Unreservedwith Rosanna Deerchild

Latest

Heartdrum: HarperCollins launches new imprint dedicated to Indigenous stories

The hope for Heartdrum, is that publishing a wider range of books will expand expectations, and allow writers to express themselves outside of what publishers view as an Indigenous person's authenticity.

Curl up with 3 Indigenous book recommendations from author Richard Van Camp

Author Richard Van Camp reads a lot — and it was tough for him to narrow his choices down to three — but here are a few of his favourites from the year.

Unreserved Reads: Author Richard Van Camp's best book picks of 2019

The holiday season is here, and it's a great time to curl up with a book. With the year coming to an end, we are taking a look back at some of the best books of 2019 with author Richard Van Camp.

Adopted at birth: one woman's decades-long search for her Indigenous family

A woman adopted by a Vancouver family spent more than 30 years tracking down her birth parents. She overcame family resistance to finally uncover her connection to the west coast Penelakut Tribe.

'It tells a truth that has been kept secret': Children of God brings residential school story to the stage

A modern musical that sheds light on the painful experience of residential schools has broken new ground in Indigenous Canadian theatre. Children of God was eight years in the making, and is the passion piece of Oji-Cree playwright and composer Corey Payette.

Family, community, healing: Documentaries highlight personal journeys in First Nations

On a special episode of Unreserved this week, we share three documentaries — three personal journeys about family, community and the desire for healing.
DOCUMENTARY

Chief of Kashechewan First Nation now also James Bay community's priest

Kashechewan Chief Leo Friday has just been ordained as an Anglican priest. It might be a first in Canada, but is not that strange from a Cree perspective

'Things are shifting': Tanya Talaga sees change in Thunder Bay

Eight years ago Tanya Talaga began investigating the unsolved deaths of seven First Nation students who were living in Thunder Bay to attend high school. The author sees positive change in the city, but the work is far from over.

Wake the Giant campaign promotes safe spaces for Indigenous students

Wake the Giant is a grassroots sticker campaign that flags safe spaces for Indigenous students in Thunder Bay.

New hockey class aims to support First Nation youth in Thunder Bay

Mike Kompon is the recreation and athletic director at Dennis Franklin Cromarty High School. He is teaching a new hockey class and hopes the sport will help smooth the transition for First Nation students who move to Thunder Bay for school.

Beyond the curriculum: How Matawa Learning Centre brings culture to the classroom

Matawa Learning Centre in Thunder Bay offers First Nations teens a holistic education. In addition to standard curriculum courses - like math and science - students also get to take classes where they learn about their culture. 

Culture, curriculum, community: Thunder Bay schools pushing back against racism

This week on Unreserved, how schools and grassroots initiatives are helping First Nations youth transition to life in the city.

Preserving Indigenous languages full of challenges, advocates say

The loss of Indigenous languages is widespread across Turtle Island — but in urban centres, learning and maintaining a language not native to that area is even more challenging.

Reclaiming and revitalizing Indigenous languages

This week we're looking at the work being done to reclaim Indigenous languages — and a few of the successes and challenges faced.

New York Times article on Inuit draws backlash for reliance on stereotypes

The article by Catherine Porter, Canada bureau chief for the New York Times, has drawn criticism from Inuit and the wider public for playing into stereotypes of Indigenous people.

'Colonialism has always thrived in Canada's press,' says researcher

Carmen Robertson is co-author of Seeing Red, a book that reveals how the press consistently use recurring stereotypes and misrepresent Indigenous people. The book was the first of its kind to be published, and is considered an important text in many universities.

Duncan McCue on how to report in Indigenous communities

Duncan McCue, host of Cross Country Checkup and a reporter at The National, has been working as a reporter for more than 20 years. In that time he's seen his fair share of stereotypes when it comes to Indigenous reporting. So he created a training program to teach other journalists how to get it right.

Challenging media stereotypes of Indigenous people

Stereotypes of Indigenous people have been around for a long time and are often reproduced by journalists. This week we're investigating the media to find out what's being done to challenge these stereotypes, and to hear from those pushing the industry to do better. 

FIRST WORDS: Martina Shovar speaks Ktunaxa

With fewer than 30 speakers left, you might expect Martina Shovar to feel discouraged about the future of her Ktunaxa language. But she's hopeful.

How Navajo code talkers helped the U.S. fight in WW II

The original Navajo code talkers created a code using English and Navajo, which was used for communication during the war. Their code was never broken.

Indigenous veterans: They fought for freedom, democracy and an equality 'they could never share'

For more than two decades, Scott Sheffield’s work has focused on Indigenous peoples' participation in the Canadian military. He said their contributions are sometimes forgotten and misunderstood.

Remembering Percy Roy Lickers: An Indigenous soldier who died on the battlefield in WW I

Falen Johnson is guest hosting Unreserved this week, the show is all about contributions made by Indigenous veterans. Johnson recently learned her great uncle, Percy Roy Lickers, died in battle in WW I.

Remembering the contributions of Indigenous veterans

This week we're looking at the ways Indigenous soldiers contributed to war efforts across the globe. With stories of those who fought, the secrets they kept and what happened after they came home.

Subverting true crime: Connie Walker on the ethics of storytelling

Connie Walker is an award-winning Cree journalist, and the host of CBC's true crime podcast, Missing and Murdered. She's thought a lot about not sacrificing ethics for storytelling.

How the 'salaciousness' of true crime TV inspired Thomas King's latest mystery novel

In author Thomas King's latest book in the DreadfulWater mystery series, a true crime reality show comes to Chinook to investigate a death that’s been ruled accidental.