{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"The Road to Your Name Podcast","title":"Road To Your Name - Season 6, Episode 9: Visiting with Serene Porter — Culture, Design & Indigenous Youth at the North American Indigenous Games","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":2453,"description":"Episode Title: Serene Porter — Culture, Design & Indigenous Youth at the North American Indigenous Games Show: The Road to Your Name Host: Lisa VanEvery 🎧 Listen: https://share.transistor.fm/s/e961e8f1Episode Summary: This episode was recorded in December 2023.  In this episode, Lisa sits down with Serene Porter—Wolf Clan, Mohawk Nation, at Six Nations of the Grand River—who served as the Director of Culture & Engagement for the 2023 NAIG in Halifax. Serene discusses how she infused Indigenous culture into a major multi-nation event, how her background in graphic design and photography informed the experience, and how her consulting work now supports Indigenous youth, wellness and cultural competency. The conversation explores the power of language, art, safe spaces and community-led design in creating meaningful Indigenous-led experiences.In This Episode: • Serene’s role in planning the 2023 NAIG: from airport arrival to sport venues, cultural villages in Halifax and Dartmouth, to supporting 5,000+ Indigenous youth. • How Indigenous culture was integrated into every aspect of the Games: traditional sports like box lacrosse and canoe/kayak, language signage for Mi’kmaq, translation phonetics, Brave Spaces in athlete accommodations. • The concept of “Brave Spaces” rather than “safe spaces” — enabling youth to feel seen, share, and connect through art, smudging stations, weaving, journaling and quiet space. • Serene’s background in graphic design, photography, and the self-care workshops she facilitates (art materials, nature, mindfulness) and how this work overlaps with her consulting business. • The cultural awareness training Serene developed for over 3,000 NAIG volunteers: covering pre-contact history, Treaty education, allyship, privilege, bias, and actionable reconciliation. • Serene’s current work: consulting for youth-focused Indigenous programs, supporting organizations in Indigenous cultural competency, and her role with the Juno Awards in Halifax as...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/EMAPSU_o9vetcBfJJ4OU41woZtyCGFgI7d9nIXpjEOY/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9iMGM3/MjAxOGE0Njg1ZWVj/MWUxZTFkMzllNmI3/ZWQzZi5qcGc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}