Our Story
“Henceforward, the interests of one will be the interests of all, for in concrete fact everyone will be discovered by the troops, everyone will be massacred— or everyone will be saved”
Our podcast began as part of a graduate course called Decolonization, Settler Colonialism and Antiblackness taught by Eve Tuck at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at The University of Toronto.
The intention of the course, and the podcast, is to examine settler colonialism and antiblackness as entwined historical and contemporary social structures. The podcast appraises lived consequences for Indigenous peoples, Black peoples, European settlers, and other arrivals. It considers theories of decolonization and abolition within settler colonial contexts.
The podcast goes right to some of the most compelling discussions in Indigenous studies and in Black studies regarding the mutual implications of Indigeneity and Blackness on “selfsame” land (Tuck, Guess, & Sultan, 2014).
It is rare to have these conversations, so we must go slowly, go generously, go respectfully to the work.
The creation of our podcast was made possible through the mentoring of Chelsea Vowel, co-host of the podcast MÉTIS IN SPACE. Chelsea made us a mini-series of podcasts on podcasting, and helped us to think through directions the podcast might take.
Elizabeth LaPensée generously provided artwork for the podcast.
The Henceforward Podcast theme music is by A Tribe Called Red.
Ryan McMahon provided production guidance and other strategic and technical support. We are proud to be part of the Indian and Cowboy Podcast Media Network.
Much of this first season was recording during Black Live Matter Toronto's Tent City, a public protest which showed some of the important connections between Black and Indigenous communities, and possibilities for future organizing in Toronto and elsewhere.
Season one launched with three episodes in July 2016. The launch of the podcast coincides with much grief and rage in the aftermath of extrajudicial killings of Black people by police and ongoing violence against Indigenous people and land. This podcast is made by and speaks to that grief and rage. Other ways of being in relationship are needed now.
“Henceforward is the name for the struggle that must always begin again.”