In Episode 8 Tommy and Lawrence chat with the venerable James Delorme, VP of Community Development at Salish Elements. James is one of our most fun yet most insightful guests. He brings a wealth of knowledge and insight into helping us understand what is meant by an Indigenous lens on all things technology, collaboration, innovation, and co-operation. James also helps us think through what is at stake and what is meant by decolonization, and one of it's remedies: Indigenization.

Thank you all for your patience during our prolonged absence. Tommy took some time to prioritize family and health, but we're back and more grateful than ever to be resuming our journey together. James is a wonderful fit for resuming our exploration of Digital Indigeneity so sit back, relax, and enjoy!

Gila’kasla!

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A very special thanks to Compulsion Soundlabs for sharing their musical talent, which you are hearing as the intro and outro music in this series!

In Episode 7 we speak to Melissa Giles-Hardy, owner, President, and CEO of ORIGIN - a company that design, develops, and delivers technology experiences to drive employment while also protecting and promoting culture for Indigenous peoples across Turtle Island.

It's no surprise that Melissa is recipient of multiple awards, including the 2021 RBC Innovative Company of the Year award, the Indigenomics Top 10 Business's To Watch in Canada, the 2019 Northern Ontario, Influential Women's Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and the Confederation College President's Award in 2019 - as well as a nominee for the 2019 Ontario Premier Award.

As you can see, Melissa is not only a passionate innovator. She is also a passionate community member who is motivated to use technology, specifically Virtual Reality, to do many amazing things: to provide Indigenous youth in remote communities opportunities to learn about new jobs, to train Indigenous peoples to do new jobs or upskill in certain areas, and to also record, preserve, and create interactive VR-based media content that protects and promotes Indigenous cultural practices, learnings, and lessons. For example, using a VR headset to interact with Elders providing the viewer a language lesson.

This is one of our favourite episodes. It is full of incredibly powerful insights and advice. We're honoured to have Melissa on the show.

Gila’kasla!

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Follow your co-hosts: Tommy | Al | Lawrence

A very special thanks to Compulsion Soundlabs for sharing their musical talent, which you are hearing as the intro and outro music in this series!

In Episode 6 we speak to Matthew Norris, Senior Policy Analyst at the British Columbia Assembly of First Nations, and President of the Urban Native Youth Association. As a former candidate for Vancouver city council and a PhD student in UBC's Department of Political Science, Matthew has and continues to be exposed to numerous important intersecting Indigenous developments and issues. Between Matthew's grassroots community work and advocacy along with his academic studies on United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), Matthew has much to contribute toward the emerging discussion around Indigenous digital identity and Indigenous digital space.

We decide to explore Indigenous digital space and community in particular, and we are guided by some great questions Matthew raises throughout: how might be Indigenous digital communities be made? What are the pitfalls and divides, and how can we avoid them? When these spaces are constructed, what algorithms guide us through them and what content are prioritized? What does it mean to have a voice in this arrangement, and how do we subsequently think about, with, and through accountability?

Gila’kasla!

Follow us on Twitter: Wtncast

Follow your co-hosts: Tommy | Al | Lawrence

A very special thanks to Compulsion Soundlabs for sharing their musical talent, which you are hearing as the intro and outro music in this series!