Unreservedwith Falen Johnson
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From Australia to Canada, how Indigenous people are coping with isolation one year into the pandemic
It has been almost a year since the novel coronavirus was declared a global pandemic. Its effects are still being determined, one thing remains true; Indigenous ways of connecting are evolving. This week on Unreserved, how Indigenous people are turning to digital communities, storytelling and culture to feel connected, and get rid of the isolation blues.
'We're usually like human boomerangs': How an Indigenous couple copes with being separated during pandemic
Married couple Candace Scott-Moore and Richard Scott-Moore have been together for more than a decade, but found themselves on opposite sides of the planet when the coronavirus shut down much of the world.
Richard Van Camp on storytelling and its power to combat loneliness
When Richard Van Camp graduated high school in Fort Smith, N.W.T., it seemed all his peers knew exactly what their next move was — except for him.
From ballet dancer to zombie slayer: Cree actor Michael Greyeyes on his prolific career
The Plains Cree actor and performer from Muskeg Lake Cree Nation in Saskatchewan has appeared in more than 50 films and TV shows, ranging from prominent Indigenous leaders like Sitting Bull to Gooch in Dance Me Outside, one of his most well-known roles.
Controversial monuments: Whose history is being celebrated?
Monuments are supposed to honour moments or people in history, but they also influence the way we see the world. This week, we look at the push to pull down problematic statues, and examine whose history is being celebrated.
Indigenous women stand where Columbus statue once stood in powerful photo
On July 1, four women from four different nations dressed in their regalia and stood by an empty pedestal in Detroit. The resulting photo went viral.
How the vandalism of statues challenges our understanding of Canadian history
Last month, a monument of Canada’s first Prime Minister, John A. Macdonald was toppled in Montreal. But it wasn’t the first statue to come down in Canada.
Debates about monuments the gift that keeps on giving for satirist Tim Fontaine
When activists pulled down the Sir John A. Macdonald statue in Montreal in late August, Tim Fontaine could guess all the responses from critics before they even made them. Then he turned them into headlines.
From beaded cat clothes to plant knowledge: Indigenous people pick up skills during pandemic
This week on Unreserved, how Indigenous people are learning traditional skills to beat the quarantine blues.
Virtual nature walk offers 'another way to connect to our homelands'
On a recent sunny spring day, Cheryl Bryce led a nature walk through a lush Kwetlal food system (Garry Oak ecosystem) in Lekwungen territory. But the people who participated in Bryce’s walk weren’t there with her in person, they joined her virtually through Instagram Live.
Fancy felines: Beginner crafters practise skills by purrfecting regalia for cats
As a newbie to beadwork, Shelby Mitchell-Adams from Akwesasne dedicated her first big beading project to her family's new kitten.
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7-year-old teaches Mi'kmaw quillwork, a skill she learned from her mom
Head bent toward her work, Carolyn Simon uses tweezers to carefully pull a porcupine quill through a tiny hole in a piece of birch bark. It's a technique she's seen her mom do hundreds of times, and while she's only seven years old she's close to mastering it herself.
Why this woman moved nearly 10 hours from her home to learn the art of moose hide tanning
Marjorie Black has been a Tłı̨chǫ speaker her whole life and knows how to live on the land where she lives in Northwest Territories. And now, she’s taken up the laborious craft of moose hide tanning.
'There are alternatives to what Canada tells us is possible': Hayden King on Indigenous land reclamation
“Maybe the loudest demand in our relationship with Canadians has been for land restitution, for honoring treaties, for getting the land back,” said Hayden King, who is the executive director of the Yellowhead Institute, a First Nation-led research centre based at Ryerson University.
Land back: Movement to reclaim Indigenous land grows
Land back, two words that have become popular at rallies, gatherings and protests across Canada. Today on Unreserved, what does it mean to give land back to Indigenous communities?
Indigenous musicians find new ways to create, promote and thrive during pandemic
Musicians are always finding ways to explore new sounds, new ideas or new spaces — but the ongoing pandemic has left many looking for new ways to thrive as artists. This week, we visit with a few Indigenous artists to hear how they're keeping the music going in 2021.
Grammy-nominated band inspired by '60s-era Indigenous Hawaiian music
Members of the Hawaiian band Nā Wai 'Ehā believe they were destined to play music together. The band, based in Wailuku on the island of Maui, is made of two sets of brothers with a surprising family connection.
'Piecing things together': Christa Couture on how writing about loss helped her move forward
Christa Couture has distilled the layers of loss she's experienced into what she calls her grief bio: "Cancer, death, death, divorce, more cancer." Her new memoir, How to Lose Everything, details how she's writing herself a new chapter.
Indigenous astronomies and 'astro-colonialism'
“Indigenous astronomies speak to a connection to the land and to the people. And that knowledge has been here as long as people have been here," explained Hilding Neilson, who is Mi’kmaw and a professor in the department of astronomy and astrophysics at the University of Toronto.
'We come from the stars': Indigenous astronomy, astronauts, and star stories
Long winter nights are perfect for looking up at the stars, and that’s exactly what we’re doing on Unreserved this week. From Indigenous astronomy to the first Indigenous astronaut, find out how Indigenous people are reframing the way we look at the sky.
'We call ourselves the star people': Trace explores Anishinaabe star story through dance
For many First Nations, there’s a story shared that humans come from the stars. It’s one that influenced a new dance performance, by Red Sky Performance, an Indigenous dance and theatre company based in Toronto.
From throat singing carols to Nerf gun hunting: How Indigenous people are celebrating the holidays
This year Christmas might look a lot different, with family gatherings happening over Zoom, and gifts being exchanged through the mail. This week, how Indigenous people are celebrating family traditions and making meaningful connections in all kinds of innovative ways.
Unreserved celebrates the Class of 2020
Even with a global pandemic turning our world upside down, there were still plenty of Indigenous people to celebrate. Whether they are retiring, just starting out or receiving an award for outstanding achievements, this week on Unreserved, we visit with the class of 2020.
'I have so much to say': Cree author David A. Robertson on writing everything from graphic novels to a memoir
This week on Unreserved, an extended conversation with Cree author David A. Robertson. To say he’s prolific is a bit of an understatement. He started his writing career in 2009, and has already published more than 20 titles.
Unreserved's holiday book list
To round up this year in literature, Unreserved reached out to Indigenous authors behind some of the hottest books of the year to find out what they were reading in 2020.
