Unreserved
CBC Podcasts & Radio On-Demand
A fearless space for Indigenous voices. Join Rosanna Deerchild every Friday for vibrant conversations with our cousins, aunties, elders, and heroes. Rosanna guides us on the path to better understanding our shared story. Together, we learn and unlearn, laugh and become gentler in all our relations.
Our award-winning show is rooted in radio, where we’ve spent the last decade becoming a trusted space for Indigenous-led conversations.
We are based in what is now known as Canada. Rosanna hails from O-Pipon-Na-Piwan Cree Nation at South Indian Lake in northern Manitoba, and now lives and works in Winnipeg (Treaty 1).
Location:
Canada, ON
Networks:
CBC Podcasts & Radio On-Demand
Description:
A fearless space for Indigenous voices. Join Rosanna Deerchild every Friday for vibrant conversations with our cousins, aunties, elders, and heroes. Rosanna guides us on the path to better understanding our shared story. Together, we learn and unlearn, laugh and become gentler in all our relations. Our award-winning show is rooted in radio, where we’ve spent the last decade becoming a trusted space for Indigenous-led conversations. We are based in what is now known as Canada. Rosanna hails from O-Pipon-Na-Piwan Cree Nation at South Indian Lake in northern Manitoba, and now lives and works in Winnipeg (Treaty 1).
Twitter:
@cbcradio
Language:
English
Website:
http://www.cbc.ca/unreserved
Episodes
Global Indigenous Solidarity with Palestine
10/10/2025
‘All our relations’ is a saying often heard in the Indigenous community. Many from Turtle Island feel a responsibility to care for relations across the globe. As violence and uncertainty continue in Gaza, Rosanna speaks with Indigenous artists, activists and health care workers about the connection they feel with Palestinians, and how they’re driven to speak out, take action and make space for grief and healing.
Duration:00:56:24
Remembering Graham Greene
10/3/2025
From the silver screen to theatre stages and televisions across the world, Graham Greene was a trailblazing actor and legend. He brought nuance, humour and grit to many roles, paving a way for generations of Indigenous actors. Graham Greene died last month at age 73. Rosanna speaks to his friends, family and fans about his many roles in art and in life, and the legacy he leaves behind.
Duration:00:54:09
A Call for Justice
9/26/2025
94 calls – but who’s answering? Jolene Ashini is – she is the first lawyer to emerge from her community and is determined to change the system from the inside. And Senator Pate is giving voice to 12 Indigenous women who have been silenced by the system. Rosanna speaks with two women responding to the 94 Calls to Action in the area of justice.
Duration:00:49:17
The rise of Indigenous cinema
9/19/2025
Tired of the “leather and feather roles” of Hollywood, Eva Thomas headed home to Canada where she saw investment in films made for, and by, Indigenous creators. Rosanna sits down with Indigenous filmmakers to talk about the abundance of Indigenous-led film being featured at festivals around the world.
Duration:00:48:30
How to be a good ancestor
9/11/2025
Stephanie Sinclair thought it was a parenting win when she explained residential schools to her kindergartener. When it didn't go quite as planned, she looked to the greater community to explore ways of sharing culture and important family histories with future generations. Rosanna speaks with Stephanie and her sister Sara Sinclair as well as award-winning writer, katherena vermette, about what it takes to be a good ancestor.
Duration:00:46:31
Introducing Brian Anderson and the wild world of wrongful convictions
9/5/2025
In 2023, Brian Anderson was exonerated -- 50 years after he was convicted of a murder he did not commit. Rosanna sits down for the first of this season’s conversations with Brian and others involved in his case. We hear how the story of this miscarriage of justice is inspiring advocates to challenge and change a flawed legal system.
Duration:00:49:41
Lessons on resilience at the Winnipeg Folk Festival
7/25/2025
Anindilyakwa is one of approximately 800 dialects spoken by Indigenous people in Australia and it’s one of the ways singer-songwriter Emily Wurramara shares stories and inspirations from her territory and her people. Guest host, Don Amero, speaks with Emily Wurramara, Al Cardinal and Jasmine Collette at the Winnipeg Folk Festival about what it takes to be brave, speak truth and re-write the occasional rule.
Duration:00:45:04
A conversation with the creators of North of North
7/18/2025
Canada’s Arctic was the only place the series North of North could be shot – because there’s no other way to capture the humour, culture and modernity of the people there. The show gives us a glimpse of Inuit Nunangat through the fictional town of Ice Cove. Rosanna speaks with Stacy Aglok MacDonald, Alethea Arnaquq-Bariland and Anna Lambe about how they’re putting community at the centre of their storytelling.
Duration:00:44:21
BONUS | How do you remain authentic as an Indigenous podcaster?
7/8/2025
In a compelling panel discussion, Falen Johnson sits down with Karyn Pugliese (CBC, APTN, Canadaland), January Rogers (2 Ro Media, Ojistoh Publishing), and Kairyn Potts and Scott Wabano (The Real Rank Podcast) to talk about the ever shifting landscape of podcasting. How do Indigenous creators stand out, develop audiences while maintaining an authentic voice? What does sovereignty look like in a digital and audio space?
Duration:00:44:48
Unmapped: St. John’s
6/20/2025
In a vault below a museum in St. John’s sit the remains of a Beothuk woman named Demasduit. Rosanna travels to Newfoundland and Labrador to hear her story and how it informs the complicated history of North America’s oldest city. Demasduit was abducted in life and in death – her skull taken to Europe for study and then locked away for nearly 200 years. We explore a city known for its colourful houses and robust military and communications history, with the on-going story of Demasduit in mind.
Duration:00:54:09
The strength of Inuit drum dancing
6/13/2025
The Kilaut, or Inuit drum, is bigger than many hand drums – but small enough to be wielded by its drum dancers. Rosanna heads to St. John’s Newfoundland and Labrador to learn about a tradition that was almost lost due to colonial bans on cultural practices and expressions. She meets singers, drummers and dancers who are reclaiming and sharing this cherished Inuit tradition.
Duration:00:51:00
How Indigenous practices use fire for good
6/5/2025
As wildfires devastate communities, it can be hard to see fire as a tool for good. Guided by Indigenous stewards, fire can also be a force for renewal. Dr. Amy Cardinal Christianson is working to bring back cultural burning practices that colonization once outlawed. She says these fires are good for community and for the land – and can even help prevent wildfires. Rosanna speaks to fire researchers and a fire keeper about the role fire plays in Indigenous land stewardship, ceremony and culture.
Duration:00:51:47
Celebrating Difference: Indigenous Perspectives in Health
5/30/2025
Cree teachings tell us that difference is not a deficit – and autistic children are a gift. This week Rosanna sits down with Indigenous healthcare professionals who are celebrating our differences, whether it’s putting an Indigenous lens on autism research or broadening the circle to better support and care for our Two-Spirit kin. Through stories of strength, culture, and compassion, this episode highlights how celebrating identity improves health outcomes and builds thriving communities.
Duration:00:50:13
Sacred Seven: The Wolf Carries Humility
5/23/2025
The Tuscarora are in a race against time to save the red wolves which once numbered in the thousands.
Only a handful remain due to highway fatalities. A solution was in the works until the Trump administration froze all federal funding, driving the red wolf closer to extinction. Rosanna speaks with conservationists fighting to save and support wolves on Tuscarora territory and across Turtle Island.
Duration:00:46:18
Walk the Red Carpet at the East Coast Music Awards
5/16/2025
Canada's first Inuk professional classical singer quit her beloved job as a teacher to pursue music fulltime. Now she's raking in the awards — including Indigenous Artist of the Year at the East Coast Music Awards. Rosanna hits the red carpet with Deantha Edmunds and the other Indigenous nominees to celebrate their success and hear what drives their passion for music and story.
Duration:00:34:48
The evolution of hoop dancing
5/9/2025
When Theland Kicknosway was seven years old he had a dream of hoop dancing in the rainbow. A few years later that dream became a reality when he discovered LED hoops. This week Rosanna hears from hoop dancers who are keeping the tradition alive and helping it evolve for future generations.
Duration:00:53:59
The power of a 70-year-old friendship centre movement
4/25/2025
Every week a group of elders gather at a Friendship Centre in St. John’s. They first came here several decades ago looking for connection – and they continue to find it, while also offering cultural supports to all who visit. This week Rosanna hears from people with a long relationship with friendship centres who describe the evolution of a cultural movement and how its foundation is inspiring new generations and iterations of these community hubs across Turtle Island.
Duration:00:54:09
David A. Robertson on living with mental health's little monsters
4/17/2025
For David A. Robertson, anxiety and depression are some of the little monsters he’s learning to live with. He sits down with Rosanna to share how his latest book All the Little Monsters: How I Learned to Live with Anxiety has been helping him to heal, build community and break the silence around mental health struggles.
Duration:00:54:09
Canada Votes: How Indigenous people are finding power in the process
4/11/2025
Andrea Landry says she’s Anishinaabe, not Canadian, and that’s why she won’t be voting in the Canadian election. Today Rosanna sits down with three activists and political advocates who are using their voices to push for change. For some it means voting and holding candidates to account. For others, there is more power in focusing their energy on family and community.
Duration:00:51:33
Sacred Seven: The Bear and its lessons on Courage
4/4/2025
The Great Bear Rainforest is the only place you’ll find the Spirit Bear – a courageous protector of that land. Rosanna hears from a “Spirit Bear Whisperer” on how the rare species is using its tough love to change the hearts and minds of those who visit the territory. Join us for stories and lessons from our bear relatives in the latest edition of our occasional series, Sacred Seven.
Duration:00:50:21