Unreserved

Grandmother Lucy Ducharme wants you to walk with water, and she’s not the only one. More and more Elders and water advocates across turtle island are asking us to rethink our relationships with our waterways by spending some time with them – like Elder Sharon Day who has led over 20 walks across a number of rivers in the United States, and isn’t done yet. We hear about how water walking isn’t just putting one foot in front of the other, it is a ceremony, prayer and song. From the Red River to the mighty Mississippi, Rosanna and guest host Falen Johnson hear from people who are taking it upon themselves to walk the walk of our water ways.

Alethea Arnaquq-Baril’s commitment to authentic storytelling is rooted in her experience as an Inuk woman. From documentaries to the successful series North of North, she’s been sharing stories about the North, from the North for over two decades. Now, she’s leading the development of Iqaluit’s first production studio, something she calls "a physical symbol of our audacity." Rosanna hears why starting a business in the North can be challenging and how Indigenous-led investment and development projects are helping to strengthen Northern communities.   

Tania Cameron says the question of separatism is tied to treaty, and so she brought her Rock the Indigenous Vote campaign to Alberta to help educate communities and encourage them to have their say at the polls. Rosanna hears how communities are mobilizing in Alberta through the courts and at the ballot box, and the authors of Talk Treaty To Me weigh in on how the Alberta referendum presents an opportunity to all Canadians to consider treaty rights and responsibilities.

“Displaced relatives,” not invasive species – that’s how the Friends of Tryon Creek think about plants and people. Rosanna hears from coordinators Lili Yazzi and Lena Ouse-Hicks on how a mission to restore a native forest is also healing relationships between communities. And – how can I put reconciliation into action? That’s what Elin Sandberg Miller asked when she moved to Canada from Sweden. Enter Derek Aronhie:nens Montour, who told her his powerful story of facing racism in the Canadian military. Their friendship kickstarted an ongoing conversation about what it means to bring reconciliation into our everyday lives.

Wapato and fish: these were the first foods of the Portland food scene – before Portland was Portland, of course. Indigenous tribes as far as Canada’s Great Plains traveled down the Columbia River to the U.S Pacific Coast to gather, trade and share. Rosanna takes us to Portland, Oregon to hear from a community builder, an anthropologist and a coffee connoisseur. It’s all part of our latest episode of Unmapped where we look at popular travel destinations through an Indigenous lens.