How do we find freedom from the relentless demands of capitalism? How do we cultivate rest as a radical act of resistance and revolution? How do we learn from, centre, and support Indigenous sovereignty? How do we learn from Black organizing and resistance, and see Indigenous and Black liberation as coexisting side-by-side? How do we avoid the co-opting of grassroots movements, and stay clear headed about who we are in solidarity with?

Poet, scholar, and community organizer Erica Violet Lee joins Reseed host Alice Irene Whittaker for a powerful conversation about freedom, resistance, and belonging. Erica is a two-spirit nehiyaw writer from inner-city Saskatoon and Thunderchild Cree Nation. She is a Steering Committee member of Indigenous Climate Action, and she has worked with Idle No More, the Canadian Youth Climate Coalition, and the David Suzuki Foundation among others in the pursuit of Indigenous feminist freedoms. She has spoken around the world for people in universities and community organizations alike. She has been published in outlets like The Guardian and the CBC. Erica’s work relates to Indigenous freedom, governance, law, sovereignty, feminism, love, and joy.

At its heart, this conversation is about the pursuit of freedom. It is about relationships to land, and to each other. It is about safeguarding the integrity and authenticity of grassroots movements, instead of branding and absorbing them into the dominant order by celebrating only their most palatable and non-threatening aspects. This is a conversation about the power of words and poetry to change the world, and feeling the rage and love of this moment at which we are alive - and remembering that our rage is a form of love. 

Read the transcript and show notes at reseed.ca.