Indigenous Planetary Health Podcast

HECLab University of Victoria
  • 5.0 (4)
  • Arts
  • Updated Weekly

We’re burning down our house, and we’re in for nasty weather. But Indigenous peoples have ideas for planetary resurgence and restoration. Professors Heather Castleden and Hōkūlani Aikau bring you conversations with artists, activists, scholars, and other knowledge keepers tackling the climate crisis.

  1. Aug 5

    Planetary Health as a ‘Web of Love’: A cConversation with Dr. Jodi John 

    A common concern we hear from Indigenous early career researchers be they graduate students or new tenure track professors, is how to work within academia while still being of service to their communities and Nation. Add to this, the fact that historically academic research has caused our communities harm, it is a wonder Indigenous people become academics at all. In this episode, Heather sits down with Dr. Jodi John (Kanyen’kehá:ka, Bear Clan) to discuss the transition from 20 years of clinical practice as her community’s registered dietitian to become a researcher. Jodi shares that she’s able to navigate these tensions because her research is grounded in relationships and “a web of love”. It is her love for her community that propelled her to explore how community care providers build relationships with community clients and the impacts on access, engagement, and care. Jodi illuminates how culturally grounded healthcare that honors connection, visiting, and reciprocity creates a more meaningful and effective approach than the impersonal practices of Western healthcare, which is the foundation for planetary health. Now, her research has become an opportunity to bring community together through cooking and trying out new healthy recipes that incorporate traditional foods into modern meals. Jodi also introduces her exciting new project in partnership with community midwives and lactation consultants, which reframes breastfeeding as Indigenous food sovereignty, expanding how we think about health, sovereignty, and the ways communities support families through food.  Dr. Jodi John is an Assistant Professor and researcher at Queen’s University, and Queen’s National Scholar in Indigenous Food Sovereignty and Community Health. Heather and Jodi explore how reconnecting with traditional food systems can transform health beyond the physical to include the spiritual and mental aspects of well-being and why restoring food sovereignty is vital to the health of both people and planet.  This podcast is created by the Archipelagos of Indigenous-led Resurgence for Planetary Health research collective. You can find out more about our research on our website: https://indigenousplanetaryhealth.ca/. We receive funding for this podcast from the Impact Chair in Transformative Governance for Planetary Health at the University of Victoria and from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. We receive production support from Cited Media.

  2. Jun 24

    Indigenous Resistance in the Ring of Fire with Michelle Daigle

    In this week’s episode Hoku meets with Michelle Daigle, Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Geographies at the University of Toronto, to discuss the ongoing struggle over the Ring of Fire, a massive mineral extraction project proposed across northern Ontario. Michelle is also Mushkegowuk Cree from Constance Lake First Nation in Treaty 9 territory, one of the nine First Nations directly affected by Ring of Fire development. Her scholarly work is grounded in small-scale collaborations with Cree, Anishinaabe, and Oji-Cree Elders and Knowledge Keepers in Treaty 9 to understand how these communities embody care work, as well as land- and water-based governance, in the context of colonial policies and land dispossession, gendered and racial violence, and the impacts of extractive industries and environmental destruction. While government and industry frame the project as essential to Canadian economic sovereignty, Michelle challenges this perspective and exposes the exploitation and oppression behind the massive marketing campaign. She grounds her alternative vision of sovereignty in Indigenous governance and kinship to lands, waters, and more-than-human kin.    This conversation brings attention to the more than 32,000 mining claims across First Nations territories that make up The Ring of Fire, and the recent passage of federal and provincial legislation designed to accelerate major resource extraction. Michelle shares how her research examines the environmental, social, and political impacts of mining and infrastructure development, from threats to waterways, wildlife, and peatlands to concerns about Indigenous consultation and environmental justice. Drawing on Cree understandings of the James Bay Lowlands as “breathing lands,” she reflects on how care for lands, waters, animals, plants, and future generations forms the foundation of Indigenous governance. And she encourages listeners and students hold up community and youth knowledge and leaderships such as Jeronimo Kataquapit and relations. This podcast is created by the Impact Chair in Transformative Governance for Planetary Health at the University of Victoria, with production support from Cited Media. We receive additional support from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research You can find us at https://indigenousplanetaryhealth.ca/

  3. Apr 22

    Kanaka ʻŌiwi Resistance to Settler Science at Mauna a Wākea with Iokepa Casumbal-Salazar

    This week on the Indigenous Planetary Health podcast, hosts Hoku and Melia share an emotional conversation with Iokepa Casumbal‑Salazar about his new book,  First Light: Kanaka ʻŌiwi Resistance to Settler Science at Mauna a Wākea. Iokepa reflects on the long, winding journey that brought this book into being—one shaped by accountability to community, by deep listening, and by the responsibility of carrying stories that are much larger than any single voice, while remaining accountable to the people and places that hold them.  Together, we hold space for both resistance and reverence. The conversation moves through the tensions between settler science and Indigenous knowledge, the force of militarization and state power, and the everyday practices of care that sustain Kanaka ʻŌiwi relationships to Mauna a Wākea. We reflect on the 2015 and 2019 blockades at Mauna Kea, situating them within over 130 years of Kanaka ʻŌiwi resistance to U.S. occupation and settler colonialism, and tracing how earlier battles over telescope development shaped the political, legal, and cultural formations of kiaʻi (protectors, guardians).  At the heart of this episode is both struggle and joy. Iokepa shares what it means to write from within a living movement—one that resists settler science, capital, and law, while also re‑centering ceremony, relationship, and the sacred. This conversation invites listeners to imagine a Kanaka ʻŌiwi futurity rooted not in more concrete and extraction, but in aloha ʻāina and deep relationships—to land, to ancestors, and to one another.  Iokepa Casumbal-Salazar is currently an Associate Professor in Critical Race & Ethnic Studies at University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC). He teaches courses on Indigenous politics, settler colonialism, popular culture, imperialism, militarism, tourism, and decolonial methodologies.  This podcast is created by the Impact Chair in Transformative Governance for Planetary Health at the University of Victoria, with production support from Cited Media. We receive additional support from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research You can find us at https://indigenousplanetaryhealth.ca/

  4. Apr 8

    Restoring Jurisdiction, Restoring Well-Being: A Conversation with Brittany Brinkworth and Shona Nelson, leaders from Doig River First Nation

    This week on the podcast, we explore what is termed the Modern Treaty Era in Canada through the powerful story of the Doig River First Nation, located in the Upper Peace River region of eastern British Columbia and western Alberta. After decades of legal advocacy, the nation achieved a major milestone in 2022 with a Treaty Land Entitlement (TLE) settlement that returned 52 square kilometers of land to their jurisdiction that had been wrongfully taken and opened for settlement in the early 1900s. Hoku and Heather are joined by two leaders from Doig River First Nation: Brittany Brinkworth, an elected council member overseeing the health, social, education, and housing portfolios for the nation and Shona Nelson, Band Manager and a driving force behind implementing the nation’s vision for the TLE. Brittany and Shona are both advocates for decolonizing approaches that prioritize Dane-zaa cultural values. Together, they share what it means to restore jurisdiction over land, governance, culture, and community well-being. This podcast is created by the Archipelagos of Indigenous-led Resurgence for Planetary Health research collective. You can find out more about our research on our website: https://indigenousplanetaryhealth.ca/. We receive funding for this podcast from the Impact Chair in Transformative Governance for Planetary Health at the University of Victoria and from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. We receive production support from Cited Media.

  5. Feb 18

    Mariana Islands Part Three: Protecting & Liberating the Archipelago, a conversation with Our Commonwealth 670 (OCW 670) 

    In July 2025, Tiara and Hoku spent nearly a week in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) on the islands of Saipan and Tinian. They shared a meal with members of Our Commonwealth 670, (OCW 670), a non-profit alliance whose mission is to protect their ancestral lands, seas, and skies from the devastating, ongoing impact of U.S. militarization. Their visit to the CNMI coincided with the celebration of the Fourth of July. As we learn, even in the CNMI, there is a misconception that the parade and festivities are a celebration of US Independence. However, July 4th is celebrated as “Liberation Day” in Saipan—commemorating the day that Indigenous Chamorro and Carolian islanders were liberated from concentration camps on July 4, 1946. Camp Susupe was the last concentration camp to be permanently closed in Saipan, marking the end of Japanese occupation during WWII. Liberation Day celebrates the resilience and strength of those who endured the incredible hardship and pain of war. It serves as a powerful reminder of freedom and hope for a more peaceful Marianas. (For more on this topic, check out “Saipan’s First Liberation Day,” Pacific Island Times and José S. Dela Cruz book From Colonialism To Self-Government: The Northern Marianas Experience).   Our conversation with OCW 670 board members Sheila Babauta, Zeno Deleon Guerrero, and Mallory Muña sheds light on how the current CNMI relationship with the United States is one of subordination and domination. These activists and educators describe their vision of liberation for their people and their lands. As they emphasize, the OCW 670 is committed to actualizing a liberatory vision of their future in the face of increased US militarization, climate change, and historical and proposed development. They also offer a critical lens for understanding ongoing US military presence and impact in their islands through war training, testing, and development.   This podcast is created by the Archipelagos of Indigenous-led Resurgence for Planetary Health research collective. You can find out more about our research on our website: https://indigenousplanetaryhealth.ca/. We receive funding for this podcast from the Impact Chair in Transformative Governance for Planetary Health at the University of Victoria and from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. We receive production support from Cited Media.

  6. Feb 4

    The Mariana Islands Part Two: Listening to the land, a conversation with Franceska de Oro

    Join us for part two of our special three-part series on the Mariana Islands. This week, Dr. Tiara Na’puti interviews Franceska De Oro, a CHamoru/Filipina Native Rights Advocate, environmental activist, cultural practitioner, healer, artist, fashion designer, and yoga teacher who was born and raised in Guåhan. Tiara and Franceska reflect on the lasting trauma of colonization and the ongoing impacts of militarization in Guåhan, including how military urban development has reshaped the land and severed communities from their traditional practices, food systems, medicines, and sacred places. Franceska invites us to look deeply at how land signals its distress through things like visual pollution, loss of rare species, silent jungles, and the destruction of ancestral lands. This episode explores how climate change is a symptom of the US military industrial complex that prioritizes expansion, extraction, and control over the health of our communities and environment.   As the Circular Economy Education Coordinator for Guam Green Growth Circular Economy Maker Space & Innovation Hub, Franceska describes how the Maker Space is working toward sovereignty and environmental justice by removing “barriers of entry” and providing community access to tools, knowledge, and resources. These efforts support people in learning how to make, repair, grow, and build, as well as start their own businesses – fostering local economies, restoring traditional practices, and reducing reliance on imported goods.   This podcast is created by the Archipelagos of Indigenous-led Resurgence for Planetary Health research collective. You can find out more about our research on our website:  https://indigenousplanetaryhealth.ca/. We receive funding for this podcast from the Impact Chair in Transformative Governance for Planetary Health at the University of Victoria and from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. We receive production support from Cited Media.

  7. Jan 21

    The Mariana Islands: A three-part series 

    This week on the podcast, we’re launching a special three-part series recorded in the Mariana Islands with Dr. Tiara Na’puti, a member of our Archipelagos research collective. In early July 2025, the Archipelagos team traveled to the Mariana Islands—an archipelago of 15 islands in the Northwest Pacific—to spend time with Tiara’s community. During that visit, we held intimate conversations with Indigenous leaders, academics, and activists about militarization, healing, and what planetary health means for Micronesia. Those conversations were so powerful that we wanted to share them with you.  The first episode in the series revisits a conversation Hoku and Heather had with Dr. Tiara Na’puti in May 2024. This interview provides essential geographical, historical, and political context for the next two new episodes, which feature activists and artists from Guåhan and Saipan.   This podcast is created by the Archipelagos of Indigenous-led Resurgence for Planetary Health research collective. You can find out more about our research on our website: https://indigenousplanetaryhealth.ca/. We receive funding for this podcast from the Impact Chair in Transformative Governance for Planetary Health at the University of Victoria and from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. We receive production support from Cited Media.

  8. Jan 7

    What Side Are You On? A Tohono O’odham Life Across Borders, a conversation with authors Mike Wilson and Tony Lucero

    In this week’s episode, Hoku is joined by guest co-host and podcast research assistant Melialani Hamilton, a new PhD student in IGOV. Together, they interview Michael Wilson a Tohono O’odham human rights activist, U.S. military retiree, and documentary filmmaker and Dr. José Antonio “Tony” Lucero, Professor and Chair of the Comparative History of Ideas Department at the University of Washington, Seattle.  Mike and Tony are co-authors of, What Side Are You On? A Tohono O’odham Life Across Borders, a powerful memoir tracing Mike’s life journey and the experiences that led him to the controversial and courageous humanitarian work of placing water stations for migrants along the U.S.–Mexico border. The book captures the tension between Mike’s moral obligation to prevent death and the political stance of a nation committed to non-interference. Throughout the narrative, Tony “hyperlinks” Mike’s personal story to broader histories and global struggles, illuminating how one life resonates far beyond the borderlands.  In this episode, we explore how the book was “spoken into existence” through their unique co-author relationship. Tony discusses his “hyperlink methodology,” while Mike reflects on the pivotal moments that shaped his path and his ongoing work at the border.  This podcast is created by the Archipelagos of Indigenous-led Resurgence for Planetary Health research collective. You can find out more about our research on our website: https://indigenousplanetaryhealth.ca/. We receive funding for this podcast from the Impact Chair in Transformative Governance for Planetary Health at the University of Victoria and from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. We receive production support from Cited Media.

See All (55)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

We’re burning down our house, and we’re in for nasty weather. But Indigenous peoples have ideas for planetary resurgence and restoration. Professors Heather Castleden and Hōkūlani Aikau bring you conversations with artists, activists, scholars, and other knowledge keepers tackling the climate crisis.

Information