Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Foreign.
[00:00:10] Speaker B: Welcome to the Community Podcast Initiative where we explore diverse and inclusive ways of audio storytelling. Our goal is to connect community members through sound while providing an alternative for those underserved or misrepresented in traditional media.
The CPI is based out of Mount Royal University on Treaty 7 territory. I'm your host Kelsey Arnott, and in this episode we're looking at how podcasters can better support communities who are often overlooked in the media.
Podcasting is often thought of as a vessel for storytelling. It can also work to amplify the voices of communities that have historically been suppressed.
This past September, the CPI was a sponsor for the first ever POD Summit yyc. The two day event brought podcasters from across the country to downtown Calgary. They shared stories of innovation and inspiration while exploring the future of Canadian podcasting. The CPI's Brad Clark hosted a panel discussion bringing together Alberta based podcasters who share the stories of marginalized communities mainstream media often overlooks.
By sharing their experiences and insights, they explore their challenges and successes and how podcasting can be a force for change. Here's Brad and the panelists introducing themselves.
[00:01:42] Speaker C: Morning everybody and thanks for attending this session. My name's Brad Clark. I teach Broadcast journalism and Media studies at Mount Royal University here in Calgary. I'm also the co director of the Community Podcast Initiative with my colleague Meg Wilcox, who's busy filming me as we speak. And in a previous lifetime I was a CBC radio journalist, which I'm proud to admit now that podcasting has gained such currency, we brought together a panel of storytellers for you here today. We're here in Mokinsis, more recently known as Calgary, in Treaty 7 territory, home to generations of storytelling knowledge, culture and history. And we're grateful to the hereditary keepers of these lands, the Niitsitapi, the Iyetka, Nakoda, the Sutana, and and the Metis peoples. We also recognize the historical and ongoing oppression that many Indigenous cultures and nations still face. We seek to decolonize storytelling by including wisdom, knowledge and perspectives too often overlooked by media.
And that's really what this panel is actually about. One of the things that I love about podcasting is the way it can create space for voices that always haven't had a place in legacy media content, and this panel is gathered to explore this aspect of podcasting.
Our three panelists are here to share their successes and their challenges in delivering stories that support community and foster a sense of belonging among their listeners. They all create engaging and inclusive content and use podcasting as a force for change. They are to my Immediate left, Michelle Robinson Satu Dene, the creative force behind a weekly podcast she launched in August of 2018 called native Calgarian. Michelle also runs a monthly public Indigenous book club that she started in 2016.
They are a mother, public speaker and advocate for Indigenous peoples and for truth and reconciliation, and they work with all levels of government and community groups. Michelle's pronouns are they them.
On the far side we have Kels Valenzuela de la Martyr, who's biracial Filipino Canadian based in Treaty 7 territory in Lethbridge. She's the host and creator of Queer in Alberta, a video podcast that amplifies the stories of Albertans who are two slgtbqia.
Kel serves as a director at large on the board of the Canadian Museums association and also sits as an advisor of the BC Museums Associations to US LGTBQ IA Advisory Circle. Kels's pronouns are she, her and in between Michelle and Kels we have Camille Craig, a Calgary based audio engineer and producer. Her podcast work includes Matt Prachter, Most Imaginary Worlds, Alice in Wonderland and Journey, and films Scaly Lechuza. She's also done description editing for music videos Computer Camille, why don't you tell us a little bit about some of the work you've done?
[00:05:23] Speaker A: Hey everybody. So I work mainly with a theater company here in Calgary called Inside Out Theatre. We are a deaf, disabled and mad theater company and we're really all about making theater more accessible to folks who historically it has not been so all the way from the audience to the performers as well. And through that then got to meet all of the wonderful community members that are part of the the and we really wanted to share their stories and just have had great experiences of meeting so many different folks in the community and I feel so grateful that we have kind of a hub here in Calgary for those folks, those underrepresented voices.
[00:06:08] Speaker C: Great. Thank you Michelle.
[00:06:15] Speaker D: So I just tried to acknowledge that I'm on Blackfoot territory and then I said my name in my language in order to really that's I wish that was normal. I wish that was normalized. So that's why I do it. So Native Calgarian podcast really started because I was one of those Indigenous folks that were on the very whitewashed everything's fine, we're going to do this together. Everything's going to be great and kind of decolonizing journey. But one of the things that bothered me, even in days when I would never talk about racism, was when somebody would introduce themselves as a Native Calgarian So I'd always say, oh, really? What band are you from? So it was kind of a way to own that Native Calgarian terminology and hopefully educate others that you know, of Indigenous issues. And when we started, what I was finding was that we weren't really having public conversations about reconciliation. We were just hearing trauma based porn from the CBC on something new about indigenous issues that were new to Canadians but not new to us. And so I was like, we need to have real conversations. And out east, they had a very different conversation about indigenous people. And I'm like, you know what? Every single day I deal with racism. I deal with small bits of racism, big bits of racism, and it's time we talked about it. And so really that's what it was. So I really appreciated Jeremy Saunders and a sick boy leaning into, if you don't feel uncomfortable, are you learning? And so that's really the impetus of why it is we chose to do that. And because I do the book club and a lot of good conversations came from that.
I have a lot of my book club onto my podcast as well. And then in Covid, we did the Zoom. So now I have video as well, but I only have like five subscribers on YouTube. It's not the same as the. I have a quarter million downloads on my podcast. So that part, I know the audio still is the most important part.
[00:08:25] Speaker C: So we know that mainstream media often has a problem with representation.
And each of you brings perspective to particularly vulnerable communities. And so I wonder if I could get you each to just take a moment and talk about in the works you create, what your challenges are in representation, what you're trying to address in the way that you approach representation. Maybe we'll start with Camille.
[00:09:00] Speaker A: Yeah, I think something that, particularly with Inside out theatre and the disability community is most people hear disability and they think we need help. They think that we're asking for something, they think that we need something. And we really want to reposition that to just say like, we're here and we're actually here to help you and we can offer all of these different things. We don't, we don't need the help. And I think that that is something in mainstream media that's still a bit of the story, whether it's like the inspirational conquering story or there's just. Yeah, it's. Yeah, it's just nice to sort of shake that up a little bit.
[00:09:43] Speaker C: Great. Michelle, what do you face?
[00:09:47] Speaker D: Yeah, so I would say that obviously I get a lot of trolls and right now the rhetoric is pretty Horrid. So I have a pretty long block list on all of my different social medias, but I do get some really great questions every now and then, and I try to address them as we go. And I think that there's been such a shift since I first started the podcast to today, and that makes me really happy. So now we can start branching out and talking about, instead of pan indigenizing, we're talking about the different nations and the different issues across Canada as opposed to just, you know, pan indigenizing us in general.
[00:10:26] Speaker C: Do you mean there's greater. Greater awareness?
[00:10:29] Speaker D: Way greater awareness. I think, like, even though the TRC had a whole booklet on the unmarked graves and missing children, and I was totally offended by people who would have the audacity to say to me, they read the 94 calls to action but didn't know about it. You know, when our. Our voices from 215 in Kamloops spoke and Canada went, oh God, this is real. Real. Like these were within these conversations of, oh, maybe these 94 calls to action are real. And we had to start talking about it more. And by then the missing and murdered indigenous Women National Inquiries, 231 Calls to Justice had come out so we could start talking about those. And right now I think we need to have a serious conversation about racism, systemic racism in the policing, which report did come out already. So, you know, just pushing people to read it, consider pushing your elected officials on that as well.
[00:11:32] Speaker C: So, Kels, with your podcast, you're looking at a lot of intersectionality and issues related to race and queer community.
And if we look at where we were 10, 15 years ago, we had presidents and presidential candidates in the U.S. for example, who are perceived to be progressive, who, who didn't support even gay marriage than do now.
But sort of referencing the shift that Michelle noted, are you seeing that kind of shift as well, or what are you dealing with in the content you're creating and the reaction you get to it?
[00:12:23] Speaker E: What a question, Diva. Thank you.
Is it 10:30 in the morning? I love this. Okay, okay. Well, I would say first of all, that the response to Queer in Alberta and the work that I've done engaging with two s LGBTQIA Albertans has for the most part been overwhelmingly positive. And that is not to erase the challenges that queer communities all across Turtle island and the world over seemingly are facing right now. It is not lost on me that we are gathered here today talking about this podcast and this work as protests are happening across the country, anti trans rhetoric. These are very Timely issues. So not everything is perfect and there's much left to be done. And I feel very honored and privileged to have so many people and community members that are my friends and people that I've come to know through this work who are willing to share their stories with me, despite those challenges that we're referencing now. I think some of your question, too, was about just challenges and like a bit of the work. And I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge that so much of what I do is influenced by people that have come before me and beloved mentors and knowledge keepers. So a really strong mentor for me is actually Armando Perla from the Textile Museum of Canada. And they speak about how their work, so much of it, is speaking with the margins within the marginalized. So queer stories, if we think about them in general, there's a huge gap of that history, whether due to it not being safe and those histories having to go underground, the AIDS crisis, there's much missing from our ancestors. But what I've been really happy to do is begin to fill in a bit of that knowledge, even in a more contemporary sense, chatting with people today, but chatting again, as you mentioned, with folks from various intersections of identity. As a biracial Filipina, there's so many things that affect my everyday experience, whether it's queer or my racial and ethnic identity. And I've seen that reflected in my guest stories, whether it be disability, their race, their gender, their sexuality. There's so many things coming out in this podcast that have really been missing from the larger narrative for far too long.
[00:14:34] Speaker C: Right. Well, Kelsey, I wonder if, for people who are putting podcasts together, if you might have some advice on how they can make their content more inclusive.
[00:14:52] Speaker E: I really do believe that when you are engaging with community, I feel like I am able to do what I do because I'm from community. Both being a queer person, myself, being racialized, that really emboldens me and empowers me to ask the questions that I do and gives me the perspective as well. But that being said, no one person can speak for any community. I cannot speak for all Filipinos or queer people. So that's remembering. When you think about being inclusive, you're not going to maybe put that onus on somebody that you're bringing into the space that they're the end all, be all of a story that you're trying to tell. And if anything, it's just the of the iceberg.
[00:15:29] Speaker C: Camille, can you provide a little bit of advice on inclusivity related to People with disabilities.
[00:15:38] Speaker A: Yeah. I think really the most important thing, kind of, as I was mentioning earlier, is just that, like, understanding that we all have something to offer every disabled person. We all have this rich lived experience, whatever that is. Um, and I think it's really just like tapping into those different communities and. And maybe just sort of checking with yourself and seeing what.
[00:16:02] Speaker D: Yeah.
[00:16:02] Speaker A: What communities you identify with and sort of going in, and. And, I mean, I. I sort of entered this world through a. A cold email, and that was. That was my way in, and that's sometimes just the way you got to do it. So, yeah, I would say just really opening your mind to understanding that lived experience can also help tremendously with professional experience. And they are very much not one and the same.
So I think that that would be. That would be my point on that.
[00:16:34] Speaker C: Great. So we talked about decolonizing in introducing the panel, Michelle, and I'm assuming that that's part of how you approach storytelling when it comes to Indigenous representation.
For people who are looking to bring more Indigenous content into their work, what advice might you give them?
[00:17:02] Speaker D: Oh, how long do I have? Just kidding. Just kidding. I always joke that getting off the mic is my problem. So for me, you heard two land acknowledgments already. To me, that's incredibly important.
I. I just recently got diagnosed with adhd, possibly autism. So I think a lot, and I judge people. I have scorecards.
Did they do a land acknowledgment? Did they do their pronouns? Do they acknowledge that narrow, spicy, or neurodivergent versus neurotypical? Like, these are things I think about now that I never thought about before. You have to understand. I was really raised in Calgary, Fort McMurray, and Sylvan Lake in the 80s, and so not a person who would be talking about intersectionalities at all. So I always encourage people to be thinking about the land you're from. In my settler book club, I actually encouraged all of the settlers to tell me, where were you born now? Where were you really born? Because we're all actually treaty partners. Canada cannot exist without treaties. So whether or not you've been taught this, you are a treaty partner. So that's the fundamental of Canada. So I see everybody as a treaty partner. And so people need to recognize that. What part of the treaty were you born in? What are. Who is that that person's land? Where do you reside now? And I always encourage people to talk through the land of. That's how you talk to me. And so that's like the number one thing you can do. And then, of course, just starting to learn the names. You know, saying the names properly. Obviously, when I. When I hear people say them incorrectly, it kind of bothers me. So that checklist goes off again.
But the other part is that, you know, you have to meet people where they're at. That's the number one thing. So if you're, like, learning today you're a treaty partner, then that's where I meet you at and we go from there. So I don't expect anybody to say right away until they start to understand what that means. And I recently had a conversation with an Indian agent out of all people, so technically an employee with Indigenous Service Canada. And she tried to say a Blackfoot name. And I was so offended, I just said, stop. Absolutely. We are just taking that off the record now.
So, you know, just try to learn the names, try to say the things. And I am straight and cis, but I'm a mother of a little queerling. And, you know, I had to learn about they and them. And then when I was decolonizing my language, I actually learned we had to invent she and he. Everyone was they and them. So for me, even using the pronouns they and them is actually not even coming from a queer lens. It's coming from a decolonizing language lens. So, you know, these are things that I think about. My daughter is doing the same thing where they want to use they and them, so I'm trying to use they and them more. And. And we have trans folks, so it just makes it easier for us to all learn how to use and them better. So these are things I can keep talking, sir.
Let me keep talking. So. So these are things that I just encourage is that you can put your wherever treaty partnership you're from in your email. You know, you can say it at the. I hear Ryan Jesperson do it at the end of his podcast, right? So I would prefer them at the front, but it's fine. I just. I'm judging him on his treaty partnership, so. And that's just me. I am like, the worst person for being a judgmental cow. And I'm okay with that because if I don't push this conversation, people feel very comfortable putting it at the back of the podcast when we all turn it off at the end of the podcast. Right? So that's me. I just encourage it. Put it in your signature so that I know if I get an email from someone and they don't have their pronouns and they don't tell me what treaty partnership they're from.
I might not read it even. I'm just like, whatever, this is not worth my time.
[00:21:23] Speaker C: You referenced earlier, you know, moving beyond Pan indigeneity and not recognizing all indigenous people as being homogeneous. And one of the things that we're starting to teach our journalism and broadcast students at Mount Royal is to appreciate that different nations have different. Different protocols and different approaches to how you engage with an elder. For example, how you potentially line up an interview.
I want to put you all on the spot, just a little bit, and ask you if you can come up with one or two highlights from the work you've done that you're particularly proud of, that you think really resonated with your audience and really kind of warmed the cockles of your heart.
Kels.
[00:22:18] Speaker E: I got an email from the Children's Theater in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and there was a new original play making its global debut called Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress. And it was adapted from a book of the same name that tells the story of a young child who is like any other kid in school, but just realizes, wow, I love the feel of this orange dress. It reminds me of my mother's hair. It's stunning. I feel powerful. And it tells that story on the stage. So the person that emailed me was saying that I had the opportunity to interview the playwright, who is Giuliani Taveras and originally based in New York City, and they actually are currently working on adapting Felix Ever after, if anyone has ever heard of that book for Amazon on television. So me, I would. And I actually went on LinkedIn and found the person that emailed me, and I was like, bestie, was this actually you? Because how do you know me? In Lethbridge, Alberta? And it was just such an amazing opportunity and meeting with Giuliani online. We did the interview on a program like Zoom Riverside. It was such, like, you know, soul connection where, like, you immediately feel like you've known each other for forever. And so it's one of my favorite conversations I ever had on the show. It was so interesting and as well, the opportunity to chat with somebody based in the United States, that really kind of opened my eyes to the reach that the show was starting to have once again from Lethbridge. So that was really cool as one. And then the second one was with the youngest person ever on the show. I interviewed a young child, about 8 years old at the time of filming, who uses they. Them, pronouns based in Lethbridge. Again, a place that maybe you wouldn't expect to Be the most accepting with stereotypes. That's a huge thing of the work in general. Everybody in Canada has ideas about what an Albertan looks like and typically it's not somebody like me. And so being able to chat with Paxton, this kid, and see how loved and supported they were in the school system, I think that episode too is more important today than when I first recorded it.
[00:24:22] Speaker C: Yeah, those are great. Those are great examples. Camille, have you got a couple highlights you can share?
[00:24:27] Speaker A: Yeah, I think, I mean, just in general, like with Inside Out Theater running our community programs, one of which is our voice acting, which we call it voice acting, but it is led entirely by whoever signs up at that time. So sometimes we do a whole session on cartoon voices, or sometimes we've done podcasts or long form things like that.
And for me, being such an audio nerd, I love the being able to see on people's faces when they hear themselves in the headphones for the very first time or with sound design when I teach and they realize that like this object sounds really different when it's on a microphone or hearing their voices back. I've worked with the CNIB before with a group of kids, low sighted and blind and for them hearing their voices back, just that reaction and the magic that I feel with it to see that on other folks face. And we just, we really, our community programs are sometimes the one thing that gets folks out of the house. You know, access is as great as they are. Transit can be very difficult. So for some people, you know, leaving the house to come to one of our classes takes them four hours because they have to stay on the bus and come. And that's their, that's their socialization, that's their time. And when we're not in session, you hear from those people and it is really difficult for them to not be around their community. And so just knowing that that is having the effect on people and seeing that, yeah, that would be my highlight for sure.
[00:26:02] Speaker C: Michelle.
[00:26:03] Speaker D: I think my highlight is always when somebody comes up to me in real life and says, oh my God, have you shifted the way? I think that's my favorite thing in the world. I get some emails sometimes that are so incredible that tell me a story about them and how it shifted their perspective about things. And those are days that really matter to me. But when I see the youth feeling empowered to comment on something or to come up and say hi, that's the absolute bit of it. Because I never had anyone that I could go to and talk to as a youth ever. So for me that matters. And then we start talking about, like, other cool celebrities and go from there. So, like, to me, I don't think that Canadians understand the power of having, like, representation for our youth. And that's why, like, Reservation Dogs is such an important film for TV series for the youth. And, like, you know, Pauline Alexis is not just pregnant right now, but she also rides horses and. And does all these cool things so that we can showcase that. These are really important things for me. So when we can talk about that and highlight it, it's just such a great thing. And watching somebody like WAB KANU and being able to talk to youth about that, that's. It just makes me so happy. So, yeah, those are my highlights.
[00:27:27] Speaker C: Reservation Dogs, Indigenous casts, Indigenous creators. I think it points to the value of engaging with creatives in your creative work, especially when you're looking to be more inclusive. And if you're producing an individual podcast by yourself, that's one thing. But if you can tap into resources from different communities, I think that's also a valuable way to understand. And there are tremendous resources available, depending on what the community is you're looking to engage with, whether it's queer community or indigenous community or people with disabilities.
There are now style guides and association that represent all those communities that are really valuable. We share those with our students quite a bit. At Mount Royal, we've talked about sort of the impact, I think, broadly on sort of expanding the perception for people who may not have had as much awareness about your communities as they ought.
What about the communities you come from yourselves? What impact do you feel you're having on the communities you represent in your podcast or your audio work? And maybe start with Camille this time.
[00:28:59] Speaker A: Yeah, I feel like.
So I was born with my physical disability, but I was born in a very small town, and so I didn't meet any other people with disabilities until I was in my 20s. I didn't meet anybody with my condition until I was almost 30.
And the lived experience that I have is so vastly different than, of course, the typical person. But then when I started working for Inside out and actually being around other people with disabilities, it again opened my eyes to things that I, as you were mentioning earlier, just things that you hadn't thought about before then. Now that's all you can think about. So whether it's deaf access or blind access, neurotypical, anything like that, that now is so much a part of my life and my community, whereas before it very much was just sort of like the physical aspect, the mobility, things like that. But now through all of this, through podcast, everything like that has really just opened. Open up the door for me. One of the shows in particular with Mad Practice, we started it during the pandemic, and it was obviously a very, very tough time. We got into some really, really rich topics and just had two friends chatting with each other about some tough life stuff. And it really was. It was so impactful to hear back from folks of just like that loneliness that everybody was feeling to then have these. These two friends in your ear, chatting up and. And being real and.
[00:30:35] Speaker C: Yeah, thanks, Camille. Michelle, you want to tap into that vein a bit as well?
[00:30:41] Speaker D: Yeah.
So how do I talk about this? So I'm Satu Dene. I'm part of the Yellowknife band. So what does that mean? That means that the people I belong to are way, way up north, but I was born in Calgary, and so it's actually quite normal for there to be so many urban indigenous folks living in an urban society away from their. So I get to be. And I jokingly say I'm a Bougie Native, and I love doing that. I love saying that. But, you know, the thing, especially about TikTok that I've found about Indigenous content creators is that they just articulate it so much more fun. And they're so young and beautiful and are able to have a lot of humor and fun with it. So they really inspire me to do better too, actually.
So I've really enjoyed TikTok for that reason. I was a part of their indigenous content creator program, but I don't know if it's like the neuro spicy in me. I was. I just don't get it quite like, the kids get it right. And they know how to do all the splicing and fun stuff. So. And. And because we're in Canada, like, we don't make money like you do in the States. So I think that there is a different initiative and a different reason for that. For me, I'm just so lame. I'm like, I'm just a mom who wants a better world for her daughter. And that's really what it comes down to, really, is I don't want. I don't want anyone experiencing racism. I don't want anyone to experience homophobia, transphobia. And it took me a long time to unpack that. I mean, I grew up in a family. They made fun of me for liking George Michael, you know, so, like, that's where I came from. And to this day, standing up to family members who don't want to understand intersectionality. And I've been thinking, like, what is the book I would write? And I think it's actually racism within families and how that affects, you know, kids, grandkids, et cetera, et cetera. Because, like, that's a conversation we need to have that I don't know how to put together yet. And I will eventually because I have adhd and I will hyper focus on it one day. I know I will. So, yeah, that's where I'm kind of at right now. And I'm finding a lot of indigenous people have adhd. So I think there's a conversation that needs to happen there about why. Why are we always thinking bigger and like the next generations and community now in a community, in a world that's individualistic. So we really don't fit in in so many ways. And that's just another way. And I think that's why I have burnout now. And obviously the pandemic a big part of that too. So just trying to navigate and figure out why is this so hard?
[00:33:20] Speaker C: Yeah. Kels, how do you find your work is connecting and supporting with your communities?
[00:33:30] Speaker E: I originally started Queer in Alberta during the pandemic because we were all at home and I also had gone through a really nasty, like, difficult breakup emotionally. And what I had found was my previous partner was like, my one person that I could always just be queer with. And like, whether it's pop culture, I share those experiences with and I you can do that with your friends and if they're straight, you know, that's not what I'm saying, but where you can just totally relax and just be. And so when we broke up and then we're all isolated at home, I felt so separate and alone from queer community. And like Michelle, I went on to TikTok and started making content and finding thousands of queer Albertans commenting on what I was posting and sharing those sentiments of, like, we always thought we were alone and, like, we had to leave and go to Vancouver or Toronto. So that was what inspired the work. And to really answer your question, the reception has been so overwhelming and emotionally positive for me because I frequently get messages, whether it's from someone in, say, Stetler, Alberta, being like, because of your podcast, I found out that there's more people in my community or found about resources that I can find in Edmonton or Calgary. It's just been really rewarding and fulfilling. But the thing that means I have to say the most to me is I didn't know that I needed Filipino queer community before this because I know it existed. And that is not to say that Filipino queer community hasn't been there. It's just something that I've had to discover as a journey at this point in my life. But recently we did a screening of an episode from season two, and I saw so many Filipino queer folks there, like, laughing and crying, seeing stuff on the screen, and, you know, poking each other and teasing each other and, you know, just sit there and be like, wow. Something that I got to be a part of facilitated that for my community, for my people. That was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.
[00:35:23] Speaker C: Yeah, it sounds really profound, really deep. I might just give each of you a chance to just share one more thing that you think the audience should hear about or hear from you. On the topic of today's panel. You want to go ahead, Michelle?
[00:35:39] Speaker D: Only one thing. Just kidding. Just kidding. One and a half. You know what? I really encourage folks to just try to listen to. Like, I'm obnoxiously in your face. There are so many great indigenous podcasters out here, and I'm going to put some friends of mine on the spot, way up in the audience, and they do ancestral science podcasting. You know, like, if there's a subject about anything that you like, I guarantee there's a podcast for it. So if you're into comedy, I guarantee there's a podcast for that. If you're into science, obviously there's. You have one locally that's right here. But there's so many great content creators out there. And if you want to hear somebody just totally complain about the government and give you solutions, then you can listen to me. But I do have solutions in everything. But the point is, is that until you feel empowered with those solutions, we're not going to have change. So my hope is I can empower you with those solutions to engage your. You know, whether it's a community association, sports club, politician, I find I'm exhausting myself regularly. Free education to these politicians. And the whole point of the podcast is, like, if I'm going to do the free education, it's for everyone, not just somebody who's going to sit and smile and nod and not listen to a word I say. So my hope is I empower you with that, and I hope that other content creators can empower you as well. And I love Rosanna Dear child, and I love the CBC Unreserved, and I love scary indigenous horror stories. We have books, we have podcasts, we have documentaries. So I promise you, we have a medium to help you in your treaty, partnership, journey and reconciliation.
[00:37:26] Speaker A: I think probably my end would just be to kind of.
[00:37:31] Speaker D: Yeah.
[00:37:31] Speaker A: Reiterate what I was saying at the beginning of. There's just this. This misconception that disabled people need help and we're always wanting and needing and that we can actually be of service and we can be helpful. And that if you have any folks in your life that have a disability to just sort of talk to them about their experiences. Because, like, mainstream media is very, like, inspirational conquer. But, like, disability can be very fun and very silly. And even though it's sad, there's just so much that can come from it. And yeah, to just sort of open yourself up to those communities a little bit more.
[00:38:05] Speaker E: The most powerful thing that any of us have been given is our own individual voice and the ability to not only use it, but choose when to step to the side and allow someone else to speak and to amplify what they have to say. That is a huge thing that I think is really foundational to the work that I do and has been such a game changer in how I view my entire life. And I would think when we were talking a bit about inclusivity earlier, one thing I wanted to add as well is really think about your intention and why you're engaging with different communities. None of us want to be the diversity box that somebody checks off and what are you doing to continue fostering meaningful and mutual relationships. So, yeah. And also imposter syndrome diva. I know, I've been there. Just go out there and give yourself a shot. I applied for my storyhive grant the night it was due, 3 hours before application was due. Thought it would be a humbling experience for next year. And now my life has totally changed. So just take a shot.
[00:39:08] Speaker C: I would just add one quick observation and it's that people from vulnerable communities can talk about other things than representing their communities.
And when we engage in all kinds of conversations, not just about representation, that's inclusivity. That's real inclusion.
[00:39:34] Speaker B: That was Michelle Robinson, host of the Native Calgarian Podcast. Camille Craig, a podcast producer with Inside Out Theatre, Kels Valenzuela del Marder, host of Queer in Alberta, and CPI co director Brad Clark. I'm Kelsey Arnott and thanks for listening to the Community Podcast initiative. The CPI focuses on audio storytelling as a way to better include underrepresented voices.
Our podcast is produced on the land home to the Niitsitapi, or Blackfoot Confederacy, the Iathkastoni Nakota Nation, and the Satina nation. This land is also home to the Metis Nation of Alberta districts 5 and 6. As media creators, we strive to uplift the voices of Indigenous peoples while strengthening our commitment to diverse and inclusive audio storytelling.
You can learn more about the CPI at thepodcaststudio CA or on social media at communitypodyc.
