Rez podcast in new light

Maisyn and Camryn Sock don’t pretend to speak for all Indigenous people living in Atlantic Canada.

Instead, their new podcast — burnt toast & piteway (tea, in English) — is meant to be a frank, friendly and fearless exploration of their own lives as young Mi’kmaw women, trying to find their place in a challenging world.

With all the negative news these days involving Indigenous issues, from fisheries disputes to the shocking statistics on missing and murdered First Nations women, it’s worth highlighting this positive story about two young, industrious Mi’kmaw women making their mark.

In a society that sadly still must too often deal with racism and prejudice, such a podcast can play an important role in building bridges, especially for a younger generation.

For those not familiar with podcasts, they’re like radio programs — you listen to them — except as pre-recorded, downloadable audio episodes. The subject matter can be about anything. The best provide genuine, original content.

The Socks’ twice-weekly podcast episodes so far have delivered. Begun only earlier this month, Maisyn and Camryn, 21, have given listeners often intimate takes on their own experiences, from their growing awareness of their own heritage to uncomfortable realizations about how others perceive and treat them.

The twins, from Eskasoni, about 40 kilometres southwest of Sydney on the shores of Bras d’or Lake, wanted to share personal stories and also honour their late grandmother, Elizabeth Paul, a lifelong Mi’kmaw language advocate and educator who died last year.

They say the podcast’s title evokes happy memories of their grandmother laughing while eating toast and drinking tea.

Mainly, Maisyn told Saltwire Network in a recent interview, people should expect to hear two siblings who love each other share how they’re growing. “We’re just two regular rez chicks trying to have fun,” she said.

We hope the Sock sisters’ new podcast will promote deeper understanding between often diverse cultures and build upon important efforts at reconciliation.

Give it a listen.