In honor of the United Nations' World Environment Day, we're excited to welcome Frank Oscar Weaver to todayʻs episode. Frank is a talented educator, filmmaker, and host of the Indigenous Earth Community Podcast which recently celebrated 5 years on air! Frank is also a fellow AIR Media New Voices AMPLIFY podcaster, and when he and Molly first connected, they quickly discovered a shared passion for Indigenous identity, storytelling, and a deep love of the natural world. He tells the story his homeland of Paraguay, where his Brazilian and Guaraní roots and upbringing under a military dictatorship shaped his path as a cultural advocate and storyteller. He shares how those early experiences and kinship with land laid the foundation for his work today in the U.S., spotlighting Indigenous stories through film, writing, and education. We also explore the mission behind the Indigenous Earth Community nonprofit, which hosts youth-led workshops around the world. From Panama to Uganda to the Philippines, the organization focuses on preserving traditional ecological knowledge and fostering intergenerational wisdom. This conversation is a reminder that the stories of our ancestors can guide us forward.
🔗 Learn more about Indigenous Earth Community at indigenousearth.org
🔗 Check out AIR Mediaʻs 2024 New Voices AMPLIFY fellows at https://airmedia.org/announcing-airs-2025-new-voices-amplify-fellows
Episode Highlights:
0:20 Intro to Frank Oscar Weaver, host of Indigenous Earth Community podcast
1:44 Joy after a hard dayʻs work
3:08 Paraguay
4:05 Medicinal plants and traditional drinks: Yerba Mate and tereré
7:31 Guaraní roots
8:33 Tribal traditions and coming-of-age
9:32 Representing Paraguay in the U.S. through storytelling; partnering with the Smithsonian and being recognized by National Geographic
11:50 Born a storyteller; childhood under a military dictatorship
13:02 Hosting the Indigenous Earth Community Podcast; protecting the earth and the transmission of knowledge between elder and youth
16:11 Building community-based workshop curriculum for indigenous youth - food forests, indigenous plants, freshwater resources
17:38 Speaking multiple languages: Portuguese, Spanish, Guaraní, English, French
20:51 Launching a nonprofit and a podcast
21:51 Oral storytelling is in our DNA
25:25 The human body and happiness
Episode Photo: Frank Oscar Weaver
Episode Art: Molly Mamaril
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Credits
🎙️ Host & Producer: Molly Mamaril
🎸 Guitar: Amund Gismervik
