About the show
Indigenous people speaking for themselves.
Beyond Colonial Borders brings together leaders, Elders, knowledge holders, professionals, and community voices for raw and meaningful conversations about governance, law, identity, language, lived experience, and Nation building.
What the show is
Beyond Colonial Borders is an Indigenous-led podcast hosted by Alyson (Aly) Bear, a Dakota woman, lawyer, and leader from Whitecap Dakota Nation. It creates space for real conversations with Elders, knowledge holders, Indigenous leaders, legal professionals, community members, and people from many different walks of life.
The series explores Indigenous governance, law, identity, language, self-determination, and Nation building, and goes deeper into the lived experience behind those subjects. Guests talk openly about where they come from, what they have experienced, what they have learned, the challenges they have faced, and what they hope to leave for the generations coming after them.
It is grounded in Indigenous voices and experiences, but it is not only for Indigenous audiences. Whether through identity, family, leadership, culture, resilience, community, or simply a story that feels familiar, there are many ways in.
Honest, educational, and sometimes uncomfortable, but above all, human.
How each episode works
A real conversation
Each episode is one long-form, one-on-one conversation rather than a scripted interview, with enough time for guests to tell stories and take the discussion where it matters to them.
Researched, not scripted
Preparation is specific to each guest: their background, their work, and their community or Nation where appropriate. The outline stays flexible on purpose.
Watch, listen, or catch a clip
Every conversation is released as a full video episode and an audio podcast, with shorter clips for social platforms. The full conversation always stays at the centre.
The people behind it
Host and Creative Lead
Alyson (Aly) Bear
Whitecap Dakota Nation. Leads the conversations and the creative direction of the series.
Project Lead and Writer
Jayden (Jade) Montana
George Gordon First Nation. Leads coordination, research, guest preparation, writing, and educational content.
Filming and Studio
Bamboo Shoots
Films the sit-down conversations in a professional studio setting.
Post-production and Distribution
Trevor Percy
3Fish Strategy
Edits, finishes, and releases each episode in video, audio, and short-form.
Around the core team is a much larger circle: Elders and knowledge holders from across the Oceti Sakowin (Seven Council Fires), Whitecap Dakota Nation leadership, and Indigenous leaders, professionals, and community members. Some join as guests. All of them help guide the conversations worth having.
Our approach to knowledge
Permission to record is not permission to use everything.
Traditional knowledge, community stories, and lived experience are not treated as content. That knowledge belongs within relationships, families, communities, and Nations. Our work is guided by OCAP® principles (Ownership, Control, Access, and Possession) and by the specific protocols of the people and Nations involved, because protocols are not the same everywhere.
Before recording, guests understand how their conversation may be edited, where it may be shared, and how clips or educational resources might be created from it. Where Elders or knowledge holders are involved, we follow the protocols they and their communities direct.