Unsettled: Journeys in Truth and Conciliation

George Lee & Jessica Vandenberghe
  • 5.0 (1)
  • SOCIETY & CULTURE
Unsettled: Journeys in Truth and Conciliation Podcast

Unsettled: Journeys in Truth and Conciliation builds upon the 94 calls to action of Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission, from the perspectives of Indigenous cohost Jessica Vandenberghe, settler cohost George Lee, and their Indigenous and settler guests. We start from the belief that conciliation in Canada is an ongoing project, individually and collectively, as the country moves beyond colonial thinking to build a nation of nations—one free of racist, pro-assimiliation policies, and one that honours treaties and other commitments to Indigenous peoples. Want to keep the conversation going? Donate here: https://ko-fi.com/unsettledjourneys

  1. AUG 30

    S4 E5: International Relations—How Colonial Laws Often (But Not Always) Fail Indigenous Communities and the Environment, feat. Deborah Curran

    Deborah 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 Indi...

    1h 10m

  2. FEB 29

    S4 E4: The Afterlife of a Family Lie Gives Rise to a Powerful Mohawk Voice, feat. Tom Wilson CM

    About 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 ...

    44 min

  3. 11/30/2023

    S4 E3: Ancestral Advice—Wolastoqiyik Musician Taps Culture and Language for Inspiration, feat. Mike Bern of Tobique First Nation

    When 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 inc...

    48 min

  4. 11/01/2023

    S4 E2: The Fentanyl Crisis—A Kainai Woman's Survival Guide for Families and Communities, feat. Ramona Big Head

    Renowned 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 h...

    1h 29m

  5. 09/30/2023

    S4 E1: From Trauma to Song—How Women and Community Create Musical Magic, feat. Haida-Cree performer Kristi Lane Sinclair

    Rooted 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 kn...

    1h 4m

  6. 04/27/2023

    S3 E8: The Trail So Far—A Bridges and Milestones Episode, feat. Jessica Vandenberghe

    In 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/uns...

    1h 1m

  7. 03/31/2023

    S3 E7: All Together Now—One Person's Take on the Music, the Spirit, and the Mystery of Who We Are, feat. Kevin John

    For 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 ...

    1h 3m

  8. 02/23/2023

    S3 E6: Dream Job—It Has Special Meaning for One Indigenous Colouring Book Entrepreneur, feat. Diana Frost

    Her 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....

    1h 17m
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About

Unsettled: Journeys in Truth and Conciliation builds upon the 94 calls to action of Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission, from the perspectives of Indigenous cohost Jessica Vandenberghe, settler cohost George Lee, and their Indigenous and settler guests. We start from the belief that conciliation in Canada is an ongoing project, individually and collectively, as the country moves beyond colonial thinking to build a nation of nations—one free of racist, pro-assimiliation policies, and one that honours treaties and other commitments to Indigenous peoples. Want to keep the conversation going? Donate here: https://ko-fi.com/unsettledjourneys

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