Kim Wheeler (top right) and Jolene Banning (bottom left), award-winning writers, producers, podcasters and Indigenous Aunties, share their vision for their podcast Auntie Up!, a program by, for and about Indigenous women. Though a conversation space explicitly created for Indigenous women, they open the circle to all genders and peoples. Here is an opportunity for everyone because these women have important stuff to say. And with Indigenous legacy an inextricable part of our shared inheritance, it is worth our while to listen.
The timing for our talk is a happy coincidence because it's June and that means it's National Indigenous History Month on Turtle Island, or Canada, where we carve out a special time to recognize and honour First Nations, Inuit and Metis Peoples' history and culture.
But I have long waited for this chance to talk with Kim and Jolene because Auntie Up! really grabbed me, having introduced me to the concept of the Auntie in Indigenous cultures. I wanted to explore this pivotal role of the matriarch who, in guiding younger members of the community, embodies a distinct kind of conversation: one of trust, tough truths, kindness, and love. Though all of us may have aunts in our family, or older family friends we endear with this title, the Indigenous “Auntie” traditionally carries deeper responsibilities to reach and teach the youth and the community. These two Aunties, along with Tanya Talaga as executive producer, have taken on that role with gusto in their podcast, updating the relationship with a modern twist for the realities of many Indigenous living off the reserve.
We chat about inspiration from their own Aunties, and how their podcast covers a range of hard-hitting to lighthearted topics through multiple perspectives and storytelling. Stay tuned to discover what lies ahead for the Aunties!
https://makwacreative.ca/auntie-up
Jolene Banning recommends... as a good place to start: 21 Things You May Not Know about the Indian Act by Bob Joseph.
Kim Wheeler recommends... Monkey Beach, by Eden Robinson, a brilliant author who paints rich characters and settings; and if you`re in Vancouver, trying out Indigenous cuisine at the restaurant: Salmon n` Bannock.
