Red Power Rising: Tanya Talaga & Shane Belcourt

In this conversation, David Peck interviews Tanya Talaga and Shane Belcourt about their film Red Power Rising, which explores Indigenous storytelling, narrative sovereignty, and the ongoing struggles faced by Indigenous communities in Canada. The discussion delves into the importance of reclaiming narratives, the layers of history and human rights within the film, and the distinction between being a warrior and a terrorist. They also address the systemic issues within Canadian society, the need for education reform, and the hope for future generations to thrive through cultural reclamation.Tanya Talaga is an award-winning Anishinaabe and Polish Canadian journalist, author, and filmmaker whose work powerfully centers Indigenous voices in Canadian public life. Raised in Toronto with deep roots in Fort William First Nation, Talaga spent more than two decades at The Toronto Star, becoming a leading voice on Indigenous affairs. Her acclaimed first book, Seven Fallen Feathers (2017), examined the deaths of seven First Nations students in Thunder Bay and won the RBC Taylor Prize and the Shaughnessy Cohen Prize. She later delivered the CBC Massey Lectures, published as All Our Relations.Through her company Makwa Creative and her latest book The Knowing (2024), Talaga continues to illuminate history, justice, and Indigenous resilience. For more info on Tanya head here: www.makwacreative.caShane Belcourt is a Métis filmmaker, writer, cinematographer, and musician whose work explores Indigenous identity, urban Métis life, and the complexities of belonging. Born in Ottawa, Belcourt gained national recognition with his debut feature Tkaronto (2007), which premiered at imagineNATIVE and won Best Director at the Dreamspeakers and Talking Stick Film Festivals. His diverse body of work includes feature films, documentaries, and television, including Red Rover (2018), the acclaimed documentary Beautiful Scars (2022), and the drama Warrior Strong (2023).A four-time Canadian Screen Awards nominee, Belcourt continues to tell compelling stories that blend cultural insight, creativity, and emotional depth in contemporary Canadian cinema.For more info on Shane head here: www.shanebelcourt.comDavid Peck is a writer, speaker, and award-winning podcaster who works at the intersection of storytelling, social change, and meaningful dialogue. As the host of Face2Face and former host of Toronto Threads on 640 AM, he has published over 650 in-depth interviews with some of the world’s most compelling thinkers, artists and storytellers, including Viggo Mortensen, Sarah Polley, Raoul Peck, Werner Herzog, Chris Hadfield, David Cronenberg, Jason Issacs, Gillian Anderson and Wade Davis. With a background in philosophy and international development, David brings a thoughtful, globally aware perspective to every conversation.He’s a published author and experienced keynote speaker, known for creating spaces where complexity is welcomed and ideas come alive. Whether moderating panels, hosting live events, or speaking on issues ranging from ethics to media, David’s work is grounded in a deep curiosity about people. At heart, he simply loves good conversation — and believes it’s one of the best ways we grow, connect, and make sense of the world.For more information about David Peck’s podcasting, writing and public speaking please visit his site here.F2F Music and Image Copyright: David Peck and Face2Face. Used with permission. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.