Jeff Wastesicoot shares insight from decades of experience sharing medicine through traditional language and ceremony. With evidence and skilled storytelling – through retelling Indigenous histories and personal stories – Wastesicoot doubly demonstrates the power of language. The nêhiyawak language and culture, which Wastesicoot has dedicated much of his life to preserving, are infused with the laws of the creator. Indigenous languages offer access to spiritual learning and knowledge, and are vital to recovery for many Indigenous Peoples.

Our Guest:

Jeff Wastesicoot is a member of the Lucky Man First Nation in Saskatchewan. He serves as a headsman for the leadership in the Nation. Jeff dedicates much of his time to helping people overcome personal challenges through ceremonies, traditional medicines and counselling. He's dedicated his life to the preservation of the nêhiyawak language and culture. Jeff recognises the spirit within the tongue as he interprets the parables within the nêhiyawak language. He is recognised and acknowledged among the First Nations communities as a spiritual leader and traditional knowledge keeper.

Our Hosts:

Dr. Alanaise Ferguson is a member of the Sandy Bay Ojibway First Nation and a Registered Psychologist in the Province of BC. She holds an academic appointment at the University of British Columbia Okanagan in Syilx Territory. She has trained and clinically supervised hundreds of Counseling Psychology students over the past 9 years in her academic roles at Simon Fraser University and the University of British Columbia.

Dr. Holly Graham is a member of the Thunderchild First Nation in Saskatchewan. She holds an academic appointment at the University of Saskatchewan. She also has an Indigenous Research Chair in Nursing. She has worked as a Registered Nurse in northern communities and is a Registered Doctoral Psychologist.

Dr Brenda Restoule is an Anishinabe-kwe and member of Dokis First Nation in the Robinson Huron Treaty. She is a Registered Clinical Psychologist in Ontario who works in First Nation communities and also leads the First Peoples Wellness Circle, an Indigenous led national not-for-profit organization that is dedicated to raising the profile of Indigenous mental wellness using Indigenous Knowledge and evidence.

Our Purpose:

The purpose of our podcast series is to mobilize and share Indigenous Knowledge related to trauma repair, recovery from addictions, community survivance, and care across Indigenous communities in Canada. Our goal is to provide listeners with access to conversations about the lived experiences of First Nations psychologists and leaders in the mental wellness field. We will discuss how that relates to challenges and successes in navigating and working within systems of care, as well as strength-based and cultural approaches to healing for Indigenous people.

The podcast episodes will discuss topics related to:

1) Strength-based approaches to care

2) Challenges and successes in the field

3) Personal perspectives and experiences; and

4) Analysis of the systems of care

This podcast series is developed by the Healing from Trauma and Reducing Addictions group, part of the Network Environments for Indigenous Health Research (ON NEIHR) Program. Situated in 10 sites across Ontario, ON NEIHR is demonstrating how health systems should move away from Western biomedical treatment of Indigenous medical illness to holistic, culturally based interventions instead. This program is funded by the Government of Canada, through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). This group is led by Dr. Holly Graham (University of Saskatchewan), Dr. Brenda Restoule (First Peoples Wellness Circle), and Dr. Alanaise Ferguson (University of British Columbia-Okanagan).

pihtikwê is produced and edited by Kailee Fawcett.

Assistant Producers: Carly Zagozewski & Simon Swanek.

Our theme music is Kâkike, written and performed by Fawn Wood, an award winning Cree-Salish musician and songwriter. You can learn more about her music at fawnwood.ca

In this episode, Dr. Ansloos discusses the significant implications of his work pertaining to suicide. He discusses the complexities of caring for individuals with serious trauma related to colonial violence, including how their experiences may be at once deeply painful, requiring support, yet hotly surveilled and sometimes criminalized. He describes his work as harm-reduction. Dr. Ansloos also discusses his personal wellness plan as a psychologist, as well as his critique of the current state of psychologist training and his vision for the future.

Our Guest

Dr. Jeffrey Ansloos, a Cree and English citizen of Fisher River Cree Nation, Ochékiwi Sípí, treaty five territory, Winnipeg, Manitoba, currently lives in Toronto where he is cross-appointed to the Department of Psychiatry and the Temerity Faculty of Medicine. He holds a tier two Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Studies and Health, Suicide Studies and Environmental Justice, and is the founding director of the Critical Health and Social Action Lab, a CFI funded innovation and research centre advancing Indigenous and community led approaches to health justice. Dr Ansloos is a Dorothy Killam Fellow, 2025, and a member of the College of New Scholars, Artists, and Scientists at the Royal Society of Canada. He is past president and board member of the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention, and contributes to national and international networks advancing suicide prevention and life promotion.

Our Hosts:

Dr. Alanaise Ferguson is a member of the Sandy Bay Ojibway First Nation and a Registered Psychologist in the Province of BC. She holds an academic appointment at the University of British Columbia Okanagan in Syilx Territory. She has trained and clinically supervised hundreds of Counseling Psychology students over the past 9 years in her academic roles at Simon Fraser University and the University of British Columbia.

Dr. Holly Graham is a member of the Thunderchild First Nation in Saskatchewan. She holds an academic appointment at the University of Saskatchewan. She also has an Indigenous Research Chair in Nursing. She has worked as a Registered Nurse in northern communities and is a Registered Doctoral Psychologist.

Dr Brenda Restoule is an Anishinabe-kwe and member of Dokis First Nation in the Robinson Huron Treaty. She is a Registered Clinical Psychologist in Ontario who works in First Nation communities and also leads the First Peoples Wellness Circle, an Indigenous led national not-for-profit organization that is dedicated to raising the profile of Indigenous mental wellness using Indigenous Knowledge and evidence.



Our Purpose:

The purpose of our podcast series is to mobilize and share Indigenous Knowledge related to trauma repair, recovery from addictions, community survivance, and care across Indigenous communities in Canada. Our goal is to provide listeners with access to conversations about the lived experiences of First Nations psychologists and leaders in the mental wellness field. We will discuss how that relates to challenges and successes in navigating and working within systems of care, as well as strength-based and cultural approaches to healing for Indigenous people.

The podcast episodes will discuss topics related to:

1) Strength-based approaches to care

2) Challenges and successes in the field

3) Personal perspectives and experiences; and

4) Analysis of the systems of care

This podcast series is developed by the Healing from Trauma and Reducing Addictions group, part of the Network Environments for Indigenous Health Research (ON NEIHR) Program. Situated in 10 sites across Ontario, ON NEIHR is demonstrating how health systems should move away from Western biomedical treatment of Indigenous medical illness to holistic, culturally based interventions instead. This program is funded by the Government of Canada, through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). This group is led by Dr. Holly Graham (University of Saskatchewan), Dr. Brenda Restoule (First Peoples Wellness Circle), and Dr. Alanaise Ferguson (University of British Columbia-Okanagan).

pihtikwê is produced and edited by Kailee Fawcett.

Assistant Producers: Carly Zagozewski & Simon Swanek.

Our theme music is Kâkike, written and performed by Fawn Wood, an award winning Cree-Salish musician and songwriter. You can learn more about her music at fawnwood.ca