Ancestral Science

The Ancestral Science Pod "band" is back with another episode of Smoke(y)Talk! We recorded in a late spring evening, post thunderbirds and a few weeks before solstice, here on the Lands of the Blackfoot Confederacy, Tsuut’ina Nation, Îethka Nakoda First Nation, and more recently the Otipemisiwak Métis.  The Pod team thought we would reflect on season 3 with some listener questions about...

This episode was recorded on a sunny spring afternoon, on the banks of the St. Marys River, Baawaating (place of the rapids), also known as Sault Saint Marie. We were incredibly grateful to speak with Dr. Dan Longboat , who is Turtle Clan of the Mohawk Nation, originally from Six Nations community on the Grand River. Dan helped create some of the OG Indigenous Education programs in Canada, weaving...

For all of you also in Southern Alberta and dreaming of warmer weather, here is an episode just for you. We are currently in "SPRING 2026" in the midst of imbalance between winter and spring...thanks for that teaching Bruce Starlight, so we thought we would re-release this episode about plant teachings. The Ancestral Science Podcast recorded this episode on a hot mid-summer afternoon back in...

We recorded this episode back in the Fall of 2025, on a windy fall evening here on the Lands of the Blackfoot Confederacy, Tsuut’ina Nation, Îethka Nakoda First Nation, and more recently the Otipemisiwak Métis.  The Ancestral Science Podcast team gathered to speak about their experiences at the Majorville Sacred Site or Iniskum Umapii. Visiting this location evokes an indescribable feeli...

On this episode, we recorded in the midst of a warm winter morning here on the Lands of the Blackfoot Confederacy, Tsuut’ina Nation, Îethka Nakoda First Nation, and more recently the Otipemisiwak Métis. We were incredibly grateful to speak with a neechie superhero line-up of guests, inclusive of Dr. LAURIE Rousseau-Nepton (Innu), WILFRED Buck (Opaskwayak Cree), ROB Cardinal (Siksika), &a...

Smoketalk is BACK. On this episode, we got the band back together with special guest Alex. On this episode, we recorded in the midst of a snowstorm in between the winter and spring seasons, here on the Lands of the Blackfoot Confederacy, Tsuut’ina Nation, Îethka Nakoda First Nation, and more recently the Otipemisiwak Métis.  We were inspired by a previous podcast episode Karen Colbert ,...

The Ancestral Science Podcast was grateful to speak with the absolutely lovely and talented LilyMarleen Uta’i , who is first generation Samoan, grew up in Hawai’i, currently living in He’eia Valley. We chatted about relational body measurement, aggressive & invasive species, waking up the kalo patches, our favourite smells, ancestral knowledges of Kalo, the significance of “just one breathe- j...

We were grateful to speak with Karen Colbert , data scientist, department chair, Tribal College Faculty leader, advocate for culturally grounded STEM and AI integration specialist about finding your identity within mathematics, translating and code switching in the math classroom, the pie of DEI, teaching AI to embrace failure, not giving up on the ethics within AI, and pushing back against the de...

The pod is in the midst of planning and recording some really interesting episodes, so to focus on those we thought we would re-release one of our fav's... it is also a little teaser for the upcoming ones... So enjoy, and go learn some science from the stars... This episode was recorded on an early Spring morning back in 2024, here on the Lands of the Blackfoot Confederacy, Tsuut’ina Nation, and Î...

It was a windy late spring morning back in 2024, just before Summer Solstice, and the Ancestral Science Podcast got to record this episode ontop of Nosehill Park in the heart (or nose, haha) of Calgary, in Treaty 7. We were grateful to speak with  Brendon Many Bears , from Siksika Nation, who, alongside Blackfoot Elders and Knowledge Keepers have been working alongside Lindsay Amundsen-Meyer...

The Ancestral Science Podcast thought we needed some Auntie Laughs, so we reconnected with Melissa Roberts and Emily Kerton, Indigenous educators weaving knowledges and Land-based science into the Ontario curriculum. This is the SECOND part, of the Auntie Laugh-based episode. If you haven't listened to part one, released on January 19th, maybe go check that out first. But if you already have...are...

This episode was recorded on a windy warm chinook pre-equinox evening back in 2024 here on the Lands of the Blackfoot Confederacy, Tsuut’ina Nation, Îethka Nakoda First Nation, and more recently the Otipemisiwak Métis.  The Ancestral Science Podcast wanted to re-release our dear friend Walter's episode. He had a brain aneuruym, and needs all the positive energy, prayers, and support...

The Ancestral Science Podcast thought we needed some Auntie Laughs, so we reconnected with Melissa Roberts and Emily Kerton , Indigenous educators weaving knowledges and Land-based science into the Ontario curriculum. In this first part, we discuss the difference between outdoor experiential knowledge/Land-based knowledge/and Indigenous knowledges, the reverence of silence and slowing down, protoc...

"Smoketalk" with Emil & Kori, is a follow up episode digging deeper into the tellings and science of the previous Ancestral Science Podcast Episode. So, if you haven't listened to the previous episode with Dr. Bruce Starlight titled " Tea, Tobacco, & Tipi Tellings ," please go listen to that first, it will give some context to this episode. Here, we discussed sacred numbers, alien fungi, #...

The pod thought it would re-launch some previous episodes we made with the support of TELUS STORYHIVE , and this was one of them. It was a windy winter afternoon back in 2024, and we recorded inside a tipi at Seven Chiefs Sportsplex on Tsuut'ina Nation, amongst the Lands of the Blackfoot Confederacy and Îethka Nakoda First Nation, and more recently the Otipemisiwak Métis.  The Ancestral...

It's been a cortisol-inducing year, and with the holidays approaching, we thought re-launching a mindfulness episode would be helpful. Reconnect with your body, brain, DNA, and the Land with a Mindfulness Episode of the Ancestral Science Podcast with Dr. Michael Yellow Bird FULL SHOWNOTES & Additional educational LINKS: here NEW Video of this episode on YouTube ! Unique Indigenous Science...

The Ancestral Science pod team has been wanting to do a " Show n Tell " episode for awhile...so, here we are! This is a great way to learn a bit more about the team, rate our nerdiness levels, and learn a bit about land-based science. This is probably a great episode to check out on YouTube , link here . This was way too much fun...unfortunately, a part 2 is needed! Stay tuned for that next week....

Hang out with the Ancestral Science Podcast Team to discuss the last episode...which was "Art & Science of Beads, Quills, Fur, Hide, & Bark" with Kim Brothers of Moonstone Creation . WE ARE ON YOUTUBE! If you want to SEE this episode, go here . Check out: Moonstone Creation in Inglewood in Calgary Alberta Authentically Indigenous Craft Market , December 5-7 at The Confluence in Calgary Alb...

This episode was recorded on a warm winter afternoon in 2024, at Moonstone Creation in Calgary Alberta. And amongst the company of millions of beads and Indigenous art, the Ancestral Science Podcast was excited to speak with KIM BROTHERS, Cree from Northern Alberta, about revitalizing the lost arts of quillwork, tufting, and fish scale art, the sacred ratio of brain to hide within tanning, bi...

Welcome to Smoketalk! If you haven't listened to the previous episode "Deadly Math: Movement, Kinship, & Action" with Chris Matthews, I recommend going there first then coming back to smoketalk to listen to the Pod Team's takes and expanded conversation about this episode. This episode Emil & Kori welcomed Brendon Many Bears who brought insights about tipi aerodynamics and Blackfoot mathem...

We were grateful to speak with CHRIS MATTHEWS of the Quandamooka People in modern day Queensland Australia about his realization about the importance and depth of culture & country within mathematics, iron mines and nuclear testing highlighting land rights and Aboriginal voices, don’t hike Uluru!, deadly coders, numbers as a process and action, kinship systems as group theory and algebra, and...

Welcome to Smoketalk! If you haven't listened to the previous episode " Food Sovereignty, Smoke Science, & tending the flame of Cultural Resilience " with Daryl Kootenay , I recommend going there first then coming back to smoketalk to listen to the Pod Team's takes and expanded conversation about this episode. Check out HOWL , an amazing organization that provides land-based education for...

This episode was recorded in fall 2024 at  Star 6 Ranch  at the "Harvesting Spirit" camp as hosted by  HOWL  (they do amazing land-based camps across Canada with youth). At this camp, the Ancestral Science Podcast was invited to learn from DARYL KOOTENAY about the science of smoke, the patience and resilience needed to live on the land, Indian popcorn, science of tending to the...

Welcome to Smoketalk! If you haven't listened to the previous episode "Decolonizing Blood & Birth" with Alycia Two Bears , I recommend going there first then coming back to smoketalk to listen to the Pod Team's takes and expanded conversation about the previous episode. Check out Alycia's book " The Feast " If you are curious or an educator, here are some shownotes for additional content and l...

The Pod was grateful to learn from  THE Alycia Two Bears , a Two-Spirit mixed Cree educator and author from Misatawasis Nêhiyawak First Nation, about her journey to become a midwife, what is a land-birth, how to decolonize and de-stigmatize blood,  reconnecting ceremony and community with birthing, reproductive justice and birth sovereignty, caregiving roles of men and partners with...