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How I Survived is a podcast about recreation at residential and day schools in the Canadian North that celebrates the strength resilience, spirit, and creativity of former students and Survivors.
If you are a Survivor or intergenerational Survivor of residential school or day school and need help, there is a free 24-hour helpline. Call 1-800-695-4419. You can learn more about other resources here: https://www.nwtrpa.org/resources
How I Survived Research Project
The How I Survived Podcast grew from a reserch project of the same name. The How I Survived research project was initiated in 2018 by the NWT Recreation and Parks Association (NWTRPA) and Gwichyà Gwich’in historian Dr. Crystal Gail Fraser (University of Alberta). The purpose of this project is to gather and share the stories of residential and day school Survivors about recreation. This project provides Survivors with an opportunity to share their experiences with the public and will also preserve their stories for future generations.
The research project and podcast are guided by a committee of Survivors and intergenerational Survivors that includes former Grollier Hall student and CBC journalist Paul Andrew (Shúhtaot’ı̨nę); elite cross-country skier and residential school Survivor Dr. Sharon Anne Firth (Teetł’it Gwich’in); long-time teacher Lorna Storr from Akłarvik (Aklavik); and filmmaker and photographer Amos Scott (Tłı̨chǫ). The project co-leads are Dr. Crystal Gail Fraser from the University of Alberta and Jess Dunkin from the NWT Recreation and Parks Association. Rebecca Gray is the project's research assistant.
The Hosts
Paul Andrew
Paul Andrew (Shúhtaot'ı̨nę, or Mountain Dene) was born in the Mackenzie Mountains and raised on the Land and in the community of Tulı́t'a. He spent his early years learning Dene traditions. Paul was first taken to residential school when he was eight years old; he spent seven years at residential school. Elected chief of Tulı́t'a at the age of 22, Paul also served as the vice president of the Dene Nation. Paul went on to become a journalist, spending almost 30 years with the CBC, working in both radio and TV. Paul has received numerous awards, including the Order of the NWT and a National Aboriginal Achievement Award. Paul is a resident of Yellowknife and is well known for his work in culture, residential school education, and healing. Paul is a student of Dene history, cosmology, pharmacology, ecology, and spirituality, and a singer of Dene love songs.
Crystal Fraser
Dr. Crystal Gail Fraser (she/her) is Gwichyà Gwich'in (also of English and Scottish ancestry), originally from Inuvik and Dachan Choo Gę̀hnjik, Northwest Territories. She is the granddaughter of Marka Andre and Richard Bullock and the great-granddaughter of Julienne The’dahcha (Andre) and Jean Tsell. Crystal is an associate professor in the Faculty of Native Studies and the Department of History, Classics, and Religion at the University of Alberta, on Treaty 6 territory. Crystal is the author of By Strength, We Are Still Here (2024), the first comprehensive study of Indian residential schools in the North. Crystal serves on national and international committees. She is a member of the Governing Circle of the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation and the National Advisory Committee on Residential Schools Missing Children and Unmarked Graves. Crystal is also a director for Gwich'in Council International.
The Producers
Jess Dunkin
Dr. Jess Dunkin (she/her) is a settler historian and writer who has lived in Sǫǫ̀mbak'è (Yellowknife), Treaty 8 territory and homeland of the Yellowknives Dene and North Slave Métis, since 2015. Trained at Trent University and Carleton University as a social historian of sport and leisure, Jess’s research interests have shifted since moving north in response to community collaborations and priorities to also include histories of residential schooling, land relations, and industrial development. Jess was a full-time staff member at the NWTRPA from 2015-20. She continues to work with the NWTRPA as the project manager of How I Survived. Jess is a research associate at Aurora College and an adjunct professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation at the University of Alberta. She is the author of Canoe and Canvas: Life at the Encampments of the American Canoe Association, 1880−1910 (UTP, 2019).
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Amos Scott
Amos Scott is a Tłı̨chǫ Dene filmmaker, photographer, and student. Amos started his career in journalism, working for CKLB, CBC North, and APTN National News. Amos wrote, created, directed, and produced the television program Dene: A Journey. The program’s two seasons aired on APTN in 2013 and 2015. Amos is one of the founders of Dene Nahjo, a Dene innovation and arts collective, and the principal of Adze Studios, which helps organizations and businesses produce high-quality HD videos and digital content for web, presentations, and marketing. He has travelled extensively in the North and loves working with smaller communities in the NWT. Since December 2021, Amos has been the project director for the Northern Indigenous Stewardship Circle. He is also the research manager for Dene Nahjo. In that capacity, he has been researching the early days of the Dene Nation. Amos loves to get out in the bush to learn from his ancestors.
The Cover Art
The cover art for the How I Survived Podcast is based on a wall hanging made by Inuvialuk artist and seamstress Agnes Kuptana. Agnes is a residential school Survivor from Uluksaqtuuq (Ulukhaktok).
The wall hanging is in the shape of an Inuvialuk drum. At the centre of the drum is a campfire, which is a place of community, warmth, sustenance, storytelling, and sharing knowledge. Around the campfire are four seasonal activities: spring hide tanning, summer kayaking or canoeing, fall fishing, and winter snowshoeing.
The wall hanging that Agnes designed and sewed represents some of the things that gave Indigenous children from across the NWT strength and helped them survive residential and day school: the Land, culture, way of life.
The Theme Song
The theme song for the How I Survived podcast is "Love the Light." It was written and performed by K’áhsho Got’ı̨nę singer-songwriter Stephen Kakfwi. Stephen is a Survivor of Grollier Hall, Akaitcho Hall, and Grandin College.
This song was recorded as part of the Gho-Bah/Gombaa (First Light of Day) Project in 2017. The project, which was led by Juno Award-winning Sahtúot'ı̨nę singer-songwriter Leela Gilday and which featured artists from across the NWT, explored reconciliation through song.
If you are a Survivor or intergenerational Survivor of residential school or day school and need help, there's a free 24-hour support line. Call 1-800-695-4419. You can learn more about other resources here: https://www.nwtrpa.org/resources
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