent and pervasive, it is seemingly ingrained across a variety of the region’s institutions. Featured voices in this podcast include: CBC journalist Jody Porter; Karyn Pugliese, Executive Director of News and Current Affairs with the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network, plus Lisa Girbav, a radio broadcaster from Tsimshian territory and a student at UBC; University of Alberta associate professor of Native Studies Kim TallBear, along with associate professor at UBC's Graduate School of Journalism Candis Callison; Ken Williams, an assistant professor with the University of Alberta's department of drama; Brock Pitawanakwat, assistant professor of Indigenous studies at the University of Sudbury.

Creative Commons music in this podcast includes the song “Endeavour” by Jahzzar. Learn more at freemusicarchive.org

Our sixth Summer Series episode collects and connects conversations about language: more specifically, the politics of Indigenous language rights and funding in Canada. Featured voices this episode include: Lorena Fontaine, an associate professor of Indigenous Governance at the University of Winnipeg; Karyn Pugliese, APTN's Executive Director of News and Current Affairs, along with Lisa Girbav, radio broadcaster and student from the Tsimshian territory; Kim TallBear, associate professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta, plus Candis Callison, associate professor at UBC's Graduate School of Journalism.

Creative Commons music in this podcast includes the song 'Endeavour' by Jahzzar. Learn more at freemusicarchive.org