In this moving episode, Dr. Candace Manitopyes has a conversation with Minister Mandy Gull-Masty, the first Indigenous person to ever serve as Canada’s Minister of Indigenous Services, and a woman whose leadership was forged in lived experience, sharpened through education, and guided by a heart rooted in community.

What unfolds is an intimate, honest, and generous exchange between two Cree women reflecting on responsibility, belonging, exhaustion, joy, and the heavy yoke carried by those who are “the first.” Minister Mandy shares how becoming a mother at a young age shaped her sense of duty, how stepping into federal politics required a profound shift in lens, and how being the first comes with loneliness, scrutiny, and an unspoken pressure to set the tone for everyone who will follow.

She speaks with remarkable tenderness about grounding practices: beading, time on the land, a supportive husband who calls her back to rest, and children who remind her she is still just mom when she walks through the door.

Their conversation moves into the emotional terrain most people never see: queer kin who are forced from home, the harm of exclusion, the spiritual sensitivity of young people, and the courage required to transform systems from within. It is a conversation about what it means to lead without losing yourself.

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Relentless Actions

1. Take 10 minutes this week to unplug completely. Step outside, breathe, and let your nervous system settle without your phone nearby.
2. Reach out to one Indigenous leader, creator, or community member you admire and send them a note of gratitude for the work they do.

Relentless Reflections

1. Where in my life am I being called to lead with more grace, even when I feel unseen or overwhelmed?
2. What parts of my identity have I outgrown, and what new parts am I finally ready to claim?

Relentless Resources

1. First Nations Leadership Philosophies: A Systematic Review of Recent Academic Literature Book

2. Restorying Indigenous Leadership, article

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Music Produced by Award-Winning Anishnaabe DJ Boogey the Beat