Hearing the Warriors

We’ve got a special episode this week. We’re coming to you a lil early so you have time to chew on this timely conversation. Keestin O’Dell of Frog Lake First Nations joins the pod to have a thoughtful conversation about resistance, warrior masculinity, and the importance of questioning dominant narratives about indigenous communities.

• We switch it up this week! Remoy has some stories to fill Samantha in on. They talk language traditions, how colonial/settler/imperialist institutions use language to marginalize indigenous communities, and how that translates to altering narratives about a painful past.

• Remoy talks us through about how the co-woman led Indian of All Tribes organization took over Alcatraz for a year-and-a-half and gets real about the astronomical impact of the genocide of indigenous peoples.

• He shares more female native activist voices like Shinanova who use social media voices to pass on their message of resistance.

• Keestin shares key history about Frog Lake First Nations and its legacy in Alberta, Canada—specifically the Frog Lake Massacre. If you listen hard enough, you can hear how history is finding a way to repeat itself now. 

• He lets us in on how his and other indigenous communities have had to fight postcolonial legacy to reclaim their history and identity, including redefining the notion of “warrior” and what it means to provide.

• Keestin inspires us to break through our illusions of language and masculinity. He shares the evolution of his own experience with masculinity, how a community of men was pivotal, and how that impacts the work he does today.

COMPANION PIECES:

• Keestin’s TED talk on perceptions of indigenous manhood

• The indigenous occupation of Alcatraz 

Referenced in this episode

• 54th Annual National Day of Mourning Demonstration in Plymouth

• Dr. LaNada War Jack

• Richard Oakes

• Indian of All Tribes (IAT)

• ShinaNova

OUR GUEST THIS WEEK:

Keestin O’Dell

Keestin O’Dell is Manager of the Iniikokaan Centre at Bow Valley College. He was previously a student engagement advisor at kihêw waciston, MacEwan University’s Indigenous Centre, traveling to First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities across Western Canada to discuss the university experience, offer information on MacEwan’s programs and build relationships with students and organizations. Keestin shares his own experience at MacEwan, having graduated in 2016 with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, and his passion for Indigenous topics, knowledge and research.

He is from Frog Lake First Nation (puskiakiwenin 122 and unipouheos 121) and his heritage is Irish and nehiyaw (Cree).