Demi Mathias is from Temagami First Nation and of the loon clan. At the time of this interview, Demi was a graduate student in a joint program at Trent University in Canadian Studies and Indigenous Studies. She graduated with a Master’s of Arts degree in 2019; her research was on the birch bark canoe in the context of cultural resurgence. While at Trent, she was a graduate student representative for the Trent University Native Association (TUNA), which fosters engagement with Indigenous students through networks of support and planning events and cultural activities.