Relentless Indigenous Woman Podcast

Relentless Indigenous Woman
  • 5.0 (13)
  • EDUCATION
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Welcome to the Relentless Indigenous Woman podcast—a space for uncensored and unapologetic conversations on the lived realities of Indigenous Peoples.   Hosted by Dr. Candace Manitopyes, a proud Moose Cree First Nation educator, advocate, and scholar, this podcast invites you to listen, grow, and take meaningful action. With a community of over 750,000 followers across social media, Dr. Manitopyes has become a powerful voice in bold Indigenous education, truth-telling, and solidarity. Here, education becomes rebellion. Resistance. Revolution. Whether you are an Indigenous listener or an ally committed to learning, this podcast exists to challenge, inspire, and empower.  www.relentlessindigenouswoman.ca

  1. 6D AGO

    Ep. 54: Reclaiming the Body: Sovereignty, Healing & the Erotic with Dr. Savage Bear

    What happens when the story shifts from trauma to sovereignty, from survival to power? The conversation between Dr. Savage Bear and Dr. Candace invites listeners into a deeply honest exploration of what it means to reclaim the body, rewrite inherited narratives, and return to Indigenous ways of knowing. Moving beyond the weight of deficit-based stories, it centres strength, Ancestry, and the truth that healing must hold both pain and possibility. At the heart of this dialogue is body sovereignty as a lived, felt experience. Through reflections on sexuality, ceremony, and connection, it challenges shame and calls for a return to presence, relationality, and accountability to self, to community, and to all our relations. It asks the listener to consider: what shifts when awareness turns into action? When healing moves out of the mind and into the body? Rooted in lived experience, this episode is a powerful reminder that reclamation is ongoing; of voice, of body, of identity. And that within Indigenous women lives a legacy of resilience, knowledge, and undeniable power. Relentless Actions Start from strength, not deficit.  When reflecting on your story or your work, consciously begin from a place of strength, ancestry, and resilience, not just hardship.What wisdom, beauty, or power already exists here? Reframe your narrative in a way that honours both truth and possibility.  Turn awareness into action: Choose one small, intentional action that aligns with your values; something that moves beyond conversation. This could be setting a boundary, engaging in ceremony, supporting community, or changing a daily habit. Close the gap between what you know and how you live.Relentless Reflections Am I telling my story from a place of strength, or from a place of survival?Where in my life am I being called to move from awareness into action?Relentless Resources Power in my Blood - Dr. Savage's award-winning PhD dissertation“Pleasure Activism” – Adrienne Maree Brown Explores the connection between pleasure, healing, and liberation. Send Us a Text with Your Thoughts or Questions! Join the RIW Patreon Community  RIW Website Music Produced by Award-Winning Anishnaabe DJ Boogey the Beat

    46 min

  2. MAY 13

    Ep. 53: The Legacy and Voice of Tantoo Cardinal

    In this compelling episode, Tantoo Cardinal shares a deeply honest and reflective look into her life, her legacy, and the truth behind Indigenous storytelling. With a career spanning decades, Tantoo speaks from a place of purpose, rooted in truth, resilience, and responsibility to her people. She opens up about the realities of growing up in a world shaped by colonization, where Indigenous identity was often diminished or misunderstood, and how those early experiences sharpened her awareness and intuition. Rather than being drawn to the glamour of the film industry, Tantoo was called to it as a way to reclaim stories, restore dignity, and challenge harmful narratives that had long been imposed on Indigenous communities. Throughout the conversation, she shares the importance of staying grounded, through connection to the land, listening to one’s inner voice, and honouring the guidance of ancestors. She speaks candidly about the challenges of navigating an industry that was not built for Indigenous voices, and the strength it takes to remain authentic within it. This episode is both a reflection and a call forward, inviting listeners to reconnect with their roots, question the narratives they’ve been taught, and begin telling their own stories. It’s a powerful reminder that truth, when carried with intention, has the ability to shift not only stories, but entire generations.  - Chapters (02:17) What is currently inspiring Tantoo right now (11:13) Stories were being told about what an indigenous person is (18:40) Young people now think they want to be stars or to be rich (32:07) Shame holds us back because we're scared of making a mistake (36:17) Advice for indigenous youth who are dreaming about pursuing an acting career (41:18) Stay grounded in land, respect others, and take care of yourself (46:33) The future of indigenous storytelling - Relentless Actions  1. Reconnect with the Land Take a moment this week to step outside and be present with the land. Sit, walk, breathe… and simply listen. There is wisdom there that meets you exactly where you are. 2. Begin Telling Your Story In whatever way feels safe and right for you—write it down, speak it out loud, create something. Your story matters and reclaiming it is a powerful act. Relentless Reflections  1. What does truth feel like in my body, and when do I notice myself moving away from it? Let this guide you back to your intuition and inner knowing. 2. What story within me is ready to be expressed, even in the smallest way? There is no right or wrong way to begin, just an invitation to start. Relentless Resources 1. National Indigenous Media Arts Coalition (NIMAC) An incredible organization supporting Indigenous storytellers, artists, and filmmakers across Canada. If you feel called to storytelling, this is a space to explore opportunities, community, and support. 2. Indigenous Screen Office (ISO) A key resource dedicated to supporting Indigenous creators in film, television, and digital media. They offer funding, training, and resources for Send Us a Text with Your Thoughts or Questions! Join the RIW Patreon Community  RIW Website Music Produced by Award-Winning Anishnaabe DJ Boogey the Beat

    52 min

  3. FEB 21

    Ep. 52: Returning to the Earth: Spiritual Wisdom for Chaotic Times with Dr. Rocio Rosales Meza

    In the final episode of the winter season, Dr. Candace Manitopyes sits with Dr. Rocio Rosales Meza, a Xicana/Mexicana seer, initiated medicine woman, and psychologist whose work bridges ancestral teachings with liberation. They name the moment we’re living in—the collapse of empire, the overwhelm of digital life, and the spiritual and emotional toll of witnessing global injustice. Dr. Rocio shares how grounding in creation, tending to the Earth, and honouring the elements are what keep her centred when the world feels chaotic. Their conversation goes straight to the heart of what many are experiencing right now: the “spirit-eating” nature of colonial systems, the dysregulation caused by social media, and the exhaustion of carrying both awareness and responsibility online.  They talk openly about burnout, boundaries, and the courage it takes to hold hope when the world keeps offering reasons to despair. Dr. Rocio offers wisdom from her own collapse—losing her tenured academic career during a health crisis—and how that breaking became the doorway to her calling. Both women unravel the myths of New Age spirituality, the reality of decolonization, and the necessity of confronting our shadow without shame. This episode is a reminder that healing is spiritual work, the underworld is part of the journey, and our medicine often lives in the very places we were taught to fear. It’s an invitation to slow down, reconnect, and remember who we were before colonial conditioning told us otherwise. https://www.drrosalesmeza.com/ @dr.rosesalesmeza - Relentless Action 1. For one week, track when you override your limits, numb out online, or perform “awareness” instead of feeling — then name the body sensation underneath it. 2. Write from the part of you that feels resentful, jealous, exhausted, or ashamed, then respond from your grounded adult self without exiling what you find. Relentless Reflection 1. Where have I mistaken visibility or knowledge for actual integrity? 2. What part of me did I silence to survive systems that were never built for my wholeness? Relentless Resources 1. All About Love by bell hooks. A rigorous examination of how domination distorts love, spirituality, and community, and what it takes to confront those distortions inside ourselves. 2. Women Who Run With the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estés A deep reclamation of the instinctual feminine and the underworld journey, unpacking how culture fractures women from their wild knowing — and how to return. Send Us a Text with Your Thoughts or Questions! Join the RIW Patreon Community  RIW Website Music Produced by Award-Winning Anishnaabe DJ Boogey the Beat

    1h 4m

  4. FEB 14

    Ep. 51: Navigating Medicine as a Young Cree Physician with Dr. Tara Hutchison

    In this powerful cousin episode, Dr. Candace Manitopyes welcomes her cousin, Dr. Tara Hutchison, a young Cree physician from Moose Cree First Nation, for an intimate and wide-ranging conversation about medicine, culture, identity, and the realities facing Indigenous communities today. Both women discuss the emotional labour of being Indigenous professionals in colonial systems: balancing advocacy with gentleness, resisting the pressure to be palatable, and unpacking the internal battles around perfectionism and imposter syndrome. They speak openly about therapy, burnout, and the crash that often follows major achievements, reminding listeners that success doesn’t erase vulnerability. The episode ultimately offers a portrait of two Cree women who have navigated demanding systems while staying rooted in who they are and where they come from. It celebrates community, resilience, cousinhood, and the growing wave of Indigenous people transforming medicine, education, and futures in their homelands and beyond. - Relentless Actions 1.  Write down what you carry in rooms that isn’t in your job description, then choose one thing to stop doing this month. 2.  Identify two people who understand your context without explanation and schedule a real check-in before burnout forces one. Relentless Reflection  1. Where did I learn that excellence is the price of belonging? 2. After I achieve something significant, do I let myself land or do I immediately chase the next proof of worth? Relentless Resources 1. My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies 2. Your Body Is Not an Apology Workbook: Tools for Living Radical Self-Love Send Us a Text with Your Thoughts or Questions! Join the RIW Patreon Community  RIW Website Music Produced by Award-Winning Anishnaabe DJ Boogey the Beat

    51 min

  5. FEB 7

    Ep. 50: Not Your Stereotype: Rewriting Indigenous Representation with Crystle Lightning

    In this vibrant episode, Dr. Candace Manitopyes speaks with acclaimed actress, musician, and director Crystle Lightning of Enoch Cree Nation, an artist whose three-decade career has broken barriers on screen, on stage, and behind the scenes.  They get into the reality of working in film, television, and theatre—far beyond the glamor audiences see. Crystle opens up about the grit behind the craft, such as the long rehearsals, endless travel, last-minute script changes, and the discipline it takes to thrive in an industry that often expects Indigenous creators to prove themselves twice over. She talks about imposter syndrome, leading her cast with auntie-level care, and building space for emerging artists to stand confidently in rooms not built for them. The two discuss the creation of Bear Grease, the smash-hit Indigenous musical she co-created, and the wild, funny, nerve-wracking backstage moments that became the heartbeat of the show’s success. The episode ends on a powerful note: a call to action for Indigenous creatives to pursue their dreams with courage, curiosity, and community. Crystle reflects on the legacy she hopes to leave—opportunities, representation, and a path wider than the one she had to fight through. The conversation is full of laughter, truth-telling, motivation, and love for Indigenous art. It’s a celebration of what’s possible when Indigenous stories are centred, protected, and brought to life by Indigenous hands. - Relentless Reflection  Where in my own creative or professional life am I still shrinking, even though I know I’m meant to take up more space?What barriers did my younger self face that I can now remove for someone coming up behind me?Relentless Actions  Write down three tangible opportunities you can offer to another Indigenous creative this month (a connection, a recommendation, a shared resource, a skills exchange).Choose one creative risk you've been avoiding and commit to taking the first step within 72 hours—send the email, revise the script, shoot the video, publish the post.Relentless Resources Native Women in Film & Television (NWIFT) — advocacy, mentorship, and networking entirely focused on Indigenous women and gender-diverse creatives in film.Illuminative’s Storytelling Guides — free toolkits that help creators frame, protect, and elevate Indigenous narratives across industries.Send Us a Text with Your Thoughts or Questions! Join the RIW Patreon Community  RIW Website Music Produced by Award-Winning Anishnaabe DJ Boogey the Beat

    43 min

  6. JAN 31

    Ep. 49: Unlearning the Colonial Lies, Reclaiming the Knowing with Tanya Talaga

    In this gripping episode, Dr. Candace Manitopyes sits with award-winning journalist, author, and filmmaker Tanya Talaga, whose work has become a lifeline for truth in a country still wrestling with denial. From the moment they begin, the conversation feels less like an interview and more like two Indigenous women pulling back the curtain on generations of silence, survival, and spiritual return.  Tanya shares her path from being the lone Indigenous journalist in mainstream newsrooms of the 1990s (where stories of Indigenous suffering were dismissed as repetitive or “not news”) to becoming one of the most vital Indigenous voices in Canada. She speaks about the spiritual rupture created by Christianity’s imposition on Treaty 9 families, the generational fear of ceremony, and what it means to finally question beliefs handed down in the name of survival.  The conversation deepens as Tanya describes “the knowing”—the ancestral intuition that lives in Indigenous people, the sense that something is missing, the unspoken grief. She recounts sitting with survivors in Kamloops during the discovery of unmarked graves and how their words struck her like a freight train: “We always knew.” That knowing becomes the backbone of her work and the spiritual compass that guides her truth-telling.  Candace and Tanya explore the cost of telling the truth, the courage it demands, and the liberation it creates for everyone who has been waiting to breathe.  -  Relentless Actions 1. Revisit one belief you inherited—not from your spirit, but from survival. Choose a belief handed down through family, school, or church about identity, ceremony, or “rightness.” Write down where it came from, and whether it still belongs to you. Release what no longer aligns. 2. Have one truth-centred conversation this week. This could be with a friend, a family member, or even your own journal. Name something you’ve been avoiding, such as a question, a discomfort, a story. Let truth, gentle or sharp, be medicine. Relentless Reflections 1. What truths have I been carrying quietly because I was afraid of what they might disrupt, and what would it mean to finally speak them? 2. Where does “the knowing” live in my body, and how often do I silence it to fit into spaces that were never built for me? Relentless Resources 1. The Knowing by Tanya Talaga, book 2. Debunking the “Mass Grave Hoax”: A Report on Media Coverage and Residential School Denialism in Canada, report  Send Us a Text with Your Thoughts or Questions! Join the RIW Patreon Community  RIW Website Music Produced by Award-Winning Anishnaabe DJ Boogey the Beat

    48 min

  7. JAN 24

    Ep. 48: Two Lands, One Sound: Indigenous Music from Aotearoa to Turtle Island with Theia

    Turtle Island (aka North America) meets Aotearoa (aka New Zealand), and the stories of Indigenous resistance mirror each other.  Dr. Candace Manitopyes speaks with Māori artist Theia, whose music is less performance and more ceremony. Candace describes experiencing Theia’s live show as a moment of kinship across oceans, a palpable spiritual recognition that transcends borders and mirrors the shared wounds of colonization.  Theia speaks about her journey from major-label constraints to full creative sovereignty, describing how leaving the industry machine allowed her to create the music she was born to make—music that confronts misogyny, racism, religious trauma, and the violent legacies of colonialism. Through her songs, she carries her grandmother’s stories, the generational scars of language loss, and the relentless fight for Māori sovereignty.  The conversation moves into the political crisis unfolding in Aotearoa, where treaty rights, language, protests, and Māori cultural practices are under attack. Theia names both the devastation and the uprising—the collective defiance, the resurgence of language learners, artists, healers, and community protectors refusing to disappear.  Candace and Theia speak to the alchemy of art: how music becomes medicine, how beauty can hold the darkness without collapsing, and how Indigenous women carry fire in ways the world is only beginning to understand. IG: @theiaofficialxo   - Relentless Actions 1. Name one belief about your worth, your culture, your voice, or your ancestors that didn’t come from you but from colonial conditioning. Write it down. Then write the truth beneath it. Burn, shred, or bury the lie. Keep the truth visible. 2. Choose an action that requires courage (emailing a representative, donating to an Indigenous-led movement, showing up physically, correcting someone’s harmful language, or publicly naming the injustice happening in Aotearoa and on Turtle Island). Let the action stretch you. Relentless Reflections 1. Where am I still choosing comfort over justice, and who pays the price when I stay quiet? Sit with this without defending yourself. Let it sting. Let it teach you something about the gap between the person you are and the person you’re becoming. 2. What part of me is still afraid of my own power, and who taught me to fear it in the first place? Trace that fear back (family, church, school, government, media). When you see its origin, ask yourself: What would my life look like if I stopped inheriting their limitations and started inheriting my courage instead? Resources Resistance in Indigenous Music: A Continuum of Sound, academic article  A Radical Revival: Indigenous Music Strikes Chords that Cross Borders, an article  Send Us a Text with Your Thoughts or Questions! Join the RIW Patreon Community  RIW Website Music Produced by Award-Winning Anishnaabe DJ Boogey the Beat

    1h 8m

  8. JAN 17

    Ep. 47: Letting Go of Shame, Keeping the Orgasms: Indigenous Erotica as Resistance with Dr. Tenille Campbell

    This is the episode that will make listeners laugh, blush, heal, and rethink everything they were taught about love, shame, and who they’re allowed to become. In this electric and tender conversation, Dr. Candace Manitopyes connects with with Dr. Tenille K. Campbell, a Dene, Métis, poet, photographer, PhD holder, auntie, and unapologetic storyteller whose work has cracked open space for Indigenous women, femmes, and queer folks to reclaim desire without shame.  Tenille shares the raw, often hilarious journey that shaped her groundbreaking book #IndianLovePoems: on heartbreak, sex, vanilla surprises, 12-hour dates, threesome confessions, and the slow, sacred unlearning of colonial purity culture.  Tenille and Candace trace how healing pleasure ripples outward into parenting, intergenerational cycles, and the ways daughters, nieces, and femme relatives now move through the world with softness, boundaries, and emotional fluency their Ancestors could only dream of.  They speak about queerness as ancient, relational, and culturally rooted; something that has always existed in our stories, despite colonial attempts to suppress it. And through humour, honesty, and unmistakable auntie energy, they remind listeners that choosing self-respect is lineage work, reclamation, and love. - Relentless Actions 1. Take out a journal and name one belief you were taught—by family, religion, school, or society about sex, pleasure, gender, or self-worth. Then rewrite it in your own words, from your own truth. Let it become a declaration of who you are now, not who you were told to be. 2. Practice one act of softness that you were once taught to fear. This could be resting without guilt, saying no without apology, taking a sensual photograph for your own eyes, or letting someone care for you without shrinking. Choose something small but real, and signals to your nervous system that safety and pleasure are allowed. Relentless Refections 1. What parts of my intimacy—emotional, relational, or erotic—are still shaped by someone else’s fear, and what would it mean to return those fears to their origin?  2. Who am I becoming as I choose myself more often? When I say yes to my truth, my boundaries, my pleasure, my softness, who do I turn into? And how does that person change the lineage behind me and the future ahead of me? Relentless Resources 1. #IndianLovePoems by Dr Tenillie Campbell, book  2. Stolen From Our Bodies: First Nations Two-Spirits/Queers and the Journey to a Sovereign Erotic by Qwo-Li Driskill, an academic article Send Us a Text with Your Thoughts or Questions! Join the RIW Patreon Community  RIW Website Music Produced by Award-Winning Anishnaabe DJ Boogey the Beat

    59 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
13 Ratings

About

Welcome to the Relentless Indigenous Woman podcast—a space for uncensored and unapologetic conversations on the lived realities of Indigenous Peoples.   Hosted by Dr. Candace Manitopyes, a proud Moose Cree First Nation educator, advocate, and scholar, this podcast invites you to listen, grow, and take meaningful action. With a community of over 750,000 followers across social media, Dr. Manitopyes has become a powerful voice in bold Indigenous education, truth-telling, and solidarity. Here, education becomes rebellion. Resistance. Revolution. Whether you are an Indigenous listener or an ally committed to learning, this podcast exists to challenge, inspire, and empower.  www.relentlessindigenouswoman.ca

Information

  • Creator
    Relentless Indigenous Woman
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    54
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Relentless Indigenous Woman Podcast
  • Show Website
    Relentless Indigenous Woman Podcast

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