Empathetic Witness

My guest is a naturopathic Dr. Michelle Meyer ND, 30 years plus experience in heath and wellness at, The Rejuvenation Clinic in Ottawa, Ontario.  Our conversation in this podcast is for education purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please consult your physician for  health advice.  ·      Naturopathic practice explained ·   &...

Season One (1) of Empathetic Witness produced seventeen (17) episodes and was my debut into the podcast world. I found the process to be exciting and exhilarating. The podcasts satiated by curious nature, aided me in meeting and getting to know new people, and discovering new knowledge and information. Sharing is an important part of Indigenous Peoples ways of being and doing. I want to share the...

A passionate activist’s career to empower and inspire Indigenous women of the Americas over 25 years. My guest is Tarcila Zea Rivera, President of RESIDENTA DEL CONSEJO DIRECTIVO of Chirapaq , Lima, Peru and Marie, our interpreter. 85% of our conversation is in Spanish. Dont’t worry, I’m not fluent in Spanish! We were lucky to have Marie as our translator.  Tarcila’s activism has focused on t...

David Salomon (He/Him)  Interactive 360º Virtual Tour Creator and Filmmaker at Simply Splendid Productions https://vimeopro.com/davidsalomon/showcase   David is a passionate digital media producer. He draws on systems thinking, storytelling, video production, photography, interactive design and virtual tour creation to create immersive experiences for businesses, institutions and organis...

Dr. Mervyn is a Canadian renowned Registered Psychologist, consultant and speaker on mental health, trauma, and youth.   Our conversation covers the impact of Covid lockdown on mental health two 1/2 years later. Coping skills and more. Please enjoy our conversation and don’t forget to hit like and subscribe. Thanks for listening!

https://www.nature4justice.earth/ http://www.landoftheancestors.ca/ Thaidene Nèné a national treasure of Canada. This land has nurtured and inspired countless generations of Dènesuhné. "For the well-being of future generations, our way of life needs to be exercised, nurtured, and passed on". My conversation with Steve covered: 1. How is indigenous knowledge transferred to society today? 2. How can...

My First guest for 2023 was Norman Yakeleya. Former Indigenous politician. He was the Vice Chief in NWT for the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) and Grand Chief of 26 Dene Nations. He is a consultant and is semi-retired. Our conversation is authentic and sprinkled with wise thoughtful words on being Dene. He speaks of his 37 years of sobriety and why it is important to him. As he says, it was simpl...

Dr. J. Wortman MD a Métis doctor from Alberta. We went a little over an hour in our conversation and covered, diabetes, keto, fasting, hidden sugar, gut health, wheat intolerance, vegetable oil, and intermitted fasting. My guest’s Journey from a childhood disease to becoming a physician advocating the return to our tractional diet to reduce illness. We’re ending 2022 by setting you up for a health...

Jean Teillet is a senior counsel with national law firm Pape Salter Teillet dealing with Indigenous rights law. She is also a published author of the monumental History of the Métis Nation in Canada, The North-West Is Our Mother. Her book is a gripping and very readable and meticulously researched history and has won the Carol Shields History Award among other accolades. In addition to these accom...

What  this bold statement is we need judges with lived experience from living on their reserve, in their communities who experienced the control of the Indian Act in all aspects of life as an Indian Act person. My guest on Empathetic Witness this week is my friend, and former boss, the first Indigenous judge appointed to the Ontario Court of Appeal, Harry S. Laforme, A Mem...

My guest for this episode is Chief R. Donald Maracle.  He has been the Chief of his First Nation, the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte for nearly 30 years. This is particularly remarkable considering that there is only a two year term between elections. Before that, Chief Maracle was a member of the Council of his community for a number of terms. In our discussion, he discusses the reasons f...

My guest is a nurse, who works in addictions, Paul Garrigan, is an Irish Buddhist living in Thailand with his wife and son.  He is the author of two books, Dead Drunk and Thai Fighter.   He views life as an astonishing gift, and he says it might be considered ungrateful to have expectations about the duration of this gift and to be bothered by whether there are going to be more...

My guest today is Chief Jocko, Chief of the Algonquins of Pikwakanagan First Nation in Ontario.  Our conversation will challenge your preconceived ideas of an Indigenous Chief. When you think of an Indigenous Chief what comes to mind?  You may assume the Chief is male, although more and more women are being elected as Chiefs these days.  Next, you may think she might be le...

This podcast is emotional, authentic and will grip at your heartstrings. The conversation covers the embodiment of two genders residing within one person and its rich history in Indigenous culture, the historical noble position held by two spirit people and how residential school degrades two spirit Indigenous people and compounded the trauma. The misrepresentation of the term to spirited, by the...

We are busy unbundling the paradox of "Truth and Reconciliation" in Canada. There are key differences in the activities and commitments of the non-Indigenous population and that of the Indigenous peoples across the country. What is right for one side of this paradox is not always perceived as what's right for the other side. No matter, Indigenous peoples are animating the reclamation of languages,...

A conversation with Jean and Roy Erasmus, two dynamic Dene certified councillors who use humour and authenticity in their approach to mental health therapy. They describe their empowerment approach to counseling by engaging clients through the use of humor and discovering their traditional skills. They provide counseling services to indigenous people in their area, while at the same time building...

Teaching to Thriving not just surviving a story of resilience. The bond between an extraordinary mother and her sons. Side note: I apologize for the barking of neighbours dog in the background.

Evoking reconciliation, land back my conversation with Marion Cumming, a conversation about a powerful movement which is taking hold in Canada. How individuals can evoke reconciliation through giving land back to indigenous First Nations. It is private land that is transferred back for the use and benefit of indigenous people by restoring an historical wrong that was done to them when their land w...

In part 2 of this special edition of the Empathetic Witness podcast, the interviewee again is the hostess of the podcast herself, Angelina Pratt and the guest host is Alan Pratt, Angelina's husband of 29 years and a lawyer for First Nations across Canada. Angelina talks in more detail about her personal experiences at Holy Angels Mission, and the discussion goes deeper into the broader importance...

In this special edition of the Empathetic Witness podcast, the interviewee is the hostess of the podcast herself, Angelina Pratt. Angelina speaks frankly about her childhood, her experiences in residential school and the path she took from being a young Dene child in Uranium City, Saskatchewan to being a positive seeker of answers in the fields of nutrition, wellness, reconciliation and trauma rec...

Today I discussed the neuroscience of trauma and resilience, and some of the indigenous cultural and healing practices that help build brain resilience and buffer toxic stress. My Guest is Dr. Mervyn a Métis psychologist who works with indigenous youth in British Columbia. Producer and Host Angelina Pratt, Music by Leonard Adam Saskatchewan Dene Musician, Artwork by Roger Deranger Indigenous Artis...

Demystifying the disturbing trend of self-identifying as Indigenous and misappropriating our stories. I invite you to a national conversation I am having with Dr. Betty Bastien. It is not a new conversation. It is important for me that our discussion came from a place of empowerment in the space of reconciliation. How do we achieve this? When our stories are told from a perspective that is no...

The adoption of Aboriginal children into non-Aboriginal families has a long and complex history in Canada. In this episode our conversation explores an indigenous world view on adoptions and looks at the complex nature of belonging and kinship in an effort to explore how adoption is an integral aspect of colonization.  How should we speak about adoptions, and when and how to in...

Len Pierre is a Coast Salish Indigenous wellness coach, educator, & curriculum designer from Katzie First Nation. He talks about his work with First Nations communities who deal with drug and alcohol addictions. In the first podcast interview titled “Decolonizing Addiction” Len talks about the struggles with decolonization. Decolonizing Substance use is a conversation about the harmful effects...

In this podcast you will hear important new perspective on addictions. I will give you content that will keep you interested and coming back for more. We will interview experts, reveal stories and success in addictions. We will give you tips to handle your addiction or to address the addictions of others. I invite you to listen to the pod...