REGINA -- A new Regina-based podcast is aiming to connect Indigenous youth with their culture by sharing the success stories of other First Nations people.

The Comeback Podcast was founded by two sisters, Alicia Morrow and Lexie Obey. It highlights Indigenous excellence in hopes of showing young listeners that they can accomplish anything. 

THE ORIGIN

The podcast is a branch of work under The Comeback Society, which Morrow launched following a car crash five years ago. 

“Two years ago I was told that I was going to be permanently disabled for the rest of my life and I had a really hard time coming to terms with that,” Morrow said. “I had to come to a new normal, so I created The Comeback Society with clothing and sharing stories about invisible disabilities.” 

She said a lot of people reached out at that time. 

“I realized that there was a need for this type of group, where we could offer support and have a judgemental-free zone,” Morrow said. 

Since then, the way the organization shares its message has evolved. Following a hiatus, The Comeback Podcast launched in November. 

“We wanted to put together our oral storytelling but modernize it, so we decided to start the podcast,” Morrow said. 

CONNECTING WITH YOUTH

Morrow said they hope to share the stories of different Indigenous people from different walks of life, and where they are right now. 

“We want to highlight, ‘How did you get there, despite everything you’ve been through? How did you overcome it and how are you today?’” Morrow said. 

Morrow and Obey both grew up in the city, and said they did not have access to their culture due to intergenerational effects.

“We really struggled with our identity and not really knowing where we fit in,” Morrow said. “We really want to be able to offer what we didn’t have. I think it’s really important that we have a lot more Indigenous faces and voices leading the way.” 

Obey works in child welfare, specifically with Indigenous youth, and said there is a gap in cultural services and Indigenous programming. 

“Often times we find if there’s a lack of cultural programming, youth will go and search out identities in other places,” Obey said. “Being able to create a space online, and eventually in person, where youth or Indigenous urban youth in the city can find people that look like them would be very helpful in creating a stronger generation.” 

The podcast is hosted by the two sisters, but now they are bringing more guests into their episodes. 

Future guests include an Indigenous police officer, comedian, journalist and several podcasters. 

Obey said she hopes that when Indigenous youth listen to the podcast, they can see a part of themselves. 

“I hope they can take that away and realize there is spaces for them to exist and that their existence is important,” she said. 

FUTURE GOALS

The Comeback Society is a registered non-profit organization. The sisters hope to expand in the future by offering workshops and cultural programs to the community. 

They would like to start a ribbon skirt and ribbon shirt program in the near future, and further down the line, they hope to create a Kokum and Mushum program to connect Indigenous elders with children who otherwise do not have that connection. 

The sisters said the podcast will continue as The Comeback Society expands. New episodes of The Comeback Podcast will now be released weekly and will be available every Sunday.