It’s almost time for the Big Game! And guess who’s back…that Kansas City team. Good time to remind folks about why Native American mascots and imagery in sports are problematic. Rhonda LeValdo (Acoma Pueblo) founded Not In Our Honor in 2005 and has been advocating against the use of Native American imagery in sports. Listen to hear about her journey and her plans for Las Vegas. You can help by donating to the Kansas City Indian Center.
We’re back! Brandon Matis (Anishinaabe) joins the show to discuss his journey to becoming a professional ultimate frisbee athlete. Brandon exemplifies commitment, he’s been with the AUDL Minnesota Wind Chill every season in franchise history. He also talks about his dedication to his community and passion for growing the game.
This is a good one, y’all! Ahli-sha “Osh” Littlejohn Stephens is one of my personal heroes and she’s doing so much amazing work for our Eastern Cherokee community. She’s an amazing mom, wife, sister, educator, coach, language preserver, the list goes on and on. She’s also one of the creators of We Are Resilient, a podcast highlighting the stories of Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women #MMIW. Listen to hear her amazing story and be sure to check out WAR-podcast.com Sgi!
It's been a minute but we're back with an amazing guest, Cayden Cochran (Kiowa Creek). Cayden is currently the tight ends coach at Southern Miss and a former QB at Valdosta State University. From a small town in Oklahoma to National Champion, Cayden has always had a passion for his Native heritage and uses his platform to advocate for Native peoples. Listen to this episode to hear more about his journey and passion for helping the next generation.
We’re back and better than ever with the amazing baller Lakota Beatty. She’s an inspiration and advocate for mental health. Listen in to hear what she’s been up to, including her film and a recent trip to the White House to celebrate Native American Heritage Month.
It’s July, which means it’s time for the Native American Basketball Invitational (NABI), the biggest tournament in Indian County. Our special guest is Lynette Lewis, the Director of Basketball Operations & Program Development at NABI. Listen to hear about all the great initiatives planned for NABI this year, including how to watch on ESPN+
SPECIAL EDITION! In April 2022 the Indigenous Athletics Advancement Council took on the task of Indigenizing the NCAA Women’s Final Four in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In this episode, the gang reminisces on all they accomplished. Special thanks to our sponsors and our Native Legends of Women’s Basketball. What should we Indigenize next?
Check out the Land Acknowledgment Video that played before the games.
Guess who’s back! After nearly 3 years, Eriq Swiftwater is back to talk about getting back on track after COVID and addiction disrupted his life. He’s still playing football (Duke City Gladiators) and has an initiative (SwfitFit) in the works to help the Native community through wellness. Stay tuned for more from Eriq!
2022 we back! Founder of Hoop Medicine, Dominic Tiger-Cortes joins the show. We talk about his journey, finding your purpose, and what’s to come this year.
Happy Indigenous People’s Day! We’re back with the amazing baller lawyer, Jessie Stomski Seim (Muscogee Creek). Hear her amazing story and our plans to Indigenize the NCAA Women’s Final Four in April 2022.
Back with an amazing guest, Devin Buffalo (Cree), founder of Waniska Athletics, former Dartmouth hockey goalie. Hear his inspiring story and learn about what's next.
We’re starting 2021 with amazingness the form of Stacy Leeds. Stacy is one of the leading educators in Indian Law, including being the first Native American women to be a dean of a law school. She’s also a baller and advocate for sports. She’s also just launched a new site, Indigenous Well, focusing on authentic Native voices sharing their experiences and advice for living a healthy lifestyle.
I met Jess in my PhD program at Tennessee and I don't know if I could have made it through without her. Listen to us chat about her upbringing as an elite swimmer, processing her athletic identity, grad school, coaching, our research collabs, and now her experience working at UNC-Pembroke, a historically Native university.
Keeping Native American heritage month going with Michael Slee, fellow Eastern Cherokee. Hear about his story of moving to Cherokee at a young age, finding an outlet in football, and the work we’ve done over the past couple years from our passion for education and culture. Just this year, Mike co-founded http://anikanohesgi.com/ a platform for contemporary Native American Writers to share their thoughts and ideas. Check it out!
Kick off #NativeAmericanHeritageMonth with Dr. Nicole Been, the Vice President of Strategic Initiatives and Special Projects at Bacone College. Nicole has come full circle from her time being a student-athlete at Bacone College, to coaching, teaching, and working in sport administration, and now back to Bacone College helping with their transition to an official Tribal College. Join us as we discuss her journey and stay tuned for more from us for Native American heritage month!
Former professional basketball player, current cycling enthusiast, and forever advocate for Native community. Join us for this candid conversation with Damen Bell-Holter about his journey from a small Alaskan village, to playing college and professional basketball, to his recent project - Break the (bi)cycle. We talk about the importance of mental and spiritual health for Indigenous men, and in turn the entire Indigenous community.
#INDIGENOUSPEOPLESDAY NEVER STOPS! We’re back with a new show with two amazing Native women who are researchers/educators/advocates for our communities all across Turtle Island. We talk about our connections to sport and our new publication Covid-19 in Indigenous Communities: Five Protective Factors of "Exercising" Sovereignty” in Sport and the Pandemic: Perspectives on Covid-19's Impact on the Sport Industry. Stay tuned for information on how to access that publication.
Saying last year was a huge year for Jordan Brewer would be an understatement. As a dynamic outfielder with the University of Michigan, he made the College World Series championship and was named the Big Ten Player of the Year. Less than a week later he was drafted by the Houston Astros in the 3rd round of the MLB draft. Now, post-surgery and amid COVID-19's shutdown of sports, he waits to get back to the game that he loves. We talk about his experience growing up in a sports family in Michigan, his unique college path, what it's like getting drafted, and growing into his Native identity and giving back.
We’re talking all about abundance with Shalene Joseph, of the Native Wellness Institute and the Indigenous 20 Something Project. She shares her journey, thoughts on pivoting online during the pandemic & discusses her new @NikeN7 campaign. Don’t miss this episode!
Shalene is from the Gros-Ventre or A’aniiih people of Fort Belknap, Montana and Athabascan people of Tanana, Alaska, graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Native American and Indigenous Studies from Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado and with her Master’s degree in American Indian Studies from the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA).
Teton Saltes is back! Fresh off his undergraduate graduation we chat about how COVID-19 impacted his spring, recent events around racial and social injustice and our outlook moving forward. Bonus special appearance by the rez dogs!
