Two Spirit, Too Strong - Bryson Syliboy tackles his detractors and life head on.

12/31/19 • 25 min

Bryson Syliboy is Mi'kmaw and Two Spirited. An outspoken advocate for both the Indigenous and LGBTQ communities on social media, he humerously refers to himself as "Bryson The Gaytive", and despite facing his fair share of detractors and haters, remains undetered. In this episode we discuss the challenges of being Two Spirited, the negative effects of residential school on culture, revitalization of the Mi'kmaw language, cultural appropriation, the use of racist symbols and more. Bryson's current Twitter handle is @ArnallLabrador.

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A Legacy of Leadership-Facing the Challenge of Leading a Municipal Government in Nunavut

Uqi Chuck Pizzo-Lyall is the recently elected Mayor of Taloyoak (formerly Spence Bay) Nunavut, Canada. One of a new breed of young, Northern leaders, Chuck and his community face many challenges in the Canadian Arctic. Chuck comes from a family of leaders. His grandfather, Ernie Lyall, came by ship from Labrador, Canada, and travelled the Arctic by dog team. He and Chuck's grandmother Nipisha, an Inuk from the Eastern Arctic, raised a large family and Ernie was a key interpreter and witness to many historic events in the Baffin Region over half a century. Chuck's father Charlie and Uncle Bill have played key roles in the politics and leadership in the Central Arctic over the years. Although wildlife and country food is still plentiful in the area around Taloyoak, the community faces many challenges. In this episode we discuss the cost of store bought food, maintaining culture and language, over-crowding in local housing, and what it takes to keep a community functioning in the far reaches of the Canadian Arctic.

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undefined - Tradition Worth Saving, A Future To Prepare For - Iqaluktuuttiaq creates traditional healing programs, modern infrastructure and prepares for COVID-19

Tradition Worth Saving, A Future To Prepare For - Iqaluktuuttiaq creates traditional healing programs, modern infrastructure and prepares for COVID-19

The small Canadian Arctic hamlet of Iqaluktuuttiaq (Cambridge Bay) is located on Victoria Island, and lies on the Northwest Passage in the Arctic Ocean. As do other Arctic communities, the hamlet faces many issues such as climate change, food insecurity, overcrowding in houses and now the Coronavirus. Despite these challenges, the community moves forward using traditional camps to heal those with addiction issues, engaging elders to teach traditional skills to the young, while also providing opportunities for the young to develop new strengths such as digital media production and other modern skills. In this episode we speak with Pamela Gross, the mayor of Iqaluktuutiaq, regarding these topics and more.