Sharing Chickasaw culture through orchestral composition is Jerod Impichchaachaaha' Tate's heartwork. He wants his music to empower Indigenous people and create an opportunity for them to feel good about themselves, celebrating culture through epic and powerful symphonic scores. This week Rosanna speaks with composers and creators who are creating new spaces on orchestral stages across Turtle Island, featuring new works from Sandra Laronde and Jerod Impichchaachaaha' Tate.

For generations, Innu women gave birth in traditional tents surrounded by family. Thea Penashue tells Rosanna how she wanted her second child to be born in the same way her own mother was decades before. Also on the show – Christine TooToo’s birth plan went right out the window when her baby came a little early. And Melissa Brown has trained over 2,000 Indigenous doulas across Turtle Island over the last decade – helping put birth and care back into the hands of communities.

Scientists started talking about clam gardens in the 90s – but nations along the west coast built and maintained these beaches for thousands of years before. Rosanna speaks with Skye Augustine about the clam garden restoration that is reconnecting community to this traditional way of harvesting. Also on the show – Timothy Smoke on what it takes to learn and pass on knowledge around minomin – or wild rice – harvesting, and Saya Masso on how the creation of kelp farms is bringing traditional foods back to his community.

Have you ever tried to grow vegetables in the dead of winter? Ben Feagin Jr. had an invention for that. He hopes his greenhouse bubble will help provide Indigenous communities with access to fresh produce all year round. This week Rosanna hears from Indigenous entrepreneurs who are creating food security solutions for their communities.

In 2010, a researcher placed an ad in the Lakota Times that read, “Looking for information about mystery woman,” with a 19th century black and white photograph. In the centre of the image, a young Indigenous woman stood surrounded by six men in military uniform. The search for information identified the woman as Sophie Mousseau and led to one of her descendents, Daphne Richards-Cook. This week, Rosanna hears how reconnecting Indigenous people with their unnamed relatives in archival photos is helping reframe our understanding of history.

Every year Canada Reads chooses one book that everyone should read right now – and it’s a series of great debates that gets us there! In this live recording of Unreserved, Rosanna speaks with Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers and Billy-Ray Belcourt about why Billy-Ray’s A Minor Chorus is THE book for our present time. The story follows a queer Cree man, an academic and writer, who returns to his home community in northern Alberta after a long time away.

The sight of 191 wild horses pinned in mud is hard to picture and so Jake Skeets turned to poetry. As he learned more about the tragic scene, it became a metaphor for the current climate crisis and its impact on all walks and ways of life. Rosanna speaks with Jake Skeets and Louise Bernice Halfe Sky Dancer about the language of poetry and why its power is so needed today.

They searched for months until the snow came but could not find her. Now, as the weather warms and the ice melts, the community of Arviat renews its search for Kadin Savikataaq. In August 2024, the 20-year-old pilot and experienced hunter disappeared almost without a trace. RCMP say she most likely drowned, but Kadin’s family believes she was murdered and buried somewhere near their village. Guest host, Juanita Taylor, hears from family and friends about what happened the night Kadin disappeared and why their searches through harsh weather and rugged terrain will continue until they find her. 

“Boozhoo” means hello in Anishinaabemowin. For Adam Sturgeon, that simple greeting, written in a card he received from his Auntie when he was 10-years old, kickstarted a lifelong quest to reclaim his Anishinaabe identity. Adam speaks with Rosanna about his journey of reconnection and finding belonging and how it's driven him to learn more about his family history.

Istiyehe, Imoitapi and Sabe are just some of the names Indigenous nations across Turtle Island call Bigfoot or Sasquatch. But who is Sabe really? To some Indigenous people they’re regarded as a relative, others a spiritual guide. Rosanna hears how Sabe teaches us to reflect on our relationship with ourselves and the land to bring lessons of honesty.

What do you get when you blend traditional Mi’kmaq songs with Celtic fiddle music? Mi’kmaltic!

Morgan Toney draws inspiration from his Elders, family and community and brings the fusion genre across the country. Now he’s on the road to the Junos. This week Rosanna speaks with three musicians on the way to the Junos about how their music led them to community, connection and ceremony.