Before I Go

MEANING, PURPOSE & JOY

Dedicated to our brother and uncle, Bill Blue. Hard to fathom that this is the final episode of Season 1…what an incredible journey. Today, Marion and Danielle begin by talking about the illness their brother/uncle is facing, the pain of this reality, and processing difficult emotions. Dani addresses the difficulty of being a caregiver, recognizing the strength it takes to carry that burden. “Why me…just because I can?” She has the most beautiful answer - “No, it's because of love." Marion talks about their family’s growth, and generational healing - about creating new neuropathways for change and how cycles can be interrupted. And the courage it takes to continue to stand even when life knocks you down.  The two women also talk about how the podcast began on a personal level, but became educational and advocational. The episodes were not all about MAiD, but addressed the intersection of environmental, medical, legal, and educational racism and the lack of agency that impacts Indigenous people every day.  The conversation then moves to the knowledge and wisdom shared by our wonderful guests! We celebrate how they have each shaped their spaces, and we hold our hands up to them, and these conversations that have changed us.  And finally, this podcast began as Marion planned the end of her life. She will continue to do so, but was able to share that she has been offered a new medical therapy. It is not a cure, but it is slowing the progression of the disease and giving her more quality time with us. We even have an update at the very end of the podcast!  Such a positive conclusion to Season 1, this fills us with gratitude and hope. Thank you, dear listeners, for walking on this journey with us. We look forward to being together again for Season 2! Until then, take care of yourselves, and know that we see you.  *****CONTENT WARNING***** Each episode of this podcast touches on subjects related to trauma, misogyny, racism, medical racism, sexual misconduct, Residential Schools, as well as many aspects of death and dying. Self-care is our priority, and we ask that you please take care as you listen, step away for a break when you need to, and use the resources below for support.  Mental Health Support Resources: https://www.hopeforwellness.ca/ [https://www.hopeforwellness.ca/] , 24/7 telephone: 1-855-242-3310, Online chat [https://www.hopeforwellness.ca/] NIHB Mental Health Services regional office [https://www.sac-isc.gc.ca/eng/1579274812116/1579708265237#email] First Nations Health Authority (BC), Toll-free: 1-866-913-0033,  info@fnha.ca [info@fnha.ca] MAiD Resources: https://www.fnha.ca/what-we-do/healthy-living/end-of-life-journey/medical-assistance-in-dying [https://www.fnha.ca/what-we-do/healthy-living/end-of-life-journey/medical-assistance-in-dying]   Centre for Education and Research on Aging [https://cerah.lakeheadu.ca/resources/palliative-care-resources/]   https://nctr.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/When-the-Time-Comes-Final-Edit-and-Format3510-march-24.pdf [https://nctr.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/When-the-Time-Comes-Final-Edit-and-Format3510-march-24.pdf]  https://www.dyingwithdignity.ca/blog/reclaiming-cultural-teachings-about-mortality-grief-loss-death-and-dying/ [https://www.dyingwithdignity.ca/blog/reclaiming-cultural-teachings-about-mortality-grief-loss-death-and-dying/]  https://endoflifedoulaassociation.org/doula-list-maid/ [https://endoflifedoulaassociation.org/doula-list-maid/]  https://camapcanada.ca/ [https://camapcanada.ca/]  https://abo-peoples.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CAP-2024-FinalReport-PEOLC-MAID_WEB_EN-.pdf [https://abo-peoples.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CAP-2024-FinalReport-PEOLC-MAID_WEB_EN-.pdf]   Grief & Loss Support Resources: https://www.beendigen.com/programs/talk4healing/ [https://www.beendigen.com/programs/talk4healing/]  https://www.hospicenorthwest.ca/services/outreach-program/ [https://www.hospicenorthwest.ca/services/outreach-program/] https://lumarasociety.org/indigenouswellness/ [https://lumarasociety.org/indigenouswellness/] , 1-866-9LUMARA, info@lumarasociety.org [info@lumarasociety.org]  https://livingmyculture.ca/ [https://livingmyculture.ca/]  Indigenous Books on Grief and Loss:https://www.strongnations.com/store/item_list.php?it=1&cat=3027 [https://www.strongnations.com/store/item_list.php?it=1&cat=3027]  Residential School Support Resources: https://www.irsss.ca/ [https://www.irsss.ca/] , 1-800-721-0066 for Survivors and Their Families https://nctr.ca/contact/survivors/ [https://nctr.ca/contact/survivors/] , The National Residential School Crisis Line 1-866-925-4419 [tel:1-866-925-4419]

PART 2 - BECOMING WHAT YOU'VE NEVER SEEN.

Today, in the second part of our conversation, Marion and Dani talk with Myrna McCallum about choices. About the trauma we carry, and how it informs all of our choices. About recognizing that the legacy of being a survivor of trauma means finding the strength to consciously choose to face each day.  Myrna shares her path to making new and better choices, what led her to advocacy work in the legal system, and her belief that the practices of medicine and of law have a responsibility to be trauma-informed, to stop the cycle of pain and racism. And finally, Dani, Marion, and Myrna talk about gratitude for the time they have spent together and how open, honest, and authentic conversations can be centring, inspiring, and healing. Thanks for listening. Please take care of yourselves, and if you need to, make use of the resources listed on our podcast main page. Episode-Relevant Links: https://angelasterritt.com/ [https://angelasterritt.com/] https://greystonebooks.com/products/unbroken?srsltid=AfmBOoqhuCNYtQusjdLaUrhMK40ubfBurFr4fRpCXe7mfEIpHuc6w42K [https://greystonebooks.com/products/unbroken?srsltid=AfmBOoqhuCNYtQusjdLaUrhMK40ubfBurFr4fRpCXe7mfEIpHuc6w42K]  https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-trauma-informed-lawyer/id1514824294 [https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-trauma-informed-lawyer/id1514824294]

HEALING IS THE ONLY IMPERATIVE. PART 1

We would like to dedicate today’s episode to the memory of Ty Iron.  Today, Marion and Dani share a no-holds barred conversation with lawyer Myrna McCallum who shares her lived experience with incredible honesty and insight.  Together they discuss residential schools, the resulting trauma and intergenerational trauma - and carrying the grief of our ancestors. Looking at coping with despair and the strength it takes to choose hope, they talk about the idea that when we heal, we can heal what our ancestors could not. Myrna also shares her experiences as a lawyer, the need for trauma-informed lawyering, and the importance of giving consideration to the people who bring in legal issues, not the legal issues alone. And finally, about healing - about truthtelling, acknowledging trauma, never forgetting the past, and dignity for Indigenous people  As always, please take care of yourselves and if you need to, make use of the resources listed on our podcast main page. **Content Warning:  Throughout this episode, there is discussion of the devastating experiences in residential schools and Indian hospitals, and at the time codes listed below, there is talk of suicide and drug use: 9:47 - drug overdose 10:13 - 24:48 - thoughts of suicide 46:05 - 47:36 - drug overdose and death ABOUT Myrna McCallum: Myrna McCallum is Métis Cree from Treaty Six Territory (Green Lake/Waterhen Lake First Nation), and a true changemaker and a leading champion of trauma-informed lawyering. She is the host of The Trauma-Informed Lawyer Podcast and also acts as a subject matter expert and consultant on trauma-informed advocacy, procedure, and policy. Myrna is also an author of 2 books: “Trauma-Informed Law: Primer for Lawyer Resilience and Healing”, and “Criminal Law: Canadian Law, Indigenous Laws & Critical Perspectives”, and founded the Justice as Trauma conference, which returned for a second year this March in Vancouver. She has taught several courses on trauma-informed principles and is currently writing her memoir. In 2020, Myrna received the Federal Department of Justice’s first ever Excellence in Legal Practice and Victim Support Award. McCallum defines trauma-informed justice as a system rooted in healing, cultural responsiveness, equity and community relationships. It focuses on restoring dignity and supporting the mental and emotional well-being of those who have been harmed while also protecting the psychological well-being of those responsible for delivering justice. Episode-Relevant Links: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-trauma-informed-lawyer/id1514824294  https://goodminds.com/products/healing-the-soul-wound-trauma-informed-counseling-for-indigenous-communities-second-edition?srsltid=AfmBOop62zhSMLzaiZr_-5QJd7wocuFwz6INEsZo63msKCuIWu1v3WRG  https://markwolynn.com/it-didnt-start-with-you/  http://www.iap-pei.ca/story-eng.php

THE PAST IS THE PRESENT.

Today’s episode looks at the term ‘environmental justice’, its meaning historically, and the shift to calling it what it truly is - ‘environmental racism’. Dr. Ingrid Waldron is the author of the award-winning book “There’s Something in the Water: Environmental Racism in Indigenous and Black Communities”. It is also a Netflix documentary of the same name, co-produced by Waldron, actor Elliot Page, Ian Daniel, and Julia Sanderson, and directed by Page and Daniel. Dr. Waldronjoins Marion and Dani to look at the legacy of environmental racism and its health impacts in Indigenous and Black communities in Canada, focusing on the grassroots resistance activities by Indigenous and Black communities against the pollution and poisoning of their communities in Nova Scotia. The environmental justice narrative there fails to make race explicit, obscuring it within discussions on class. This mutes the specificity of Mi’kmaq and African Nova Scotian experiences with racism and environmental hazards. They discuss how the effects of environmental racism are compounded by other forms of oppression to further dehumanize and harm communities already dealing with pre-existing vulnerabilities, such as long-standing social and economic inequality. This is not a thing of the past. This is happening now. The past IS the present. As always, please take care of yourselves and if you need to, make use of the resources listed on our podcast main page. ABOUT Dr. Ingris Waldron: Dr. Ingrid Waldron (MA, University of London; PhD, University of Toronto) is the HOPE Chair in Peace and Health in the Global Peace and Social Justice Program in the Faculty of Humanities at McMaster University. She teaches Peace, Environment and Health and Race, Place & Geographies of Violence in Indigenous & Black Communities (Special Topics Course) in the Global Peace and Social Justice Program in the Faculty of Humanities. She also teaches Social Justice Perspectives on Gender and Health in the Gender Studies and Feminist Research Graduate Program in the Faculty of Humanities. Dr. Waldron’s research interests focus on ecological violence and the structural determinants of health. She is Founder and Director of The Environmental Noxiousness, Racial Inequities and Community Health Project (The ENRICH Project), which inspired the federal private members bill - a National Strategy Respecting Environmental Racism and Environmental Justice (Bill C-230) – approved in 2021. She also co-founded the Anti-Environmental Racism Coalition, which has brought together organizations in the environment and climate change sector across Canada to collaborate on projects and share expertise and resources to address environmental racism and climate change inequities in Indigenous, Black, and other racialized communities in Canada. She is also a Member of the Board of Directors at Research Canada. Episode-Relevant Links: https://tv.apple.com/ca/movie/theres-something-in-the-water/umc.cmc.381z61woajenbm4uozr8gl788?action=play [https://tv.apple.com/ca/movie/theres-something-in-the-water/umc.cmc.381z61woajenbm4uozr8gl788?action=play] https://fernwoodpublishing.ca/book/there8217s-something-in-the-water [https://fernwoodpublishing.ca/book/there8217s-something-in-the-water] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itRiNmo3hq8 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itRiNmo3hq8]  *****CONTENT WARNING***** Each episode of this podcast touches on subjects related to trauma, misogyny, racism, medical racism, sexual misconduct, Residential Schools, as well as many aspects of death and dying. Self-care is our priority, and we ask that you please take care as you listen, step away for a break when you need to, and use the resources below for support.  Mental Health Support Resources: https://www.hopeforwellness.ca/ [https://www.hopeforwellness.ca/] , 24/7 telephone: 1-855-242-3310, Online chat [https://www.hopeforwellness.ca/] NIHB Mental Health Services regional office [https://www.sac-isc.gc.ca/eng/1579274812116/1579708265237#email] First Nations Health Authority (BC), Toll-free: 1-866-913-0033,  info@fnha.ca [info@fnha.ca] MAiD Resources: https://www.fnha.ca/what-we-do/healthy-living/end-of-life-journey/medical-assistance-in-dying [https://www.fnha.ca/what-we-do/healthy-living/end-of-life-journey/medical-assistance-in-dying]   Centre for Education and Research on Aging [https://cerah.lakeheadu.ca/resources/palliative-care-resources/]   https://nctr.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/When-the-Time-Comes-Final-Edit-and-Format3510-march-24.pdf [https://nctr.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/When-the-Time-Comes-Final-Edit-and-Format3510-march-24.pdf]  https://www.dyingwithdignity.ca/blog/reclaiming-cultural-teachings-about-mortality-grief-loss-death-and-dying/ [https://www.dyingwithdignity.ca/blog/reclaiming-cultural-teachings-about-mortality-grief-loss-death-and-dying/]  https://endoflifedoulaassociation.org/doula-list-maid/ [https://endoflifedoulaassociation.org/doula-list-maid/]  https://camapcanada.ca/ [https://camapcanada.ca/]  https://abo-peoples.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CAP-2024-FinalReport-PEOLC-MAID_WEB_EN-.pdf [https://abo-peoples.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CAP-2024-FinalReport-PEOLC-MAID_WEB_EN-.pdf]   Grief & Loss Support Resources: https://www.beendigen.com/programs/talk4healing/ [https://www.beendigen.com/programs/talk4healing/]  https://www.hospicenorthwest.ca/services/outreach-program/ [https://www.hospicenorthwest.ca/services/outreach-program/] https://lumarasociety.org/indigenouswellness/ [https://lumarasociety.org/indigenouswellness/] , 1-866-9LUMARA, info@lumarasociety.org [info@lumarasociety.org]  https://livingmyculture.ca/ [https://livingmyculture.ca/]  Indigenous Books on Grief and Loss:https://www.strongnations.com/store/item_list.php?it=1&cat=3027 [https://www.strongnations.com/store/item_list.php?it=1&cat=3027]  Residential School Support Resources: https://www.irsss.ca/ [https://www.irsss.ca/] , 1-800-721-0066 for Survivors and Their Families https://nctr.ca/contact/survivors/ [https://nctr.ca/contact/survivors/] , The National Residential School Crisis Line 1-866-925-4419 [tel:1-866-925-4419]

FROM HARM TO HEALING.

Today’s episode talks about the term ‘reconciliation’, and how including Indigenous voices and involvement is the way to see true change regarding the code of ethics and systemic racism within the Canadian Medical Association. The potential for harm as the only indigenous person in the medical education system and the medical system itself, has informed Dr. Cashin’s activism. From growing up in Cornerbrook NFLD, and studying at Memorial University, to her experiences working in a small rural hospital, Dr. Cashin’s experiences have inspired her advocacy in the area of education and policy.  It is so important to see representation, and be treated by people who look like we do. How can the medical community change its culture, be inclusive, supportive and welcoming? Alongside other Indigenous medical leaders, Dr. Cashin is helping to change the experience of Indigenous medical students, which will in turn change the experience if Indigenous patients within our medical system. As always, please take care of yourselves and if you need to, make use of the resources listed on our podcast main page. ABOUT Dr. Paula Cashin: Dr. Paula Cashin is a Mi'kmaw physician, the first Indigenous radiologist and nuclear medicine physician in Canada, and the first Indigenous female medical school graduate of Memorial University. She works in rural Newfoundland in teleradiology and recently completed a Master of Laws (LLM) in Dispute Resolution at Osgoode Hall Law School. Last year, as the Canadian Medical Association Board Vice-Chair, Dr. Cashin was a speaker at the CMA’s event to formally apologize for the role of the medical profession, in past and ongoing harms to First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples in the health system.  Episode-Relevant Links: https://www.cma.ca/our-focus/indigenous-health/apology-harms-indigenous-peoples [https://www.cma.ca/our-focus/indigenous-health/apology-harms-indigenous-peoples]  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-0v3sbwEpI [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-0v3sbwEpI]  *****CONTENT WARNING***** Each episode of this podcast touches on subjects related to trauma, misogyny, racism, medical racism, sexual misconduct, Residential Schools, as well as many aspects of death and dying. Self-care is our priority, and we ask that you please take care as you listen, step away for a break when you need to, and use the resources below for support.  Mental Health Support Resources: https://www.hopeforwellness.ca/ [https://www.hopeforwellness.ca/] , 24/7 telephone: 1-855-242-3310, Online chat [https://www.hopeforwellness.ca/] NIHB Mental Health Services regional office [https://www.sac-isc.gc.ca/eng/1579274812116/1579708265237#email] First Nations Health Authority (BC), Toll-free: 1-866-913-0033,  info@fnha.ca [info@fnha.ca] MAiD Resources: https://www.fnha.ca/what-we-do/healthy-living/end-of-life-journey/medical-assistance-in-dying [https://www.fnha.ca/what-we-do/healthy-living/end-of-life-journey/medical-assistance-in-dying]   Centre for Education and Research on Aging [https://cerah.lakeheadu.ca/resources/palliative-care-resources/]   https://nctr.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/When-the-Time-Comes-Final-Edit-and-Format3510-march-24.pdf [https://nctr.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/When-the-Time-Comes-Final-Edit-and-Format3510-march-24.pdf]  https://www.dyingwithdignity.ca/blog/reclaiming-cultural-teachings-about-mortality-grief-loss-death-and-dying/ [https://www.dyingwithdignity.ca/blog/reclaiming-cultural-teachings-about-mortality-grief-loss-death-and-dying/]  https://endoflifedoulaassociation.org/doula-list-maid/ [https://endoflifedoulaassociation.org/doula-list-maid/]  https://camapcanada.ca/ [https://camapcanada.ca/]  https://abo-peoples.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CAP-2024-FinalReport-PEOLC-MAID_WEB_EN-.pdf [https://abo-peoples.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CAP-2024-FinalReport-PEOLC-MAID_WEB_EN-.pdf]   Grief & Loss Support Resources: https://www.beendigen.com/programs/talk4healing/ [https://www.beendigen.com/programs/talk4healing/]  https://www.hospicenorthwest.ca/services/outreach-program/ [https://www.hospicenorthwest.ca/services/outreach-program/] https://lumarasociety.org/indigenouswellness/ [https://lumarasociety.org/indigenouswellness/] , 1-866-9LUMARA, info@lumarasociety.org [info@lumarasociety.org]  https://livingmyculture.ca/ [https://livingmyculture.ca/]  Indigenous Books on Grief and Loss:https://www.strongnations.com/store/item_list.php?it=1&cat=3027 [https://www.strongnations.com/store/item_list.php?it=1&cat=3027]  Residential School Support Resources: https://www.irsss.ca/ [https://www.irsss.ca/] , 1-800-721-0066 for Survivors and Their Families https://nctr.ca/contact/survivors/ [https://nctr.ca/contact/survivors/] , The National Residential School Crisis Line 1-866-925-4419 [tel:1-866-925-4419]