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In this episode, Heather and Hoku speak with Katsi’tsakwas (Ellen Gabriel) about her recently published memoir, When the Pine Needles Fall: Indigenous Acts of Resistance (co-authored with Sean Carleton). Ellen is an activist and artist, and known worldwide for her role as the official spokesperson for the Longhouse during the 78-day Siege of Kanehsatà:ke in 1990 brought on by Oka, Quebec when the municipality initiated the disturbance of a sacred burial to make way for… a golf course parking lot. The book is a powerful blend of personal narrative and political analysis about the “Crisis that was caused by Oka.” Over the past 35 years, Ellen has remained a vital voice in the ongoing fight for Indigenous sovereignty, gender justice, language and land revitalization, and climate resilience. Her unique blend of art, activism, and diplomacy continues to inspire and mobilize both Indigenous and non‑Indigenous communities alike.
Ellen Gabriel is a Kanien’kéha:ka activist and artist from Kanehsatà:ke. In 1990 she graduated from Concordia University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, and she is a recent graduate from the New York Film Academy in documentary film making. In recognition of her 35 years of activism and artistic work, she was recently awarded the 38th Grand Prix from The Conseil des arts de Montréal. Ellen is the first Indigenous recipient. This year, she and co-author, Sean Carleton also won the Errol Sharpe Annual Book Award from the Society for Socialist Studies, the Canadian Historical Association’s Indigenous History Book Prize, and the Wilson Book Prize from the Wilson Institute for Canadian History.
This podcast is created by the Impact Chair in Transformative Governance for Planetary Health at the University of Victoria, with production support from Cited Media. We receive additional support from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research You can find us at https://indigenousplanetaryhealth.ca/
