Shows
Native Circles"The Language Called Me": Robert Collins and Learning Potawatomi LanguageAt age 40, Robert Collins realized that the Potawatomi language was still alive, which changed the course of his life. Now a dedicated language instructor for the Citizen Potawatomi Nation and various universities across Oklahoma, Collins shares his journey from machinist to language protector. In this episode, he emphasizes the sacredness of Bodwéwadmimwen (Potawatomi language), innovative teaching methods, and his dream of creating future generations of Potawatomi speakers and educators. This episode is a part of the special series on Native Language Protectors and Carriers, tracing how one man’s calling ignites a community’s hope.Dr. Farin...2025-07-1213 minNative Circles"Language Is the Key": A Conversation with Cheyenne Language Protectors Michael Elizondo, Jr. and Chaz MeadowsOn this episode of the special series featuring Native Language Protectors and Carriers, we reflect on the legacy of the Native American Languages Act of 1990 through the stories of Michael Elizondo, Jr. and Chaz Meadows. They are two citizens of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes who are reclaiming their languages, one word and one conversation at a time. From learning with elders and attending ceremonies to immersive master-apprentice programs and digital classes, they share how language connects to culture, humor, and identity—and why its survival is essential for future generations. Dr. Farina King narrates this episode, and...2025-06-2314 minNative CirclesWołí Bee: Christine Ami's Journey of Cultural Arts and ResilienceIn this powerful conversation, Dr. Christine Ami shares her journey of navigating the cultural arts program and collaborating on the T’áá wołí bee exhibit at Diné College during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through the lens of Wołí Bee, a Diné concept of perseverance, she discusses how Indigenous cultural arts undergirds resilience, community connection, and healing. Christine explores the challenges of maintaining educational programs, supporting students, and preserving cultural practices while facing personal grief and professional transitions during an unprecedented global crisis.Dr. Christine Ami is a Diné scholar, weaver, and educator at Diné College, specializing in cultural arts and Indigeno...2025-06-1550 minNative CirclesGavin A. Healey on "Demistifying" Native Graffiti and Aerosol Muralism of the PandemicIn this episode, Dr. Farina King is joined by Dr. Gavin A. Healey, a contributing author of COVID-19 in Indian Country and Assistant Professor of Anthropology and Applied Indigenous Studies at Northern Arizona University (NAU). Gavin highlights how Indigenous graffiti and muralism emerged as vital tools of community care and resistance during the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing from his chapter, “Native American Graffiti and Aerosol Muralism of the Pandemic,” Gavin addresses works by artists such as Ivan Lee (Diné), whose mural of a masked Diné woman sends a COVID-19 warning, and Jemez Pueblo artist Jaque Fragua, whose pieces amplify Indigenous sovere...2025-05-1432 minNative CirclesAmoneeta Beckstein and Tapati Dutta Discuss Reziliency of Native College Students During COVID-19In this episode of Native Circles, Dr. Farina King, co-editor of COVID-19 in Indian Country, talks with co-authors Dr. Amoneeta Beckstein and Dr. Tapati Dutta about their chapter, exploring the lived experiences of eight Native American college students during the pandemic. Drawing from semi-structured interviews, the chapter centers the students' voices as they navigate the challenges of COVID-19—illuminating themes of historical trauma, mental health struggles, and educational disruptions rooted in colonial legacies. Yet, amid these hardships, stories of resilience or "reziliency," cultural strength, and community support arise. In this conversation, the authors reflect on their perspectives as researchers an...2025-04-1640 minNative CirclesShaina A. Nez and "COVID-19 Memory Dreamscapes"In this episode, co-editor Dr. Farina King of COVID-19 in Indian Country: Native American Memories and Experiences of the Pandemic speaks with contributing author Dr. Shaina A. Nez about her chapter, “COVID-19 Memory Dreamscapes.” A Diné writer from Lukachukai, Arizona, Shaina reflects on the meanings of her dreams and memories during the pandemic while navigating the hardships of single motherhood and a child custody battle. Drawing from her deep connection to land and family, she explores how her dreamscapes became a source of guidance and resilience. Shaina, who holds an MFA in creative nonfiction from the Institute of American India...2025-03-1631 minNative CirclesNative Wellbeing and Dr. Yvette Brown-Shirley's Healing PathIn this episode of Native Circles, Eva Bighorse and Dr. Farina King talk with Dr. Yvette Brown-Shirley, a Diné neurologist specializing in sports neurology and brain injury medicine at Barrow Neurological Institute. Dr. Brown-Shirley shares her experiences of becoming a neurologist and how her identity as a Diné woman healer informs her approach to medicine. She discusses the urgent need to address health inequities affecting Native communities, such as the lack of access to neurological care for Native American student-athletes facing risks of brain injuries. With a deep commitment to community engagement, she offers insights on fostering well-being and ad...2025-02-1642 minNative CirclesCherokee Elder Christine Armer and "Keeping the Language"Christine Armer is a Cherokee elder and language instructor of nearly 20 years at the University of Oklahoma who grew up in a Cherokee community where she wasn’t introduced to the English language until she attended grade school. This is the first of a new Native Circles podcast series featuring Native Language Protectors and Carriers, including Mrs. Armer. Listen to her story of teaching Cherokee language and why learning Native American languages at all levels of education is crucial. Dr. Farina King narrates this episode highlighting her distinguished colleague.Learn more about the efforts to protect and su...2025-01-2918 minNative Circles"Buffalo Dreamer": Violet Duncan on Creativity, Community, and HealingIn this Native Circles episode, Eva Bighorse and Dr. Farina King sit down with Violet Duncan, an award-winning author, dancer, and storyteller from the Plains Cree of the Kehewin Cree Nation and of Taino descent. Together, they trace Violet's path as a creative force, diving into the themes of her National Book Award-nominated youth novel, Buffalo Dreamer (published by Nancy Paulsen Books in 2024), and her upcoming children's book, "Life is a Dance." The conversation touches on the impacts of the Indian residential school system, the power of storytelling in mental health and community healing, and the joys and challenges...2025-01-1652 minNative CirclesKaitlin Reed and "Settler Cannabis"In this episode, Dr. Davina Two Bears and Dr. Farina King are joined by Dr. Kaitlin Reed (Yurok/Hupa/Oneida) to discuss her groundbreaking first book, Settler Cannabis: From Gold Rush to Green Rush in Indigenous Northern California, published in 2023 by the University of Washington Press.Dr. Reed is an Associate Professor of Native American Studies at Cal Poly Humboldt, where she serves as the Traditional Ecological Knowledge Faculty Fellow and Co-Director of the Rou Dalagurr Food Sovereignty Lab & Traditional Ecological Knowledges Institute. They talk with Dr. Reed about the histories of resource extraction and settler colonialism...2024-12-1649 minNative CirclesIndigenizing Technologies for Learning: Kelly Berry on Gaming, Education, and CultureThis episode features Dr. Kelly Berry, an enrolled citizen of the Apache Tribe of Oklahoma (Plains Apache) with affiliations to the Kiowa and Choctaw Nations. Dr. Berry is a Mellon Impact Post-Doctoral Fellow and Lecturer in the Department of Native American Studies at the University of Oklahoma. His groundbreaking research explores the intersections of eSports, Native American education, and technology, focusing on infusing Indigenous knowledge into classrooms and reimagining the possibilities of gaming through an Indigenous lens.In this episode, Dr. Farina King and Dr. Davina Two Bears discuss Dr. Berry's work with him regarding Indigenizing eSports...2024-11-1639 minNative CirclesBlaire Morseau and Neshnabé KnowledgeIn this episode, Dr. Blaire Morseau joins Dr. Davina Two Bears and Dr. Farina King to discuss her work with Neshnabé (Potawatomi) knowledge systems, focusing on birch bark, language, and archives. Dr. Morseau highlights the significance of Simon Pokagon's nineteenth-century birch bark books, featured in her edited volume As Sacred to Us: Simon Pokagon’s Birch Bark Stories in their Contexts. The conversation explores how traditional cultural knowledge and ecological wisdom are preserved and revitalized through these archival works.Dr. Blaire Morseau, a citizen of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, is an Assistant Professor in the Dep...2024-10-1853 minNative CirclesCalling Back Home with Ah-in-nist SipesAh-in-nist, also known as Clifford, Sipes is Cheyenne with family ties in both Oklahoma and Montana. His father was the last authorized historian of the Cheyenne People, and a respected Chief and Pipe Carrier. His Mother is a citizen of the Caddo Nation. Ah-in-nist currently resides and works in Oklahoma. He writes and speaks publicly, working most recently on the "Calling Back the Spirits" initiative to "preserve by art and the written word what was previously learned only through the oral recounting of the story of Fort Marion by the descendants" of the warriors and Indigenous people imprisoned there...2024-09-1552 minNative Circles"With the Ancestors": Mel Fillmore and Policy Work with MMIPCo-founders of the Native Circles podcast Sarah Newcomb and Farina King co-host this session introducing Dr. Melanie ("Mel") Fillmore (they/them/she/her) who is urban mixed Hunkpapa, Lakota of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe of North and South Dakota. Mel is an assistant professor of Native American Studies at the University of Oklahoma (OU). Their work is an iterative approach to understand the political engagement of Indigenous communities in policy and data. They envision a future of collaborative governance led by Indigenous ancestral wisdom and lived experiences. Melanie was the lead researcher on the 2020 HCR33 Report o...2024-08-1656 minNative CirclesLiz Ellis and "The Great Power of Small Nations"Dr. Elizabeth (Liz) Ellis talks with co-hosts Davina Two Bears and Farina King about her journey, which led her to writing her first book The Great Power of Small Nations: Indigenous Diplomacy in the Gulf South. She highlights aspects of the book and her research that trace the formation of Native Nations in the early Southeast and the ways that Indigenous migration and immigration practices shaped and limited the extent of European colonization. Liz is Peewaalia and a citizen of the Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma. She serves as her nation's historical liaison. She is an associate professor...2024-07-1545 minNative CirclesDr. Joshua Nelson and "Trail of the Thunderbirds"Dr. Joshua Nelson, a Cherokee Nation citizen scholar, talks with Dr. Farina King about his experiences in Italy and work on a documentary tentatively titled, "Trail of the Thunderbirds." His documentary film project features two Native American Medal of Honor awardees, Ernest Childers and Jack Montgomery of the 45th Infantry Division, known as the "Thunderbirds," during World War II. President's Associates Presidential Professor Dr. Nelson is an associate professor of English and affiliated faculty with Film & Media Studies, Native American Studies, and Women's & Gender Studies at the University of Oklahoma, focusing on American Indian literature and film. He is...2024-06-1546 minNative CirclesFry Bread Stories with Kevin MaillardDr. Kevin Maillard (who has a PhD and JD) shares key insights about his award-winning children's book Fry Bread with co-hosts Dr. Farina King and Dr. Davina Two Bears. Dr. Maillard is Professor of Law at Syracuse University, a contributor to the New York Times and an author of children’s literature. He has written for The Atlantic and has provided on-air commentary to ABC News and MSNBC. He is the debut author of Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story, a picture book illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal, which won the Sibert Medal and the American Indian Youth Literature Ho...2024-05-1643 minNative CirclesSkylar Begay and Indigenous Land ConservationIn this episode co-hosted by Dr. Davina Two Bears, Eva Bighorse, and Dr. Farina King, Skylar ("Sky") Begay shares insights from his life and work with Conservation, Native representation in new spaces, the Great Bend of the Gila, Save History, Archaeology Southwest, LandBack, and the Conservation Corps (specifically ancestral lands conservation corps). Sky identifies as an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation and is also Mandan and Hidatsa. He grew up in the Navajo Nation and in Flagstaff, Arizona. He currently resides in Tucson, Arizona where he works as the Director of Tribal Collaboration in Outreach in Advocacy for...2024-04-1651 minNative CirclesFarina King talks about "Diné dóó Gáamalii"Dr. Davina Two Bears and Eva Bighorse talk with Dr. Farina King about her book, Diné dóó Gáamalii: Navajo Latter-day Experiences in the Twentieth Century that the University Press of Kansas published through the Lyda Conley Series on Trailblazing Indigenous Futures (2023). Diné dóó Gáamalii, which means “Navajo and Mormon” in Diné bizaad (the Navajo language), traces Diné Latter-day Saint experiences in the Southwest Indian Mission, congregations, and church educational programs such as the Indian Student Placement Program, seminaries, and Brigham Young University American Indian services and studies. King shares insights from oral histories and the voices of Diné Latter-da...2024-03-1653 minNative CirclesOliviah Walker and Healing-Centered Public HealthOliviah Walker (she/her) highlights "healing-centered approaches" to public health based on her work with Indigenous communities in this conversation with co-hosts Eva Bighorse and Davina Two Bears. She also shares insights about impacts of Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women (MMIW) on her and her family. Oliviah is a citizen of the Meskwaki Nation and a health and racial equity advocate. She most recently served as the Health Equity Officer for Iowa Health and Human Services and is starting a new role with the State of Minnesota. Oliviah’s experience includes roles in tribal, local, and state government. Her in...2024-02-1641 minNative CirclesDerek Taira on Native Hawaiians and American SchoolingIn this episode, Farina King and Eva Bighorse co-host a conversation with Derek Taira who is an associate professor of history and educational policy at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. He earned his Ph.D. in history and educational policy studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Coming from a long line of public-school teachers, Derek teaches and writes about the histories and politics of education in Hawaiʻi and the U.S. as well as multicultural education. His first book is forthcoming (scheduled to be published by June 2024), which is titled “Forward without Fear: Native Hawaiians and A...2024-01-1553 minNative CirclesVeronica E. Tiller and Thriving Native NationsDr. Veronica E. Velarde Tiller shares insights from her extensive work and experience, in this episode with co-hosts Dr. Farina King and Eva Bighorse, recognizing ways that Native Nations thrive. Tiller is a member of the Jicarilla Apache Nation. She earned a Ph.D. in American History with a focus on Native American history at the University of New Mexico. She retired after over 40 years as the CEO of Tiller Research, Inc. in Albuquerque. Her life’s work in promoting Native American history from Native perspectives has reached a national and international audience through her teaching of Native histories in...2023-12-1652 minNative CirclesMary Kathryn Nagle discusses her New York Premiere of ManahattaWe talk with playwright and attorney, Mary Kathryn Nagle, about what led her to the New York premiere of her play, Manahatta, at the Public Theater, which starts showing on November 16, 2023. Nagle, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, shares insights from her work on the play beginning with her time in the Public Theater Emerging Writers Program in 2013. Nagle's play, Manahatta, follows the story of Jane Snake, a Lenape woman who reconnects with her ancestral homeland, Manahatta, after she comes to New York to pursue a career in finances at the brink of the Great Recession hitting in 2008. Nagle...2023-11-1552 minNative CirclesLorinda Martinez and "Running with Changing Woman"Listen to our conversation with author Lorinda Martinez, getting to know her and her new book Running with Changing Woman (2023) that she wrote especially for young adults. Lorinda works with youth as an educator, and Running with Changing Woman is her first novel that tells the coming-of-age story of a Diné young woman named Samantha who prepares for the Diné womanhood ceremony, Kinaaldá. We discuss the significance of Diné girls and women and Lorinda's contributions to Native American children and youth literature, which is a gift for all readers. Lorinda is Lók’aa’ Dine’é (the Reed People Clan) born for Tác...2023-10-1854 minNative CirclesEva Bighorse Addresses Native American Rights to HealthcareIn this episode, we welcome our new co-hosts Eva Bighorse and Dr. Davina Two Bears, who are joining Dr. Farina King. We feature Eva (she/her) who is a 2023 Equity Changemaker with the Center for Health Care Strategies, as she advocates for Native American rights and access to healthcare. Eva is an Indigenous human development advocate with expertise in tribal healthcare relations. She has experience in strategic collaboration; working in multidisciplinary teams specializing in health care delivery and multi-stakeholder engagement; and serving children, youth, and adults living with disabilities in urban and rural areas, both on and off tribal...2023-09-1753 minNative CirclesLiza Black on Indigenous (Mis)Representations in MediaDr. Liza Black shares her insights about how depictions of Native Americans in media, such as film and television, affect Indigenous peoples and communities. She underscores the impacts of misrepresentations and lack of understanding Native Americans by drawing connections between her first book Picturing Indians: Native Americans in Film, 1941-1960 (2020) and her manuscript in-progress "How to Get Away with Murder," which is a transnational history of missing and murdered Indigenous women.Dr. Black is a citizen of Cherokee Nation and an Associate Professor of Native American and Indigenous Studies and history at Indiana University. She examines the...2023-08-1645 minNative CirclesLooking Back: Two-Year Anniversary of the Native Circles PodcastThis episode features a conversation between Dr. Farina King and Sarah Newcomb about their first two years with the Native Circles Podcast, coming changes, and looking towards the future. Learn more about the podcast at https://nativecirclespodcast.com/. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram (@nativecircles).2023-07-1545 minNative CirclesKumiko Noguchi and Yuka Mizutani on Why Native American Studies Matter in Japan and the WorldTwo Japanese professors, Dr. Kumiko Noguchi and Dr. Yuka Mizutani, share insights from their experiences and work with Native American and Indigenous communities, which underscore the significance of Native American Studies in Japan and throughout the world. Noguchi is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of International Studies at Meiji Gakuin University. She received her Ph.D. in Native American Studies from the University of California, Davis under the Fulbright Graduate Studies Scholarship Program. Her research interests include Native American Critical Theory, California Indian history, Tribal Sovereignty, Community Development, and Indigenous Movement. Mizutani is a p...2023-06-181h 03Native CirclesIndigenous DC and Guides to Native Lands with Elizabeth RuleThis episode features Dr. Elizabeth Rule and her work with Indigenous DC and guides to Native Lands. She discusses the myth of invisibility surrounding Native American contributions to the history of Washington DC and how it can and should be addressed. Washington, DC, is Native land, but Indigenous peoples are often left out of the national narrative. To redress this myth of invisibility, Dr. Rule's book Indigenous DC highlights the Indigenous people and sites that have been important to the history of Washington, DC and the United States more broadly. Inspired by American University professor Elizabeth Rule’s a...2023-05-1754 minNative CirclesSasha Maria Suarez on Expanding What Native Activism Looks LikeSasha Maria Suarez shares her thoughts and research with us about expanding what Native activism looks like. Suarez is a direct descendant of the White Earth Nation of Ojibwe and is the second generation from her family to be born and raised as an urban Ojibwe in Minneapolis. She is an assistant professor of history and American Indian Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her work focuses on Ojibwe gender history, Indigenous social movements, and urban Indigenous history. She is currently working on her first book tentatively titled, "Making a Home in the City: White Earth Ojibwe Women and...2023-04-1550 minNative CirclesReconceiving School through Indigenous Education with Meredith McCoy and Matthew VilleneuveListen to a conversation with Meredith McCoy and Matthew Villeneuve about historical and current strategies that Indigenous people used to repurpose the educational systems for Indigenous well-being. In this episode, we are also joined by a student audience Q&A. Meredith McCoy is an Assistant Professor of American Studies and History at Carleton College. She is of Turtle Mountain Ojibwe descent, and her father, David McCoy, is an enrolled Turtle Mountain citizen. Meredith's research examines how Indigenous families, educators, and community leaders have long repurposed tools of settler colonial educational violence into tools for Indigenous life. Her...2023-03-1544 minNative CirclesThe Lyda Conley Series on Trailblazing Indigenous FuturesThis episode features the series editors, Farina King, Kiara Vigil, and Tai Edwards, of a new university press series related to Native American Studies. The University Press of Kansas is launching The Lyda Conley Series on Trailblazing Indigenous Futures, which King, Vigil, and Edwards highlight. This is one of the first press series named after a Native American woman.Lyda Conley’s life and experiences are inspirational as one of the first Native American women known to argue a case before the U.S. Supreme Court, which she did in defense of her Indigenous ancestors and people. He...2023-02-1436 minNative CirclesRyan Lee on Community and Support for Indigenous StudentsRyan Lee highlights his current work with the American Indian Programs and Services (AIPS) and the American Indian Student Association (AISA) at the University of Oklahoma (OU) as well as his excitement for contributing to the available events and his hopes for future growth. Ryan also shares his early journey of growing up both in and beyond the Navajo Nation, including his experiences at Diné College and what led him to the path he is on. Ryan serves as the Coordinator for AIPS at OU. In this role, he serves as the primary advisor for AISA. Ryan i...2023-01-1559 minNative CirclesCrystal Lepscier speaks on Racial Battle Fatigue and Healing PathsCrystal Lepscier talks about how the history of education and racism tied to historically government sanctioned assimilation and similar genocidal practices ties into our traumas and experiences within the institution that is 'school.' This is profound when we think about Racial Battle Fatigue. This term explains the physiological and psychological harm that is a result of long term microaggressions, racism, and intergenerational trauma. This term carries a weight that, when confronted, has the potential to also help us open the doors to understanding and healing, which sets us on a better path to our human selves. ...2022-12-1455 minNative CirclesErnestine Berry on Seeking the History of the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokees with Guest Co-Host Evelyn Castro CoxErnestine Berry shares parts of her journey seeking the history of her people, the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokees, and on becoming the founding Director of the UKB John Hair Cultural Center and Museum (JHCCM). Ernestine was pivotal in the establishment of the JHCCM in 2011, which is dedicated to sharing Keetoowah culture and history with the Keetoowah community and the public. She earned a master’s degree in education administration from Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, and a master’s degree in museum studies from the University of Oklahoma. Berry focuses on researching and sharing tribal history and cult...2022-11-1534 minNative CirclesTeagan Dreyer on Native Identity and Self-Determination within Reclaimed Boarding SchoolsTeagan Dreyer shares with us her personal experiences and research of Native identity and self-determination within reclaimed boarding schools. Teagan is a citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma in her second year of the History PhD program at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma. She studies the experiences of Native American students in federal and tribally-run boarding schools post-World War II. In her research Teagan has focused on the experiences of students in Oklahoma but is also concerned with schools around the country. This research has led Teagan to study the implications of changing federal policies...2022-10-1551 minNative CirclesMichael Kaulana Ing on Native Hawaiian PhilosophyDr. Michael Kaulana Ing shares with us Kanaka/Hawaiian philosophy as well as what it means to be Kanaka/Hawaiian living away from Hawai'i. He also shares his experiences and knowledge with Philosophy and Religious studies and the need for Indigenous thinking in Philosophy Departments.Michael Kaulana Ing was raised by the ʻāina (land) of Mānoa on the island of Oʻahu. He currently resides on the land of the Miami, Delaware, Potawatomi, and Shawnee where he is a professor in the Department of Religious Studies at Indiana University. He completed his PhD in 2011 at Harvard Univ...2022-09-1548 minNative CirclesJennifer Frazee on Living History, Public Memory, and Native American Studies with Rachael CassidyJennifer Frazee shares her experiences with teaching history and living history, as well as why it is important to continue for future generations. Jennifer pursued a degree in history to be able to care for the histories of her families, and then she found a calling to preserve the histories of others as well. She graduated with a Masters in American Studies at Northeastern State University and worked on the educational and living history programming at Hunter's Home in Park Hill before taking the position of director at the Fort Gibson Oklahoma Historic Site in 2021.We are...2022-08-1646 minNative CirclesJohn Little on Creating Change and Awareness through Indigenous-Centered ProjectsJoin us as we speak with Dr. John Little, a Standing Rock Dakota, about his research, work, and various projects, which support Native Americans. Dr. John Little is currently the Director of Native Recruitment and Alumni Engagement at the University of South Dakota. He earned his Ph.D. in History at the University of Minnesota. His dissertation is titled, "Vietnam Akíčita: Lakota And Dakota Military Tradition In The Twentieth Century," which examines Native American Vietnam War veteran and military experiences. He has taught in Native American Studies, Leadership and Sustainability, and History. He has also developed a...2022-07-1655 minNative CirclesA Conversation about San Carlos Apache History with Marcus MacktimaThis episode features a conversation about San Carlos Apache history with Dr. Marcus Macktima, a San Carlos Apache scholar. He received a BA in History with a minor in Native American Studies in 2015; and his MA in Native American Studies in 2018 at the University of Oklahoma. Marcus received his doctoral degree in History at the University of Oklahoma in 2023. His dissertation is titled, “Issues of Forced Political Identities: The San Carlos Apache Peoples.” In 2022, he accepted a position at Northern Arizona University as a pre/post-doctoral fellow.Look for his chapter, “Sacred Space and Identity: The Fight for Ch...2022-06-1647 minNative CirclesAlaska Native History and Food Sovereignty with Bridget GroatAt the time of this conversation, Dr. Bridget Groat was an assistant professor in the Native American and Indigenous Studies and history departments at Fort Lewis College. She is originally from Naknek, Alaska, which is a village located in the Bristol Bay region. She is Inupiaq, Alutiiq, Yup'ik, and Dena'ina. Her research focuses on salmon, Alaska Natives, food sovereignty, land and water, environmental history, Indigenous women, and Indigenous people. She earned her doctoral degree in History at Arizona State University. Her dissertation is titled, "The Changing Tides of Bristol Bay: Salmon, Sovereignty, and Bristol Bay Natives" (2019). In 2022...2022-05-1547 minNative CirclesCandessa Tehee and Indigenous Allotment StoriesDr. Candessa Tehee is a Cherokee Nation citizen from the Locust, Tehee, Pumpkin, and McLemore families who earned her Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Oklahoma. She is also an accomplished artist who was recognized as a Cherokee National Treasure for fingerweaving in 2019. She previously served as the Executive Director of the Cherokee Heritage Center and the Manager of the Cherokee Language Program, and she worked in the Office of Curriculum and Instruction at the Cherokee Nation Immersion Charter School. She joined the faculty of Northeastern State University (NSU) in Fall 2016 as a pr...2022-04-2537 minNative CirclesSamuel Villarreal Catanach on the Role of Language Revitalization within the Process of DecolonizationSamuel Villarreal Catanach is from and grew up in P'osuwaegeh Owingeh (the Pueblo of Pojoaque). He serves as the director of the Pueblo of Pojoaque's Tewa Language Department. Samuel's goal is to give back to his community while continually defining and strengthening his identity and role as a Pueblo person. In this episode he shares his passion and personal experiences with language revitalization within the process of decolonization, why it matters for all Indigenous peoples to learn and use our languages and histories, the challenges within the field of language revitalization, and some uplifting observations that he h...2022-03-171h 03Native CirclesDavina Two Bears on Decolonizing Anthropological Studies and Indigenous HistoryIn this episode, we speak with Dr. Davina Two Bears, a Diné (Navajo) scholar from Diné Bikéyah (Navajo land) of Northern Arizona. Two Bears is a Visiting Assistant Professor of Anthropology and Postdoctoral Fellow at Swarthmore College. She shares with us her knowledge and research of the Old Leupp Boarding school, a federal American Indian boarding school on the Navajo reservation. She emphasizes the survivance and resistance of Diné youth and people.Dr. Two Bears has volunteered as a DJ playing Native American traditional and contemporary music, which you can learn more about at https://www.dubla...2022-02-1844 minNative CirclesConversation with Authors of Returning Home: Diné Creative Works from the Intermountain Indian SchoolIn this episode, we feature the book Returning Home: Diné Creative Works from the Intermountain Indian School. We speak with the authors Dr. Farina King, Dr. Michael P. Taylor, and Dr. James Swensen, who share their thoughts and experiences from working on the book and with the Diné (Navajo) people. Returning Home works to recover the lived experiences of Native American boarding school students through creative works, student oral histories, and scholarly collaboration. The book reveals a longing for cultural connection and demonstrates cultural resilience. Despite the initial Intermountain Indian School agenda to send Diné students away and...2022-01-2047 minNative CirclesMidge Dellinger on Authentic Remembrance of Indigenous Ancestors and HistoryHistorian Midge Dellinger is a Muscogee citizen and oral historian for the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. At the core of her work as an Indigenous historian, Midge advocates for an authentic remembrance of Indigenous ancestors. Her work focuses on the need for a revised and expanded rendering of America’s long-standing hegemonic narrative concerning Indigenous and U.S. histories. Midge is currently engaged in projects that shed light on the disconnects between Indigenous histories/peoples and public memory. She wrote her thesis about the Battle of Honey Springs (1863) in Indian Territory during the Civil War. She earned her MA...2021-12-1944 minNative CirclesAlaina E. Roberts on the Intersection of Black and Native American HistoryAlaina E. Roberts discusses the intersection of Black and Native American life from the Civil War to the modern day. She talks about her personal family history, Black and Native history in the West, slavery in the Five Tribes (the Chickasaw, Choctaw, Cherokee, Creek, and Seminole Nations), and her book - I’ve Been Here All the While: Black Freedom on Native Land. Alaina E. Roberts is an award-winning historian currently working as Assistant Professor of History at the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Roberts holds a Doctorate in History from Indiana University and a Bachelor of Arts in...2021-11-0226 minNative CirclesSamantha Benn-Duke and Native Women in EducationSamantha Benn-Duke, PhD, has been a public educator for more than 30 years, serving 17 of those years in public classrooms and 7 years as an administrator. She was named the 2017 Oklahoma Indian Educator of the Year by the Oklahoma Council for Indian Education. She also served as the president of the Oklahoma Council for Indian Education and was the first Gaylord-McCasland Teacher Fellow for the Oklahoma Hall of Fame Museum. Samantha’s research and passion include advocating for Native American and other minority children and more effectively meeting their learning needs. In this episode, she discusses her research with Na...2021-10-2132 minNative CirclesRyan Morini and Indigenous Oral HistoryJoin us for our conversation with oral historian and ethnographer Dr. Ryan Morini as we discuss the importance of oral history and what drew him to it. Dr. Morini received his BA and MA in Comparative Literature from Penn State University, and his PhD in Cultural Anthropology from the University of Florida. His main research focus is on heritage politics and social memory among Newene (Western Shoshones) of central and eastern Nevada. Links related to episode: · Noowuh Knowledge Center - a Newe-run cultural center based out of Elko that is doing great work and that peop...2021-08-3038 minNative CirclesMarsha Small and Finding the Voices of Indigenous Boarding School StudentsJoin us for our conversation with guest Marsha Small, who is Tsististas (Northern Cheyenne), as she speaks to us about the unmarked graves of children at boarding schools across the nation. She discusses her work in identifying the graves with ground-penetrating radar, current projects, and answers questions about how to help Indigenous communities heal. She earned her M.A. from Montana State University. Since 2016, Marsha Small and Jarrod Burks have been conducting geophysical investigations to identify the locations of over 200 unmarked burials at the Chemawa Boarding School in Salem, Oregon. The school originally opened in 1880 and today i...2021-08-0630 minNative CirclesFirst Episode with Farina King and Sarah Newcomb discussing Indigenous Boarding School ExperiencesDr. Farina King (Diné) and Sarah Newcomb (Tsimshian) introduce their new podcast Native Circles and discuss Indigenous perspectives and experiences of boarding schools from Native Americans and First Nations' communities. 2021-07-051h 01