Ahkameyimok Podcast with Perry Bellegarde

Bryan Trottier needs little introduction. The Hockey Hall of Fame player was a key member and leading scorer for the New York Islanders Stanley Cup dynasty of the 1980's, and then with Pittsburgh Penguins of the early 90's. He is also incredibly proud of his Cree-Metis-Chippewa heritage, and his hometown of Val Marie in southern Saskatchewan. In this fun and fascinating conversation, he talks with Perry Bellegarde about learning to play hockey on the beaver pond on his family ranch, playing bass in his father's country band, his parents advice on overcoming racism as a young hockey player, how the infamous Dave "Tiger" Williams saved his hockey career as a junior player at Swift Current, and of course, his key role in the NY Islanders Cup wins from 1980 to 1983. This is an interview to savour.Bryan's new best selling memoir is called "All Roads Home: A Life On and Off the Ice."The Ahkameyimok Podcast is produced by David McGuffin of Explore Podcast Productions in Ottawa.Our theme music is performed by the Red Dog Singers of Treaty Four Territory in Saskatchewan.

Chief Perry is thrilled to be joined Douglas Sanderson and Andrew Stobo Sniderman for a fascinating and thoughtful conversation about their new book, "The Valley of the Birdtail."It is a heart-rending, true story about racism and reconciliation.Divided by a beautiful valley and 150 years of racism, the town of Rossburn and the Waywayseecappo Indian reserve have been neighbours nearly as long as Canada has been a country. Their story reflects much of what has gone wrong in relations between Indigenous Peoples and non-Indigenous Canadians. It also offers, in the end, an uncommon measure of hope.DOUGLAS SANDERSON (AMO BINASHII) is the Prichard Wilson Chair in Law and Public Policy at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law and has served as a senior policy advisor to Ontario’s attorney general and minister of Indigenous affairs. He is Swampy Cree, Beaver clan, of the Opaskwayak Cree Nation.ANDREW STOBO SNIDERMAN is a writer, lawyer, and Rhodes Scholar from Montreal. He has written for the New York Times, the Globe and Mail, and Maclean’s. He has also argued before the Supreme Court of Canada, served as the human rights policy advisor to the Canadian minister of foreign affairs, and worked for a judge of South Africa’s Constitutional Court. And thanks to the Red Dog Singers for our theme song, Interbal.

****As we move into 2022, we're reposting Perry's episode on Hope, one of the most popular of the past year. We hope it brings you joy and inspiration as we enter the New Year.*******Encore Episode***In his seven years as National Chief, Perry Bellegarde focused on the importance hope: "Always leave more hope in a room than was there when you arrived."Over the run of the Ahkameyimok Podcast, no matter how difficult the conversation or the issue, he always ends by asking his guests this question:What brings you hope?These are some of his favorite answers to that question.01: 18 -- Chief Willie Littlechild - former TRC Commissioner, Member of Parliament, lawyer, social activist and author of the first draft of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People.02:24 Dr Lorna Williams - Canada's leading expert on the promotion and revival of Indigenous languages.4:14 William Prince - Award winning and chart topping country music star6:30 Rt Hon Brian Mulroney - Canada's 18th Prime Minister7:40 Dr Dan Longboat - Founding Director of Trent University's Indigenous Environmental Science Program10:42 Marion Crowe - CEO of the First Nations Health Managers Association11:41 Wade Davis, best-selling author, film-maker, explorer, UBC Anthropology Professor12:32 Mary Ellen Turpel Lafond - fmr judge, law professor, children's advocate14:27 Jagmeet Singh - Leader of the federal New Democratic Party of Canada15:13 Bobbie Jo Greenland-Morgan - Grand Chief of the Gwich'in Tribal Council17:40 Kevin Loring - Artistic Director of the Indigenous Theatre, National Arts Centre, Ottawa19:40 Elder Wilfred Buck - leading First Nations astronomy and star lore expert21:52 Senator Kim Pate - international expert in legal and prison reform24:01 Brigadier-General Joe Paul, the highest ranking First Nations officer in the Canadian Armed Forces25:12 Brad Regehr - The first First Nations President of the Canadian Bar Association26:21 Louise Bernice Halfe - Canada's first Indigenous Parliamentary Poet Laureate28:05 Dr Alika Lafontaine - the first Indigenous person elected as the President of the Canadian Medical Association30:03 Romeo Saganash, former Member of Parliament, and leading advocate for the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People.31:41 Conner Roulette, First Nations gold medal winning junior hockey star33:09 Chief Cadmus Delorme, Cowessess First Nation, home to 751 unmarked graves found at the Marieval Residential School34:30 Tom Jackson, actor, musician, social activist36:36 Marie Wilson, former Commissioner, Truth and Reconciliation CommissionThe Akhameyimok Podcast is produced by David McGuffin of Explore Podcast ProductionsTheme music is by the Red Dog Singers, Treaty 4 territory, Saskatchewan

*** In light of revelations that the NHL Chicago Blackhawks covered up a case of sexual abuse of one it's players by a member of it's coaching staff, we are re-posting this powerful interview with former NHL player and sexual abuse survivor Sheldon Kennedy. This interview originally aired in January, 13th, 2021. *** ***This interview contains subject matters and details that may not be appropriate for young listeners. *** Sheldon Kennedy is one of Canada's leading campaigners in the fight against child abuse. The retired NHL veteran and founder of the Calgary Child Advocacy Centre joins National Chief Bellegarde to discuss ways in which the pandemic has made child abuse worse, what can be done to improve that, his own history of abuse by his hockey coach as a teenager, and how telling that story gave him the strength to get his own life on track and help others, including First Nations survivors of Residential Schools. And, on a lighter note, Kennedy talks about how winning CTV's Battle of the Blades renewed his love of skating. Sheldon Kennedy played eight years in the National Hockey League, with the Detroit Red Wings, Calgary Flames and Boston Bruins. As a teenager he led the Swift Current Broncos to a Memorial Cup championship, the best team in Junior Hockey. But it was also at Swift Current that Kennedy was sexually abused for years by his coach, Graham James. When Kennedy revealed this abuse publicly towards the end of his pro career, Graham James was convicted and sent to prison. He has since been convicted for the abuse of several more players. For Kennedy, this marked the start of a life dedicated to supporting and speaking out for sexual abuse survivors. His leadership, including founding the Child Advocacy Centre in Calgary and the Respect Group, saw him being awarded the Order of Canada in 2016. A big thanks goes out to the Red Dog Singers of Treaty 4 Territory in Saskatchewan for our theme music. The Ahkameyimok Podcast is produced by David McGuffin of Explore Podcast Productions.

***Encore Presentation*** ***This interview with Dr Lorna Williams originally aired on Jan 21, 2021 *** What is the state of First Nations languages in Canada? One of the leading experts on the promotion and restoration of Indigenous culture and language, Dr Lorna Wanosts’a7 Williams of the University of Victoria, joins the Ahkameyimok Podcast to discuss that ahead of the Symposium on Indigenous Languages hosted by Canadian Heritage on January 25th. Indigenous languages represent who we are, expressing the wisdom, our worldview, the laws and lives of our ancestors. But in Canada today, just 1 in 5 First Nations persons is fluent in their language. This reality was born out of generations of colonial suppression of our language and cultures, most notably through the genocide of the residential school system. We want our languages to survive into the next centuries and beyond, and this involves some hard work. There is reason for hope, the numbers of First Nations people taking back their languages is increasing. And last year, Bill C-91, the indigenous languages act, was passed into law. It provides funding and a framework for many approaches to revive indigenous languages. It builds on the hope from our Elders who have worked hard to preserve our languages for us. One of those Elders is Dr. Lorna Williams of the Lil’wat First Nation. For over fifty years she has been an Indigenous educator and language specialist, working at all levels, from local to national, most recently as the Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Education at the University of Victoria. For her efforts, Dr Williams received the Order of Canada last year. A big thanks goes out to the Red Dog Singers of Treaty 4 Territory in Saskatchewan for our theme music. The Ahkameyimok Podcast is produced by David McGuffin of Explore Podcast Productions

ENCORE PRESENTATION ***This interview with the Green Party Leader Annamie Paul was first posted on October 15, 2020, shortly after she won the Green Party leadership and before in-fighting broke out within the Green Party caucus and organization*** ***With the Akhameyimok Podcast on hiatus and a federal election underway, we are re-running National Chief Bellegarde's best interviews from the past year with leaders and senior members of the main federal political parties to help provide a sense of where they stand on issues important to First Nations and Indigenous people. **** Almost the first words in new Green Party leader Annamie Paul's victory speech, spoke of solidarity with Canada's First Nations: "As the descendant of the black diaspora who has suffered its own history of oppression and colonialism, I will always stand with indigenous peoples and their calls to action, and their calls to justice and their fight for self-determination and sovereignty.” In this episode of the Ahkameyimok Podcast, Canada's first black and first Jewish female party leader joins Chief Perry Bellegarde to discuss why she believes First Nations causes are so important, ways to tackle systemic racism, and why social policies are just as important to the Green party as environmental ones. A big thanks goes out to the Red Dog Singers of Treaty 4 Territory in Saskatchewan for our theme music. The Ahkameyimok Podcast is produced by David McGuffin of Explore Podcast Productions.

ENCORE PRESENTATION ***With the Akhameyimok Podcast on summer hiatus and a federal election now underway, we are re-running National Chief Bellegarde's best interviews from the past year with leaders and senior members of the main federal political parties to help provide a sense of where they stand on issues important to First Nations and Indigenous people. **** ***This interview with Erin O'Toole was first posted on August 19/2020, just before he won the leadership of federal Conservative Party*** Erin O'Toole is one of the front-runners to become the next federal Conservative Party leader in a vote that takes place Friday, August 21st 2020. In this, his first interview with the Ahkameyimok Podcast, O'Toole lays out his vision for working with First Nations if he were to become leader and Prime Minister. In this interesting and wide ranging interview, National Chief Perry Bellegarde gets O'Toole's views on reconciliation, the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People, cooperation in resource development and management, systemic racism, policing and more. Please note: Peter MacKay and Leslyn Lewis, the other main Conservative leadership candidates, were also invited onto the podcast but declined due to their campaign schedules. Erin O’Toole is the Member of Parliament for the southern Ontario riding of Durham, just to the east of Toronto. He was first elected to Parliament in 2012 and served as Minister of Veterans Affairs in the Harper Government. He is a veteran of the Royal Canadian Air Force and a graduate of the Royal Military College. He also has a law degree from Dalhousie University. Before moving into politics he practiced corporate law in Toronto. A special thanks goes out to the Red Dog Singers of Treaty 4 territory in Saskatchewan for providing the theme music for this podcast. The Ahkameyimok Podcast is produced in Ottawa by David McGuffin of Explore Podcast Productions.

As National Chief, Perry Bellegarde has always focused on the importance hope: "Always leave more hope in a room than was there when you arrived."Over the 57 episodes of the Ahkameyimok Podcast, no matter how difficult the conversation or the issue, he always ends by asking his guests this question:What brings you hope?As his time as National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations comes to an end, after choosing not to seek re-election, we are looking back at some of his favorite answers to that question about hope.They are inspiring, thought provoking and speak to a better future for First Nations.01: 18 -- Chief Willie Littlechild - former TRC Commissioner, Member of Parliament, lawyer, social activist and author of the first draft of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People.02:24 Dr Lorna Williams - Canada's leading expert on the promotion and revival of Indigenous languages.4:14 William Prince - Award winning and chart topping country music star6:30 Rt Hon Brian Mulroney - Canada's 18th Prime Minister7:40 Dr Dan Longboat - Founding Director of Trent University's Indigenous Environmental Science Program10:42 Marion Crowe - CEO of the First Nations Health Managers Association11:41 Wade Davis, best-selling author, film-maker, explorer, UBC Anthropology Professor12:32 Mary Ellen Turpel Lafond - fmr judge, law professor, children's advocate14:27 Jagmeet Singh - Leader of the federal New Democratic Party of Canada15:13 Bobbie Jo Greenland-Morgan - Grand Chief of the Gwich'in Tribal Council17:40 Kevin Loring - Artistic Director of the Indigenous Theatre, National Arts Centre, Ottawa19:40 Elder Wilfred Buck - leading First Nations astronomy and star lore expert21:52 Senator Kim Pate - international expert in legal and prison reform24:01 Brigadier-General Joe Paul, the highest ranking First Nations officer in the Canadian Armed Forces25:12 Brad Regehr - The first First Nations President of the Canadian Bar Association26:21 Louise Bernice Halfe - Canada's first Indigenous Parliamentary Poet Laureate28:05 Dr Alika Lafontaine - the first Indigenous person elected as the President of the Canadian Medical Association30:03 Romeo Saganash, former Member of Parliament, and leading advocate for the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People.31:41 Conner Roulette, First Nations gold medal winning junior hockey star33:09 Chief Cadmus Delorme, Cowessess First Nation, home to 751 unmarked graves found at the Marieval Residential School34:30 Tom Jackson, actor, musician, social activist36:36 Marie Wilson, former Commissioner, Truth and Reconciliation CommissionThe Akhameyimok Podcast is produced by David McGuffin of Explore Podcast ProductionsTheme music is by the Red Dog Singers, Treaty 4 territory, SaskatchewanFor more on the work of the Assembly of First Nations, visit AFN.ca

"For those of us who are survivors of the oppression of our languages and the part of the cultural and physical genocide brought on us by the Church and State that ran Residential Schools... the day the that Bill C-91, the Indigenous Languages Act, received Royal Assent was a memorable occasion that was long overdue."This week, Ron Ignace was appointed as Canada's first ever Indigenous Languages Commissioner. He joins the Ahkameyimok Podcast to talk about his new job, what he hopes to achieve, success stories in the revitalization of Indigenous languages, his experiences at the Kamloops Indian Residential School, and how he was able to keep his Secwepemctsin language despite efforts to beat it out of him at that school.Stsmél̓qen, Ron Ignace, is a member of the Secwepemc Nation in British Columbia and a fluent speaker of Secwepemctsin. He was the elected chief of the Skeetchestn Indian Band for more than 30 years. He has a PhD in Anthropology from Simon Fraser University with a dissertation on Secwepemc oral history. From 2016-2021, he co-chaired the Assembly of First Nations' Chiefs Committee on Languages, where he played an instrumental role in the development and passage of Bill C-91, the Indigenous Languages Act.For more on the Assembly of First Nations work on Indigenous Languages and other issues, visit AFN.caThe Ahkameyimok Podcast is produced by David McGuffin of Explore Podcast Productions.Our theme music, Intertribal, is by the Red Dog Singers, Treaty 4 Territory in southern Saskatchewan.

***The subject matter and content of this episode may not be suitable for all listeners***"We did hear of children's bones being found in the foundations of buildings when (Residential) schools were dismantled. We heard of children being thrown into furnaces. These were children. The little ones who have woken up in Kamloops this week, these are children calling out to all of us now."Marie Wilson, former Commissioner on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which investigated crimes and abuses against Indigenous children at Residential Schools in Canada, joins the Ahkameyimok Podcast from Yellowknife to discuss the shocking find of a mass grave of 215 children at the Kamloops Indian Residential School. The grave was found on the site of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School at the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation in British Columbia. Dr Wilson discusses her feelings on hearing of the the Kamloops mass grave, her memories of visiting that site as Commissioner, why her work on the TRC from 2009 to 2015 means she is shocked but not surprised by this mass grave and believes there are many more like it across Canada that need to be investigated, and why she believes the Pope and Catholic church, which ran the majority of the Residential Schools, needs to apologize for its role in what the TRC described as cultural genocide. National Indian Residential Schools Crisis Line: 1-866-925-4419 For more on Residential Schools and the work of the Assembly of First Nations, please visit AFN.caThe Ahkameyimok Podcast is produced by David McGuffin of Explore Podcast ProductionsOur theme music is performed by the Red Dog Singers.

Conner Roulette won Gold this month, playing for Team Canada at the Under 18 World Hockey Championships in Texas, helping defeat Russia in the championship game. A forward with the WHL's Seattle Thunderbirds and a proud member of the Misipawistik Cree Nation in Treaty 5 territory in Manitoba, Roulette had a strong tournament, with five points in seven games, include goals in the both the quarter and semi-finals. Many are now predicting that he could be a first round pick in this years NHL draft. Roulette talks about the thrill of winning the gold medal, the challenges of playing hockey during the pandemic, and First Nations pro hockey players who have inspired and mentored him, including Ethan Bear and Zach Whitecloud.For more on the work of the Assembly of First Nations, please visit AFN.caThe Ahkameyimok podcast is produced by David McGuffin of Explore Podcast Productions.Our theme song, Intertribal, is by the Red Dog Singers.

"We've been working really hard with the government of Canada on meeting their 5% target of procurement from Indigenous business. We did some work with them to look at where they spent their money and compared that to Indigenous businesses in Canada and found that Indigenous businesses could actually serve 24% of the government spend. So 5% is a minimum target. It is definitely achievable."Tabatha Bull is the President and CEO of the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business. She joins National Chief Bellegarde to talk about challenges facing First Nations businesses in the pandemic, her thoughts on what the Federal Budget means for First Nations entrepreneurs, the importance of getting more First Nations leaders on corporate boards in Canada, and the impressive work of First Nations in developing green energy projects.Tabatha Bull is a proud member of the Nipissing First Nation in Northern Ontario. As well as being President and CEO of the CCAB, she is also a board member of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce and sits as a member on both the Positive Energy Advisory Council and the C.D. Howe Institute’s Energy Policy program. An electrical engineer, she is a graduate from the University of Waterloo.To learn more about the CCAB, visit their website: https://www.ccab.com/And for more on the work of the Assembly of First Nations visit: AFN.caThe Ahkameyimok Podcast is produced by David McGuffin of Explore Podcast Productions in Ottawa.Our theme music, Intertribal, is by the Red Dog Singers from Treaty 4 Territory in Southern Saskatchewan.