In this episode of the Métis Speaker Series, we sit down with MNBC’s Vanessa Khaira, Ryan Nielsen, and Cayleigh Borsboom for an honest conversation about harm reduction, recovery, and the healing power of culture. Drawing from their own lived experiences with grief, addiction, sobriety, and mental wellness, they share how connection, empathy and cultural belonging can transform lives. From the importance of meeting people where they are at, to the role of community and storytelling in recovery, this episode explores why healing looks different for everyone. Tune in to learn how relationships, trust, and reconnecting with Métis identity can help people move forward with hope, purpose, and belonging.

In this episode of the Métis Speaker Series, we sit down with Catherine Pennington, a proud Métis, mother, and KPMG’s National Lead of Indigenous Advisory Services. As a social worker by trade, and licensed Psychotherapist, Catherine bridges major indigenous infrastructure with community wellness. She shares powerful insights on “culture as medicine” and explains why community connection is a vital alternative to Western “talk therapy”. She discusses how a sense of duty called her back to mental health work during the pandemic, her commitment to support rural and indigenous mental health, and her mission to break intergenerational cycles of silence. Tune in to learn why mental health is an act of stewardship for your community and how to embrace the healing power of your own identity.

In this episode of the Métis Speaker Series, we sit down with Ariana Fotinakis and Vanessa Lesperance, the founders of Decolonize and Rize, for a transformative conversation on dismantling the deeply rooted colonial systems in our lives and workplaces. Both being proud Indigenous women who reclaimed their roots as adults, Ariana and Vanessa share how their personal journeys of cultural reconnection inspired their mission to combat burnout and colonial capitalism. They discuss their unique framework, which includes responding, ascending, loving, and embodying, and the vital importance of “rest as resistance” in a high-pressure world. Tune in for their insights on bridging the gap between colonized structures and indigenous wisdom, and how returning to our roots can help us all move towards authentic, human-centred action.

Mentioned in this episode:

Rekindling the Sacred Fire by Chantel Fiola - https://uofmpress.ca/books/rekindling-the-sacred-fire