Breaking Barriers: Afro-Indigenous Identity, Music & Leadership with DJ O Show

Orene “DJ O Show” Askew is an Afro-Indigenous and Two Spirit award-winning DJ, host, MC and motivational speaker. Born and raised on X̱wemelch’stn (Capilano) Reserve in North Vancouver, she is a proud member of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation). A graduate of BCIT’s Radio Broadcasting program, she has played for the Vancouver Canucks, BC Lions and Vancouver Whitecaps, and opened for Kevin Hart and Russell Peters. Her honours include a BC Indigenous Business Award, a Stand Out Award from the Vancouver Pride Society, an Alumni of Excellence Award from Capilano University, DJ of the Year at the International Indigenous Hip Hop Awards, and a Best Solopreneur Award from the Black Business Association of BC.

In this episode, Shayla and Orene talk about:

• how a radio internship gave her the name “O Show”

• being a “walking, talking traffic light” and holding many identities at once

• burning mix CDs at 13

• waking up to her house on fire two months into her DJ business, and grabbing only her gear

• the apology she never got, and why she teaches young people to be okay without one

• starting at the bottom with weddings, birthday parties and huge speakers

• the rainbow crosswalk and her time on Squamish Nation Council from 2017 to 2021

• losing her re-election bid, and what her community told her next

• representing BC on the Assembly of First Nations’ 2SLGBTQ+ Council

• her vision for Afro-Indigenous futurism, and why everyone should learn about their host Nations

Season 6, Indigenous Voices of This Generation, is presented in partnership with the Indigenous Screen Office and YouTube Canada. Recorded on the unceded Coast Salish territory of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh peoples, in Vancouver, BC.

Chapters

00:00 Welcome to Season 6

00:54 Introducing Orene “DJ O Show” Askew

02:40 Where the name DJ O Show came from

03:27 The Starbucks cup and the almost “DJ Zero”

03:50 Her spirit name and the ceremony behind it

04:22 Growing up on the Squamish Nation

04:44 Her dad, Gary, Indiana and the Jacksons

05:03 Her mom’s story and being mixed and Black-presenting

05:49 “A walking, talking traffic light”

06:31 “I’m going to be the first, but I’m not going to be the last”

07:13 Hope for the next generation

08:16 Burning mix CDs at 13

09:27 Radio school and a small business grant from her Nation

10:11 Waking up to her house on fire

11:52 Ottawa and the speech that started her speaking career

12:47 Losing everything and learning non-attachment

14:04 Grabbing the DJ gear and getting out last

14:58 The apology she never got

15:52 Why music connects us

16:36 “You’re already a DJ”: drumming, singing and finding the beat

16:56 Shayla’s DJ course and the chaotic hostel set in Mexico

18:44 Prepping a set: what would her aunties like?

20:13 Advice for young Afro-Indigenous artists: make art

21:40 Starting at the bottom with weddings and a 2002 Cavalier

22:28 From DJing to running for Chief and Council

23:39 Two Spirit advocacy and the rainbow crosswalk

24:31 Three host Nations at Vancouver Pride

24:46 What Two Spirit means to her

25:45 What matriarch means: aunties and niblings

27:06 Losing her re-election bid

27:45 “You’re going to make more changes off council”

28:54 What grounds her when she questions her purpose

29:24 Representing 204 First Nations at the AFN

30:29 “You need a seven-year break” from politics

30:52 Afro-Indigenous people at every table

32:44 Front row at national events

33:57 What’s next, from FIFA to the Two Spirit monument

34:43 Teaching the 2SLGBTQ+ acronym

35:27 How to support her work

36:00 Afro-Indigenous futurism

36:38 How non-Indigenous people can show up

37:58 Closing

🌐 Website: djoshow.com 🎧 SoundCloud: soundcloud.com/djoshow 📸 Instagram: @djoshow

Hashtags: #MatriarchMovement #IndigenousVoices #DJOShow #AfroIndigenous #TwoSpirit #2SLGBTQ #SquamishNation #IndigenousDJ

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