Episode Details

A must watch, this episode of The Gravity Well Podcast delves into the complexities of cultural appropriation and misrepresentation, particularly focusing on Indigenous identities. I acknowledge the podcast’s previous missteps in vetting guests and aim to rectify the situation by inviting Gabrielle Weasel Head and KJ McCusker (Jules) to discuss the impacts of misrepresentation. Gabrielle, from the Kainai Nation, and Jules, half Inuit and half Dene, with a background in Indigenous studies and community work, share their insights on the violence and harm caused by cultural appropriation. They emphasize the importance of ethical relationships and understanding one’s identity. The conversation highlights the need for genuine engagement with Indigenous communities and the dangers of superficial understanding through quick courses or certifications. The episode concludes with a call for deeper, more respectful interactions and a return to land-based knowledge and practices.

Welcome and Introduction to Gabrielle and Jules

Jenny:

Welcome to the Gravity Well Podcast. Here we break down heavy ideas into small buckets that you can handle. Our mission is simple. Help us work through your dilemmas in conversation and process. Together, we and our community will face your dilemmas and make the world a better place for all beings. In the spirit of truth, I acknowledge I’m a settler on Stolen Blackfoot Tree Seven and Metis District Five and Six territories. I take reconciliation by seeking the wisdom of elders and individuals who aim to restore water, air, land, life, and community. A healthy living relationship with the Earth and each other is our guide. Okay, I’m pleased to invite both KJ and Gabriel to the discussion today. I’m going to give a little bit of background for folks before I get into this. So we had a guest on our show. I did make our public announcement in our interview with a guest last week, I’m just going to hit the highlights of it.

We had a guest we dedicated four episodes to and didn’t adequately vet the guest, misrepresented both him and the community that we were intending to represent. I aim to host authentic conversations with members of the community that we’re discussing, and so we apologize for the error that we made and we’ve gone to the effort of taking down the material. We’re doing our best to make that right. And so I’m here with two people who have offered to help us work through what misrepresentation is. We’re going to start with just what is it. Then we’re going to get into what does it do? And then we’re going to talk about how we can move forward together and some ideas that we’ve already worked through. Again, I’m grateful to be for the Blackfoot Confederacy community has allowed us to rectify this and move forward in a way that’s beneficial for all of us. So grateful. If you wouldn’t mind, Gabrielle, you’re first on my screen. Can you please introduce yourself, offer a bit of your background first, and then you’re welcome to get into helping describe misrepresentation and cultural appropriation for us. Thank you.

Meet Gabrielle & Jules and Their Introduction to the Problem of Misrepresentation

Gabrielle:

Oki. Hi there. My name is Tsapinaaki Gabrielle Weasel Head. I am from the Kainai Nation, also known as Blood Tribe, which is part of the Blackfoot Confederacy. I work as an associate professor in indigenous studies with Mount Royal University, and I was born and raised in my community in my nation, the Kainai Nation, I’ve just consistently been off of my nation now for about 14 years. So I’ve been residing in Mo now the city of Calgary for 14 years. And yeah, so I am happy to be invited here to speak about some of the issues and why this, I believe, not just why I believe this is, but the rise of what we would refer to in Canada as “Pretendians” and how I’ve grown up.