On this week’s episode of Roots and Hoots, host Gordon Spence is pleased to be joined by fellow Cree speaker Cameron Adams. Cameron is a proud member of Berens River First Nation in Treaty 5 Territory and is on his journey to becoming a fluent Cree language speaker. His hope for revitalizing Indigenous languages shines through, making him a powerful example for Indigenous Peoples seeking to deepen their language learning - wherever they may be on their journey. Shownotes: Berens River First NationGimli, ManitobaUniversity of Manitoba - Department of Indigenous StudiesMcGill University - Indigenous Studies and Language RevitalizationMcCall MacBain ScholarsOffice of the Commissioner of Indigenous Languagesn-dialect language app, nēhinawēwinTruth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action TRC Commissioners Ayaya is a proud sponsor of the Roots and Hoots podcast and you can visit their website at ayaya.ca For more information about the Legacy of Hope Foundation, please visit legacyofhope.ca

On this week’s episode of Roots and Hoots, host Gordon Spence is joined by Métis scholar and historian, Dr. Allyson Stevenson. The two share an important conversation on Métis history and heritage. Allyson helps listeners understand the policies and politics that have led to Métis dispossession of land and the severing of kinship ties, while also highlighting stories of resistance along the way. This episode invites listeners on a journey to learn more about the contributions of Métis Peoples to the fibres of Canada.   Show Notes Allyson's Book Intimate Integration: A History of the Sixties Scoop and Colonization of Indigenous Kinship By: Allyson D. Stevenson Treaties and Canada Royal Proclamation of 1763Manitoba ActTreaty 6Patriation of the Constitution, 1982Bill C-31Daniels v. Canada (2016) Significant People Louis RielGabriel DumontPeter Fidler Mary MackagonneMarguerite Monet dit Bellehumeur RielJames IsbisterEdgar DewdneyGeorge Simpson HBC Métis Métis LanguagesMétis HomelandHudson’s Bay Company - timelineGabriel Dumont Research InstituteLanguage and WorldviewRed River SettlementCreation of the North-West Mounted PoliceRed River ResistanceMetis Road Allowance CommunitiesMetis ScripDistribution of Scrip Buffalo Regina History & FactsSinging Back the Buffalo, Tasha HubbardBuffalo Bone PickingNear extinction of the Buffalo   Ayaya is a proud sponsor of the Roots and Hoots podcast and you can visit their website at ayaya.ca For more information about the Legacy of Hope Foundation, please visit legacyofhope.ca

On this week’s episode of Roots and Hoots, host Gordon Spence is joined by his friend, Cree actor and former Chief of Fox Lake Cree Nation, Michael Lawrenchuk. Michael discusses the road that led to his impressive acting career and how it continues to save and heal him. In 2014, Michael became a fellow of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London and is a member of the actors union ACTRA - from whom he is set to receive The Vic Cowie Award in 2024. Michael has been involved in countless plays and tv and film projects such as Indian Horse, based on the book written by the late great Richard Wagamese. Their conversation spans decades and Michael and Gordon take us on a journey to their homeland of Northern Manitoba and discuss the eternal nature of storytelling.    Show Notes  Gillam, MB Trapline Natural Resources Transfer ActsYork Factory Hudson’s Bay Company Fox Lake Cree Nation Nelson RiverIndian Status, 'wards of the Federal Government'Pass System in CanadaThe Globe Theatre in LondonWilliam Shakespeare King LearRomeo and JulietIndian HorseRichard Wagamese   Recommended Article: Indian Horse: 10 things about the groundbreaking new Canadian film (2018)Photo Essay: State of erosion: the legacy of Manitoba Hydro (2020) Article: Fox Lake’s promised land (2022)Article: What is Method Acting? How Great Actors Prepare (2024)ACTRA - Manitoba - Vic Cowie Award   Ayaya is a proud sponsor of the Roots and Hoots podcast and you can visit their website at ayaya.ca For more information about the Legacy of Hope Foundation, please visit legacyofhope.ca

On this week’s episode of Roots and Hoots, host Gordon Spence is joined by Inuk hunter, community and family man, Johnny Flaherty. The two discuss life up in Canada’s Northern Arctic and Johnny shares stories of his many polar bear hunts and travels with his dog sled team.    Show Notes  Nanook of the North (1922)Filmmaker Robert J. FlahertyInuit High Arctic Relocation ProgramInuktitutSwarovski BinocularsYamaha VK540 SnowmobileInuit Sled DogsQamutiikSea IceArctic AnimalsArctic HareMap of Nunavut   Recommended Martha of the North (2008)What I Remember, What I Know: The Life of a High Arctic Exile by Larry AudlalukEpisode 25 - Roots and Hoots Interview with Larry AudlalukPolar Knowledge CanadaArctic CircleInuit NunangatNunavut Hunting Regulations 2023-2024Declining Caribou Population   Ayaya is a proud sponsor of the Roots and Hoots podcast and you can visit their website at ayaya.ca For more information about the Legacy of Hope Foundation, please visit legacyofhope.ca

On this week’s episode of Roots and Hoots, host Gordon Spence is thrilled to be joined by artist and filmmaker Shelley Niro. Shelley is a member of the Six Nations Reserve, Turtle Clan, of the Bay of Quinte Mohawk. In this interview, Shelley and Gordon discuss the evolution of Shelley’s artistic process and her recent film Café Daughter. Show Notes  Six Nations of the Grand River Silent Speakers Voices from the Land: Indigenous Peoples Talk Language Revitalization (podcast)Ontario College of Art (now Ontario College of Art and Design University)Film, Café DaughterDr. Lillian Eva Quan Dyck, OCFilmmaker Anna GronauPlaywright Kenneth T. WilliamsPlay, Café DaughterimagineNative Film + Media Arts FestivalShelley Niro: 500 Year Itch  Recommended: Shelley Niro websiteDocumentary: Reel Injun   Ayaya is a proud sponsor of the Roots and Hoots podcast and you can visit their website at ayaya.ca For more information about the Legacy of Hope Foundation, please visit legacyofhope.ca

On this week’s episode of Roots and Hoots, host Gordon Spence sits down with Apooyak’ii/Dr. Tiffany Hind Bull-Prete. Tiffany is a member of the Kainai (Blood Tribe) of the Siksikasitapi (Blackfoot Confederacy). She is an assistant professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Lethbridge. Tiffany recently curated the 'Stolen Kainai Children: Stories of Survival' exhibit, showcased at the Galt Museum & Archives in Lethbridge, Alberta. In an interview with Gordon, they delve into the evolution of the Residential School System, Tiffany's aspirations to take the exhibit international, and the importance of access to and awareness of the histories and policies behind the Residential School System, for the healing journeys of Survivors and intergenerational Survivors.   Show Notes: Chief Mountain  Siksikaitsitapi (Blackfoot Confederacy) Siksika Nation (Blackfoot)Piikani Nation (Peigan)Kainai (Blood Tribe)Amskapi Piikani (Blackfeet Nation)  Souta Calling Last’s ‘Blackfoot Place Map’  The Residential School System Indian Day Schools Industrial Schools Beadworking as an Indigenous Research Paradigm The Indian Act (overview) The Indian Act (document) Repatriation of Indigenous artifacts   Canadian Museums and Reconciliation Stolen Kainai Children: Stories of Survival Galt Museum & Archives Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action European Funding of Residential Schools on the Blood Reserve   Ayaya is a proud sponsor of the Roots and Hoots podcast and you can visit their website at ayaya.ca   For more information about the Legacy of Hope Foundation, please visit legacyofhope.ca

On this week’s episode of Roots and Hoots, host Gordon sits down with Natasha Fisher, an Ojibwe and Finnish singer, songwriter, and producer from Long Lake #58 First Nation. Natasha’s wisdom coupled with a delightful sense of joy and down-to-earth personality shines throughout the interview as she and Gordon discuss her community, her music and upcoming projects and the experiences that have helped shape her into the woman she is today. Show Notes: Ernest Monias Lie to me by Natasha Fisher featuring Nimkii NIMKII & THE NINIISThe Reach for Life Tour  Stallone Quequish aka The Sunsetting KidClassic Roots DrezusJay MakNatasha Fisher  Indigenous_baddie - Michelle ChubbNotorious Cree Lily Gladstone Scott George and the Osage Singers’ performance at Oscars 2024Discovery of unmarked graves at former Residential School sites across Canada Communities mentioned:  Long Lake # 58 First NationRound Lake First NationCree Nation of Wemindji Additional resources: Seven Fallen Feathers by Tanya TalagaSpirit to Soar, Mashkawi-manidoo bimaadiziwin by Makwa Creative   Ayaya is a proud sponsor of the Roots and Hoots podcast and you can visit their website at ayaya.ca   For more information about the Legacy of Hope Foundation, please visit legacyofhope.ca   To learn more about CanadaHelps, please visit: CanadaHelps - Make it Monthly info page

On this week’s episode of Roots and Hoots, host Gordon Spence sits down with one of his favorite musical talents, Errol “C-Weed” Ranville of the band C-Weed. The two Manitoba boys discuss all things music. From Errol’s early days of growing up in a musical family, including Errol’s road to success. He has received some big lessons in life, and his gifts of writing and music have guided him through many important chapters.   Show Notes: C-Weed BandBill C-31The Shawshank RedemptionRun As One: My Story by Errol RanvilleSpirit Rising (upcoming C-Weed Band album)Manito Ahbee Festival  People Waylon Jennings and Willie NelsonPremier Wab KinewMerle HaggardRobbie RobertsonEric RobinsonMurray Sinclair   Ayaya is a proud sponsor of the Roots and Hoots podcast and you can visit their website at ayaya.ca For more information about the Legacy of Hope Foundation, please visit legacyofhope.ca

On this week’s episode of Roots and Hoots, host Gordon Spence is thrilled to be joined by His Excellency Whit Fraser, C.C. With an illustrious communications career in Canada’s Arctic, Mr.Fraser takes listeners on a journey that includes key events and figures that have shaped today’s Arctic. His coverage with CBC included the First Minister’s Constitutional amendments that enshrined Indigenous rights in the Constitution of Canada, Inuit land claim agreements, the Berger Mackenzie Valley Pipeline Inquiry and the creation of the Nunavut Territory. This episode is filled with historical relevance and captivating details that make up a career well served and a life well lived.   Show Notes: Inuit Tapirit Kanatami (ITK)Berger InquiryThe White Paper, 1969Constitution Act, 1982 Section 35Polar Knowledge CanadaInuit High Arctic RelocationShadow of Nanook Books  True North Rising by Whit FraserStories Told: Stories and Images of the Berger Inquiry by Patrick ScottStoneface: Memoir of a Defiant Dene by Stephen KakfwiCold Edge of Heaven by Whit FraserWhat I Remember, What I Know: The Life of a High Arctic Exile by Larry Audlaluk People Governor General Mary SimonTagak CurleyJonah KellyAbe OkpikJohn Amagoalik   Ayaya is a proud sponsor of the Roots and Hoots podcast and you can visit their website at ayaya.ca The Snow Goose Gallery is a proud sponsor of the Roots and Hoots podcast and you can visit their website at snowgoose.ca  For more information about the Legacy of Hope Foundation, please visit legacyofhope.ca

On this week’s episode of Roots and Hoots, host Gordon Spence is joined by Peter Ittinuar Freuchen. They discuss his journey to Ottawa, government processes and goes into detail about the process leading up to the enshrinement of Section 35 into the Canadian Constitution. As the first Inuk Member of Parliament, Peter shares about his journey to Ottawa and his work in the protection of and access to, inherent Indigenous rights.   Show Notes: All the Way: My Life on Ice by Jordin Tootoo with Stephen Brunt The Experimental Eskimos 'Crossing the Floor' Teach an Eskimo How to Read: Conversations with Peter Freuchen Ittinuar. Edited by: Thierry Rodon Ayaya is a proud sponsor of the Roots and Hoots podcast and you can visit their website at ayaya.ca For more information about the Legacy of Hope Foundation, please visit legacyofhope.ca

In this special collaboration episode with Knockabout Media, host Soleil Launière interviews a variety of guests to discuss the Professional Native Indian Artists Incorporation (PNIAI).   Fifty years ago the Professional Native Indian Artists Incorporation (PNIAI) transformed the art world forever. As part of Indigenous activism happening across the Americas in the 1970s, the “Indian Group of 7” (as they were dubbed by the press at the time) asserted First Nations artistic expressions and self-determination in the face of forced assimilation policies. Their goals: encourage other First Nations artists to paint, create space in national and commercial galleries for First Nations art, and inspire youth. From Expo 67 to their groundbreaking exhibition at the Winnipeg Art Gallery and beyond, learn more about the lives and artistic practices of the PNIAI and its members, and the Group's on-going influence, today.   Download the listening guide Hosted by Soleil Launière Produced by Ryan Barnett, Maia Foster-Sanchez and Nahka Bertrand Artwork by Caleb Ellison-Dysart Theme by Justin Delorme This series features interviews with Bonnie Devine, Greg A. Hill, Michelle Lavallee, Carmen Robertson, Pauline Beardy, Philip Gevik, Corey Dingle, Donna Feledichuk and Joseph M. Sanchez. A Knockabout Media Production | Funded by the Government of Canada

In this special Roots and Hoots collaboration episode with Knockabout Media, host Gordon Spence is pleased to be joined by Eric Burant and Garrison Garrow of the Indigenous Art Centre (IAC). Eric Burant is an Archivist of mixed Anishinaabe and settler ancestry and Garrison Garrow is the Manager of Programs and Collections and is a Kanien'kehá:ka artist from Akwesasne. The two speak with Gordon about the history of the Indigenous Art Centre, their shared passion for Indigenous art and the intention of their work.  Since its inception in 1965, the IAC holds one of the largest collections of contemporary Indigenous art. The vast collection includes sculptures, carvings, mittens, moccasins and paintings that are hand crafted and created by Indigenous artists across Canada. Eric and Garrison speak with Gordon about the necessity of showcasing, preserving and protecting Indigenous art.  Pieces in the collection travel all over the world. To find out if any pieces are featured in a gallery near you, please contact: art@rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca.   Links from discussion Main website for Indigenous Art Centre Saint Kateri Tekakwitha Royal Canadian Mint - Fancy Dance Coin Radical Stitch Travelling Exhibition For more information on Knockabout Media, please visit: knockaboutmedia.com Snow Goose Gallery is a proud sponsor of the Roots and Hoots podcast and you can visit their website at snowgoose.ca For more information about the Legacy of Hope Foundation, please visit legacyofhope.ca

We're back! On this week’s episode of Roots and Hoots, host Gordon Spence is pleased to be joined by Kelly Saxberg. Kelly is an Indigenous ally of European descent. With over 100 film credits, Kelly uses her creative platform to amplify Indigenous voices and raise awareness for Indigenous causes. Gordon Spence discusses with Kelly Saxberg her journey into filmmaking and some of the important projects she has worked on that have allowed her to represent her allyship by increasing appreciation and understanding of the Indigenous communities she has worked with. Links to works discussed Daughters of the Country series Part 1 Ikwe  Part 2 Mistress Madelaine Part 3 Places Not Our Own Part 4 The Wake My Children are my Reward:The Life of Elsie Spence by Alix Harpelle Journey to Our Homeland  Guardians of Eternity Seeking Bimaadiziiwin  Sharing Tebwewin  Rosies of the North Snow Goose Gallery is a proud sponsor of the Roots and Hoots podcast and you can visit their website at snowgoose.ca For more information about the Legacy of Hope Foundation, please visit legacyofhope.ca

On this week’s episode of Roots and Hoots, host Gordon Spence is pleased to be joined by Manise Young. Manise is the Lab Head, for books at Library and Archives Canada (LAC). She and Gordon sit down to discuss the importance of preserving important historical documents, so that Canadians can continue to have access to them for generations to come. In this interview, Manise shares specifically about her experiences treating the Robinson-Huron Treaty, Treaty 9, and Treaty 11.

In this week’s episode of Roots and Hoots, our host Gordon Spence is delighted to welcome Morgan Hare. Hailing from the M’Chigeeng First Nation on Manitoulin Island, Mr. Hare has been instrumental in urban Indigenous program development for over three decades. He currently runs Hare Consulting Group Inc., having previously worked with the Odawa Native Friendship Centre and the Tungasuvvingat Inuit Community Centre. Mr. Hare graciously shares some of the notable takeaways and triumphs from his distinguished career.

On this week’s episode of Roots and Hoots, host Gordon Spence is pleased to be joined by Delores Peltier-Corkey. Delores is an Anishinabe Kwe of the Three Fires Confederacy of Ojibway, Odawa, and Pottawatomi Peoples from Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory on beautiful Manitoulin Island.  Delores comes from a family of eight brothers and three sisters. In this episode, she shares memories from her childhood of picking Sweetgrass and berries, of craft making from birch bark and porcupine quills, of finding sustenance provided by the land, and of growing to understand the importance of it all later in life.

On this week’s episode of Roots and Hoots, host Gordon Spence is pleased to be joined by Barry Sarazin. Barry is a proud member of the Algonquins of Pikwakanagan First Nation, situated on the shores of Golden Lake and the Bonnechere River. Barry is part of a men’s drumming group and teaches on the traditional drum called the Kitchi-sippi-rinni as well as sharing Thunderbird songs in the community. Barry is also a Traditional Pow Wow Dancer and has been on the Pow Wow Committee since 1987. Barry is a husband, father, brother, and devoted community man. In this episode, Barry and Gordon sit down to discuss the importance of family and of practicing and accessing one's culture.

On this week’s episode of Roots and Hoots, host Gordon Spence is pleased to be joined by Heidi Metcalfe. Heidi is a proud urban Inuk with family roots in Nunatsiavut (Labrador). She is a mom, the first Ottawa Inuit based foster parent, a cultural ambassador, throat singer, and Inuit Games demonstrator. Heidi is also one of the founders of the Ottawa Inuit Children’s Centre now called Inuuqatigiit Centre, which empowers Inuit families in Ottawa through culture-based programming and services. Gordon and Heidi sit down to talk about the importance of volunteering and of building community programming that ensures better outcomes for all.

On this week’s episode of Roots and Hoots, host Gordon Spence is pleased to be joined by the incomparable Martha Flaherty. Martha is an Inuk woman and Residential School Survivor. Martha is also an Inuktitut interpreter, translator, and former President of Pauktuutit, the national Inuit women’s organization of Canada. As demonstrated through her career and legacy, Martha is a gifted storyteller and above all a pillar of strength for her community and for her family.

On this week’s episode of Roots and Hoots, host Gordon Spence is pleased to be joined by Steve Martin. Steve is Mi'gmaq from Listuguj First Nation located on the Gaspé Peninsula. A devoted family man, Steve has a passion for documentary film-making and sharing important truths. In this interview, Steve speaks candidly about his work and activism.