Best Jessica Vandenberghe Podcasts (2025)

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S4 E7: Ethical Entrenchment—A Professional Place for Traditional Indigenous Values, feat. John Desjarlais 58:11

3M ago58:11

58:11

Send us a text John Desjarlais, a professional engineer who grew up in Cumberland House, Sask., explores the values-based teachings of Indigenous peoples and his own Métis upbringing for pathways into more representative codes of ethics for professional bodies. A proponent of practical approaches to engraining truth and reconcilation (or conciliati…

1
S4 E6: Diversity Destigmatized—How an Online Universe Celebrates Our Differences and Decolonizes Our Thinking, feat. Nicole Weatherly 1:09:25

8M ago1:09:25

1:09:25

Send us a text Nicole Weatherly's deep connection to the art and genius of her brother, his challenges and his unique essence underpin the space for change she's created under the banner Superstar X. Cohosts Jessica Vandenberghe and George Lee talk with Nicole about what makes her and her website tick, on the eve of Canada's National Day for Truth …

1
S4 E5: International Relations—How Colonial Laws Often (But Not Always) Fail Indigenous Communities and the Environment, feat. Deborah Curran 1:09:30

9M ago1:09:30

1:09:30

Send us a text Deborah Curran's passion for the environment flows through her psyche and the work she does as a lawyer, an academic and a consultant. "If you met me in my 15-year-old self and drew a line, it would be pretty straight to where I am today," says Curran, a professor with the Faculty of Law and the School of Environmental Studies at the…

1
S4 E4: The Afterlife of a Family Lie Gives Rise to a Powerful Mohawk Voice, feat. Tom Wilson CM 44:03

1+ y ago44:03

44:03

Send us a text About 10 years ago, a stranger unwittingly revealed facts about Tom Wilson's adoption, pointing the singer and guitarist with Blackie and the Rodeo Kings towards life-changing truths about his identity. His origins had been hidden from him for more than five decades, even though a sense of not belonging and a recurring dream had made…

1
S4 E3: Ancestral Advice—Wolastoqiyik Musician Taps Culture and Language for Inspiration, feat. Mike Bern of Tobique First Nation 48:13

1+ y ago48:13

48:13

Send us a text When your ancestors speak to you, you should probably listen. And in Mike Bern's case, that means using his talent and voice to honour them, his culture, and the loved ones he's lost. The folk rocker from Tobique First Nation in New Brunswick released the album Ancestors earlier this year, with the single no words for goodbye reachin…

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S4 E2: The Fentanyl Crisis—A Kainai Woman's Survival Guide for Families and Communities, feat. Ramona Big Head 1:28:53

1+ y ago1:28:53

1:28:53

Send us a text Renowned Blackfoot educator Ramona Big Head talks about overdoses and other tragedies, the ripple effect of residential school abuses through generations and families, and hope. Recent deaths in her community and family "knocked me off my feet," she tells cohosts Jessica Vandenberghe and George Lee. "I think I'm still processing the …

1
S4 E1: From Trauma to Song—How Women and Community Create Musical Magic, feat. Haida-Cree performer Kristi Lane Sinclair 1:03:57

1+ y ago1:03:57

1:03:57

Send us a text Rooted in her own story of domestic abuse, Kristi Lane Sinclair's album Super Blood Wolf Moon oozes strength, perseverance, pain, and vulnerability. The award-winning Haida-Cree singer-songwriter has released a searing, deeply personal, and profound collection of songs, at once driving and anthemic, wispy and gentle, angsty and orche…

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S3 E8: The Trail So Far—A Bridges and Milestones Episode, feat. Jessica Vandenberghe 1:00:45

2y ago1:00:45

1:00:45

Send us a text In our Season 3 finale, Jessica and George look back, look ahead, and look around. Their discussion of how the podcast has affected them and others—and where it might go from here—touches on many of the truth and conciliation challenges Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians continue to face. Support the show Join our Facebook commu…

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S3 E7: All Together Now—One Person's Take on the Music, the Spirit, and the Mystery of Who We Are, feat. Kevin John 1:02:47

2y ago1:02:47

1:02:47

Send us a text For musician and luthier Kevin John of Kaslo, B.C., delving into his Indigenous roots is an important part of his own unfolding story. But it's not everything. The full story, he says, is about who the rest of us are, too, and what we can do individually and collectively to make Canada and the world a better place. Kevin—the writer a…

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S3 E6: Dream Job—It Has Special Meaning for One Indigenous Colouring Book Entrepreneur, feat. Diana Frost 1:17:26

2+ y ago1:17:26

1:17:26

Send us a text Her heart told her she needed to connect her work to helping others and making a difference. Calgarian Diana Frost's dreamscape looked after the rest, giving her a fully formed outline for what her future as a social entrepreneur would look like. "I needed to do something I cared about, in order to justify the effort and time," she r…

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S3 E5: The Vocabulary of Conciliation—What's a Language to Do in a Changing Canada? feat. Jessica Vandenberghe 1:03:14

2+ y ago1:03:14

1:03:14

Send us a text Are the very constructs of English a barrier on Canada's path to becoming a nation of nations? Cohosts Jessica Vandenberghe and George Lee talk about words—how they serve us, how they fail us, and how they reflect and unlock our identities. Support the show Join our Facebook community: www.facebook.com/UnsettledJourneys/ Check us out…

1
S3 E4: Ten Resolutions—How to Make 2023 a Year of Truth & Conciliation, feat. Jessica Vandenberghe 52:23

2+ y ago52:23

52:23

Send us a text Learn, listen, write, share—Jessica Vandenberghe and George Lee chat about these and other ways to make your 2023 a year of truth and conciliation. Study Indigenization and Indigenous history in your community. Listen to an Indigenous radio station. Journal about your truth and conciliation challenges, successes, and ideas. Regift if…

1
S3 E3: Gifts of Conciliation—The How, What, and Where of Shopping Indigenous, feat. Diana Frost 53:51

2+ y ago53:51

53:51

Send us a text On the eve of Black Friday, an Indigenous entrepreneur joins co-hosts Jessica Vandenberghe and George Lee to discuss the ins and outs of finding gifts that authentically represent Turtle Island's earliest cultures. Diana Frost, an Algonquin Métis woman, talks about shopping Indigenous in a meaningful way, whether you're online, at a …

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S3 E2: The Land, The Home, The Spirit Part 2—A Sixties Scooper Follows 'Threads of Question Marks,' feat. Jessica Vandenberghe 1:21:57

2+ y ago1:21:57

1:21:57

Send us a text In the second episode of our third season, co-host Jessica Vandenberghe discusses a beautiful and challenging road home. Actually, the July trip took her and her travelling companion, Chris Dennison, through two homelands: the one she grew up in and the one she'd never set eyes on before. Jessica and Chris talk with co-host George Le…

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S3 E1: The Land, The Home, The Spirit Part 1—A Sixties Scooper Plans a Trip to Her Home Nation, feat. Jessica Vandenberghe 1:01:59

2+ y ago1:01:59

1:01:59

Send us a text Our third season launches with co-host Jessica Vandenberghe and her travelling companion Chris Dennison discussing plans for a summer road trip with special meaning. Jessica is a Sixties Scooper, and this will be her first trip to her homeland, Dene Tha' First Nation, in northern Alberta. Says Jessica: "If I go up there to the north,…

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S2 E 12: How to Be a Better Canadian—An Ally Gives His Perspective, feat. Darryl Lagerquist 1:01:48

3y ago1:01:48

1:01:48

Send us a text Serious about living in a country that can move beyond its colonial machinations? If so, get out of your comfort zone, take some steps to learn about Canada's Indigenous peoples, and advance your own conciliation journey. Those are some of the suggestions business and policy analyst Darryl Lagerquist offers, during a wide-ranging cha…

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S2 E11: The Healing Power of Role Models, Nature, and a Global Perspective, feat. Raylene Whitford 1:02:02

3y ago1:02:02

1:02:02

Send us a text Raylene Whitford has not followed a typical career path. The Edmonton-born Métis woman has trudged around the jungles of Ecuador, the concrete and glass of a five-star hotel in the Middle East, and the corridors of the London Stock Exchange. Oh yeah: she tried roughnecking for a while, too. Now, Raylene is pursuing her doctorate back…

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S2 E10: Living it Forward—An Old Friend Discusses the Role of Culture and Language in His Life, feat. Arnie Baptiste 1:12:29

3y ago1:12:29

1:12:29

Send us a text Co-host George Lee reconnects with a childhood friend from the Syilx, or Okanagan, territory. Arnie Baptiste teaches the Nsyilxcn language for the Penticton Indian Band at Outma Sqilx'w Cultural School. Also featured are cohost Jessica Vandenberghe, a cast of hundreds at an outdoor flea market, and a 10-week-old border collie whose n…

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S1 E7 Revisited: From Wagon Trails to a National Utilities Corridor, feat. Steven Vaivada 1:04:08

3y ago1:04:08

1:04:08

Send us a text In this revisted episode, an Indigenous engineer gives his take on creating a better Canada for all its nations and peoples. Jessica and George chat with Steven Vaivada about the roles and approaches of his company, Scout Engineering & Consulting Ltd. You'll also hear about an emerging vision for a utilities and infrastructure corrid…

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S2 E 2 Revisited: Can Indigenous Voices Reshape Anthropology? feat. Lydia Toorenburgh 1:12:25

3y ago1:12:25

1:12:25

Send us a text We're celebrating Pride Month and National Indigenous History Month with a rebroadcast of our October 7, 2021, episode. In this episode Jessica and George chat with Lydia Toorenburgh, a two-spirit Métis student from the University of Victoria. Lydia, who studies anthropology, discusses colonial attitudes and practices, inside and out…

1
S2 E7: Our Sophomore Season Continues—A Bridges and Milestones Mini-Episode, feat. Jessica Vandenberghe and George Lee 33:30

3y ago33:30

33:30

Send us a text Co-hosts Jessica Vandenberghe and George Lee reconnect to kick off National Indigenous History Month in Canada and catch up on things they've read and seen, apologies they've heard, and plans they've made for their podcast. Support the show Join our Facebook community: www.facebook.com/UnsettledJourneys/ Check us out on Instagram: ht…

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S2 E6: Still Angry After All These Years—A Canadian Punk Iconoclast Shines a Light on Indigenous Issues, feat. Art Bergmann 1:02:33

3+ y ago1:02:33

1:02:33

Send us a text Anyone who thought the Order of Canada would tame Art Bergmann was wrong. Deeply wrong. The singer-songwriter is as biting and anti-establishment as ever, demonstrated by his latest album, Late Stage Dementia Empire, and his unflinching opinions on his country's failings. Jessica and George talk with the veteran of Canada's music sce…

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S2 E5: As the Grave Count Continues to Grow, What's a Country to Do? Accept the Truth and Take Action, Say Two High-Profile Allies, feat. Shawna Bruce and Malcolm Bruce 1:05:35

3+ y ago1:05:35

1:05:35

Send us a text Canadians need to work with Indigenous communities right now for real change, say two Edmontonians whose experience with Indigenous peoples spans decades and industries. Malcolm Bruce is the CEO of Edmonton Global, the economic development organization for the capital city's metro region. Shawna Bruce is a self-employed communication…

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S2 E4: From the Ashes of 1913—Prince George's Improving Relationship with the First Nation it Wronged, feat. Tracy Calogheros 1:00:48

3+ y ago1:00:48

1:00:48

Send us a text It took arson for the Indian Agent to force the Lheidli T'enneh people from their village in 1913. But these days the First Nation and Prince George, B.C., are working together to truthfully share their stories—and, while they're at it, build enduring and respectful relationships. Hosts Jessica and George discuss an award-winning con…

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S2 E3: A Skate Story—Life Just Keeps Getting Better for Cree Actor, feat. Joe Buffalo 54:34

3+ y ago54:34

54:34

Send us a text The actor Joe Dion Buffalo, from Samson Cree Nation in Maskwacis, Alberta, talks about his time at residential school, his path to professional skateboarding, the perseverance of racism in Canada, and the youth charity he cofounded. Joe also speaks candidly about the roles that addiction—and sobriety—have played in his story so far. …

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S2 E2: Can Indigenous Voices Reshape Anthropology? feat. Lydia Toorenburgh 1:12:03

3+ y ago1:12:03

1:12:03

Send us a text Jessica and George talk about colonial attitudes and practices, inside and outside of academia, with a two-spirit, Cree-Métis student from the University of Victoria. Lydia Toorenburgh, who studies anthropology, discusses finding and refining your identity through connections with your people, your language, and the land. Anthropolog…

1
S2 E1: The Summer of Our Discontent 1:11:45

3+ y ago1:11:45

1:11:45

Send us a text A time for flag waving and fireworks? Quiet contemplation? Or something else? Jessica, George, and a cast of many speak of their conflicted and often angry feelings about Canada Day 2021, as the country struggles to come to terms with the discovery of unmarked graves at the sites of former Indian residential schools. The launch of se…

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Episode 9: Our Journey So Far—A Bridges and Milestones Mini-Episode, feat. Jessica Vandenberghe and George Lee 31:47

4y ago31:47

31:47

Send us a text Back in September 2020, an Indigenous engineer and a settler editor launched a decidedly idealistic podcast. One conversation at a time, they said, let's tackle racism and colonialism in Canada. We'll base our podcast loosely on the calls to action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. We'll share our stories and the stories of…

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Episode 8: Antidotes to Colonialism—A Disciple of Story Shares His Views, feat. Dwayne Donald 1:09:56

4y ago1:09:56

1:09:56

Send us a text Is the hand of colonialism still at work in public policy, even while governments, other institutions, and individual Canadians try to do the right thing? Dwayne Donald, a member of the University of Alberta Faculty of Education, certainly thinks so. Find out more about his work and ideas, as hosts Jessica Vandenberghe and George Lee…

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Episode 7: From Wagon Trails to a National Utilities Corridor: How Canada's Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Communities Can Meet the Future Together, feat. Steven Vaivada 1:03:15

4+ y ago1:03:15

1:03:15

Send us a text An Indigenous engineer gives his take on creating a better Canada for all its nations and peoples. Jessica and George chat with Steven Vaivada about the roles and approaches of his company, Scout Engineering & Consulting Ltd.; an emerging vision for a utilities and infrastructure corridor that brings together all perspectives, intere…

1
Episode 6: Racism and Allyship—A Bridges and Milestones Mini-Episode, feat. Jessica Vandenberghe and George Lee 28:03

4+ y ago28:03

28:03

Send us a text Has a spark moment happened in your life yet? An experience, story, or comment that changes you from passive bystander to active ally? Cohosts Jessica Vandenberghe and George Lee explore the roles of non-Indigenous allies in truth and conciliation, along with the use of celebrity platforms to shine a light on Indigenous issues. Suppo…

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Episode 5: A Planner, Mentor, and Mom Takes Us on a Metaphorical Hike, feat. Glinis Buffalo 1:10:17

4+ y ago1:10:17

1:10:17

Send us a text Armed with a new Cree name she continues to explore, Glinis Buffalo looks at life during the lockdown, the nuances of her profession, her relationship with the Buffalo Treaty, and other facets of being a professional Indigenous woman in mainstream society. Support the show Join our Facebook community: www.facebook.com/UnsettledJourne…

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Episode 4: From Surviving to Thriving—Success Without Privilege, feat. Ruby Littlechild 1:03:03

4+ y ago1:03:03

1:03:03

Send us a text A First Nations member who grew up on the reserve, Ruby Littlechild has succeeded in the city while raising daughters, bridging communities, and using education and ceremony to heal from the intergenerational trauma of her childhood. Support the show Join our Facebook community: www.facebook.com/UnsettledJourneys/ Check us out on Ins…

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Episode 3: Ancestry Isn't Always Simple—A Bridges and Milestones Mini-Episode, feat. Jessica Vandenberghe and George Lee 24:24

4+ y ago24:24

24:24

Send us a text After interviewing Matthew Oliver for Episode 2 and before dropping Episode 4, featuring Ruby Littlechild, cohosts Jessica and George discuss their own ancestries—and how looking backward can be especially difficult for Indigenous peoples. Also: a few updates on the progress and impact of the podcast. Support the show Join our Facebo…

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Episode 2: The Complex Identity of One Member of the Métis Nation of Alberta, feat. Matthew Oliver 1:25:58

4+ y ago1:25:58

1:25:58

Send us a text Matthew Oliver discusses the historical and contemporary roles of his people as a bridge between Canada's settler and Indigenous communities. The engineer, Anglican minister, and retired CAF member says conciliation is more than a nice-to-have for his country. If we hope to persist as a successful nation, it's a necessity. Jessica Va…

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Episode 1: Meet the Hosts, feat. Jessica Vandenberghe and George Lee 58:26

4+ y ago58:26

58:26

Send us a text Meet the hosts of this new podcast and learn why they care about reimagining Canada as a nation of nation. Jessica Vandenberghe, an Indigenous engineer, and George Lee, a settler journalist, lay the foundation for future interviews and discussions in pursuit of truth and conciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. How…

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