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What’s That Noise?! The podcast about confusion! Tune in for marginally intelligent discussions on a variety of topics with academics, researchers, community leaders, musicians, and noisemakers of all kinds. Follow us on Twitter @WTNcast and @whatsthatdata.
Episodes
30 minutes ago
30 minutes ago
In this episode, we sit down with Stan Knight from Pasqua First Nation. He is the creator of Inspector in a Box: an initiative to build housing capacity in remote Indigenous communities across Canada. Drawing on his experience in construction, insurance adjusting, and community work, Stan explains how the program equips communities with tools, training, and digital infrastructure so that housing inspections and renovation planning can be led locally rather than relying on costly outside contractors that are often unfamiliar with the needs of Indigenous communities.
Our conversation explores the deeper realities of housing across Indigenous communities, from the logistical challenges of shipping materials north to the cultural and environmental realities that make one-size-fits-all government housing ineffective. Stan walks us through how technology such as drones, LiDAR-enabled smartphones, thermal cameras, and inspection software are being used to capture housing data locally, allowing communities to document their needs, plan repairs, and access funding without having to bring outside experts into remote regions.
This is a thoughtful conversation about housing, technology, and self-determination — and about how Indigenous leadership can reshape systems that have historically been imposed from the outside. We hope you’ll explore it as an invitation to think differently about infrastructure, innovation, and the role digital tools can play in supporting community-led solutions.
Gila’kasla!
Follow us on Twitter: Wtncast
Follow your co-hosts: Tommy | Al | Lawrence
A very special thanks to Compulsion Soundlabs for sharing their musical talent, which you are hearing as the intro and outro music in this series!
Tuesday Jan 27, 2026
Tuesday Jan 27, 2026
In this episode, we sit down with technologist and entrepreneur Matthew, founder of iComply, a company focused on trust, security, privacy, and digital identity. Matthew shares his journey from growing up in the Red River Valley and building a career in financial services to stepping into the tech world and helping shape the infrastructure of online trust.
Our conversation explores what Indigenous digital identity could look like when sovereignty and consent sit with the individual rather than being endlessly copied and stored across institutions. Matthew reflects on reconnecting with Métis identity, the legacy of the Sixties Scoop, and how Indigenous values can guide the design of systems that protect people instead of extracting from them. Along the way, we dig into centralization vs decentralization, why accountability and transparency matter, and how Indigenous communities could leapfrog outdated government infrastructure to build digital governance on their own terms.
This is a thoughtful dialogue about identity, trust, and building a digital future that serves communities for seven generations. We hope you will explore it as an invitation to think differently about where power lives online... and what it means to design technology with care.
Gila’kasla!
Follow us on Twitter: Wtncast
Follow your co-hosts: Tommy | Al | Lawrence
A very special thanks to Compulsion Soundlabs for sharing their musical talent, which you are hearing as the intro and outro music in this series!
Tuesday Sep 16, 2025
Tuesday Sep 16, 2025
In this episode, we sit down with serial entrepreneur Ryan St. Germaine, a visionary leader who helped found the Indigenous Tech Circle, a network of nearly a thousand Indigenous tech professionals. Ryan reflects on his entrepreneurial journey, his family history, and the responsibilities that come with leading in both business and community.
Our conversation touches on themes of digital sovereignty, collective strength, and the importance of creating our own spaces rather than waiting for permission to join others. Ryan speaks candidly about the balance between Indigenous values and the often extractive nature of the tech industry, and why moving forward with courage and faith is essential. Along the way, he shares the story of Tech Circle’s growth, the challenges of sustainability, and the vision of building an ecosystem rooted in Indigenous knowledge, governance, and innovation.
This is a powerful dialogue about resilience, responsibility, and the future of Indigenous leadership in technology. We hope you will explore it as an invitation to think about how we connect, invest, and shape digital spaces.
Gila’kasla!
Follow us on Twitter: Wtncast
Follow your co-hosts: Tommy | Al | Lawrence
A very special thanks to Compulsion Soundlabs for sharing their musical talent, which you are hearing as the intro and outro music in this series!
Sunday Jul 20, 2025
Sunday Jul 20, 2025
In this episode, we chat with the inspiring and visionary Tamara Goddard, a fierce advocate for Indigenous economic sovereignty and community-led healing. Tamara is the founder of Four Our Future, where she supports land-based economic development and Indigenous entrepreneurship rooted in ancestral knowledge and nation rebuilding. Tamara is joined by her business associate, Sam - someone has a lot to share about his journey in support of Indigenous innovation.
Tamara shares with us her approach to prosperity grounded in land, community wealth, and spiritual and cultural belonging. We explore her belief that reclaiming economic systems is a central pillar of self-determination and healing, and we imagine what Indigenous futures could look like 400 years from now.
We're honoured to bring you this conversation. Settle in, open your heart, and join us as we dream bigger with Tamara.
Gila’kasla!
Follow us on Twitter: Wtncast
Follow your co-hosts: Tommy | Al | Lawrence
A very special thanks to Compulsion Soundlabs for sharing their musical talent, which you are hearing as the intro and outro music in this series!
Friday Jan 10, 2025
Friday Jan 10, 2025
Happy New Year! To kick off 2025 we're excited that you'll join us in speaking to Anita Pawluk, Founder of Race Rocks 3D - an Indigenous-owned training company that utilizes cutting-edge technology. One of their largest partners is the Royal Canadian Navy. In this episode we learn a lot about what it means to work with not only the Canada government but its Armed Forces in all matters pertaining to listening to, working with, and training from coastal Indigenous communities across the furthest reaches of the north.
Gila’kasla!
Follow us on Twitter: Wtncast
Follow your co-hosts: Tommy | Al | Lawrence
A very special thanks to Compulsion Soundlabs for sharing their musical talent, which you are hearing as the intro and outro music in this series!
Friday Oct 25, 2024
Friday Oct 25, 2024
We've got a fascinating and important episode for you today. Our guest is Ja'Elle Leite, CEO of Ultralogix Inc., who is a veteran of data management. Tommy and Lawrence speak with her about how to engage Indigenous communities when it comes to capturing and using their data. Ja'Elle provides a wealth of experience and insight about what it means to interact with Indigenous data. One of her many important points is that Indigenous data tells stories on its own terms. The question is whether or not we are willing to listen. In this case, she doesn't mean through data visualization tools. Join us to learn more listening and learning with and from Indigenous data.
Gila’kasla!
Follow us on Twitter: Wtncast
Follow your co-hosts: Tommy | Al | Lawrence
A very special thanks to Compulsion Soundlabs for sharing their musical talent, which you are hearing as the intro and outro music in this series!
Tuesday Sep 10, 2024
Tuesday Sep 10, 2024
Not all that long ago when our series started, very few of us had tried AI. The idea of even interacting with AI was almost absurd. One year ago, only a few industries began experimenting with AI. Now, in 2024, AI is everywhere... What does that mean for Digital Indigeneity? What does this mean for Indigenous peoples? How do our conversations adjust in response - or should they? Is AI merely hype? Is it a colonial trap? Is it possible for AI to liberate not only Indigenous communities but empower them? Does it make sense to continue talking about Digital Indigeneity in the way we have thus far?
Join Lawrence, Al, and Tommy as they reconnect and dive into not only AI - but what lies ahead for One Feather, Two Pens
Gila’kasla!
Follow us on Twitter: Wtncast
Follow your co-hosts: Tommy | Al | Lawrence
A very special thanks to Compulsion Soundlabs for sharing their musical talent, which you are hearing as the intro and outro music in this series!
Tuesday May 28, 2024
Tuesday May 28, 2024
In Episode 8 Tommy and Lawrence chat with the venerable James Delorme, VP of Community Development at Salish Elements. James is one of our most fun yet most insightful guests. He brings a wealth of knowledge and insight into helping us understand what is meant by an Indigenous lens on all things technology, collaboration, innovation, and co-operation. James also helps us think through what is at stake and what is meant by decolonization, and one of it's remedies: Indigenization.
Thank you all for your patience during our prolonged absence. Tommy took some time to prioritize family and health, but we're back and more grateful than ever to be resuming our journey together. James is a wonderful fit for resuming our exploration of Digital Indigeneity so sit back, relax, and enjoy!
Gila’kasla!
Follow us on Twitter: Wtncast
Follow your co-hosts: Tommy | Al | Lawrence
A very special thanks to Compulsion Soundlabs for sharing their musical talent, which you are hearing as the intro and outro music in this series!
Friday Sep 08, 2023
Friday Sep 08, 2023
In Episode 7 we speak to Melissa Giles-Hardy, owner, President, and CEO of ORIGIN - a company that design, develops, and delivers technology experiences to drive employment while also protecting and promoting culture for Indigenous peoples across Turtle Island.
It's no surprise that Melissa is recipient of multiple awards, including the 2021 RBC Innovative Company of the Year award, the Indigenomics Top 10 Business's To Watch in Canada, the 2019 Northern Ontario, Influential Women's Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and the Confederation College President's Award in 2019 - as well as a nominee for the 2019 Ontario Premier Award.
As you can see, Melissa is not only a passionate innovator. She is also a passionate community member who is motivated to use technology, specifically Virtual Reality, to do many amazing things: to provide Indigenous youth in remote communities opportunities to learn about new jobs, to train Indigenous peoples to do new jobs or upskill in certain areas, and to also record, preserve, and create interactive VR-based media content that protects and promotes Indigenous cultural practices, learnings, and lessons. For example, using a VR headset to interact with Elders providing the viewer a language lesson.
This is one of our favourite episodes. It is full of incredibly powerful insights and advice. We're honoured to have Melissa on the show.
Gila’kasla!
Follow us on Twitter: Wtncast
Follow your co-hosts: Tommy | Al | Lawrence
A very special thanks to Compulsion Soundlabs for sharing their musical talent, which you are hearing as the intro and outro music in this series!
Wednesday Jun 14, 2023
Wednesday Jun 14, 2023
In Episode 6 we speak to Matthew Norris, Senior Policy Analyst at the British Columbia Assembly of First Nations, and President of the Urban Native Youth Association. As a former candidate for Vancouver city council and a PhD student in UBC's Department of Political Science, Matthew has and continues to be exposed to numerous important intersecting Indigenous developments and issues. Between Matthew's grassroots community work and advocacy along with his academic studies on United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), Matthew has much to contribute toward the emerging discussion around Indigenous digital identity and Indigenous digital space.
We decide to explore Indigenous digital space and community in particular, and we are guided by some great questions Matthew raises throughout: how might be Indigenous digital communities be made? What are the pitfalls and divides, and how can we avoid them? When these spaces are constructed, what algorithms guide us through them and what content are prioritized? What does it mean to have a voice in this arrangement, and how do we subsequently think about, with, and through accountability?
Gila’kasla!
Follow us on Twitter: Wtncast
Follow your co-hosts: Tommy | Al | Lawrence
A very special thanks to Compulsion Soundlabs for sharing their musical talent, which you are hearing as the intro and outro music in this series!
Tuesday Apr 18, 2023
Tuesday Apr 18, 2023
In Episode 5 of One Feather Two Pens we speak with the award winning actor, director, producer, writer, and storyteller, Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers. Member of the Kinai First Nation as well as Sámi from Norway, Elle-Máijá joins us to discuss her Rogers Audience Award winning documentary, Kímmapiiyipitssini: The Meaning of Empathy. The powerful film is an intimate and reflexive portrait of her community and the impact of substance abuse and opioid epidemic. Elle-Máijá is a remarkable wisdom and self-awareness facilitates a truly insightful conversation about representation, authenticity, and narrative sovereignty in Indigenous media. Join us as we explore what it means to truth, history, paternal politics, unlearning bias, and of the challenges and opportunities that emerge when navigating voice, privilege, and power. Elle-Máijá also raises important questions for Canadians seeking to assist and collaborate with First Nations peoples, such as: Who is the right person to tell a story? What does it mean to represent Indigenous life? And what happens when non-Indigenous narrators take up space without being aware of doing so?
Gila’kasla!
Follow us on Twitter: Wtncast
Follow your co-hosts: Tommy | Al | Lawrence
A very special thanks to Compulsion Soundlabs for sharing their musical talent, which you are hearing as the intro and outro music in this series!
Wednesday Mar 01, 2023
Wednesday Mar 01, 2023
In our latest episode on One Feather, Two Pens we have the privilege and honor to chat with Mary Teegee and Matt Smiley, the Directors of For Love on Netflix. As an Indigenous woman and non-Indigenous man, Mary and Matt have worked closely together since before their powerful piece Highway of Tears. The two reflect on their journeys, learnings, and discoveries together, which leads to a fascinating and important set of realizations and offerings about the promise of Indigenous media.
Gila’kasla!
Follow us on Twitter: Wtncast
Follow your co-hosts: Tommy | Al | Lawrence
A very special thanks to Compulsion Soundlabs for sharing their musical talent, which you are hearing as the intro and outro music in this series!
Monday Jan 16, 2023
Monday Jan 16, 2023
We are very excited to have Josh Nilson, Co-Founder of East Side Games, recent winner of the BC Tech Association's Person of the Year Award (and a Producer of one of Tommy's all time favourite games, Company of Heroes!), to talk about the value and importance of reconciliation through the inclusion of Indigenous peoples in the tech sector.
Josh shares his fascinating professional journey, beginning in the world of culinary arts and then successfully transitioning into video game development where he produced some of the most popular Apps around, including The Office, Star Trek Upper Decks, Ru Paul's Drag Race, Trailer Park Boys and more. Josh reflects on the importance of learning, and especially on what's at stake for Canadian businesses to start thinking seriously about what Indigeneity does and does not mean and include.
Gila’kasla!
Follow us on Twitter: Wtncast
Follow your co-hosts: Tommy | Al | Lawrence
A very special thanks to Compulsion Soundlabs for sharing their musical talent, which you are hearing as the intro and outro music in this series!
Wednesday Dec 14, 2022
Wednesday Dec 14, 2022
In our second episode of this new special series, we are honoured to be joined by Chief Dr. Robert Joseph, OC, OBC. Dr. Joseph is a hereditary Chief of the Gwawaenuk First Nation, is Ambassador for Reconciliation Canada where he has guided the Canadian Federal government through their residential school response. Dr. Joseph is a survivor of St. Michael’s Residential School.
Dr. Joseph guides Tommy, Al, and Lawrence through the importance of creating safe space to converse and listen deeply in order for reconciliation to move forward. Dr. Joseph believes that technology, and platforms like podcasting, can be vehicles for moving reconciliation forward - specifically by giving opportunities for unheard voices and experiences from Indigenous peoples. This episode is full of practical advice to any listener, particularly for Indigenous and Canadian entrepreneurs who are looking to innovate and collaborate in this digital space.
Gila’kasla!
Follow us on Twitter: Wtncast
Follow your co-hosts: Tommy | Al | Lawrence
A very special thanks to Compulsion Soundlabs for sharing their musical talent, which you are hearing as the intro and outro music in this series!
Wednesday Dec 14, 2022
Wednesday Dec 14, 2022
Once upon a time on What's That Noise?! we asked: wouldn't it be wonderful to launch a special series with their new friend and former guest, Lawrence Lewis? That time has arrived! Al, Tommy, and Lawrence are so very pleased to present One Feather Two Pens, a special series that interviews Indigenous thought and technology leaders about functioning and co-existing with Indigenous peoples in this digital space.
We kick off the series in episode 1 by laying the terrain for what this new series is about, what it's goals are, and what it hopes to contribute by means of creating a safe, inclusive dialogue for sharing the stories and lessons of Indigenous people across Canada who are carving out and navigating Indigenous digital sovereignty.
What does it mean for Canadians and Indigenous peoples to work together online? What values and principles should be prioritized? What does reconciliation mean and look like on the Internet? What does success look like here, exactly - and how will we even know that we've been successful?
Stay tuned for more episodes, releasing on the 15th of every month!
Gila’kasla!
Follow us on Twitter: Wtncast
Follow your co-hosts: Tommy | Al | Lawrence
A very special thanks to Compulsion Soundlabs for sharing their musical talent, which you are hearing as the intro and outro music in this series!
Wednesday Sep 21, 2022
Wednesday Sep 21, 2022
Before the pandemic, AI was growing in Canada. Throughout the pandemic, AI has exploded in Canada. Through working from home and online schooling to the abundance of location, health, medical, and interaction data around us at all times, the last half decade truly has witnessed institutions moving rapidly toward AI to make money, increase efficiency, trim fat, and perhaps even assist in finding new cures and vaccines.
And as you might imagine, there are serious rights, liberties, justice, ethics, and equality issues that pop up along the way. So, how does a country insulate itself from such dangers? Through regulation, but easier said than done...
Join us as we chat with the distinguished Dr. Teresa Scassa, Canada Research Chair in Information Law and Policy at the University of Ottawa, an award winning author, a recognizable expert across numerous Canadian media outlets - and a fantastic Ad Lib'er to boot.
As you'll hear, the move toward regulating AI in Canada has been anything but clear... Tune in to hear more!
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Thursday Aug 04, 2022
Thursday Aug 04, 2022
Hey friends! Hope your summer is swell! It sure has been for us - perhaps a bit too good? While it's been rather tough to find time to record together, we're really pumped to finish off the summer with two new episodes. Today's chat is with Tommy's dear friend, Fernando Leiva - an analytics developer at the Centre for Advanced Computing at Queen's University. Tommy and Fernando have worked together for the past 3+ years to investigate location data-related privacy issues on smartphones. Today, we ask a simple but complicated question: location data - what do you mean?
What we see in Google Maps is vastly different than what flows behind the scenes. GPS coordinates and mailing addresses represent a mere fraction of what corporations are able to collect from our devices. A big portion of these other, discrete data are in the format of NMEA 0183 - a standard data type that is produced by hardware in our smartphones as they intercept navigation satellite signals.
What is inside NMEA 0183? Why do companies harvest it, and for what reasons? Many questions, much confusion, and so little time! If you are privacy or data ethics nut, this episode is for you!
Tune in for Al, and more - apparently!
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Email Tommy and Al: wtncast@gmail.com
Follow What's That Noise?! on Apple Music and on Spotify
Tuesday Jun 21, 2022
Tuesday Jun 21, 2022
More than ever people are questioning whether or not their job is the best fit. How many of us have found themselves in this position, particularly during the pandemic? How many of us have wondered what it takes to change ship, how much courage would be required to do so - and whether or not the grass is truly 'greener' on the other side?
In this episode we hear from our beloved co-host Mr. Al Coombs about his professional journey, one which began with a short stint in insurance, to over a decade as a popular AM daytime radio show host on the Telemedia, Standard, Astral, and Bell media networks - to newly minted public school teacher. Every confusion, every curiousity, and every pain-and-gain that you might imagine are all things that Al reflects on. The biggest? Energy. How much energy does one burn before what makes sense blurs into confusion and ambiguity?
We also address another confusion: an accusation from another podcaster that we have been targeting and attacking his show and attempting to steal their listeners. Tommy and Al explain the backstory, which begins with another host from the USA who uses our name: What's That Noise?! - verbatim. Our show precedes his, by more than a year - which is why Apple's legal team pulled his show from their content listing. We certainly never meant harm to this other podcaster, but the law is law - is it not?
Tune in for Al, and more - apparently!
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Email Tommy and Al: wtncast@gmail.com
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Monday Jun 06, 2022
Monday Jun 06, 2022
Tommy and Al are excited to bring a fantastic piece filled with both confusion and clarity around a tremendously important subject: Indigenous Digital Identity. What's That Noise?! is honoured to speak with Lawrence Lewis, Founder and CEO of OneFeather: an Indigenous technology company that designs specialized software solutions for Indigenous peoples across Canada.
Lawrence joins us to talk about the messiness that is "Digital Identity" and "digital identity". That's right, there's two. One has capitals in "D" and "I" in it, and the other does not. The latter refers to a concept - digital identity, as in 'who we are' online in terms of how governments and corporations define and represent us. The second, Digital Identity, is a technology. It is the one that we've seen governments around the world develop throughout the pandemic as a digital alternative to, for example, your driver's license... Imagine a passport you keep on your phone.
What makes both versions particularly confusing is that both have tremendous implications for Indigenous peoples, albeit with very different but equally important stakes. Come listen to the solutions and efforts put forth by Lawrence and his company OneFeather to make both versions - digital identity and Digital Identity - meaningful, accessible, proactive and a hopeful avenue for relationship building between Indigenous communities and Canada. Lawrence has opened a door for Canada to commit to reconciliation in the digital space - how will we reciprocate?
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Follow Tommy and Al on Twitter!
Email Tommy and Al: wtncast@gmail.com
Follow What's That Noise?! on Apple Music and on Spotify
Thursday Apr 21, 2022
Thursday Apr 21, 2022
Almost immediately after the #warinukraine began, the Western world told Ukrainians: "our borders are open". When a humanitarian crisis unfolds, such as the largest exodus of a population occurs since the end of world war two, it's logical that a country would open its borders to those in need, no? Not so fast. The world's borders - how they are made, how they are managed, and how they affect the lives and geographies around them - as our returning guest and dear friend Dr. Benjamin Muller tells us, are confusing. Since well before 9/11 but particularly after it, borders and borderlands have been created to try and secure life in the image of those who build them. As you'll hear, securing life through borders and bordering practices is anything but clear, obvious or even helpful to the people that live near them. When we study borders critically, we don't find clarity - only more confusion.
Tune in for a fantastic chat with a brilliant researcher!
Subscribe for updates!
Follow Tommy and Al on Twitter!
Email Tommy and Al: wtncast@gmail.com
Follow What's That Noise?! on Apple Music and on Spotify