Land Decolonized Podcast

Send us Fan Mail With the 2021 annual general meeting right around the corner, Lands Advisory Board Chair Robert Louie joins host Richard Perry for a thorough review of current challenges and opportunities around the Framework Agreement on First Nation Land Management, including the Covid pandemic, fires and floods in western Canada, and the ongoing delays over a key legislative change needed in O...

Send us Fan Mail Respected elder Albert Marshall, Sr. joins Richard to talk about his lifelong quest to protect the environment in the face of continued demands to use Indigenous lands and resources for economic development. He discusses the two important concepts of Two-Eyed Seeing and Netukulimk and how they can help reach consensus on the best path forward. To Albert, it's all about talkin...

Send us Fan Mail SHOW NOTES: 1:24   Ty describes the rationale for his community entering the Land Code process. 2:49   Having a land code has cleared up some confusion and potential conflicts of interest around land use. 5:44   Ty's background in environmental and soil sciences is ideal for his current work as reserve land manager. His work experience began up north. 8:35 Land codes are alwa...

Send us Fan Mail Richard welcomes John Makson, senior public relations advisor , to episode 30 of the Land Decolonized podcast. John has worked with the resource centre in several important capacities and has taken the lead on the creation and promotion of this top-ranked Apple Canada podcast. In this episode he talks about why the podcast is engaging listeners (not just in Canada) and what he env...

Send us Fan Mail Samantha Nogonash, former Deputy Chief and current Land Manager of the Magnetawon First Nation Samantha shares a wonderful on-the-ground perspective on day-to-day land management. Having been operational with a land code for the past 6 years, Magnetawan has made turtles a priority for their environmental protection activities and believes Land Decolonized ultimately means communit...

Send us Fan Mail Chief Edward (Ted) Williams of the Chippewas of Rama First Nation is on the show this week. The home of the popular and successful "Casino Rama" development, Chief Williams speaks to dealing with COVID-19, and plans for reopening the community with a large retail centre. Having a deep history in lands related work dating back to the early 1970s, he says the land code was...

Send us Fan Mail Adam Good, Band Manager of Shawanaga First Nation near Lake Huron, Ontario, has been involved in the land code process from day one in his community. He was instrumental in shaping the community engagement and advocacy process. And with the prospect of an expanding land base (now under negotiation), having that foundation as a law-making entity will be critical to his community&ap...

Send us Fan Mail Williams Lake First Nation's Chief Willie Sellars Jr. is on the show this week to talk about the positive developments that have come since passing the land code 7 years ago. Having been involved early on, Chief Sellars Jr. attributes strong community engagement and support for why land code works for them. Under his leadership, cultural revitalization balances the many econo...

Send us Fan Mail Our 25th episode takes us to Coast Salish territory in British Columbia. Former chief Willie Charlie of Sts'ailes First Nation joins the show this week. Willie is currently a negotiator who has had a broad array of experience and perspective on the history of land use that is still rich in memory.  Having watched the transition to land code, Willie says it is the protection o...

Send us Fan Mail Chairman of the Land Advisory Board Robert Louie is back on the show for a special extended episode in celebration of the 100th Land Code passed in Canada. Robert says "Land Decolonized" means a resurgence of Indian people, First Nations Land Management succeeds because it is community-driven, yet the main challenge has been to get the government to move faster.  Robert...

Send us Fan Mail This week Richard sits down close to home with Rose Paul of Paqtnkek Mi'kmaw Nation in Nova Scotia. Paqtnkek is currently a developmental community that is looking to have its land code ratification vote in the fall of 2021. Rose has walked her community through the process by engaging with many other communities and taking up many of the available options for self-government...

Send us Fan Mail The Resource Centre is thriving with a dedicated strategy for Training, Mentorship & Professional Development (TMPD). Angie Derrickson, TMPD Manager is on the show this week to explain the details of the strategies 4 year evolution, the webinars and “knowledge path tool” that are offered to First Nations. SHOW NOTES 00:53     Angie takes a break from giving a presentation to B...

Send us Fan Mail Andrew Beynon and Richard discuss the upcoming (April 28th) National Online Conversation on Enforcement of Indigenous Government Laws  2021:First Nation Policing Program & Policy Update. ( This episode was recorded one day before the online session .) The online conversation will include Public Safety Canada and the RCMP providing an update on First Nation policing, including...

Send us Fan Mail After 2000 downloads of the podcast, our 20th episode takes us to the thriving community of Membertou First Nation in Nova Scotia! Richard interviews Trevor Bernard, a lawyer, and Executive Director who has watched his community's transformation over the last 30 years. This community was the first in Nova Scotia to pass a land code and did so with a large amount of community...

Send us Fan Mail James Cada from Mississauga First Nation joins the show this week. This Land Advisory Board member is a 30 year veteran of land management and his community of Mississauga First Nation enjoyed a smooth transition to self-government over their lands with many benefits and along the way. SHOW NOTES: 1:52   Jim describes his experience with the Land Code in his capacity as director o...

Send us Fan Mail Chief Maureen Chapman joins the show this week from Sq'ewa:lxw First Nation (BC). Chief Chapman is a First Nation Land Advisory Board Member and proud to have been a hereditary Chief since 1999.  Chief Chapman says having been put on a waitlist due to the demand for First Nations to get into the land code process gave her community the time to create a vision for how the land...

Send us Fan Mail Richard welcomes Steven Roy Johnston to the show this week. Being a Land Advisory Board member and Councillor for Mistawasis First Nation Steven comes from a long line of community leaders, and from one of the largest First Nations in Canada. Having taken on a land code fairly recently in 2017, Steven speaks to the continued protection of treaties with a land code, and the need fo...

Send us Fan Mail , SHOW NOTES: This week Richard speaks to Joe Hall, Grand Chief of the Sto:lo Nation and former chief of Tzeachten First Nation.  Having been impressed with the evolution of First Nations who have taken on a land code, positive change in the working relationships with local governments, planning and implementing land management processes, and putting control for self-government in...

Send us Fan Mail This week Richard interviews Councillor Bill McCue of a Georgina Island First Nation.  Bill has also been a long-time Land Advisory Board member and an advocate for land codes from the beginning. His community was the first ever to vote and ratify a land code in Canada. Although the creation of opportunity and business has been important to his people, Bill says for his island-bas...

Send us Fan Mail This week Richard speaks with Chief Darcy Bear of Whitecap Dakota First Nation in Saskatchewan. Having been a leader for the past 30 years, he says land code governance helped his community to move at the speed of business, with a casino, hotel, and golf course development and significant infrastructure that will support the community for generations. SHOW NOTES: 01:42   Why White...

Send us Fan Mail Chief Christian Sinclair of Opaskwayak Cree Nation is the guest on the show this week. He has watched his community grow out of tough economic conditions and utilized a land code and many tools of First Nation self-governance to provide a bright future of economic prosperity, protecting treaty rights and the environment. By comparison, Chief Sinclair says, staying under the Indian...

Send us Fan Mail Richard speaks with long-standing Land Advisory Board member and former Chief of Nipissing First Nation, Phil Goulais. Phil was a part of the creation of the Framework Agreement and championed one of the earliest at Nipissing. Having been involved from the beginning, Phil is confident that the youth will carry on the great work of self-government, and that Framework Agreement comm...

Send us Fan Mail This week Richard speaks with Chief Leah George-Wilson from Tsleil-Waututh Nation on the Burrard Inlet of BC's West Coast. A lawyer, and Land Advisory Board Member says that the main reason for taking on a land code in her community was "to eliminate 25% of the Indian Act from her community."Richard learns about the balanced approach that the Tsleil Waututh communit...

Send us Fan Mail Special Episode: this week we are launching a new podcast series to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the Framework Agreement on First Nation Land Management.  This episode is a special extended interview with former chief of Muskoday First Nation and Resource Centre Chairman Austin Bear.   Richard explores Austin's prairie upbringing and leadership with Muskoday First Nation...

Send us Fan Mail In this week's episode, Richard connects with Meko Nicholas, Executive Director of the First Nation Land Management Resource Centre. Meko has worked on the Framework Agreement with the founding First Nations from its early beginnings. Meko shares his approach to "follow the lead of First Nations" as the key to the direction of the Resource Centre, its philosophy of...