Native ChocTalk

PART 3 They were the Comanche, or Numunuh—meaning "The People"— and they were the undisputed "Lords of the Plains," fiercely guarding their vast homeland across Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, and New Mexico. Masters of horseback warfare, they resisted westward expansion as the U.S. government pushed settlers into their territory. In an 1836 raid on Fort Parker, nine-year-old Cynthia Ann Parker...

According to the American Addiction Centers: "The rate of alcohol use among Native Americans is significantly higher than in other ethnic groups. The rate of Native Americans with an alcohol use disorder is higher than that of the total population. And one in ten young Native Americans (ages 18–25) has an alcohol use disorder.” What if there were a Native-owned, alcohol-free alternative that not o...

"Don’t forget what was sacrificed. And keep fighting in the ways you can. You are still occupied. You are still here. You are born of real survivors. So go live.” These are the powerful words from my guest, comic book artist Jim Terry (Ho-Chunk), in his book “Paper Cut”. I really enjoyed this casual conversation with Jim, who lives not far from me in Chicago. He opened my eyes to the history and p...

"Don’t forget what was sacrificed. And keep fighting in the ways you can. You are still occupied. You are still here. You are born of real survivors. So go live.” These are the powerful words from my guest, comic book artist Jim Terry (Ho-Chunk), in his book “Paper Cut”. I really enjoyed this casual conversation with Jim, who lives not far from me in Chicago. He opened my eyes to the history and p...

According to the American Addiction Centers: "The rate of alcohol use among Native Americans is significantly higher than in other ethnic groups. The rate of Native Americans with an alcohol use disorder is higher than that of the total population. And one in ten young Native Americans (ages 18–25) has an alcohol use disorder.” What if there were a Native-owned, alcohol-free alternative that not o...

PART 2 "Don’t forget what was sacrificed. And keep fighting in the ways you can. You are still occupied. You are still here. You are born of real survivors. So go live.” These are the powerful words from my guest, comic book artist Jim Terry (Ho-Chunk), in his book “Paper Cut”. I really enjoyed this casual conversation with Jim, who lives not far from me in Chicago. He opened my eyes to the histor...

Part 3 March is Women’s History Month, a time to honor the powerful stories of women throughout history. So today, we’re celebrating both history and healing! Join us as Sharon Day, a member of the Bois Forte Band of Ojibwe, shares her ancestral stories and her work leading healing water walks. Wondering what a water walk is? Tune in to discover its significance, along with Sharon’s inspiring jour...

March is Women’s History Month, a time to honor the powerful stories of women throughout history. So today, we’re celebrating both history and healing! Join us as Sharon Day, a member of the Bois Forte Band of Ojibwe, shares her ancestral stories and her work leading healing water walks. Wondering what a water walk is? Tune in to discover its significance, along with Sharon’s inspiring journey of...

March is Women’s History Month, a time to honor the powerful stories of women throughout history. So today, we’re celebrating both history and healing! Join us as Sharon Day, a member of the Bois Forte Band of Ojibwe, shares her ancestral stories and her work leading healing water walks. Wondering what a water walk is? Tune in to discover its significance, along with Sharon’s inspiring journey of...

“To the Choctaw proud, ours is the sovereign nation offering opportunities for growth and prosperity.” This is the stated mission of my tribe, the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. For the Choctaw, creating opportunities isn’t just about supporting our own people—it’s about uplifting the surrounding communities as well. Sara Seals, Director of Marketing at Choctaw Nation, shares the tribe’s mission to c...

In today’s episode, we proudly celebrate Veteran’s Day and honor our men and women who have bravely served our country! My guest, Jackson Weaver, a citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and a Service-Connected Disabled Veteran, shares about his family’s legacy of dedicated servicemen, such as Jackson’s grandpa known as “Chief” to all who knew him and the interesting stories of when he was in U...

In today’s episode, we proudly celebrate Veteran’s Day and honor our men and women who have bravely served our country! My guest, Jackson Weaver, a citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and a Service-Connected Disabled Veteran, shares about his family’s legacy of dedicated servicemen, such as Jackson’s grandpa known as “Chief” to all who knew him and the interesting stories of when he was in U...

Part 2 In today’s episode, we proudly celebrate Veteran’s Day and honor our men and women who have bravely served our country! My guest, Jackson Weaver, a citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and a Service-Connected Disabled Veteran, shares about his family’s legacy of dedicated servicemen, such as Jackson’s grandpa known as “Chief” to all who knew him and the interesting stories of when he w...

Part 1 In today’s episode, we proudly celebrate Veteran’s Day and honor our men and women who have bravely served our country! My guest, Jackson Weaver, a citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and a Service-Connected Disabled Veteran, shares about his family’s legacy of dedicated servicemen, such as Jackson’s grandpa known as “Chief” to all who knew him and the interesting stories of when he w...

This summer, I embarked on a road trip to Tuskahoma, Oklahoma, for our annual Choctaw Labor Day Festival. Nestled among the rolling hills of the Kiamichi Mountains, the event was a vibrant celebration featuring stickball tournaments, frybread, gourd dancing, and Choctaw Village activities. While these cherished traditions always make the journey worthwhile, this year's experience was especially me...

Part 4 It is said that as our ancestors walked the hundreds of miles on the Trail of Tears from their homelands to Indian Territory during The Removal, that singing could be heard echoing through the trees. Those near enough to hear those melodious sounds may have assumed a nearby church service was taking place. What they probably didn’t know at the time was that those singers, young and old, fee...

Part 3 It is said that as our ancestors walked the hundreds of miles on the Trail of Tears from their homelands to Indian Territory during The Removal, that singing could be heard echoing through the trees. Those near enough to hear those melodious sounds may have assumed a nearby church service was taking place. What they probably didn’t know at the time was that those singers, young and old, fee...

Part 2 It is said that as our ancestors walked the hundreds of miles on the Trail of Tears from their homelands to Indian Territory during The Removal, that singing could be heard echoing through the trees. Those near enough to hear those melodious sounds may have assumed a nearby church service was taking place. What they probably didn’t know at the time was that those singers, young and old, fee...

Part 1 It is said that as our ancestors walked the hundreds of miles on the Trail of Tears from their homelands to Indian Territory during The Removal, that singing could be heard echoing through the trees. Those near enough to hear those melodious sounds may have assumed a nearby church service was taking place.    What they probably didn’t know at the time was that those singers, young and old,...

Part 1 For centuries, American Indians carved out a labyrinth of pathways across this land. Spanning hundreds of miles, these trails not only enabled connections among their communities, but also provided access to prime hunting grounds, water and seasonal dwellings. Over time, these well-trodden paths underwent a transformation at the hands of non-Natives, evolving into mail routes, stagecoach li...

Part 2 For centuries, American Indians carved out a labyrinth of pathways across this land. Spanning hundreds of miles, these trails not only enabled connections among their communities, but also provided access to prime hunting grounds, water and seasonal dwellings. Over time, these well-trodden paths underwent a transformation at the hands of non-Natives, evolving into mail routes, stagecoach li...

Part 3 They called her “savage”. She was a tough, independent and widowed single mother, attempting to succeed during a time when women were just starting to have a voice (although many Native women were still very much unheard). Join me and my guest, Nicolette Blount as she delves into the stories of her great grandmother, Wanda Savage, a 1920s Chickasaw sharpshooter, stunt woman, dancer and sile...

Part 2 They called her “savage” and she was a tough, independent and widowed single mother, attempting to succeed during a time when women were just starting to have a voice (although many Native women were still very much unheard). Join me and my guest, Nicolette Blount as she delves into the stories of her great grandmother, Wanda Savage, a 1920s Chickasaw sharpshooter, stunt woman, dancer and s...

They called her “savage” and she was a tough, independent and widowed single mother, attempting to succeed during a time when women were just starting to have a voice (although many Native women were still very much unheard). Join me and my guest, Nicolette Blount as she delves into the stories of her great grandmother, Wanda Savage, a 1920s Chickasaw sharpshooter, stunt woman, dancer and silent f...

In part 4 of this 4-part series, you’ll step into the rich history, cultural heritage and stories of Alaska's Alutiiq tribe, with my guest, Scott Larionoff (Alutiiq). There’s more to Alaska than just the breathtaking landscapes of the Last Frontier. In this episode, we’ll dive deeper, to learn about distant echoes – the stories – of the Alutiiq people of the past and those who are descendants of t...