Shows
Unsettled: Journeys in Truth and ConciliationS4 E7: Ethical Entrenchment—A Professional Place for Traditional Indigenous Values, feat. John DesjarlaisSend us a textJohn Desjarlais, a professional engineer who grew up in Cumberland House, Sask., explores the values-based teachings of Indigenous peoples and his own Métis upbringing for pathways into more representative codes of ethics for professional bodies.A proponent of practical approaches to engraining truth and reconcilation (or conciliation or reciprocity) in the lives of all Canadians, Desjarlais speaks with hosts Jessica Vandenberghe and George Lee about community wealth, role-modelling, the need for representation of Indigenous communities and peoples among decision-makers and policy-makers, and much more."When I looked at t...2025-02-2858 minUnsettled: Journeys in Truth and ConciliationS4 E6: Diversity Destigmatized—How an Online Universe Celebrates Our Differences and Decolonizes Our Thinking, feat. Nicole WeatherlySend us a textNicole Weatherly's deep connection to the art and genius of her brother, his challenges and his unique essence underpin the space for change she's created under the banner Superstar X.Cohosts Jessica Vandenberghe and George Lee talk with Nicole about what makes her and her website tick, on the eve of Canada's National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and the launch of Love 2024, a multiplatform, weeks-long extravaganza.Subtitled An (un)Learning Summit for Truth & (re)Conciliation, Love 2024 kicks off on September 30, connecting Indigenous and non-Indigenous people through...2024-09-261h 09Unsettled: Journeys in Truth and ConciliationS4 E5: International Relations—How Colonial Laws Often (But Not Always) Fail Indigenous Communities and the Environment, feat. Deborah CurranSend us a textDeborah Curran's passion for the environment flows through her psyche and the work she does as a lawyer, an academic and a consultant."If you met me in my 15-year-old self and drew a line, it would be pretty straight to where I am today," says Curran, a professor with the Faculty of Law and the School of Environmental Studies at the University of Victoria.Jessica, George and Deborah discuss:the inherent limitations of colonial law in addressing Indigenous and environmental issueshow some Indigenous communities are putting an...2024-08-301h 09Unsettled: Journeys in Truth and ConciliationS4 E4: The Afterlife of a Family Lie Gives Rise to a Powerful Mohawk Voice, feat. Tom Wilson CMSend us a textAbout 10 years ago, a stranger unwittingly revealed facts about Tom Wilson's adoption, pointing the singer and guitarist with Blackie and the Rodeo Kings towards life-changing truths about his identity.His origins had been hidden from him for more than five decades, even though a sense of not belonging and a recurring dream had made him suspect things were not exactly as they appeared. Growing up in Hamilton, he'd come to think of himself as "a big, puffy, sweaty Irish guy, when I'm actually a pretty big Mohawk guy," Wilson tells cohosts...2024-02-2944 minUnsettled: Journeys in Truth and ConciliationS4 E3: Ancestral Advice—Wolastoqiyik Musician Taps Culture and Language for Inspiration, feat. Mike Bern of Tobique First NationSend us a textWhen your ancestors speak to you, you should probably listen. And in Mike Bern's case, that means using his talent and voice to honour them, his culture, and the loved ones he's lost.The folk rocker from Tobique First Nation in New Brunswick released the album Ancestors earlier this year, with the single no words for goodbye reaching number one on the Indigenous Music Countdown.Cohosts Jessica and George talk to Mike about his current and past musical focus, his culture, the importance of incorporating his native language in...2023-11-3048 minUnsettled: Journeys in Truth and ConciliationS4 E2: The Fentanyl Crisis—A Kainai Woman's Survival Guide for Families and Communities, feat. Ramona Big HeadSend us a textRenowned Blackfoot educator Ramona Big Head talks about overdoses and other tragedies, the ripple effect of residential school abuses through generations and families, and hope.Recent deaths in her community and family "knocked me off my feet," she tells cohosts Jessica Vandenberghe and George Lee. "I think I'm still processing the magnitude of these losses. And it's still happening."Among her tools for healing are prayer, ceremony, physical exercise, humour, empathy, and spending time with her grandchildren."I'm such an optimist," Ramona says. "I...2023-11-011h 28Unsettled: Journeys in Truth and ConciliationS4 E1: From Trauma to Song—How Women and Community Create Musical Magic, feat. Haida-Cree performer Kristi Lane SinclairSend us a textRooted in her own story of domestic abuse, Kristi Lane Sinclair's album Super Blood Wolf Moon oozes strength, perseverance, pain, and vulnerability. The award-winning Haida-Cree singer-songwriter has released a searing, deeply personal, and profound collection of songs, at once driving and anthemic, wispy and gentle, angsty and orchestral."I didn't want to write this," says Kristi. "It was the last thing I wanted to do at that point, to share my story. But just going through it, I had this knowledge. I'm part of this secret club now. . .I just thought...2023-09-301h 03Unsettled: Journeys in Truth and ConciliationS3 E8: The Trail So Far—A Bridges and Milestones Episode, feat. Jessica VandenbergheSend us a textIn our Season 3 finale, Jessica and George look back, look ahead, and look around.Their discussion of how the podcast has affected them and others—and where it might go from here—touches on many of the truth and conciliation challenges Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians continue to face.Support the showJoin our Facebook community: www.facebook.com/UnsettledJourneys/Check us out on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unsettledjourneys/Become a paid subscriber: https://ko-fi.com/u...2023-04-271h 00Unsettled: Journeys in Truth and ConciliationS3 E7: All Together Now—One Person's Take on the Music, the Spirit, and the Mystery of Who We Are, feat. Kevin JohnSend us a textFor musician and luthier Kevin John of Kaslo, B.C., delving into his Indigenous roots is an important part of his own unfolding story. But it's not everything.The full story, he says, is about who the rest of us are, too, and what we can do individually and collectively to make Canada and the world a better place.Kevin—the writer and performer of the podcast's theme music—talks about reconnecting with his Kyuquot/Checleseht First Nations family, finding his own reason for being, and the need for peop...2023-03-311h 02Unsettled: Journeys in Truth and ConciliationS3 E6: Dream Job—It Has Special Meaning for One Indigenous Colouring Book Entrepreneur, feat. Diana FrostSend us a textHer heart told her she needed to connect her work to helping others and making a difference. Calgarian Diana Frost's dreamscape looked after the rest, giving her a fully formed outline for what her future as a social entrepreneur would look like."I needed to do something I cared about, in order to justify the effort and time," she remembers. "And one morning, in the spring of 2016, I woke up suddenly and I remembered my dream, which was a very unusual thing for me: I never remember my dreams."...2023-02-231h 17Unsettled: Journeys in Truth and ConciliationS3 E5: The Vocabulary of Conciliation—What's a Language to Do in a Changing Canada? feat. Jessica VandenbergheSend us a textAre the very constructs of English a barrier on Canada's path to becoming a nation of nations?Cohosts Jessica Vandenberghe and George Lee talk about words—how they serve us, how they fail us, and how they reflect and unlock our identities.Support the showJoin our Facebook community: www.facebook.com/UnsettledJourneys/Check us out on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unsettledjourneys/Become a paid subscriber: https://ko-fi.com/unsettledjourneysQu...2023-01-271h 03Unsettled: Journeys in Truth and ConciliationS3 E4: Ten Resolutions—How to Make 2023 a Year of Truth & Conciliation, feat. Jessica VandenbergheSend us a textLearn, listen, write, share—Jessica Vandenberghe and George Lee chat about these and other ways to make your 2023 a year of truth and conciliation.Study Indigenization and Indigenous history in your community. Listen to an Indigenous radio station. Journal about your truth and conciliation challenges, successes, and ideas. Regift if you receive something you don't need.These ideas and many more get the podcast treatment, just in time for New Year's Eve.Whether you're a settler, an Indigenous person, or some other category of listener, this episode has something to he...2022-12-2952 minUnsettled: Journeys in Truth and ConciliationS3 E3: Gifts of Conciliation—The How, What, and Where of Shopping Indigenous, feat. Diana FrostSend us a textOn the eve of Black Friday, an Indigenous entrepreneur joins co-hosts Jessica Vandenberghe and George Lee to discuss the ins and outs of finding gifts that authentically represent Turtle Island's earliest cultures.Diana Frost, an Algonquin Métis woman, talks about shopping Indigenous in a meaningful way, whether you're online, at a Christmas market, or in a bricks-and-mortar business.She also finds a few openings to mention products available through her social enterprise, Colouring It Forward. Jessica and George are just fine with that, given the beautiful, elder-informed colouring books and o...2022-11-2553 minUnsettled: Journeys in Truth and ConciliationS3 E2: The Land, The Home, The Spirit Part 2—A Sixties Scooper Follows 'Threads of Question Marks,' feat. Jessica VandenbergheSend us a textIn the second episode of our third season, co-host Jessica Vandenberghe discusses a beautiful and challenging road home. Actually, the July trip took her and her travelling companion, Chris Dennison, through two homelands: the one she grew up in and the one she'd never set eyes on before.Jessica and Chris talk with co-host George Lee about the welcome they received at Dene Tha' First Nation and elsewhere, about the laughter and the tears, and about the similiarites and differences between the worlds and people they visited.If you...2022-10-281h 21Unsettled: Journeys in Truth and ConciliationS3 E1: The Land, The Home, The Spirit Part 1—A Sixties Scooper Plans a Trip to Her Home Nation, feat. Jessica VandenbergheSend us a textOur third season launches with co-host Jessica Vandenberghe and her travelling companion Chris Dennison discussing plans for a summer road trip with special meaning.Jessica is a Sixties Scooper, and this will be her first trip to her homeland, Dene Tha' First Nation, in northern Alberta.Says Jessica: "If I go up there to the north, will something feel like I've been there before? Or will I hear something in the trees? Or will I hear something in the wind? Or will something just click where I'm like, yeah, I think I...2022-09-301h 01Unsettled: Journeys in Truth and ConciliationS2 E 12: How to Be a Better Canadian—An Ally Gives His Perspective, feat. Darryl LagerquistSend us a textSerious about living in a country that can move beyond its colonial machinations? If so, get out of your comfort zone, take some steps to learn about Canada's Indigenous peoples, and advance your own conciliation journey.Those are some of the suggestions business and policy analyst Darryl Lagerquist offers, during a wide-ranging chat with hosts Jessica and George.Darryl, who has government and private industry experience, says the country faces a "wicked problem," as one elder put it. That would be the one tied to...2022-08-121h 01Unsettled: Journeys in Truth and ConciliationS2 E11: The Healing Power of Role Models, Nature, and a Global Perspective, feat. Raylene WhitfordSend us a textRaylene Whitford has not followed a typical career path. The Edmonton-born Métis woman has trudged around the jungles of Ecuador, the concrete and glass of a five-star hotel in the Middle East, and the corridors of the London Stock Exchange. Oh yeah: she tried roughnecking for a while, too.Now, Raylene is pursuing her doctorate back in Canada, while using her social enterprise Canative Energy to empower Indigenous communities impacted by extractive industries.In this episode, Raylene credits cohost Jessica Vandenberghe and her role modeling with showing her what success c...2022-07-071h 02Unsettled: Journeys in Truth and ConciliationS2 E10: Living it Forward—An Old Friend Discusses the Role of Culture and Language in His Life, feat. Arnie BaptisteSend us a textCo-host George Lee reconnects with a childhood friend from the Syilx, or Okanagan, territory. Arnie Baptiste teaches the Nsyilxcn language for the Penticton Indian Band at Outma Sqilx'w Cultural School. Also featured are cohost Jessica Vandenberghe, a cast of hundreds at an outdoor flea market, and a 10-week-old border collie whose name translates to Black or Dark Moon in English.Support the showJoin our Facebook community: www.facebook.com/UnsettledJourneys/Check us out on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unsettledjourneys/2022-06-301h 12Unsettled: Journeys in Truth and ConciliationS1 E7 Revisited: From Wagon Trails to a National Utilities Corridor, feat. Steven VaivadaSend us a textIn this revisted episode, an Indigenous engineer gives his take on creating a better Canada for all its nations and peoples. Jessica and George chat with Steven Vaivada about the roles and approaches of his company, Scout Engineering & Consulting Ltd. You'll also hear about an emerging vision for a utilities and infrastructure corridor that brings together all perspectives, interests and communities. Steven also discusses how abandoning stereotypes is hard but necessary.Support the showJoin our Facebook community: www.facebook.com/UnsettledJourneys/Check us...2022-06-231h 04Unsettled: Journeys in Truth and ConciliationS2 E 2 Revisited: Can Indigenous Voices Reshape Anthropology? feat. Lydia ToorenburghSend us a textWe're celebrating Pride Month and National Indigenous History Month with a rebroadcast of our October 7, 2021, episode.In this episode Jessica and George chat with Lydia Toorenburgh, a two-spirit Métis student from the University of Victoria.Lydia, who studies anthropology, discusses colonial attitudes and practices, inside and outside of academia, along with finding and refining identity through connections with your people, your language, and the land.Anthropologic practices are rooted in colonialism, Lydia says—but they don't have to stay that way.Support the show2022-06-161h 12Unsettled: Journeys in Truth and ConciliationS2 E7: Our Sophomore Season Continues—A Bridges and Milestones Mini-Episode, feat. Jessica Vandenberghe and George LeeSend us a textCo-hosts Jessica Vandenberghe and George Lee reconnect to kick off National Indigenous History Month in Canada and catch up on things they've read and seen, apologies they've heard, and plans they've made for their podcast.Support the showJoin our Facebook community: www.facebook.com/UnsettledJourneys/Check us out on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unsettledjourneys/Become a paid subscriber: https://ko-fi.com/unsettledjourneysQuestions, comments, suggestions, offers to volunteer:unsettledjourneys@gmail.com2022-06-0933 minUnsettled: Journeys in Truth and ConciliationS2 E6: Still Angry After All These Years—A Canadian Punk Iconoclast Shines a Light on Indigenous Issues, feat. Art BergmannSend us a textAnyone who thought the Order of Canada would tame Art Bergmann was wrong. Deeply wrong.The singer-songwriter is as biting and anti-establishment as ever, demonstrated by his latest album, Late Stage Dementia Empire, and his unflinching opinions on his country's failings. Jessica and George talk with the veteran of Canada's music scene about residential schools, music, allyship, colonialism, and more.And there's lots of music to puncutate the conversation—who needs commas when you've got rock 'n' roll?Support the showJoin our Facebook community...2021-11-041h 02Unsettled: Journeys in Truth and ConciliationS2 E5: As the Grave Count Continues to Grow, What's a Country to Do? Accept the Truth and Take Action, Say Two High-Profile Allies, feat. Shawna Bruce and Malcolm BruceSend us a textCanadians need to work with Indigenous communities right now for real change, say two Edmontonians whose experience with Indigenous peoples spans decades and industries.Malcolm Bruce is the CEO of Edmonton Global, the economic development organization for the capital city's metro region. Shawna Bruce is a self-employed communications consultant whose career took her to executive positions with the chemical giant Dow. Both have had leadership roles in the Canadian Armed Forces."This is a tragedy of so many levels. There's no light here. But if it's a catalyst for real change...2021-10-281h 05Unsettled: Journeys in Truth and ConciliationS2 E4: From the Ashes of 1913—Prince George's Improving Relationship with the First Nation it Wronged, feat. Tracy CalogherosSend us a textIt took arson for the Indian Agent to force the Lheidli T'enneh people from their village in 1913. But these days the First Nation and Prince George, B.C., are working together to truthfully share their stories—and, while they're at it, build enduring and respectful relationships.Hosts Jessica and George discuss an award-winning conciliation success with Tracy Calogheros, from the perspective of her personal journey and that of the institution she leads, the Exploration Place Museum and Science Centre.Tracy speaks of how museums in Canada can reinvent themselves, as they be...2021-10-211h 00Unsettled: Journeys in Truth and ConciliationS2 E3: A Skate Story—Life Just Keeps Getting Better for Cree Actor, feat. Joe BuffaloSend us a textThe actor Joe Dion Buffalo, from Samson Cree Nation in Maskwacis, Alberta, talks about his time at residential school, his path to professional skateboarding, the perseverance of racism in Canada, and the youth charity he cofounded.Joe also speaks candidly about the roles that addiction—and sobriety—have played in his story so far.As the podcast drops, a documentary short about his life keeps picking up accolades. Called, appropriately enough, Joe Buffalo , the film recently earned the endorsement of perhaps the world's best-known skater, Tony Hawk, who signed on as an e...2021-10-1454 minUnsettled: Journeys in Truth and ConciliationS2 E2: Can Indigenous Voices Reshape Anthropology? feat. Lydia ToorenburghSend us a textJessica and George talk about colonial attitudes and practices, inside and outside of academia, with a two-spirit, Cree-Métis student from the University of Victoria.Lydia Toorenburgh, who studies anthropology, discusses finding and refining your identity through connections with your people, your language, and the land.Anthropologic practices are rooted in colonialism, Lydia says—but they don't have to stay that way.Support the showJoin our Facebook community: www.facebook.com/UnsettledJourneys/Check us out on Ins...2021-10-071h 12Unsettled: Journeys in Truth and ConciliationS2 E1: The Summer of Our DiscontentSend us a textA time for flag waving and fireworks? Quiet contemplation? Or something else?Jessica, George, and a cast of many speak of their conflicted and often angry feelings about Canada Day 2021, as the country struggles to come to terms with the discovery of unmarked graves at the sites of former Indian residential schools.The launch of season 2 lands on the country's first-ever National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Episodes will drop weekly into November, then resume in 2022, as the cohosts and their guests tell the stories of Indigenous peoples and their allies.2021-09-301h 11Unsettled: Journeys in Truth and ConciliationEpisode 9: Our Journey So Far—A Bridges and Milestones Mini-Episode, feat. Jessica Vandenberghe and George LeeSend us a textBack in September 2020, an Indigenous engineer and a settler editor launched a decidedly idealistic podcast. One conversation at a time, they said, let's tackle racism and colonialism in Canada.We'll base our podcast loosely on the calls to action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. We'll share our stories and the stories of our guests. And maybe, just maybe, along the way we'll open a few hearts and minds to the reimagining of Canada as an actual nation of nations.Listen now to the penultimate episode of Season 1, as Jessica and G...2021-05-0731 min
(Ex)clusionS2E3: Coping Mechanisms and Support Networks for Indigenous Women in Engineering with Jessica Vandenberghe, PEng, MScJessica Vandenberghe, P.Eng., M.Sc. has worked in the oilsands, mining, regulatory, infrastructure, and consulting industries. She holds a B.Sc. Chemical Engineering Computer Process Control Co-op and an M.Sc. in Chemical and Mining Engineering, both from the University of Alberta. Her career has taken her to communities large and small around the nation and she has sat on many Boards and Councils with stakeholders such as federal, provincial, and municipal governments, with First Nations, Metis Settlements, and Metis Nations, as well as academic institutions and private industry. As a mother of two and an Indigenous female...2021-04-2129 minUnsettled: Journeys in Truth and ConciliationEpisode 8: Antidotes to Colonialism—A Disciple of Story Shares His Views, feat. Dwayne DonaldSend us a textIs the hand of colonialism still at work in public policy, even while governments, other institutions, and individual Canadians try to do the right thing? Dwayne Donald, a member of the University of Alberta Faculty of Education, certainly thinks so. Find out more about his work and ideas, as hosts Jessica Vandenberghe and George Lee talk with Dwayne about the negative effects of relationship denial, the power of story, his Papaschase origins, the failings of liberal philosophy, and much more.Support the showJoin our Facebook...2021-03-101h 09Unsettled: Journeys in Truth and ConciliationEpisode 7: From Wagon Trails to a National Utilities Corridor: How Canada's Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Communities Can Meet the Future Together, feat. Steven VaivadaSend us a textAn Indigenous engineer gives his take on creating a better Canada for all its nations and peoples. Jessica and George chat with Steven Vaivada about the roles and approaches of his company, Scout Engineering & Consulting Ltd.; an emerging vision for a utilities and infrastructure corridor that brings together all perspectives, interests, and communities; and how abandoning stereotypes makes individual lives a lot more difficult—but in a good way.Support the showJoin our Facebook community: www.facebook.com/UnsettledJourneys/Check us out...2021-02-191h 03Unsettled: Journeys in Truth and ConciliationEpisode 6: Racism and Allyship—A Bridges and Milestones Mini-Episode, feat. Jessica Vandenberghe and George LeeSend us a textHas a spark moment happened in your life yet? An experience, story, or comment that changes you from passive bystander to active ally?Cohosts Jessica Vandenberghe and George Lee explore the roles of non-Indigenous allies in truth and conciliation, along with the use of celebrity platforms to shine a light on Indigenous issues.Support the showJoin our Facebook community: www.facebook.com/UnsettledJourneys/Check us out on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unsettledjourneys/Become a paid subscriber:2021-01-2928 minUnsettled: Journeys in Truth and ConciliationEpisode 5: A Planner, Mentor, and Mom Takes Us on a Metaphorical Hike, feat. Glinis BuffaloSend us a textArmed with a new Cree name she continues to explore, Glinis Buffalo looks at life during the lockdown, the nuances of her profession, her relationship with the Buffalo Treaty, and other facets of being a professional Indigenous woman in mainstream society. Support the showJoin our Facebook community: www.facebook.com/UnsettledJourneys/Check us out on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unsettledjourneys/Become a paid subscriber: https://ko-fi.com/unsettledjourneysQuestions, comments, suggestions, offers to volunteer:2021-01-131h 10Unsettled: Journeys in Truth and ConciliationEpisode 4: From Surviving to Thriving—Success Without Privilege, feat. Ruby LittlechildSend us a textA First Nations member who grew up on the reserve, Ruby Littlechild has succeeded in the city while raising daughters, bridging communities, and using education and ceremony to heal from the intergenerational trauma of her childhood.Support the showJoin our Facebook community: www.facebook.com/UnsettledJourneys/Check us out on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unsettledjourneys/Become a paid subscriber: https://ko-fi.com/unsettledjourneysQuestions, comments, suggestions, offers to volunteer:unsettledjourneys@gmail.com2020-12-221h 03Unsettled: Journeys in Truth and ConciliationEpisode 3: Ancestry Isn't Always Simple—A Bridges and Milestones Mini-Episode, feat. Jessica Vandenberghe and George LeeSend us a textAfter interviewing Matthew Oliver for Episode 2 and before dropping Episode 4, featuring Ruby Littlechild, cohosts Jessica and George discuss their own ancestries—and how looking backward can be especially difficult for Indigenous peoples. Also: a few updates on the progress and impact of the podcast.Support the showJoin our Facebook community: www.facebook.com/UnsettledJourneys/Check us out on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unsettledjourneys/Become a paid subscriber: https://ko-fi.com/unsettledjourneysQuestions, comments, suggestions, of...2020-12-1624 min