Nature of hosting

Please come on in. Pitewey? Have some tea?

Make yourself at home and take a listen. But first let’s acknowledge that we are already being hosted—on the unceded, ancestral land of the Mi’kmaq. And this land has so much to teach us about hosting. In fact, when we set out to talk to people about hosting, one of our first stops was the Windhorse forest on the South Shore. That afternoon, in the midst of our conversations, we were often stopped in our tracks by the rush of the nearby river, the warmth and sparks of the fire, and the wind in the trees. So we carried those moments with us as we continued on our visits.

Those moments became gateways into a more intuitive kind of listening, a way of accessing the fresh wisdom below the many layers of our colonial habits. We invite you to listen this way too, as we share all the stories we’ve gathered and reflect on what we’re learning. It is our wish that these stories will remind you of what you already know, while adding new lenses to your hosting practice.

It is clear that our world is in trouble. Inspired hosting is an essential service. Even when we don’t know what to do about the big issues, we can come together to support each other and take action in small ways. Read more about what motivated us to embark on this journey.

Meet the hosts we talked to

Listen to the podcast series

Each episode includes clips from some of the 20 conversations we had with hosts living in Mi’kma’ki. Amanda and Susan added some of their own reflections, and Mark produced the series. Listen or download on Podbean below, or listen on your favourite podcast app:

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Episode one

Hosting begins well before the guests arrive. How to prepare for the moment when your guests first step out of one world and into another? In this episode, we hear stories of preparing, arriving and welcoming at the gate.

shalan joudry speaks of welcoming visitors to Stone Bear Tracks in Bear River First Nation and Margaret Drescher talks about her own first arrival at Windhorse on the South Shore. In Unama’ki/Cape Breton, Amber Buchanan brings the Gaelic ceilidh to life and Elder Albert Marshall reminds us of what is most important when planning any gathering. We end with “For Those Who Have Forgotten Humility,” written and read by shalan joudry.

Episode two

In spring, the river is fresh, full and almost overflowing—held by its banks and sometimes needing to create new pathways. How can we invite fullness, flow and vitality into our gatherings?

Chester Borden takes us inside the bustle of the Whitney Pier Youth Club. Slyvia Parris-Drummond and Toria Aidoo talk about what they value most about gatherings in their Afrocentric communities. Brook Thorndycraft, Tyler Colbourne, Helene Branch and Duncan Ebata all share experiences of hosting spaces that are safe-enough, playful and nourishing. We close with Coco Love Alcorn singing her beautiful song The River. 

Episode three

What can we learn from the forest about restoring and sustaining the well-being, abundance and resilience of communities?

Jim Drescher points to the forest as a natural, living field of generosity which arises when each species and individual is simply being itself. Aimee Gasparetto and Frances Palliser-Nicholas talk about a reconciliation-in-action project in North End Kjipuktuk/Halifax, Jennifer DeCoste shares the inspiration behind Life.School.House, and Anke Kungl talks about the role of good food. Jim closes with his personal practice of allowing himself to be hosted by the land.

Episode four

A fire provides warmth and safety, a place to share stories on a cold, dark night. It can also become threatening when out of control. How can we include anxiety, grief and the heat of conflict in our gatherings as well as the need for belonging and connection?

shalan joudry takes us inside the wigwam at Stone Bear Tracks. Elder Albert Marshall and Toria Aidoo talk about stories as windows into one another's lives. Brook Thorndycraft, Madonna Doucette, Basia Solarz, and Sylvia Parris-Drummond talk about holding difficult (and often needed) conversations. Robert S. Wright and James Dube invite us to sit by the fire as we learn how to recognize trauma, and especially white trauma, in ourselves and our gatherings.

Episode five

Wind is made visible by the movement of leaves and clouds. Our own breath mixes with wind, and with the breath of the forest and all creatures. As we close our series, we recall that gatherings have impact far beyond what we can see. We release some of our wildest dreams into the wind.

Jennifer DeCoste, Anke Kungl, Toria Aidoo, Sylvia Parris-Drummond, Duncan Ebata and Helene Branch share their wildest dreams. shalan joudry closes the gathering at Stone Bear Tracks by exchanging gifts and thanking the forest. Elder Opolahsomuwehs leaves us with a teaching on ancestral breath and invites us to join in singing the Friendship Song, which has no words.

Explore Amanda’s magical map. Listen to highlights, follow your curiosity.

Click anywhere and meet the people we visited, catch a bit of what they said. Bring your tea and listen to the complete conversations.

Dive deeper into related themes and resources