MEDIA INDIGENA : Indigenous current affairs

ON THIS EPISODE: Part 11 of BFF: Beyond Fires and Floods, our extended series on Indigenous climate narratives, based on conversations we co-convened over 3 days last fall at UBC. And with a lot of ground covered those first two days, we thought it best to end day two with a session for reflection, an open-ended exchange we entitled 'Synthesis.' (So, if by chance this is your very first foray into BFF, it's recommended you start from the start, to get the most out of all this episode's call-backs and references.) Kicking things off, respondents Alice Te Punga Somerville and Kim TallBear, who offered their observations before co-moderators Candis Callison and Rick Harp would throw it to the floor for wider discussion. // CREDITS: Intro theme 'nesting' by birocratic; 'Torches and Pitchforks' by Gagmesharkoff (CC-BY); 'Cloud Seven' by Joseph Sacco (CC-BY); 'fairitale 2' by Ondrosik (CC-BY).

ON THIS EPISODE: The ninth instalment of BFF: Beyond Fires & Floods—our extended series on Indigenous climate narratives—presents the beginning of "Taking on Water," the fourth session of our gathering's second day, encapsulated as follows: Oceans cover some two-thirds of the planet; watersheds traverse and transcend human borders. Water is literally everywhere, yet that hasn't stopped colonial governments from trying to control and contain its movements, along with the lives of those it sustains. From rivers and lakes, to oceans and ice, this session looks at how Indigenous narratives work to convey the upstream sources and downstream consequences of melting glaciers, rising sea levels, floods, and droughts, both for aquatic life and the Indigenous lifeways dependent on them. Meanwhile, with bodies like wide-ranging watersheds complicating any formulation of climate-related problems and solutions, what does that imply for the structure and scope of our storytelling? Joining MI host/producer Rick Harp are panelists Tristan Ahtone (sitting in for Grist-mate Anita Hofschneider), Tara Atleo, Zoe Todd, and Shannon Waters. 🕮 Learn more about BFF, including our core sponsors, at mediaindigena.com/BFF // CREDITS: Intro/extro theme 'nesting' by birocratic; 'Cloud Seven' by Joseph Sacco (CC-BY); 'Seen from the Unseen' by Ondrosik (CC-BY).

ON THIS EPISODE: Part seven of BFF: Beyond Fires and Floods, where we go beyond mainstream infatuation with crisis and catastrophe to instead dive deep into Indigenous climate narratives. Recorded at a 3-day gathering of nearly 40 journalists, scholars and experts last fall at UBC, "Reframing Fire & Forests" was day two's third session, encapsulated as follows: With extreme fire events monopolizing our attention in the daily news cycle, long-standing Indigenous-led practices of forest care, stewardship and prevention have only begun to make their way into public consciousness and policy. Yet as fires only intensify in an ever-changing climate, one might ask just how 'wild' wildfires are to begin with. Drawing on our discussion of acute events as sites or intersections of larger systems and institutions, panelists will discuss how they make sense of landscapes still reeling from colonialism, and the specific and profound challenges Indigenous communities face as they actively respond to, mitigate, and plan for climate change. Specific attention will also be paid to the role Indigenous languages—another casualty of colonialism many now seek to repair—could play to enable enriched climate coverage. Moderated by Candis Callison—a jointly-appointed Professor in the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs, and the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies at UBC—she sat together with panelists Warren Cardinal McTeague, Keara Lightning, Leonard Linklater, and Bernard Perley. Learn more about BFF, including our core sponsors, at mediaindigena.com/BFF // CREDITS: Our intro/extro theme is 'nesting' by birocratic; 'Cloud Seven' by Joseph Sacco (CC-BY); 'Dream Diary' by Pamela Yuen (CC-BY)

ON THIS EPISODE: Part five of BFF: Beyond Fires & Floods, in which we bring you the first half of 'Storying Systems vs. Symptoms,' the second session of the second day of climate conversations we co-convened with dozens of Indigenous scholars, journalists and experts last October at the University of British Columbia. Moderated by long-time MEDIA INDIGENA roundtabler Candis Callison—a jointly-appointed Professor in the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs, and the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies at UBC—she was joined at the panel by Jeffrey Ansloos, Michelle Cyca, Tiara R Naputi, and Gina Starblanket, which was described as follows: According to scholar Adam Hanieh, transforming our current climate trajectory means confronting 'the multiple logics of a social system that has served to center oil throughout all aspects of our lives, and we cannot extricate ourselves from oil's pervasiveness, certainly not at a pace necessary to halt runaway climate change, while remaining within this social system.' Can seeing climate change as symptomatic of systems and structures shed greater light on the impacts of ongoing colonial policies and institutions? In this session, we ask how we can move beyond event-centric journalistic practices to reflect underlying structural problems, system change, and long-term solutions. Relatedly, we also unpack what Candis Callison calls 'crisis-talk,' where the only allowable discourse is 'what must be done now,' foreclosing larger questions of how we got here or what led up to such crises." ✪ BFF: Beyond Fires & Floods is sponsored by the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation, the Global Journalism Innovation Lab, UBC School of Public Policy and Global Affairs, and the Museum of Anthropology at UBC ✪ // CREDITS: Our intro/extro theme is 'nesting' by birocratic; 'Cloud Seven' by Joseph Sacco (CC-BY); 'Leverage,' by 1000 Handz (CC BY)

ON THIS EPISODE: part three of BFF: Beyond Fires & Floods! (And if this is your first encounter with our new series, you might want to start with BFF Part 0, i.e., episode 365, for best results.) Based on three days of conversations hosted at UBC last October, BFF brought together close to 40 scholars, journalists and experts who document and depict how Indigenous peoples contend with climate change. In this instalment, "Storytellers Without Borders," the first in our second day's sessions, we discuss what and whom climate change stories currently serve—to what extent is what we're experiencing global change or continuity? As inheritors of a world wrought by centuries of extraction and colonialism, the deeply globalized structures and systems we now live in and with are the consequence of competing empires' efforts to terraform our territories. Yet so much of mainstream climate journalism is confined to nationalist narratives of technosaviourism, where petro-states promise a pivot to eco-states in hopes of preserving the socio-economic status quo. In this session—featuring panelists Tristan Ahtone, Lagipoiva Cherelle Jackson, Deborah McGregor, and Stephanie Wood—we explored why our narrative lens(es) on climate change must be commensurate with the scale of global forces driving it. ✪ BFF: Beyond Fires & Floods is sponsored by the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation, the Global Journalism Innovation Lab, UBC School of Public Policy and Global Affairs, and the Museum of Anthropology ✪ // CREDITS: Our intro/extro theme is 'nesting' by birocratic; 'Cloud Seven' by Joseph Sacco (CC-BY); 'Tales' by 1000 Handz (CC-BY).

On this episode, the formal kick-off to our extended series, Beyond Fires & Floods (BFF): Indigenous Narratives in an Era of Extremes, beginning with the first half of a panel recorded last October before a live audience in the Great Hall of the Museum of Anthropology at UBC. The opening, public component of a 3-day gathering of journalists, scholars and others focused on Indigenous narratives of climate change, the panel assembled four seasoned storytellers embodying decades of experience, a wide-ranging conversation which served as a microcosm of the overall event—co-convened by MI host/producer Rick Harp and Candis Callison, UBC Professor and long-time MI roundtabler. ** GRATITUDE ** Special thanks to Mitiana Arbon, Pacific Curator at MOA—one of BFF's four core sponsors, alongside the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation, the Global Journalism Innovation Lab, and the UBC School of Public Policy and Global Affairs. // CREDITS: Our intro/extro theme is 'nesting' by birocratic.

On this episode: the last of our five-part series on the seminar, "Sovereignty First: Tackling the White Possessive in an Era of 'Collaboration,'" where we jump into genomics, a realm rife with racialized thinking and practice according to population scientist and Princeton graduate anthropology student Noah Collins. Yet despite challenges to Indigenous-led research in terms of access to financial and human resources, Collins notes that hasn't stopped their projects from prioritizing community over commerce. Returning to the table with host/producer Rick Harp to discuss Collin's presentation in depth are Kim TallBear (Professor of American Indian Studies at University of Minnesota–Twin Cities) and Candis Callison (Professor in the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies and School for Public Policy and Global Affairs at the University of British Columbia). CREDITS: Our intro/extro theme is 'nesting' by birocratic; 'Magnetic' by 1000 Handz (CC BY).

ON THIS EPISODE: part three of 'the White Possessive,' the latest in our five-part series on the seminar, "Sovereignty First: Tackling the White Possessive in an Era of 'Collaboration.'" This time around, the property in question is intellectual. Rooted in a talk by Olga Ulturgasheva (Associate Professor and Senior Lecturer in Social Anthropology at the University of Manchester), we digest and discuss her account of how unscrupulous colleagues misappropriated and misrepresented her personal stories and observations, a case study in what she calls "epistemological extractivism." Returning to the roundtable with host/producer Rick Harp are MI regulars Kim TallBear (Professor of American Indian Studies at University of Minnesota–Twin Cities) and Candis Callison (Professor in the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies and School for Public Policy and Global Affairs at UBC). CREDITS: Our intro/extro theme is 'nesting' by birocratic; 'Magnetic' by 1000 Handz (CC BY).

ON THIS EPISODE: Interrogating 'the white possessive.' And according to Indigenous scholar Aileen Moreton-Robinson, countries like Canada, Australia and the U.S. are best understood as 'white possessions'—possessions which take a great deal of work and resources to maintain, a relentless reproduction of "the nation-state's ownership, control and domination" over stolen Indigenous lands and waters. But, of course, the machinations of white possessiveness can also be less overt. Secure in their belief in a colonial status quo, states now promote Indigenous 'inclusion' within socioeconomic systems predicated on their dispossession and disappearance. Gestures at 'collaboration' that are more confabulation, a 'reconciliation' that's really about recuperation. The kind of contradictions discussed extensively at "Sovereignty First: Tackling the White Possessive in an Era of 'Collaboration'"—an October 2024 panel inspired by Moreton-Robinson's insights into whiteness, race and the state—a series of presentations we'll reflect on over the next few episodes. Sitting with host/producer Rick Harp, MI regulars Kim TallBear, Professor of American Indian Studies at University of Minnesota–Twin Cities, and Candis Callison, Professor in the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies and School for Public Policy and Global Affairs at the University of British Columbia. CREDITS: Our intro/extro theme is 'nesting' by birocratic; 'Magnetic' by 1000 Handz (CC BY).

On this episode: Reimagining Political Journalism, the title of a three-day November 2024 event at Carleton University's School of Journalism and Communication in Ottawa, it included a formidable panel of Indigenous practitioners, moderated by MI's own Rick Harp! Sub-titled "Perils, Possibilities & What Comes Next," our all-Indigenous panel delved into all three over our 90-minute conversation—shared here as the first of two parts—a frank and freewheeling exchange on power, politics, and journalism in Canada, featuring: Candis Callison, Associate Professor in the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies and the School for Public Policy and Global Affairs at the University of British Columbia Veldon Coburn, faculty chair of McGill University's Indigenous Relations Initiative and assistant professor at the Institute of Canadian and Aboriginal Studies at the University of Ottawa Brett Forester, a reporter and broadcaster with CBC Indigenous in Ottawa Pam Palmater, podcaster, professor and chair of Indigenous Governance at Toronto Metropolitan University Niigaan Sinclair is a frequent media commentator (including his regular Winnipeg Free Press column), and holds the Faculty of Arts Professorship in Indigenous Knowledge and Aesthetics at University of Manitoba's Department of Indigenous Studies. His latest book is Wînipêk: Visions of Canada from an Indigenous Centre CREDITS: Our intro/extro theme is 'nesting' by birocratic; 'relaxed days,' by snoozy beat (CC BY).

On this week's collected, connected conversations (the seventh in our eight-part summer series): the push and pull of performative politics, where we address the question of just how far Indigenous individuals can advance Indigenous interests in a settler-centric system. Featured voices this podcast include (in order of appearance): • Brock Pitawanakwat, associate professor of Indigenous Studies at York University • Ken Williams, playwright and associate professor with the University of Alberta's Department of Drama • Nick Martin, senior editor with National Geographic • Candis Callison, associate professor in the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies and the School for Public Policy and Global Affairs at the University of British Columbia • Kim TallBear, professor in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta, and Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Peoples, Technoscience & Society // CREDITS: Creative Commons music this episode includes 'Expanding Cycle' and 'Up + Up (reprise/arise)' by Correspondence (CC BY); 'my bloody beating heart' by kitchenromance (CC BY); 'Up & At Em' by James Hammond; 'Level 2' by HoliznaCC0 (CC0).

On this week's collected, connected conversations (the fifth in our summer series): the conclusion to our five-part retrospective, Why Canada Needs Natives Needy, wherein we feature a few more settler-centric solutions to settler-made problems, as well as examples of what truly independent Indigenous initiatives look like. Featured voices this podcast include (in order of appearance): • Naiomi Metallic, associate professor of law at Dalhousie University, and Yellowhead Institute advisory board member • Tim Thompson, First Nations education advocate, and Yellowhead Research Fellow and advisory board member • Kim TallBear, professor in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta and Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Peoples, Technoscience & Society • Ken Williams, playwright and associate professor with the University of Alberta department of drama • Brock Pitawanakwat, associate professor of Indigenous Studies at York University • Terese Mailhot, author and associate professor of English at Purdue University • Robert Jago, writer, educator, co-founder and director of the Coast Salish History Project • Danika Billie Littlechild, assistant professor of law and legal studies at Carleton University, and Ethical Space research stream leader at the Conservation through Reconciliation Partnership • Dr. Jeffrey Ansloos, clinical psychologist, associate professor of Indigenous health and social policy at the University of Toronto, and Canada Research Chair in Critical Studies in Indigenous Health and Social Action on Suicide • Jesse Thistle, author and assistant professor in the department of humanities at York University // CREDITS: Creative Commons music this episode includes 'Expanding Cycle' and 'Up + Up (reprise/arise)' by Correspondence (CC BY); Design for Dreaming by Lo-Fi Astronaut (CC BY); '02 - ricochets on the lake' by neil|lien (CC BY ND); 'Its A Trap' and 'A Moody Phonecall' by John Bartmann (CC 0); 'spacewalk' by Tea K Pea (CC BY); 'Seasonal Interlude' and 'F block (Outro)' by Gagmesharkoff (CC BY); 'Vibes Phibes' by DaveJf (CC 0).

On this week's collected, connected conversations (the third in our summer series): our third installment of Why Canada Needs Natives Needy, in which we debunk diagnoses of Indigenous impoverishment peddled by settlers, often to their own benefit. And while some come off as almost comical, others appear downright disturbing. Featured voices this podcast include (in order of appearance): • Q. Anthony Ali, freelance writer, commentator and podcaster • Ken Williams, playwright and associate professor with the University of Alberta department of drama • Dr. Jeffrey Ansloos, clinical psychologist, associate professor of Indigenous health and social policy at the University of Toronto, and Canada Research Chair in Critical Studies in Indigenous Health and Social Action on Suicide • Candis Callison, associate professor in the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies and the School for Public Policy and Global Affairs at the University of British Columbia • Kim TallBear, professor in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta, and Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Peoples, Technoscience & Society // CREDITS: Creative Commons music this episode includes 'Expanding Cycle' and 'Up + Up (reprise/arise)' by Correspondence (CC BY); 'Rising Heart' by Sro (CC BY-SA); 'Just a Taste' by Gagmesharkoff (CC BY); 'Day Off' by Serat (CC BY).