Peyakôskân, pronounced Paya-gos-gon, is a Cree word meaning ”One Family, One Bond, One Nation.” The Peyakôskân Podcast is a multicultural youth-led production team. The team conducts research, interviews, and youth-led discussions while building awareness of issues affecting society and the economy related to culture and ethnicity. By working together and interviewing community experts, Elders, and Knowledge-Keepers, the Peyakôskân Podcast provides learning opportunities for all participants, listeners and viewers to build awareness around truth, reconciliation, systemic racism, discrimination, and allyship. Through oral tradition, we can build awareness, shift perspectives and create a better world for the next generation.
Episodes
Monday Aug 21, 2023
Monday Aug 21, 2023
How do we address our personal bias? How does staying curious breakdown stereotypes, address prejudice and help eradicate racism? In this episode of the Peyakoskan Podcast, hosts Sammy Paquette, Tristan Paragas & Russell Willier sat down with Cecilia Mzvondiwa, Lawyer, Human Right Advocate, Leadership Coach & Author of the book, Beyond Tokenism, Embrace a Sense of Belonging and Stand Out as an Inclusive Leader.
Purchase Cecilia's book here: https://www.amazon.ca/Beyond-Tokenism-Embrace-Belonging-Inclusive/dp/1772775401
Friday Aug 11, 2023
Friday Aug 11, 2023
This podcast episode contains sensitive content discussing trauma and mental health. We'll be addressing personal experiences and emotions that might be triggering to some individuals. While we intend to foster understanding and provide insights, we strongly encourage listeners who might be deeply affected by these topics to consider their emotional well-being before proceeding. If you need immediate support, please reach out to a mental health professional or a trusted person in your life.
When Tristan Paragas and I met for the first time after he reached out to me to be a part of the podcast, we both totally geeked out over our love of business Guru Gary Vaynerchuk as well as Dr. Gabor Mate and his work with trauma and the body. Tristan shared his incredible story with me and Matthew Hilkewich about immigrating to Canada at the age of 16 and why he was passionate about being a mental health advocate.
Resources
Canadian Mental Health Support
Philippines Mental Health Support
United States Mental Health Support
Friday Jul 28, 2023
Friday Jul 28, 2023
How do we encourage youth to embrace their cultural identity? In this episode of The Peyakoskan podcast, Russell Willier, Brett English, and Remi Tucker sat down with Len Auger, President of the Grande Prairie Friendship Centre, business owner, Knowledge Keeper and youth mentor.
Len is an inspiring community development leader whose impact on the lives of youth is evident through his simple but profound message. Be proud of who you are.
Sunday Jul 02, 2023
Sunday Jul 02, 2023
Indigenous Canadian Veterans have played an integral role in the nation's military history, yet their contributions and sacrifices have often gone unrecognized and underappreciated. For centuries, Indigenous peoples across Canada have answered the call to defend their lands, allies, and the principles of freedom and justice.
It is estimated that 7,000 First Nations People served in the First and Second World Wars and the Korean War; an unknown number of Métis, Inuit and non-Status Indians also served. However, it was not until 1995, fifty years after the Second World War, that Indigenous Peoples were allowed to lay Remembrance Day wreaths at the National War Memorial to remember and honour their dead comrades.
Despite the sacrifices and bravery Indigenous Veterans exemplified, they often returned home to face continued systemic inequality and the ongoing struggle to have their rights and contributions recognized. It wasn't until the 1990s that significant efforts were made to address the historical injustices faced by Indigenous Veterans, including recognition programs, tributes, and the establishment of the National Aboriginal Veterans Monument.
Their resilience, courage, and commitment to the ideals of honour and duty serve as a powerful reminder of the indomitable spirit of Indigenous peoples throughout Canada's history.
In today's episode, we are sharing a conversation we had with Renee Charbonneau about the Veterans Memorial Guardian as well as a couple of stories highlighting the lives of the many inspiring Indigenous Canadian Veterans.
To learn more about the Veterans Memorial Gardens & Interpretive Centre, Click HERE
Tuesday Jun 27, 2023
Tuesday Jun 27, 2023
Starting university can be both exciting and overwhelming, especially for first-year students.
The On-Campus Friendship Centre supports a smooth transition for students entering the community to become college students.
The first and only of its kind in Canada, the On-Campus Friendship Centre is located in the heart of the Northwestern Polytechnic campus in Grande Prairie, Alberta. It is a hub for students to connect, engage, and build relationships. It's a vibrant space that fosters inclusivity and a sense of belonging.
In today's episode, Sammy Paquette, a student at Northwestern Polytechnic, sat down with Cree Elder Theresa Gladue to discuss her various roles at the college and why the friendship centre is so vital for students. Theresa is a storyteller, knowledge keeper, playwright, advocate, and mentor to many. Here is their interview
To learn more about Northwestern Polytechnic and the On-Campus Friendship Centre, check out the link:
https://www.nwpolytech.ca/services/indigenous/friendshipcentre.html
Thanks for tuning into this episode of the Peyakoskan Podcast. Make sure to follow, share, like and leave a review. This way, you won't miss out on any of our upcoming content where we tackle diverse topics as one nation. one tribe.
Sunday Jun 18, 2023
Sunday Jun 18, 2023
Have you ever wondered what the 2S means in the acronym for 2SLGBTQ+? 2S stands for Two-Spirit, an English word created to define a unique spiritual way of being that has existed in Indigenous communities for millennia. Today's guest on the Peyakoskan Podcast, we welcome Jaylenn Tourangeau. Jaylenn is a Two-Spirit Traditional Knowledge Seeker and caregiver of the Two-Spirit Medicine Bundle. They are an advocate for Self –Determination through the Dene Teachings they have been gifted and share their knowledge through their work as an Academia Researcher and Advisor, as well as an International Visual Artist.
Join Kiera Hommy as she asks Jaylenn:
- What does it mean to be Two-Spirit?
- How do you feel when Non-Indigenous People claim a Two-Spirit identity?
- How can the Indigenous communities support Two-Spirit people?
To learn more about Two-Spirit please visit:
To learn more about the Peyakoskan Podcast please visit:
Sunday Jun 11, 2023
Sunday Jun 11, 2023
This podcast episode covers discrimination, oppression, racism, eraser, 2SLGBTQIA+, privilege, mental health and disabilities.
When I lived in Grande Prairie from 2014-18, I was lucky to work as the Youth Services Supervisor for the Municipality. As part of my role, I was responsible for facilitating the city youth council, a group of 24 young people with direct access to the city council as advocates for youth voices. From mental health to recreation and the rights and freedoms of 2SLGBTQ+ youth in Alberta, the youth were part of the decision-making processes that directly impacted their diverse population.
I'm sharing this because this episode was a special one for me. After five years, I had the opportunity to sit down with three former youth council members who are not only part of this podcast initiative but are now adults.
Matthew Hilkewich is 21 years old and a proud trans mentor and youth advocate. I met Matt when they were 15 years old as they were getting ready to board a plane to Toronto, where we were attending the same Gender & Sexuality Alliance conference. In those first few minutes, I saw Matt's leadership qualities and knew he was meant to change lives, and he has.
I met Raylee Morrissette when they were 13 years old through her dad, Len, an award-winning Indigenous filmmaker. I scooped Raylee up to be a part of the Youth Council and knew her leadership style would make an impact through her sense of humour and genuine compassion. Now 20 years old, Raylee continues to inspire me, and I can't thank her enough for sharing her experience with the podcast.
Natal Rivas Bolaños was part of my first youth council cohort in 2014. Now, 29-years-old and the founder of Bipan Support Services & Bipan Magazine, Free Queer Media is a place to experience representation and embrace the queer community.
They are an incredible facilitator and led today's podcast discussion on Intersectionality. What is it? Why is it essential, and how can we identify the different lenses through which we experience it?
Tuesday May 16, 2023
Tuesday May 16, 2023
I'm Kaylee Nitsiza, and this is the Peyakoskan Podcast. One Nation. One Tribe.
I was one of the delegates at the 2023 Growing The North Conference in Grande Prairie, Alberta, which brought together many economic leaders and innovators from around the province. One of the themes of this conference was discussing technology's role in driving growth and innovation in the North, from things like remote sensing and precision agriculture to renewable energy and digital infrastructure.
Technology is transforming economic development within Northern regions nowadays. Nipiy Industries was one of these companies that attended the conference, and they're working towards building sustainable practices. Jason Lizotte, the founder and CEO of Nippy Industries, created an environmentally conscious product that is the first of its kind in North America. The name of this Indigenous-owned business, "Nipiy," translates to "water" in his native Cree language.
They make solar-powered handwash stations that are fully automated, touchless and portable. With this kind of leading-edge technology, they're helping to bring a sustainable solution to creating clean hands with clean energy. It was amazing to hear about how this Indigenous man started his own business around sustainable technology. I met with Jason during the conference and asked him a few questions about his business journey. Here is our interview.
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