Indigenous Medicine Stories: Anishinaabe mshkiki nwii-dbaaddaan

Darrel Manitowabi

Indigenous Medicine Stories Podcast is a collaboration between AMS Healthcare and the Jason A. Hannah Chair in the History of Indigenous Health and Indigenous Traditional Medicine at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine University. Indigenous Medicine Stories aims to educate health professionals and the public about Indigenous healing. The podcast will highlight the lived experiences of Indigenous Knowledge holders, healers, and Elders and help professionals who practice Indigenous healing. Since time immemorial, Indigenous Peoples held a knowledge system of wellness, healing, and medicine. Colonial processes such as Treaties, the Reserve system, the Indian Act of Canada, Residential Schools, child welfare policies, racism, discrimination, and excluding Indigenous healing in Western biomedicine and education have attempted to erase this knowledge system. Furthermore, until recently, the health education professions have played a role by excluding Indigenous knowledge from the curriculum. Also known as Anishinaabe mshkiki nwii- dbaaddaan ("I'm going to talk about Indigenous medicine") in Anishinaaabemowin, medicine stories explore the perseverance and holism of Indigenous well-being and healing practices through the lived experiences of practitioners. About AMS Healthcare Our work advances a Canadian healthcare system through innovation and technology while remaining rooted in compassion and our medical history. We convene networks, develop leaders, and fund crucial medical history, healthcare research, education, and clinical practice activities. Our work helps improve care for all Canadians. For more information, contact Anne Avery at Anne.Avery@amshealthcare.ca. About the Jason A. Hannah Chair. Through a permanent endowment, the Jason A. Hannah Chairs teach the history of medicine in healthcare education. Dr. Darrel Manitowabi is the inaugural Hannah Chair in the History of Indigenous Health and Indigenous Traditional Medicine at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine University, Sudbury Campus. His research in the history of Indigenous health situates the place of the Anishinaabe language and knowledge in conceptualizing holistic well-being and ill health. For more information, contact Dr. Darrel Manitowabi at dmanitowabi@nosm.ca

  1. 19h ago

    A Journey from Trauma to Healing w/ Ralph Johnson

    This episode features Elder Ralph Johnson (PaShawOneeBinese), an Ojibway Elder, Traditional Medicine Teacher, and Knowledge Keeper from the Sioux Lookout region of Northwestern Ontario. A member of the Ginoosha (Great Northern Pike) Clan, he is dedicated to preserving and sharing Indigenous knowledge, traditional healing practices, and cultural teachings. Through his work with healthcare institutions, educational organizations, and community initiatives, he advocates for the integration of Indigenous healing traditions into modern healthcare and promotes culturally respectful approaches to health and wellness. Ralph Johnson's Youtube page amshealthcare.ca Support Resources (Canada) • National Residential School Crisis Line Available 24/7 for survivors and their families 📞 1-866-925-4419 • Hope for Wellness Help Line Mental health counseling and crisis intervention for all Indigenous peoples across Canada 📞 1-855-242-3310 💬 Chat online • Talk4Healing Confidential support for Indigenous women, available in multiple languages 📞 1-855-554-HEAL (4325) 🌐 https://www.talk4healing.com • Indian Residential School Survivors Society (IRSSS) Services for survivors, including counseling and health support 🌐 https://www.irsss.ca • Kids Help Phone For youth in need of immediate support, available 24/7 📞 1-800-668-6868 💬 https://kidshelpphone.ca • Sexual Assault Support Services (by region) Search for local support centers across Canada 🌐 https://endingviolencecanada.org/sexual-assault-centres

  2. Oct 26

    The Healing Power of Land, Language, and Ceremony w/ Gene Nowegejick

    This episode features Gene Nowegejick, a member of Kiashke Zaaging Anishinaabek (Gull Bay First Nation). His Anishinaabe name is Makoons, meaning "Little Bear," and he belongs to the Makwa (Bear) Clan. He resides near Lake Nipigon within the Robinson-Superior Treaty territory, where his great-grandfather was a signatory to the 1850 treaty. A father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and residential school survivor, Gene grew up learning traditional Anishinaabe teachings from his grandparents. His deep connection to the land through hunting, fishing, and trapping has shaped his understanding of traditional laws, ceremonies, and cultural practices. Gene has worked extensively in social services, First Nations policing, and Indigenous education, including supporting adult learners through Matawa's Kiikenomaga Kikenjigewen Employment and Training Services (KKETS). Now retired, Gene continues to share his knowledge through cultural workshops, traditional ceremonies, and community initiatives, including sweat lodge ceremonies at Lakehead University. His work emphasizes the importance of reconnecting with the land, language, and traditional teachings to preserve Anishinaabe culture for future generations. amshealthcare.ca

  3. Sep 16

    Caring: Nursing, Culture, and Community w/ Rosella Kinoshameg

    This episode features Rosella Kinoshameg. Rosella is Odawa/Ojibway from Doaganing, Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory on Manitoulin Island, Ontario. She is the youngest of 10 children, with two siblings later adopted into the family, and is a Residential School survivor. She has been married for 58 years and is a mother of five, grandmother of seven, and great-grandmother of six. A retired Registered Nurse, Rosella has more than 52 years of nursing experience, including 49 years working primarily with First Nations communities. She graduated from the Marymount Hospital School of Nursing in Sudbury in 1968 and earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Ottawa in 1977. Throughout her career, Rosella worked as a Community Health Nurse and Immunization Nurse, as well as in hospital nursing in Sudbury and Windsor and at the Wikwemikong Nursing Home. Her work has also included college-level teaching for First Nations health workers and Personal Support Worker training programs, along with the development and delivery of education related to policies and procedures, cultural competency and safety, and core health competencies for physicians and nurses. She has also facilitated workshops on Anishinaabe culture and spirituality, traditional medicine and ways of life, palliative care, and preparing for the journey to the Spirit World. In November 1996, Rosella received an honorary Doctor of Sacred Letters, Honoris Causa, from Regis College at the University of Toronto. AMS Healthcare

  4. Jun 10

    Indigenous Sovereignty and Community Leadership w/ Gordon Peters

    This episode features Councillor Gordon Peters.  Councillor Gordon Peters is a member of the Turtle Clan and is Lunaapeew (Lenape) from Eelünaapéewi Lahkéewiit (Delaware Nation). He currently serves as a Councillor for Eelünaapéewi Lahkéewiit. Councillor Peters has worked with First Nations in both political and non-political capacities for more than four decades, applying his extensive organizing knowledge to promote and advance Indigenous sovereignty. He formerly served as Deputy Grand Chief, an elected position within the Association of Iroquois and Allied Indians (AIAI). He also served as Ontario Regional Chief for the Assembly of First Nations for 12 years and as head of the AIAI for four years. He is an author and educator and is frequently invited to speak on issues related to First Nations communities, economic development, and cultural development. In addition to his work with the AIAI and the Assembly of First Nations, Councillor Peters was instrumental in the creation of the Centre for Indigenous Sovereignty, a non-profit corporation that prioritizes the development and implementation of First Nations initiatives focused on rebuilding Indigenous communities. Through his work at the Centre, Councillor Peters has also played a key role in preserving the Lunaapeew language in the Delaware Nation in southwestern Ontario. Due to the pervasive and ongoing effects of racism and colonialism in Canada, earlier generations were discouraged from passing along this critical component of Lunaapeew culture and identity. Over the past decade, Councillor Peters has worked with Elder Dianne Snake, the last fluent speaker of Lunaapeew, to train a new generation of speakers. Through this collaborative process, Lunaapeew is now taught to youth in Delaware Nation schools. http://amshealthcare.ca/

  5. May 13

    Research, Responsibility, and Indigenous Health w/ Dr. Bernice Downey

    This episode features Dr. Bernice Downey. Dr. Downey is a woman of Ojibwe and Celtic heritage, a mother, and a grandmother. She is a medical anthropologist whose current research interests include Indigenous women's heart health, health literacy, Indigenous Traditional Knowledge, and health and research system reform for Indigenous populations. She is a Heart & Stroke Foundation-CIHR Early Career Chair in Indigenous Women's Heart and Brain Health. She is also the inaugural Associate Dean, Indigenous Health for the Faculty of Health Sciences, and a former Acting Director of the McMaster Indigenous Research Institute. Dr. Downey has participated in multiple national and international Indigenous research policy initiatives, including serving as a two-term member of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research's Institute of Aboriginal Health Advisory Board, helping plan and participate in the International Network of Indigenous Health Knowledge Development, and serving as Chief Executive Officer of the National Aboriginal Health Organization, whose mandate included a strong research and knowledge translation focus. As part of her post-doctoral fellowship role with the Department of Graduate Studies at McMaster, Dr. Downey led the development of the innovative Indigenous Undergraduate Summer Research Scholars Program and the McMaster Indigenous Research Institute.

  6. Apr 8

    Walking Between Worlds: Indigenous Healing and Mental Health w/ Dr. Christopher Mushquash

    This episode features Dr. Christopher Mushquash.  Dr. Mushquash is a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Mental Health and Addiction, and Professor in the Department of Psychology at Lakehead University and the Division of Human Sciences at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine University. He is also Vice President Research at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre and Chief Scientist and Chief Operating Officer at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute. He is the Director of the Centre for Rural and Northern Health Research at Lakehead University. In addition to his academic appointments, Dr. Mushquash is a registered clinical psychologist providing assessment, intervention, and consultation services for First Nations children, adolescents, and adults at Dilico Anishinabek Family Care. In 2025, Dr. Mushquash was inducted as a Fellow in the Royal Society of Canada. Dr. Mushquash is Anishinawbe (Ojibway) and a member of Pawgwasheeng (Pays Plat First Nation). https://amshealthcare.ca/

  7. Mar 11

    Wholistic Wellness: Reclaiming Indigenous Knowledge and Community Care w/ Gus Hill

    This episode features Dr. Gus Hill, who earned his PhD in Social Work from Wilfrid Laurier University in 2008, following his MSW from Laurier and a BSW in Indigenous Social Work from Laurentian University. Gus is a Full Professor and Hallman Research Chair in Child and Family Wellness. He teaches in the Indigenous Field of Study at the MSW and PhD levels in the Faculty of Social Work at Laurier. His research practice is guided by OCAP (Ownership, Control, Access, and Possession) and relational accountability, and generally focuses on improving the well-being of Indigenous peoples in Canada. His research is guided by wholism and a commitment to placing control of Indigenous knowledge firmly in the hands of Indigenous communities. Dr. Hill's current work focuses on Indigenous family wholistic wellness, Indigenous community capacity building, Indigenous community engagement with water safety and protection, and Indigenous worker wholistic wellness. https://amshealthcare.ca/

  8. Feb 11

    Walking with Community: Health, Family, and Responsibility w/ Dr. Pamela Williamson

    This episode features Dr. Pamela Williamson, a member of Moose Deer Point First Nation and the Sturgeon Clan (N'me N'Dodem). She was raised on, and currently lives on, Mnidoo Mnising (Manitoulin Island), Ontario. She is the mother of three adult children and two grandchildren, and has been married for over 46 years. Prior to retiring from full-time work, Dr. Williamson served as the Senior Administrator of Noojmowin Teg Health Centre, an Indigenous primary health care organization composed of a multidisciplinary team serving First Nation and Indigenous community members across Espanola and the Manitoulin Island District. In this role, she worked closely with the seven First Nations and other local primary health partners to support the health needs of First Nation individuals and families, successfully advocating for a number of Indigenous health priorities and initiatives. Currently, Dr. Williamson focuses her energies and skills as an entrepreneur and Indigenous consultant. She also volunteers on diverse boards and councils at the national, provincial, and regional levels. Her passion remains advocating for and supporting the priorities of First Nations, particularly in the area of holistic health and well-being. https://amshealthcare.ca/

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About

Indigenous Medicine Stories Podcast is a collaboration between AMS Healthcare and the Jason A. Hannah Chair in the History of Indigenous Health and Indigenous Traditional Medicine at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine University. Indigenous Medicine Stories aims to educate health professionals and the public about Indigenous healing. The podcast will highlight the lived experiences of Indigenous Knowledge holders, healers, and Elders and help professionals who practice Indigenous healing. Since time immemorial, Indigenous Peoples held a knowledge system of wellness, healing, and medicine. Colonial processes such as Treaties, the Reserve system, the Indian Act of Canada, Residential Schools, child welfare policies, racism, discrimination, and excluding Indigenous healing in Western biomedicine and education have attempted to erase this knowledge system. Furthermore, until recently, the health education professions have played a role by excluding Indigenous knowledge from the curriculum. Also known as Anishinaabe mshkiki nwii- dbaaddaan ("I'm going to talk about Indigenous medicine") in Anishinaaabemowin, medicine stories explore the perseverance and holism of Indigenous well-being and healing practices through the lived experiences of practitioners. About AMS Healthcare Our work advances a Canadian healthcare system through innovation and technology while remaining rooted in compassion and our medical history. We convene networks, develop leaders, and fund crucial medical history, healthcare research, education, and clinical practice activities. Our work helps improve care for all Canadians. For more information, contact Anne Avery at Anne.Avery@amshealthcare.ca. About the Jason A. Hannah Chair. Through a permanent endowment, the Jason A. Hannah Chairs teach the history of medicine in healthcare education. Dr. Darrel Manitowabi is the inaugural Hannah Chair in the History of Indigenous Health and Indigenous Traditional Medicine at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine University, Sudbury Campus. His research in the history of Indigenous health situates the place of the Anishinaabe language and knowledge in conceptualizing holistic well-being and ill health. For more information, contact Dr. Darrel Manitowabi at dmanitowabi@nosm.ca

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