Unreserved

From Arizona to Alaska, the Indigenous vote is the sleeping giant. The U.S. presidential election is over for another term, and activists say the results could have been drastically different if more Native Americans showed up to vote. This week Rosanna sits down with three voter rights activists and organizers to talk about the power of the Indigenous vote and what it will take to harness it.

In one of Canada’s oldest and largest cemeteries, clerks get multiple calls a day from people looking for loved ones. This week Rosanna takes us on a personal journey to Brookside Cemetery, in search of her grandfather Stanley McLeod. Along the way we learn how others are finding new and meaningful ways to honour our veterans and mark Remembrance Day.

Mazina Giizhik (the One Who Speaks of Pictures in the Sky) — also known as Murray Sinclair — made his journey to his ancestors yesterday. His death has Rosanna reflecting on a very special visit to his family home in September 2021, recorded in the lead up to the first ever National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Join us for a revealing, poignant and emotional conversation with Sinclair, Manitoba’s first Indigenous judge, a former senator, lead commissioner for the TRC, and just "Mur." In this intimate interview, recorded in his backyard gazebo, they discuss reconciliation: how far we’ve come, how far we have left to go and who is responsible for taking the journey. For more Unreserved, find and follow wherever you get your podcasts, or here: https://lnk.to/UnreservedCBC

Ray and Glory St. Germain are the co-authors of a 50-year love story. This week Glory joins Rosanna for an intimate conversation about the legacy of Ray St. Germain, all of which was driven by his love of music and love of family. Ray St Germain started out as a country and rockabilly musician in the 50s, sharing the stage with the likes of Johnny Cash and Kenny Rogers. At a time when many Metis people kept their identities quiet, Ray was loud and proud of being Metis -- and he wasn't afraid to sing about it!

Scary stories are meant to freak you out, but they also share important truths about our lives and our planet. Rosanna catches up with three Indigenous horror writers who are bringing new narratives to the genre, from films to poems.

The buffalo teaches us about respect, but those teachings come with a responsibility to support these animals and bring them back to their traditional lands. Rosanna travels to Blackfoot territory to meet people who are raising buffalo and buffalo consciousness – educating others on the ecological, biological and spiritual importance of this sacred creature. It’s also a time of celebration as an agreement between nearly 70 Nations – the Buffalo Treaty – turns 10 years old.

Medical experiments, forced sterilization, incidents of racism that lead to patient deaths – these are just a few of the historic and ongoing harms against Indigenous people in hospitals across Canada. The Canadian Medical Association has acknowledged and apologized for it, but what comes next? Rosanna speaks with three leaders in the medical field about the way forward.

The fantasy genre often features magical worlds ruled by kings and conquerors with no mention of Indigenous people or of the harms of colonization. This week Rosanna speaks with Indigenous creators who are changing the narrative of fantasy from novels to comics and even board games.

The road to reconciliation is filled with bumps and turns along the way. This week, as Canada recognizes the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation Rosanna speaks with three women who’s journeys are helping to show us a way forward.

The sweat lodge had a lot in common with sweaty punk rock shows for Gabe Colhoff, the singer of 1876. This week Rosanna speaks with punks about the long history of Indigenous influence on the scene, from fashion to lyrics to pow wow.

It took a little creativity to find the Ojibway words for a sci-fi glossary fit for Star Wars, but concepts like "The Force" and "The Resistance" are familiar concepts to Indigenous people. It made Star Wars: A New Hope a rewarding challenge to dub into Anishinaabemowin. Rosanna speaks with the actors who brought the words to life, and the translators who are passing language to the next generation. Plus, we step into the triology and hear how Padme Amidala looks with a little Choctaw flare.

After 50 years on the endangered species list, the eagle is making a comeback in Canada’s largest city. It’s one of the things we’re celebrating as we explore what the eagle can teach us about our health, our environment and our spirit. This week Rosanna takes us into our first episode of Sacred Seven – a new occasional series that explores the seven sacred teachings and introduces us to Indigenous Elders, knowledge keepers and community members who are putting those teachings into action.

Somebody had to refuse to get on the plane. For decades, Inuit women in northern Quebec had to travel south, far from family and community support, to give birth. But then one mother’s act of defiance ultimately shifted maternal care in the north. In a bonus episode from our friends at The Current, Duncan McCue shares the history that led to the creation of the North’s first midwifery clinic in 1986. His documentary, originally released last fall, is called Hands of a Midwife. For more stories to expand your worldview, find and follow The Current wherever you get your podcasts, or here: https://link.chtbl.com/7G8i7Ufm

Jesse Wente’s great grandparents weren’t futurists, but they knew their traditional way of life was ending, and they had a long-term survival plan. We’re talking seven generations long. In this special bonus episode from IDEAS, the author and arts world changemaker explains how the Anishinaabe conception of time might help us all prepare for the end of the world as we know it. "We are, after all, post-apocalyptic. Our world ended, and we survived, and we’re still here.” If you want more mind-expanding talks, docs and more, find and follow IDEAS wherever you get your podcasts, or here: https://link.chtbl.com/r47czLl4

It’s one of the most thoroughly documented treaties in Canadian history, but the true story of Treaty 6 was deliberately lost in translation. Today, our friends at The Secret Life of Canada tell us a tale of deception, broken promises, and Canada’s largest mass hanging. In this special bonus episode — co-hosted by Falen Johnson and Leah-Simone Bowen, featuring Kyle Muzyka — we learn how the Dominion of Canada took control of a land mass roughly the size of Poland. For more hidden histories, find and follow The Secret Life of Canada wherever you get your podcasts, or here: https://link.chtbl.com/i_2o53Cs

D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai beat out a lot of people for his leading role in Reservation Dogs — including his own twin brother! — but the newly Emmy-nominated actor says he’s still humbled on the rez. We think you’ll love his raw and funny interview on Actors & Ancestors, which we’re dropping as a bonus in our podcast feed today. This podcast, hosted by Rocky Cree actor Joel D. Montgrand, brings us behind-the-scenes with the hottest Indigenous stars as well as elders of stage and screen. They laugh out loud while swatting away industry stereotypes. You can find Actors & Ancestors wherever you get your podcasts, and here: actorsandancestors.com.

Rosanna pops into your summer feed to tell you about the Indigenous Media Awards that were handed out in July. Unreserved is honoured to receive three awards -- and we're dropping one of those award-winning episodes today: Two-Spirit Artivitsts Share Two Ways of Seeing the World. Unreserved will be back with all new shows Sept. 6, 2024.

Unreserved turns 10 (that's like 100 in rez dog years). Join Rosanna for a special live taping for our ten year anniversary celebration recorded at the Park Theatre in Winnipeg.

Podcasts, movies, books, Pride events and some favourite summer ingredients -- your summer lists just got Indigenous! We gathered some friends to put together a list of recommendations that will help us all celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day and keep it going all summer long. It already has Rosanna on to a couple new podcasts. We hope it inspires you too!

Every week, Crime Story host and investigative journalist Kathleen Goldhar goes deep into a tale of true crime with the storyteller who knows it best. In this special episode of Crime Story, Connie Walker joins Kathleen to discuss the new season of her Pulitzer Prize winning podcast Stolen: Trouble in Sweetwater that investigates a crisis of policing on America’s largest reservation. Connie investigates the disappearance of two women on the Navajo Nation, a place where people say you can get away with murder. More episodes of Crime Story are available at: https://link.chtbl.com/B7YVZzK0