Culture is Healing

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 technology in preserving language and traditions, the pride in creating tools for future generations, and the vital role women hold in cultural leadership. Through personal stories and lived experience, Sonya offers insights on balance, faith, and the everyday lessons that shape who we become.
 
At its heart, this episode is about connection — to family, to community, and to cultural roots. A thoughtful listen for anyone reflecting on leadership, identity, and the impact of sharing what’s on your heart.

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 giving youth the support to dream bigger for themselves.
A listen for anyone who cares about youth, community, and the kind of allyship that is built over time.

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 January 6th, 2026. 

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.