Ep. 39: Soft as Bones: The Strength Beneath Tenderness with Chyana Marie Sage

Our guest this week is Chyana Marie Sage, a Cree-Métis and Salish memoirist, journalist, poet, model, and author of the national bestselling memoir Soft as Bones. Dr. Candace and Chyana unpack truth-telling, survival, and the power of naming your own story.Chyana speaks vulnerably about her journey from silence to self-expression, describing how writing her memoir became an act of reclamation, giving voice to her younger self who had once been silenced by trauma and shame. She shares how traditional Cree-Métis healing practices, women’s circles, and language revitalization became lifelines throughout her process of writing and recovery.The two reflect deeply on what it means to be a truth teller in a colonial world that rewards silence, the body’s wisdom when something feels wrong, and the ways love, in all its forms, sustains us. They unpack the intersections of colonial violence, relational trauma, and how survivors can reclaim their narrative without apology.Chyana’s honesty about navigating toxic relationships, gaslighting, and her realization that “sometimes we’re not in love with them, we’re in love with our reflection in them” opens space for listeners to reflect on their own experiences of love, loss, and awakening.This episode is a reminder that healing doesn’t get rid of the pain, but alchemizing it into power, creativity, and truth.@softasbones- Relentless Reflection Where in my life am I still staying silent to “keep the peace,” and what would it look like to honour my truth instead of protecting someone else’s comfort?How do I relate to my own healing—do I see it as an isolated journey, or as something held within community, land, and lineage?Relentless Actions Choose a body of water, a patch of forest, or even a quiet spot outside your home. Sit, breathe, listen. Notice what shifts in your body when you allow the land to be a relational teacher rather than a backdrop. Buy a book, attend a talk, share their work, subscribe to a newsletter, or donate to a project. Decolonial practice includes shifting resources and attention toward Indigenous-led narratives and knowledge.Relentless ResourcesYellowhead Institute Land Back online course. This free, self-paced seven-module course explores the scale of land dispossession in Canada and Indigenous strategies for reclamation and consent-based relationships with land and governance.Matriarch Movement Podcast - A powerful platform amplifying Indigenous women, Two Spirit, and gender-diverse voices. A grounding resource for relational accountability, cultural healing, and Indigenous storytelling.Send Us a Text with Your Thoughts or Questions!Join the RIW Patreon Community RIW WebsiteMusic Produced by Award-Winning Anishnaabe DJ Boogey the Beat