Culture is Healing

In this episode of Culture Is Healing, George Harris Jr. speaks with Musqueam weaver Aleen Sparrow about how culture can be lived as a daily practice of healing, connection, and identity.

Aleen reflects on learning to weave at the kitchen table with her mother and aunties, and how those moments shaped her understanding of weaving as both art and relationship.

Together, they explore how practices like weaving and canoe pulling build resilience, community, and intention in everyday life, alongside Aleen’s experience walking in Vancouver Indigenous Fashion Week as a powerful expre...

This week on Culture Is Healing, George Harris Jr sits down with Stan Matthew to share stories shaped by decades of healing, lived experience, and cultural teachings.

Stan is a nuučaan̓uł leader and healing practitioner from the David family of ƛaʔuukʷiʔatḥ First Nation, with over 35 years of experience supporting individuals, families, and communities through healing.

Centered on applying traditional knowledge to modern mental health challenges, Stan speaks to how ceremony, prayer, and storytelling supported his journey through trauma and addiction—and how those same practices continue to guide othe...

We’re back for a new season of Culture is Healing—and we’re starting it off with a powerful conversation with Malina Dawn.

In this episode, George and Malina explore what it looks like to live your healing, not just talk about it. Drawing on teachings from the Medicine Wheel and Malina’s relationship to yoga and movement, they reflect on how culture can guide us through different seasons of life—and how practices like ceremony, breath, and connection to land can support emotional balance in a real, everyday way.

This conversation is a reminder t...

For our final episode of Season 4 George sits down with Tanille Johnston. Tanille is the first Indigenous person to ever have their name represented on a federal political party's leadership ballot in Canadian history. 

This episode explores the role of ceremony, the teachings of elders, and the responsibility of embracing our individual gifts—not just for personal growth, but for the wellbeing of the community and future generations. 

Tanille also shares her journey into political leadership, reminding us that representation, advocacy, and cultural pride are powerful acts of healing in action.

George sits down with Mateo Kostering — proud member of the Musgamagw Dzawada’enuxw Nation and the ’Namgis Nation — founder of the Indigenous Athletics Academy, and lifelong athlete whose journey from community tournaments to semi-pro coaching has been guided by discipline, culture, and service. 

Mateo shares why resilience must be practiced daily, why winning isn’t the only measure of success, and how sport can reconnect young people to identity, belonging, and purpose. 

This conversation is a grounded reminder that when you show up as yourself, remain consistent and build strong communities around youth, you’re not just devel...

What does it mean to carry culture into everyday life — not just in ceremony, but in how we speak, lead, parent, and show up for community?

In this episode of Culture is Healing, Sonya Williams (Councillor, Education Coordinator, and Education Committee Chair, Sq’éwlets First Nation ) shares reflections on leadership, family teachings, and the importance of using your voice. She speaks about the responsibility of not walking away with words left unsaid, and how speaking up can be an act of care for community.

The conversation also touches on the role of tech...

What helps a young person believe in their future? Sometimes it starts with a coach, a ceremony, or one trusted relationship.

In this episode, Deana Gill shares how sport, culture, and mentorship are creating real change for Indigenous youth and communities. From her early days in child protection to leading Hope and Health, she reflects on what she’s learned about showing up with humility, building trust, and creating spaces where young people feel they belong.

This conversation moves beyond big ideas about reconciliation and into what it looks like in action — relationships, cultural safety, and...

Josh shares his story honestly in this one.

Josh Drummond (therapist and close friend of George) speaks openly about growing up Indigenous without being raised with his culture. 

He shares his experiences in child protection work, and the added layers of care, pain, and responsibility that come with supporting Indigenous families through healing. 

This conversation comes back to reconnecting with culture and what that can look like for different people.

George sits down with his mentor and educator William Taylor!

Drawing on teachings from elders, storytelling, and decades of experience in education, William shares the most meaningful teachings he’s received.

George and William touch on how cultural ceremonies and mentorship are grounded in love and support. 

This conversation encourages you to reflect on your own gifts and how they can strengthen both learning and community.

George Harris Jr. and Jessica Johnson discuss what culturally grounded education requires of educators beyond good intentions.

This episode focuses on how teachers can navigate community protocols with care, support language- and land-based learning, and understand belonging as a responsibility rather than an outcome. 

George Harris Jr. talks with Leah George-Wilson, four-term Chief of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation, about how ceremonies, elders, and ancestral connections guide personal and community well-being.

They explore the responsibility we all share to learn Indigenous histories, the power of cultural practices to heal from trauma, and why including Indigenous voices in decision-making matters now more than ever.

George Harris Jr. sits down with Coast Salish artist Jesse Recalma to explore how cultural practices, ceremonies, and artistic expression can support healing.

Jesse shares personal stories of learning from his grandfather, passing on Coast Salish teachings through carving, painting, and language revitalization.

Season 3 of Culture is Healing is closing out with this powerful finale!

George Harris Jr. sits down with Katie Marren—a Cree-Métis, English, and Irish educator, mother, and District Principal of Indigenous Education—to explore how culture and education can create healing for Indigenous young ones and communities as a whole.

Katie opens up about her personal story and shares how important Indigenous voices, language revitalization, and cultural ceremonies are in creating trust and reconciliation. 

We are taking a break for the holidays and will be back with more conversations and teachings on Janua...

This week’s guest is Waubgeshig Rice! 

George and Waub share teachings about how healing moves between generations. 

The episode shares guidance on participating in cultural renewal without appropriation and speaks to the responsibility that comes with engaging with culture respectfully.

George Harris Jr. and Nola Jeffrey reflect on the healing ceremonies, cleansing practices, and community teachings that have supported their experiences with trauma. 

They emphasize the importance of daily self-care—especially for those in helping roles—and offer simple cultural practices anyone can use to release the heaviness felt inside and find grounding. 

This conversation also shares the work happening at Tsow-Tun Le Lum, where cultural teachings and community support people through recovery in meaningful, accessible ways.

 In this week’s conversation, George Harris Jr. and educator Kelsey Crawford explore how cultural healing, community support, and everyday acts of presence can transform the lives of Indigenous youth.

Together, they reflect on the power of elders, regalia, music, and seasonal teachings in helping young people build identity, confidence, and connection.

Their discussion offers practical insights for educators and community members committed to creating safe, culturally grounded spaces where youth can truly thrive.

In this episode of Culture Is Healing, Rachael Hunt and George Harris Jr. talk about what it means to return home — to culture, ceremony, and community. 

Rachael shares ancestral wisdom and teachings from the Eighth Fire.

The conversation is a call to remember that culture isn’t something we practice once in a while — it’s something we live. 

Whether through prayer, gratitude, or presence, every moment can become ceremony.

In this episode of Culture is Healing, George Harris Jr. sits down with Jenn Smith of the Tlowitsis Nation, a leader in Indigenous Cultural Safety and reconciliation work. 

Together, they speak about how self-love can be an act of reclamation and how personal journeys of cultural connection are vital for identity and healing. 

Jenn shares how ancestral teachings, truth-telling, and community care help repair what colonialism tried to take — reminding us that healing deepens when culture is at the centre of our lives.

Education can be a place of deep healing when guided by culture, story, and community.

George and his friend Colleen Mullin share a conversation about bringing Indigenous language, teachings, and community connection into education in meaningful ways. 

George reflects on moments of racism and insensitivity he faced as a student, and how those experiences shaped his commitment to creating safer, more understanding learning spaces.

 They speak on the progress that has been made, the care it takes to do this work well, and how storytelling continues to open doors for healing and understanding.

Gabriel George Sr. speaks to canoeing as a teacher — one that carries lessons of discipline, unity, and spirit.

He reflects on how revitalizing language has restored strength and pride to his community. 

He points to the guidance of elders, who remind us that healing also means breaking harmful cycles and choosing a different way forward.

At the heart of it all, Gabe emphasizes that love and connection to culture are what make reconciliation possible.

“Art and music helped me survive.”

This week, George shares a raw conversation with Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw’s Benjamin Lewis.

Ben opens up about his recovery from addiction, sharing the story that led him to hosting his own 12-step meetings. He also talks about how turning back to culture and creativity became his way through.

For Ben, art and music aren’t just passions — they’re lifelines.

In this episode, he shares some of his songs — honest, heavy pieces that speak to the realities of residential schools, abuse, and what it means to li

This week’s episode with Tchadas Leo is packed with teachings to help us reach our fullest potential.

He talks about how smudging became a foundation in his reconnection to culture, and how patience can transform everything — the way we live, the way we create, and the way we heal.

Tchadas also shares why joy and purpose are not optional, but essential parts of healing and living well.

This week’s guest is family—George’s brother-in-law, Cal Swustus Jr., from Cowichan Tribes.

Cal shares how he navigates walking in two worlds - Indigenous and Western.

Listeners will hear teachings on rites of passage, the guidance of Elders, and how storytelling and performance are great tools for moving through grief and growth. 

Cal nudges listeners to lean on culture as a source of healing and to carry it forward for the generations to come.

Richard Van Camp and George Harris Jr. share a conversation about the signs we receive from those who have passed on. 

They speak to how oral storytelling, cultural practices, and creative projects carry us through loss. 

Richard reflects on his experiences as a Tłı̨chǫ storyteller and author, and on the ways culture connects us across generations.

To learn more about our work at CheckingIn visit https://checkingin.co/

In the final episode of Season 2, host George Harris Jr. sits down with storyteller and TV host Bob Kronbauer—better known as BC Bob—for a conversation rooted in stories—about learning, and unlearning.

They share about how salmon, harvesting and food have brought people together in their lives and created deeper understanding. 

Bob shares about his own learning path as a non-Indigenous person building relationships with Indigenous communities—speaking about what it means to show up with respect, ask questions, and commit to lifelong learning.

The truth that was woven into this episode i...

This week’s episode of Culture is Healing feels a little closer to home — because George’s guest is his sister, Iona Harris.

They share memories from their upbringing in Stz’uminus First Nation. They share how, in their home, culture has always been a way of life, and family a built-in support system and source of teachings.

Iona also brings forward her own teachings — shaped by her community and her time in social work at a delegated Aboriginal agency.

The conversation is a reflection of how healing begins within family and ripples outward in...

What grounds you when life gets hard?

For Qwuy’um’aat (Eyvette Elliott), it’s culture and family.

In this episode, Qwuy’um’aat offers reflections shaped by her experience as an Indigenous mother. Her snuw’uy’ulh (teachings) speak to how you can live in alignment with your values, carry wisdom forward to the next generation, and prioritize time for healing through connection. 

This episode is a soft place to land for anyone navigating parenthood, holding grief and joy at once, or simply needing a reminder that you are not walking alone.

This conversation goes beyond the idea that culture heals — it asks how we live that truth in our everyday lives.

Vanessa Lesperance is a Métis woman originally from Treaty 1 territory, and Ariana Fotinakis is Anishinaabe. Both speak candidly about what it means to reclaim culture when you weren’t raised in it, and the messy, sacred work of navigating identity as women of mixed Indigenous heritage.

They reflect on how language, humour, grief, and even rage can be part of the healing — and why reclaiming culture isn’t about perfection, but participation.

Alongside...

Carrying the names and languages of our ancestors — especially when we didn’t grow up with them — is a powerful kind of healing.

In this episode, Victoria Fraser (Siqaltunaat) shares what it means to walk with language — as a learner, teacher, and descendant. She reflects on the grief and beauty of reconnecting with culture, and how both children and elders play a vital role in keeping language and teachings alive.

Our words, stories, and teachings carry power — and that healing begins with remembering who we are.

To learn more ab...

What does it mean to carry your culture forward while still learning it yourself?

Kalila George-Wilson of Tsleil-waututh Nation joins George to talk about the teachings that live in everyday moments.

From the kitchen table to the classroom, Kalila shares how ceremony, nature, and ancestral guidance have shaped her path.

This episode is a reminder that healing and learning often go hand in hand—and that culture lives in how we speak, listen, and show up for one another.

What does it mean to reclaim identity after generations of disruption?

In this episode, George is joined by detani hoshis tsekwi ( Carrie Lamb), an Indigenous HR leader and co-founder of Sacred Workplaces, for a personal conversation about the long road back to cultural connection.

Carrie opens up about her childhood trauma, spiritual awakenings, and the teachings that have shaped her work in transforming colonial systems from within. 

They share teachings about how ancestral wisdom lives in our DNA, how cultural practices can guide us through grief, and why leadership rooted in Indigenous values i...

George sits down with Smulthun (Thomas George Jr.), a cultural practitioner from Halalt First Nation with deep roots across the Coast Salish world. Known for his work in men’s wellness, sweat lodge ceremonies, and youth support, Smulthun reflects on how cold water baths, traditional medicine, and ancestral teachings have guided his healing. 

He shares teachings from his grandmother, takeaways from years of spiritual practice, and what it means to carry cultural knowledge with care and accountability. 

This episode reminds us that healing isn’t always loud or visible — sometimes, it looks like water, medicine, ceremony...

In this episode of Culture is Healing, we sit down with Indigenous food sovereignty advocate, chef and storyteller Qwustenuxun.

Rooted in Salish culture and drawing from over a decade of experience cooking for Elders in his home community of Quw’utsun, Qwustenuxun shares powerful reflections on the spiritual, cultural, and communal role of food.

From inherited teachings to the sacred responsibility of preparing food with care, this conversation explores how nourishment goes far beyond the physical—and how ancestral knowledge continues to guide us in kitchens, in ceremony, and in life.

 ...

For our first episode of season 2, George is joined by Len Pierre - Puleeqweluck, a Coast Salish educator, consultant, and knowledge sharer from Katzie First Nation.

Len is an award-winning entrepreneur, professor, TEDx Speaker, and social change-maker whose work focuses on decolonization, reconciliation, and transforming education systems.

We speak about the path of cultural reconnection — the fears that come with it, the healing found in ceremony, and the deep importance of identity, belonging, and access.

Len shares what it means to approach culture as a way of being, not a standard to meet. Th...

As the final episode of Season 1, this conversation brings us back to the heart of what Culture Is Healing is all about.

Montana Fox, an Anishinaabe writer, bead weaver, and Community Engagement Manager at CheckingIn, joins us for a conversation on identity, belonging, and culture.

Together with George Harris Jr., she reflects on the quiet, everyday practices that help her stay rooted in who she is and where she comes from.

From ceremony to small acts of care, this episode is a reminder that culture lives in how we choose to show up...

This week on Culture is Healing, George Harris Jr. sits down with Cameron Park, an educator who is a settler who spent over 20 years learning from the Stz’uminus First Nation community.

From language and ceremony to grief and generosity, Cameron reflects on the teachings that shaped him—lessons you won’t find in any textbook.

It’s a conversation about showing up with heart, earning trust, and learning in ways that leave a mark for life.

George is joined by Atawni Hall of Sq’ewlets First Nation—a mother of five and Program Coordinator for q’eyéx.

Atawni speaks openly about her path to sobriety, and how movement, ceremony, and language have supported her healing. She reflects on breaking harmful cycles, raising her children with teachings, and staying grounded in who she is becoming.

She also shares how life in Sq’ewlets looks a little different—how the Nation is made up of people from many territories, and how, without their own traditional songs and dances, they create space for traditions...

This week’s episode is rooted in resilience.

George Harris Jr. and Ryan Boyer reflect on their personal paths of reconnecting to identity, community, and ancestral teachings. 

Ryan, a counsellor of mixed Celtic, Norse, Slavic, and Cherokee ancestry, shares perspectives shaped by his work in First Nations mental health and his own healing journey.

They speak to the emotional and spiritual healing that happens when we’re seen, when we’re heard, and when we’re held in culture.

This episode reminds us that resilience isn’t always loud—it can be found in q...

In this episode of Culture is Healing, host George Harris Jr. sits down with Katy Carson who shares her path of reclaiming Indigenous identity and connection to her community. 

They share memories of the ceremonies that shaped them. Katy reflects on her experience of embracing her Métis heritage and the importance of asking questions, learning from mistakes, and honouring the evolving path of cultural growth.

 Their conversation is a reminder that reconnecting with who we are is not a destination—it’s a lifelong journey supported by community, ceremony, and heart.

To learn m...

In this episode of Culture is Healing, host George Harris Jr. is joined by Aaron Moore who is a dedicated social worker with familial connections to Cowichan Tribes, Stz'uminus First Nation, & Penelakut Tribes. Together, they reflect on the role of culture in healing—not just as a concept, but as a lived practice.

Aaron shares stories from his work supporting Indigenous families and reflects on the importance of cultural humility and taking time to build trust. He also speaks to the spiritual strength that children often carry. Additionally, he highlights the need to honour cultural protocols in ev...