The Survivor Space: Exploring 'Does Geography Impact Access to Justice' Report

Jessica Regan
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  • Documentary

The Survivor Space is a by She Matters exploring the 'Does Geography Impact Access to Justice' report. The Survivor Space is grounded in community, story work, and land-based healing. Hosted by Jessica Regan, this series invites listeners into honest conversations about what it means to seek care, access justice, and healing after sexual violence for those living in northern, rural, and communities. Each episode offers space to breathe, reflect, and connect — to the land, to story, and to each other. Together, we unpack the findings of Does Geography Impact Access to Justice?, hear from survivors, rights holders, and service providers, and explore how systems can be reimagined through compassion, cultural safety, and community driven care. This is not a true crime podcast. It’s a gathering place — where we hold truth, grief, and resilience in equal measure. You are safe here. You are held here. You are loved here.

Episodes

  1. Aug 21

    The North: A Survivors Agenda

    The North: A Survivors Agenda Content Warning: Sexual Assault, Child Sexual Assault, Residential Schools, and historical trauma. Please listen in whatever way makes you feel safe. You can stop, step away, and come back at any point. The North marks the end of this journey. In this episode, you'll hear from a child welfare worker who supports children and youth through the forensic evidence process, an Elder whose testimony moves from residential school to Sundance, and survivors describing how they envision the care pathway in an ideal world. The testimony in this episode is powerful. It's concrete. A child telling their story four and five times to countless professionals. A walk through the emergency room with a child protection worker on one side and a uniformed officer on the other. With over 10 hours of waiting because there's no nurse until morning. Alongside this testimony, we imagine what care could look like instead: a separate private entrance, smudge offered before the forensic exam, plain clothes instead of uniforms worn by officers in attendance, band representatives offering support where appropriate, mobile forensic units that meet survivors where they are. A supportive space that feels comforting. Jessica closes with a powerful message: "I am a warrior. You are a warrior. We are not alone." If this episode brings forward feelings and emotions and you require support, we recommend accessing the following resources: - Hope for Wellness Helpline: 1-855-242-3310, 24/7, for all Indigenous peoples across Canada. Online chat at hopeforwellness.ca. Counselling also available in Cree, Ojibway (Anishinaabemowin), and Inuktitut on request. - Talk4Healing: 1-855-554-HEAL (4325), 24/7, for Indigenous women in Ontario. Phone, text, and chat, in 14 Indigenous languages and English. - Indian Residential Schools Crisis Line: 1-866-925-4419, 24/7. - MMIWG Crisis Line: 1-844-413-6649, 24/7. - Assaulted Women's Helpline (Ontario): 1-866-863-0511, 24/7. Text #SAFE (#7233). - VictimLinkBC (serves BC and Yukon) — 1-800-563-0808, call or text, 24/7. - SALAL National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-877-392-7583 (24/7) Available nationally. - Noojimo Health: A fully virtual mental health practice for Indigenous people across Canada. To connect, visit https://www.noojimohealth.ca/

  2. Aug 6

    The West: Where The Warrior Sits

    The Survivor Space: Exploring 'Does Geography Impact Access to Justice' Report

  3. 11/26/2025

    The South: Survivance, Agency, and Navigating Systems

    In this episode, we step through the South Door. This direction teaches us about bravery, adolescence, truth-telling, and becoming. Host Jessica Regan guides listeners through land-based reflections, grounding invitations, and the raw testimonies of survivors navigating the barriers to forensic evidence collection in rural and remote communities. Through stories of water, land, internal knowing, and refusal to accept systems that are not safe, this episode asks: What does bravery mean to you? And how can community, choice, and compassion shape a more trauma-wise future for survivors? What You’ll Hear: Opening Reflections: Bravery & the Land Jessica shares a childhood story of swimming in the Great Lakes—an early lesson in courage, surrender, and awe that frames the episode’s exploration of truth and becoming. Teachings of the South Door: Co-Producer and Advisor, Robyn, offers grounding through Indigenous Focusing Oriented Therapy, inviting listeners to place a hand on the heart and remember that our beating rhythm is a marker of continued life, identity, and becoming after trauma. Themes We Hold In This Episode: - Bravery as stillness, truth, and returning to self - Anger and shame as forms of medicine - Survivors as experts of their own experiences - Systemic dismissal and disbelief - The emotional labour survivors carry - Community-rooted visions for care and justice A Wellness Invitation This episode discusses sexual violence, drug-facilitated assault, colonialism, and systemic harm. Jessica offers grounding pauses throughout the episode. Please listen with care and take breaks when needed.

  4. 11/14/2025

    The East: Unearthing Root Causes and Geographical Realities

    This episode explores the complex realities of trauma faced by survivors and the root causes that influence their decisions to seek care and justice, highlighting the role of geography and critical interactions with service providers. It serves as an invitation to learn "how" the colonial project and systemic injustices have shaped survivor experiences.

  • 4 Episodes

About

The Survivor Space is a by She Matters exploring the 'Does Geography Impact Access to Justice' report. The Survivor Space is grounded in community, story work, and land-based healing. Hosted by Jessica Regan, this series invites listeners into honest conversations about what it means to seek care, access justice, and healing after sexual violence for those living in northern, rural, and communities. Each episode offers space to breathe, reflect, and connect — to the land, to story, and to each other. Together, we unpack the findings of Does Geography Impact Access to Justice?, hear from survivors, rights holders, and service providers, and explore how systems can be reimagined through compassion, cultural safety, and community driven care. This is not a true crime podcast. It’s a gathering place — where we hold truth, grief, and resilience in equal measure. You are safe here. You are held here. You are loved here.

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