In this episode, we sit down with serial entrepreneur Ryan St. Germaine, a visionary leader who helped found the Indigenous Tech Circle, a network of nearly a thousand Indigenous tech professionals. Ryan reflects on his entrepreneurial journey, his family history, and the responsibilities that come with leading in both business and community.

Our conversation touches on themes of digital sovereignty, collective strength, and the importance of creating our own spaces rather than waiting for permission to join others. Ryan speaks candidly about the balance between Indigenous values and the often extractive nature of the tech industry, and why moving forward with courage and faith is essential. Along the way, he shares the story of Tech Circle’s growth, the challenges of sustainability, and the vision of building an ecosystem rooted in Indigenous knowledge, governance, and innovation.

This is a powerful dialogue about resilience, responsibility, and the future of Indigenous leadership in technology. We hope you will explore it as an invitation to think about how we connect, invest, and shape digital spaces.

Gila’kasla!

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A very special thanks to Compulsion Soundlabs for sharing their musical talent, which you are hearing as the intro and outro music in this series!

In this episode, we chat with the inspiring and visionary Tamara Goddard, a fierce advocate for Indigenous economic sovereignty and community-led healing. Tamara is the founder of Four Our Future, where she supports land-based economic development and Indigenous entrepreneurship rooted in ancestral knowledge and nation rebuilding. Tamara is joined by her business associate, Sam - someone has a lot to share about his journey in support of Indigenous innovation.

Tamara shares with us her approach to prosperity grounded in land, community wealth, and spiritual and cultural belonging. We explore her belief that reclaiming economic systems is a central pillar of self-determination and healing, and we imagine what Indigenous futures could look like 400 years from now.

We're honoured to bring you this conversation. Settle in, open your heart, and join us as we dream bigger with Tamara.

Gila’kasla!

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A very special thanks to Compulsion Soundlabs for sharing their musical talent, which you are hearing as the intro and outro music in this series!

Happy New Year! To kick off 2025 we're excited that you'll join us in speaking to Anita Pawluk, Founder of Race Rocks 3D - an Indigenous-owned training company that utilizes cutting-edge technology. One of their largest partners is the Royal Canadian Navy. In this episode we learn a lot about what it means to work with not only the Canada government but its Armed Forces in all matters pertaining to listening to, working with, and training from coastal Indigenous communities across the furthest reaches of the north. Gila’kasla!

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A very special thanks to Compulsion Soundlabs for sharing their musical talent, which you are hearing as the intro and outro music in this series!

We've got a fascinating and important episode for you today. Our guest is Ja'Elle Leite, CEO of Ultralogix Inc., who is a veteran of data management. Tommy and Lawrence speak with her about how to engage Indigenous communities when it comes to capturing and using their data. Ja'Elle provides a wealth of experience and insight about what it means to interact with Indigenous data. One of her many important points is that Indigenous data tells stories on its own terms. The question is whether or not we are willing to listen. In this case, she doesn't mean through data visualization tools. Join us to learn more listening and learning with and from Indigenous data. Gila’kasla!

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A very special thanks to Compulsion Soundlabs for sharing their musical talent, which you are hearing as the intro and outro music in this series!

Not all that long ago when our series started, very few of us had tried AI. The idea of even interacting with AI was almost absurd. One year ago, only a few industries began experimenting with AI. Now, in 2024, AI is everywhere... What does that mean for Digital Indigeneity? What does this mean for Indigenous peoples? How do our conversations adjust in response - or should they? Is AI merely hype? Is it a colonial trap? Is it possible for AI to liberate not only Indigenous communities but empower them? Does it make sense to continue talking about Digital Indigeneity in the way we have thus far?

Join Lawrence, Al, and Tommy as they reconnect and dive into not only AI - but what lies ahead for One Feather, Two Pens

Gila’kasla!

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A very special thanks to Compulsion Soundlabs for sharing their musical talent, which you are hearing as the intro and outro music in this series!

In Episode 8 Tommy and Lawrence chat with the venerable James Delorme, VP of Community Development at Salish Elements. James is one of our most fun yet most insightful guests. He brings a wealth of knowledge and insight into helping us understand what is meant by an Indigenous lens on all things technology, collaboration, innovation, and co-operation. James also helps us think through what is at stake and what is meant by decolonization, and one of it's remedies: Indigenization.

Thank you all for your patience during our prolonged absence. Tommy took some time to prioritize family and health, but we're back and more grateful than ever to be resuming our journey together. James is a wonderful fit for resuming our exploration of Digital Indigeneity so sit back, relax, and enjoy!

Gila’kasla!

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A very special thanks to Compulsion Soundlabs for sharing their musical talent, which you are hearing as the intro and outro music in this series!

In Episode 7 we speak to Melissa Giles-Hardy, owner, President, and CEO of ORIGIN - a company that design, develops, and delivers technology experiences to drive employment while also protecting and promoting culture for Indigenous peoples across Turtle Island.

It's no surprise that Melissa is recipient of multiple awards, including the 2021 RBC Innovative Company of the Year award, the Indigenomics Top 10 Business's To Watch in Canada, the 2019 Northern Ontario, Influential Women's Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and the Confederation College President's Award in 2019 - as well as a nominee for the 2019 Ontario Premier Award.

As you can see, Melissa is not only a passionate innovator. She is also a passionate community member who is motivated to use technology, specifically Virtual Reality, to do many amazing things: to provide Indigenous youth in remote communities opportunities to learn about new jobs, to train Indigenous peoples to do new jobs or upskill in certain areas, and to also record, preserve, and create interactive VR-based media content that protects and promotes Indigenous cultural practices, learnings, and lessons. For example, using a VR headset to interact with Elders providing the viewer a language lesson.

This is one of our favourite episodes. It is full of incredibly powerful insights and advice. We're honoured to have Melissa on the show.

Gila’kasla!

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A very special thanks to Compulsion Soundlabs for sharing their musical talent, which you are hearing as the intro and outro music in this series!

In Episode 6 we speak to Matthew Norris, Senior Policy Analyst at the British Columbia Assembly of First Nations, and President of the Urban Native Youth Association. As a former candidate for Vancouver city council and a PhD student in UBC's Department of Political Science, Matthew has and continues to be exposed to numerous important intersecting Indigenous developments and issues. Between Matthew's grassroots community work and advocacy along with his academic studies on United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), Matthew has much to contribute toward the emerging discussion around Indigenous digital identity and Indigenous digital space.

We decide to explore Indigenous digital space and community in particular, and we are guided by some great questions Matthew raises throughout: how might be Indigenous digital communities be made? What are the pitfalls and divides, and how can we avoid them? When these spaces are constructed, what algorithms guide us through them and what content are prioritized? What does it mean to have a voice in this arrangement, and how do we subsequently think about, with, and through accountability?

Gila’kasla!

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A very special thanks to Compulsion Soundlabs for sharing their musical talent, which you are hearing as the intro and outro music in this series!