In this episode of The People Teaching People Podcast, I am joined by Tchadas Leo.
Tchadas is an Indigenous TV Journalist, Podcaster, TV host, Actor, Producer and Documentarian based on Vancouver Island. His Indigenous lineage belongs with the Homalco First Nation and the Stillaguamish Tribe of Indians. He also has Peruvian & Argentinian ancestry.
Tchadas has been with the CHEK Media group, with his multi-national award-winning podcast and TV show known as Our Native Land, since 2020. These accolades include 2022 Canadian Podcast Awards’ Indigenous podcast of the year and 2023 Amazon Music's top podcasts of the year. His talk show/podcast focuses on all things Indigenous from Vancouver Island and across Canada.
In 2023, Tchadas joined the CHEK News team as a full-time Journalist and recently became the first Coast Salish person to Anchor a newscast on Coast Salish territory. In 2024 Tchadas received the Broadcast Performer of Tomorrow award from the BCAB (British Columbia Association of Broadcasters) and the 2024 RTDNA (Radio Television Digital News Association) emerging journalist award honoring his work in journalism and anchoring.
On top of several podcasts and local TV production projects, Tchadas works with Orca Cove Media as an Executive Producer to help create and develop Indigenous TV series for a major television network.
Listen in as we talk about:
03:30 Tchadas' media journey
08:21 Building community through podcasting
13:10 Preserving Indigenous language, stories, and history
18:10 Reconnecting with Indigenous roots and community
20:25 Building relationships with Indigenous communities
24:14 The power of listening
25:15 Storytelling for healing and reconciliation
30:20 Behind the challenges of Indigenous storytelling
33:30 What’s coming up next for Tchadas
36:54 Lessons from key mentors
40:15 Being authentic
41:33 Tchadas answers some rapid-fire questions
43:19 Embracing lifelong learning
Connect with Tchadas:
Website: https://tchadasleo.ca/
LinkedIn: Tchadas Leo
Instagram: @tchadas_leo
Facebook: @tchadas.leo
Podcasts: https://tchadasleo.ca/hosted/
Our Native Land
Remember: Our People | Our History: Recordings of Elders Explored
Indigenous Voices of Vancouver Island
Connect with Tiana:
Website: https://tianafech.com
LinkedIn: Tiana Fech
Instagram: @tianafech
Facebook: @tianafech
Book: Online Course Creation 101: A step-by-step guide to creating your first online course
TCHADAS’ MEDIA JOURNEY
Tchadas’ journey into the media world started at just 12 years old when he picked up a camera and fell in love with filmmaking. A chance encounter with a local nonprofit TV station led him to volunteer, and by 16, he was one of the youngest associate producers at Shaw. However, his path took several unexpected turns. After studying digital media, he found himself working in the car industry, followed by the hospitality industry - and then COVID hit, prompting a deep reflection on his true passion. With the support of his wife, he returned to his media roots, commuting from Vancouver Island to mainland British Columbia to study and eventually landing a journalism job at CHEK TV. Reflecting on his career, Tchadas emphasizes that it’s okay to take detours and that success often comes from circling back to what you truly love. Sometimes, finding your path means trying out many different roads before realizing where you truly belong.
BUILDING COMMUNITY THROUGH PODCASTING
At PodSummit YYC 2024 in Calgary, Tchadas shared his experience of connecting with other podcasters and how events like these play a vital role in growing the podcasting community, especially for Indigenous voices. He was drawn to the summit after noticing a lack of Indigenous representation and offered to lend his expertise, leading to an invitation to speak. Tchadas highlighted the power of in-person gatherings for fostering collaboration, sharing knowledge, and supporting newcomers to the podcasting world.