The Fight for Our Existence

In this episode of Fight For Our Existence Podcast, I sit down in Yosemite at the Grizzly Giant with Anthony Lerma, Tara Fauchmoore, and Irene Foskas of the Southern Sierra Miwok Nation. We talk about Indigenous stewardship, cultural burning, forest health, language revitalization, and what it means to care for land your ancestors have known since time immemorial. From black oaks and bedrock morta...

In this episode, I sat down with my sister Sinetta and my niece Lozen to speak about their connection to Oak Flat and their involvement in the legal fight against Resolution Copper. Lozen had her Coming Of Age ceremony at Oak Flat, joining other young Apache women in their family whose ceremonies took place there. Together they reflect on ceremony, family gatherings, the flooding rainstorm during...

Nicole Smith was a mother, sister, and traditional dancer whose life was taken on November 17, 2017, on the Manchester Reservation in Mendocino County, California. Years later, her family is still waiting for justice. In this episode, Bernadette Smith speaks about her sister Nicole, the night their family’s lives changed, and the unanswered questions that remain. She shares how Nicole’s children a...

In this episode of the Fight for Our Existence Podcast, I share a conversation with Ronnie Hostler, an elder from Round Valley, California, about his granddaughter Khadijah Britton, who went missing and has never been found. Ronnie speaks about the early days of Khadijah’s disappearance, the lack of urgency he felt from law enforcement, and the years his family has spent searching for answers. He...

In this episode of Fight For Our Existence, I sit down with Ruben Leyva from Las Cruces, New Mexico, an Apache historian from the Chihéne Ndé, also known as the Gila Apache, a band of the Chiricahua Apache. We met at Apache Gold Casino while he was attending a conference for San Carlos Apache College, and what started as a simple conversation turned into something much deeper. This episode is not...

In this episode of the Fight for Our Existence Podcast, I share an immediate update following the recent court decision involving Oak Flat. The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled against the three cases challenging the Oak Flat land transfer, including the case brought by Apache women and girls, the San Carlos Apache Tribe, and environmental groups. The court also lifted th...

In this episode, we hear from Lynette, the mother of Nicholas Robert Patterson, a Pit River man who went missing in January of 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic. This conversation was recorded at the MMIP Conference in Sacramento, California on February 3rd, 2026, where families gathered to share their stories and bring awareness to the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP)...

In this episode I share an audio recording from the MMIP Conference held in Sacramento, California on February 3. This conversation features Florence Wright, the mother of James “Little Man” Wright, and his Aunt Ginger, as they speak about James’s life, his disappearance, and the nearly four decades of unanswered questions their family continues to live with. James “Little Man” Wright was an enrol...

In this episode, I sit down with my cousin Batsulwin Brown, someone I’ve been dancing with since we were little. We reflect on our lifelong connection to Pomo ceremony, what it means to wear regalia with respect, and how traditional dances are being carried forward today. We talk about the old ways, learning from our uncles and aunties, without classes or flyers and we ask honest questions about h...

This episode draws a line from the past to the present. From the mercury contaminated waters of Elem Indian Colony on shores of Clearlake, where I grew up near the Sulphur Bank Mine, to the proposed Resolution Copper mine at Oak Flat. We talk about what happens with poisoned water, collapsed land, and promises that never benefit the people. Oak Flat isn’t just an Indigenous issue, it’s an environm...

In this episode of Fight for Our Existence , it opens with the recent ICE raids sweeping through the country, We then honor Apache Independence Day (June 18) with a short reflection on the history and sovereignty of the San Carlos Apache Tribe. Honor Juneteenth. Finally, we shift to urgent breaking news: the Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Oak Flat has been released on June 16th, tr...

The fight for Oak Flat isn’t over. In this episode, I reflect on the Supreme Court’s refusal to hear the Apache Stronghold case, share a personal story about my daughter’s ceremony on sacred land, and speak on what’s at stake for my niece Lozen’s future. I also break down recent court rulings, including the May 7th decision to halt the land transfer and the upcoming June 6th federal hearing. This...

In this episode, I sit down with my family, Apache Stronghold members to talk about the recent federal court decision temporarily halting the transfer of Oak Flat (Chi'chil Biłdagoteel) to a multinational mining company. Joining me are Wendsler Nosie, Theresa Nosie, Vanessa Nosie, Naelyn Pike, and Baase Pike, spiritual leaders, land defenders, and family members who have fought for years at the ce...

On May 7, 2025, Apache Stronghold returned to federal court in Phoenix, Arizona, in the ongoing fight to protect Oak Flat—Chi’chil Biłdagoteel—from destruction by Resolution Copper. I was there, alongside my daughter, nieces, and relatives, singing Apache songs and standing in solidarity. This episode brings you the uncut voices from that day: speeches from Nizhoni and Wendsler Nosie before the he...

In this episode of Fight 4 Our Existence , we have a powerful conversation with my niece Naelyn Pike, a Chiricahua Apache youth leader and lifelong defender of Chi’chil Biłdagoteel, also known as Oak Flat. Naelyn shares the spiritual and cultural significance of this sacred site, and why she continues to stand with Apache Stronghold in resistance to Resolution Copper — a foreign mining company att...

In this powerful episode, we sit down with Wendsler Nosie Sr. of Apache Stronghold to discuss the latest developments in the legal battle to protect Oak Flat, known to the Apache as Chi'chil Bildagoteel. Wendsler shares insight into the recent court rulings in Apache Stronghold v. United States , the Forest Service’s plan to republish the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS), and the sacred...

In this episode of Fight 4 Our Existence , we shed light on an urgent Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) case. We share the story of the missing, the impact on their loved ones, and the ongoing fight for justice. Through firsthand accounts and discussion, we aim to raise awareness, honor the voices of those affected, and highlight the systemic issues contributing to the MMIP crisis. Tha...

I had the privilege of sitting down with Morning Star Gali to discuss a variety of pressing Native issues today. We talked about her roots in the Bay Area, the Alcatraz Sunrise Gathering, the fight to protect land and water, and much more. Morning Star is the founder of Indigenous Justice, and you can connect with her on Facebook and Instagram. This introduction is on www.indigenousjustice.org "Mo...

Great discussion with my sister Sinetta and Dwight over Native Health, including wellbriety and mental health. Sinetta is a Behavior Counselor and works for Native Health in downtown Phoenix, Az. She just great work with our Native community to help them get on the right path. Dwight Francisco is an enrolled member of the Tohono O’odham Nation. As a spiritual advisor, he helps to provide cultural...

Nice sit down with Raven from Colorado about the MMIR crisis in the state of Colorado and across the country. Raven is President of the Missing, Murdered, Indigenous Relatives Task Force of Colorado. Official Website https://mmirtaskforceco.com Donate to MMIR https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/MMIRTaskforceCO?country.x=US&locale.x=en_US Official Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/MMIRofColora...

I had the chance to sit down with my Uncle Wendsler for another conversation before he heads out on his Prayer Journey to DC, Today Wendsler and the Apache Stronghold is leaving for Thacker Pass in Nevada. They will make 14 stops across the country until they make their final stop in Washington DC on September 11th to the Supreme Court. For more info on the Prayer Journey, click the link below. ht...

Finally caught up with my Uncle Wendsler for a one on one conversation. My Uncle lives at Oak Flat and travels all over the country speaking on Oak Flat. In this episode, we talk about him growing up on the San Carlos Reservation. We talked about how his life experiences lead him to what he is doing today. Apache Stronghold website http://www.apache-stronghold.com Apache Stronghold - Instagram Pag...

Mount Graham Sacred Run this weekend starting Thursday July 18th at Old San Carlos starting at 4pm. It will continue Friday morning at 4am across from Noline;s Country Store. They will run all the way up to Treasure Park on top of Mount Graham, Runners are needed and there will be food available. Bring you tents and rain clothes. Vanessa gives an update on the devastating Watch Fire that took plac...

On May 15th, 1850 the 1st Dragoons Regiment of the United States Calvary slaughtered 200 Pomos mostly consistent of elders, women, and children. Their orders were to exterminate if possible the whole tribe. The Pomos were massacred on what they call today, Bloody Island.

Sat down Bernadette at the upcoming Dave Smith Park in Windsor California. We talked about caring the legacy of our fathers and keeping our traditions strong for our future generations. We also discuss MMIP/MMIR and loss of her sisters. I was lucky enough to have Bernadette sing a song for the closing of the episode. OH!