Collective Spirit Podcast

Join us as we learn from 2023 Cultural Capital Fellow Kelly Rose O'Bennick (Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes), a multi-talented artist doing just that with her passion for traditional moccasin making. Drawing from her sobriety journey, Kelly is on a mission to reintroduce traditional attire into everyday life, fostering cultural pride and connection. Delve into her journey and discover...

2023 Cultural Capital Fellow   Dan Nanamkin (Colville Confederated Tribes), an artist who creates with his hands and heart, shares his journey, which has led him to create work centered on the intersection of tradition and contemporary education, focusing on empowering Indigenous youth. He candidly talks about the trials of racism and the transformative power of composing songs in his tribal langu...

2023 Cultural Capital Fellow Sequoia Hauck (Anishinaabe), a queer, Native, two-spirit filmmaker with a deep love for Indigenous storytelling, strives to create stories by and for Native people. Sequoia shares details of their current film project, Never Turn Your Back to the Wave - the Travis Jordan Story - a poignant series touching on the tragic loss of loved ones due to police brutality in the...

Prepare to be inspired by 2023 Artist in Business Leadership fellow, Cheri Williams (Anishinaabe), who will take you on an enlightening journey through her captivating garden. Cheri, a fervent gardener, will share her love for the transformative power of nature and how she beautifully captures it through photographs. Her plan to create a book showcasing these exquisite pictures aims to bring garde...

Join us as we learn more about 2023 Artist in Business Leadership Fellow Chanel Gallagher (Ojibwe), who dared to swap her career in social work for her passion for pottery. Chanel's story, rich with the power of embracing her Indigenous roots and reconnecting with the earth through clay, will inspire and enlighten you. This episode will debunk age-old misconceptions about Ojibwe pottery, imme...

Join us as we unravel the story of our guest, 2022 Community Spirit Awardee Ed Carriere (Suquamish) - a master of Suquamish style clam gathering basket weaving. A lineage passed down by her great grandma, Julia Jacob, our guest, has spent years perfecting the ancestral knowledge of this intricate art form, a testament to Indigenous resilience and creativity. From crafting baskets for gathering cla...

Erin Tripp (Tlingit) , 2023 Artist in Business Leadership Fellow - a talented actor, voice-over artist, and narrator, is on a mission to spotlight Indigenous narratives. Erin candidly shares his journey in performance arts, revealing the thrill and challenge of performing a long monologue. Erin’s love for stories is evident as he raves about his favorite play, Devilfish, and delves into his work n...

Join us as we sit down with a remarkable artist and 2022 Artist in Business Leadership Fellow , Elexa Dawson (Potawatomi Nation) as she shares her journey, how she found her unique voice, and how she's using her music to heal generational trauma and promote connectivity. Elexa touches upon themes of resilience as she outlines her challenges as an independent artist amid a global pandemic and...

Tune in as we get up close and personal with Silversmith and 2022 Artist in Business Leadership Fellow Samuel La Fountain (Diné, Turtle Mountain Chippewa). Drawing from his engaging tales of familial ties to artistry, to the crucial mentorship from Gibson Nez, and the supportive Santa Fe art community, Samuel dissects his artistic journey. He openly shares the hurdles, triumphs, and dreams of esta...

2022 Artist in Business Leadership fellow Leilehua Lanzilotti   (Kanaka Maoli), a sound artist and musician whose creative process weaves a rich tapestry of Hawaiian language, culture, and community engagement. Leilehua shares her experience as a Pulitzer Prize finalist and the joy of recognition alongside fellow Indigenous artists. Leilehua shares the hardships artists face, particularly during t...

What happens when an Indigenous artist finds solace and healing in a traditional form of art? That's the fascinating story of our guest 2022 Cultural Capital Fellow, Thomas Stillday (Red Lake Nation - Obaashing Community) from the Red Lake Nation of Minnesota. Thomas shares his journey of learning beadwork, a tradition that has been in his family for generations. His story sheds light on his...

Join us for an artistic journey as we take flight alongside 2022 Artist in Business Leadership Fellow Josephine Hoffman (Anishinaabe), an accomplished aerial dancer who's fearlessly painting the sky with her Indigenous roots. Josephine attributes her artistic leanings to her mother and grandmother, who filled her childhood with the colors of the natural world and indigenous culture. As she vi...

Imagine being part of a project that seeks to bridge the gap between different cultures, form connections, share traditions, and give a voice to the underrepresented. That's the world our guest, 2022 Artist in Business Leadership fellow, Tara Gumapac , lives in daily. As an indigenous artist and teacher, she is pushing boundaries, building traditional hale on educational campuses, and advocat...

Experience a journey of resilience, creativity, and healing with our special guest, Tosh Terry. As an artist of Navajo, French, and Irish ancestry, Tosh generously shares her tale of survival and resurgence following a severe accident at 16. With her heart firmly rooted in her indigenous heritage, she paints a vivid picture of her life through her extraordinary music, writing, and ASL interpretati...

Have you ever gazed upon a piece of art and felt a deep connection that it's like traveling through time and space? That's the experience our guest, 2022 Artist in Business Leadership Fellow, Laura Youngbird (Minnesota Chippewa Grand Portage Band) - a gifted printmaker and educator, aims to create with her artwork. Rooted in her Native heritage and love for printmaking, she takes us on a...

Have you ever pondered what Indigenous pop art might look like, or how personal heritage can ignite a unique artistic flame? Thread that curiosity into your headphones as we engage in a heart-to-heart with 2022 Artist in Business Leadership Fellow, Kaylene Big Knife (Chippewa Cree), a gifted graphic designer and digital illustrator from the Chippewa Kree tribe. Kailene walks us through her artisti...

2022 Community Spirit Awardee Mr. Charlie Soap (Cherokee Nation), shares his insight on how his community and cultural identity shaped his life in community organizing and storytelling. Mr. Soap has dedicated virtually his entire career to working to strengthen the many Cherokee communities in northeastern Oklahoma. Serving under three chiefs, he served as the community service group leader for th...

2022 Artist in Business Leadership fellow, Jodi Webster (Ho-Chunk Nation, Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation), is a jeweler based in Arizona who is pushing the creative envelope through her use of materials and technology which has disrupted mainstream assumptions of Native American people, art and culture. She is currently exploring the making and revitalization of Woodland jewelry indicative of the...

2022 Cultural Capital fellow, Kanoelani Davis (Kanaka Maoli), owns PoMahina Designs, a wearable art company embued in essence and culture. Aside from being a business owner whose products uplift Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) culture and designs, Kanoe's business has expanded to create a platform that invites conversation and timely perspectives on issues of our day. Kanoe derives her motivat...

2022 Cultural Capital fellow, Ronald Paquin (Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa), an elder of the Sault St. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, is a self-taught artist. He has built 21 full-sized traditional birch bark canoes and over 15 models throughout the last 20 years. In this episode, Ron shares his belief that passing on his skills and traditional art forms is important as he is one of the las...

2022 Artist in Business Leadership fellow, Shauna Elk (Lakota, Dakota), learned to do beadwork at an early age thanks to the guidance of her family and close relatives. As a bead worker, her practice has helped her better understand herself and the world around her and has become a creative outlet for healing and self-care. Having expanded her practice to include quillwork, Shauna shares a bit abo...

Madie Goodnight (Chickasaw) is a multidisciplinary artist based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. With support and guidance from her family and her community, Madie’s career has flourished as an illustrator of children’s books. Madie offers insight into her career path and how she continues to be inspired by the warmth and freedom of childhood memories and the stories of her Chickasaw community. 

Ursala Hudson (Tlingit) is a regalia/fashion designer whose work is a continuation of Tlingit heritage through Chilkat and Ravenstail weaving. Ursala hails from a long line of respected weavers and in this episode, she shares how her identity is strongly shaped by her experiences as a woman, mother, artist, and Tlingit person in this world.

Alan Wallace (Nisenan Maidu, Washoe) is a multidisciplinary artist whose work is centered on reversing the Nisenan language decline in his community through his creative practice. Wallace takes a philosophical retrospective in this episode in examining his life, influences, and the path ahead in his practice and its legacy in his community.

Carrie Moran McCleary (Little Shell Chippewa), the owner of Plains Soul - a Native-owned fashion design studio based in Montana, has spent a lifetime honing her skills in beadwork, leatherwork, and fashion design. Carrie’s work is strongly influenced by her heritage, family, and community and is reflected in her ongoing commitment to pursuing her artistic and entrepreneurial goals.