Welcome to the RAD Story Lodge. In this special episode, Amberly Quakegesic sits down with master birchbark canoe builder Chuck Commanda. Chuck speaks to the legacy of birch bark canoes which, for millennia, have carried families, stories, trade, ceremony, survival, and a way of seeing the world rooted in relationship with the land. As Chuck begins stepping into retirement, Amberly now walks alongside Chuck as his apprentice. Together, they reflect on the importance of keeping the knowledge alive for future generations–both how to build canoes and how to rebuild our relationship with the land.

The RAD Story Lodge is hosted by RAD Network. We seek to center Indigenous rights and leadership within conservation finance and nature-based solutions. Learn more about RAD Network here.

This episode was produced by Karim Rizkallah and hosted by Amberly Quakegesic, with music by Digging Roots. The RAD Story Lodge is made possible with funding from Environment and Climate Change Canada.

Links:

• Blog - Reflection from Amberly: https://landneedsguardians.ca/latest/once-a-guardian-always-a-guardian
• Chuck Commanda Instagram: @birchbarkcanoeman
• Wahkohtowin Canoe Build video: https://youtu.be/zCsgW7PtDqs?si=6YxFYTxPQdoiu3To
• Blog from 2020 - The first canoe build: https://landneedsguardians.ca/latest/building-a-canoe-strengthening-guardianship
• RAD Network website: https://radnetwork.ca/
• RAD Network mailing list: http://eepurl.com/iNvdM6
• RAD Network socials: Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook
• Digging Roots: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6jXRPYI1uhTRJKuetXMRpj?si=ncoOz3VdSwe_p0fqpXtdag

Welcome to the RAD Story Lodge. This episode features a conversation with Valérie Courtois, Executive Director of the Indigenous Leadership Initiative (ILI) and a leading expert on the national movement of Indigenous-led conservation and stewardship building across Canada.

The RAD Story Lodge is hosted by RAD Network – a network that seeks to center Indigenous rights and leadership within conservation finance and nature-based solutions. Learn more about RAD Network here.

This episode was produced by Arina Isaeva (Wolf Eye Productions) and hosted by Amberly Quakegesic, with music by Digging Roots. The RAD Story Lodge is made possible with funding from Environment and Climate Change Canada.

Links:

• RAD Network website: https://radnetwork.ca/
• RAD Network mailing list: http://eepurl.com/iNvdM6
• RAD Network socials: Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook
• ILI website: https://www.ilinationhood.ca/
• ILI socials: LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
• Valérie Courtois bio: https://www.ilinationhood.ca/leadership-team/valerie-courtois
• Indigenous Guardians: https://www.ilinationhood.ca/guardians
• Digging Roots: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6jXRPYI1uhTRJKuetXMRpj?si=ncoOz3VdSwe_p0fqpXtdag

Welcome to the RAD Story Lodge, a podcast hosted by RAD Network. In this episode we hear about Wahkohtowin Development’s efforts to cultivate an Indigenous stewardship economy in Treaty 9 territory. In partnership with Mikro-Tek, Wahkohtowin is applying mycorrhizal fungi to tree seedlings to improve forest health and tap into a new revenue stream from carbon finance.

David Flood and Leigh Fox bring us to the heart of the vision: where Indigenous stewardship drives economic sovereignty and opportunity, calling young people home to work in meaningful roles in their communities. Adrian Perreault offers her firsthand perspective of what it meant to her to take part in the work as a Guardian and her journey bringing that knowledge home to her community.

Listen to Part 1: The Fungal Factor to learn more about Mikro-Tek and their innovative mycorrhizal technology.

This episode was produced by Arina Isaeva (Wolf Eye Productions) and co-hosted by Randi Russell, Amberly Quakegesic and Delta Flood, with music by Digging Roots.

Links:

• Linked episode: Roots of a Stewardship Economy - Part 1: The Fungal Factor
• Video: Wahkohtowin & Mikro-Tek
• Wahkohtowin website: www.wahkohtowin.com
• Mikro-Tek website: https://www.mikro-tek.com/
• RAD Network resources: https://radnetwork.ca/tools-and-reports/
• RAD Network mailing list: http://eepurl.com/iNvdM6
• RAD Network socials: Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook