Councillor Peters has worked with First Nations in both political and non-political capacities for more than four decades, applying his extensive organizing knowledge to promote and advance Indigenous sovereignty. He formerly served as Deputy Grand Chief, an elected position within the Association of Iroquois and Allied Indians (AIAI). He also served as Ontario Regional Chief for the Assembly of First Nations for 12 years and as head of the AIAI for four years. He is an author and educator and is frequently invited to speak on issues related to First Nations communities, economic development, and cultural development.

In addition to his work with the AIAI and the Assembly of First Nations, Councillor Peters was instrumental in the creation of the Centre for Indigenous Sovereignty, a non-profit corporation that prioritizes the development and implementation of First Nations initiatives focused on rebuilding Indigenous communities.

Through his work at the Centre, Councillor Peters has also played a key role in preserving the Lunaapeew language in the Delaware Nation in southwestern Ontario. Due to the pervasive and ongoing effects of racism and colonialism in Canada, earlier generations were discouraged from passing along this critical component of Lunaapeew culture and identity. Over the past decade, Councillor Peters has worked with Elder Dianne Snake, the last fluent speaker of Lunaapeew, to train a new generation of speakers. Through this collaborative process, Lunaapeew is now taught to youth in Delaware Nation schools.

This episode features Dr. Bernice Downey. Dr. Downey is a woman of Ojibwe and Celtic heritage, a mother, and a grandmother. She is a medical anthropologist whose current research interests include Indigenous women's heart health, health literacy, Indigenous Traditional Knowledge, and health and research system reform for Indigenous populations. She is a Heart & Stroke Foundation-CIHR Early Career Chair in Indigenous Women's Heart and Brain Health. She is also the inaugural Associate Dean, Indigenous Health for the Faculty of Health Sciences, and a former Acting Director of the McMaster Indigenous Research Institute.

Dr. Downey has participated in multiple national and international Indigenous research policy initiatives, including serving as a two-term member of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research's Institute of Aboriginal Health Advisory Board, helping plan and participate in the International Network of Indigenous Health Knowledge Development, and serving as Chief Executive Officer of the National Aboriginal Health Organization, whose mandate included a strong research and knowledge translation focus.

As part of her post-doctoral fellowship role with the Department of Graduate Studies at McMaster, Dr. Downey led the development of the innovative Indigenous Undergraduate Summer Research Scholars Program and the McMaster Indigenous Research Institute.

This episode features Dr. Christopher Mushquash. Dr. Mushquash is a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Mental Health and Addiction, and Professor in the Department of Psychology at Lakehead University and the Division of Human Sciences at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine University. He is also Vice President Research at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre and Chief Scientist and Chief Operating Officer at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute. He is the Director of the Centre for Rural and Northern Health Research at Lakehead University. In addition to his academic appointments, Dr. Mushquash is a registered clinical psychologist providing assessment, intervention, and consultation services for First Nations children, adolescents, and adults at Dilico Anishinabek Family Care. In 2025, Dr. Mushquash was inducted as a Fellow in the Royal Society of Canada. Dr. Mushquash is Anishinawbe (Ojibway) and a member of Pawgwasheeng (Pays Plat First Nation).

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