Life on the Margins: An Urban Native Experience

In this episode, we are joined by writer, filmmaker, and champion powwow dancer, Julian Brave NoiseCat, where we talk about his first book- We Survived the Night, his Oscar nominated documentary, Sugarcane, and what it was like to be the first Indigenous North American filmmaker to be nominated for an Academy Award. Special thanks to Devin Dabney for music and production.

In this episode we are joined by a Two-Spirit elder  who needs no introduction. Poet, activist, teacher of writing, and so much more, we give you our episode with Chrystos, where we talk about everything from her years with the AIM movement, to her relationship with the late Audrey Lourde.  Special thanks to Devin Dabney for music and production.

Back in late 2024 we recorded this episode with our dear friend and ally- professor Rebecca Wingo at the University of Cincinnati. Her decades of work include building and nurturing relationships with Tribal Nations and elevating the voices of contemporary Native Peoples.  This past weekend, Professor Wingo, representatives from the UNC,  and our Wyandot relatives convened for the unveiling of  the first of a new series of historical markers which will tell the story of the last Indigenous nation removed from Ohio. So we thought, no better time like the present to share with you this episode, featuring Professor Rebecca Wingo.   https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/93550d92bf12422b9858b71c19339214   https://www.uc.edu/news/articles/2024/12/uc-history-students-map-out-wyandot-removal-trail.html   Special thanks to Devin Dabney for music and production.  

In this episode, live from the Cincinnati Playhouse, we delve into a complex conversation on colonial borders and explore how relationships and reimagining can reshape our understanding of these divisions. Through powerful narratives we examine the intersections of identity, culture, and land, highlighting the importance of reconciliation and connection in healing our shared world.  Special thanks to Devin Dabney and Victoria Awan for music and production. 

In this episode we speak with Tommy Orange, an award winning writer from Northern California and the author of There, There and his newest novel, Wandering Stars. Special thanks to Devin Dabney for music and production.

In this episode of Life on the Margins: An Urban Native Experience, live from the Downtown Cincinnati Public Library, we are joined by Shane Creepingbear, citizen of the Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma and Dean of Admissions at Antioch College, where we discuss his experiences in higher education over the last 15 years. Special thanks to Devin Dabney for music and production.

In this episode, live from the REACH Native American festival at Wright State University in Dayton Ohio, we speak with artist and designer, Jillian Waterman, on weaving traditional knowledge into fashion, building connections to the people and the land, having hard conversations, and pushing the envelope.  Special thanks to Devin Dabney for music and post production.

In this episode of Life on the Margins, recorded live from the REACH Native American festival at Wright State University in Dayton Ohio, we speak with Stephanie Van Hoose-  founder of REACH Indigenous advocacy. We dive into the meaning of REACH, her work in the region over the years, and how the event has evolved.  Special thanks to Devin Dabney for music and post production.

In this episode of our podcast we are joined by Janeen Comenote, founding Executive Director of the National Urban Indian Family Coalition. We discuss her work organizing at the national level, civic engagement, this upcoming election, and the power of the Native vote. Special thanks to Devin Dabney for production and music. 

In this episode of our podcast we chat with actress, producer, writer, activist, and Urban Native Collective board member, the one and only-- Irene Bedard. We discuss her role in the new series The Green Veil, Indigenous representation in Hollywood, and what big projects she has planned next.   Special thanks to Devin Dabney for music and production.

In this episode of our podcast we speak with Native playwright, Larissa Fasthorse. We discuss Indigenous representation in the media and arts and her experience rewriting the broadway musical, Peter Pan. Special thanks to Devin Dabney for music and production. 

In this episode we are joined by Taylor Tupper, member of the Klamath Tribes in present day Oregon and a singer for the Steiger Butte Drum and Singers. Traveling all the way to Cincinnati to perform with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, we talk with Taylor about what it was like bringing their Native homelands of Crater Lake, Giiwas, to life through sound. Special thanks to Devin Dabney for production and music. 

In this episode, live from the Cincinnati Playhouse, we have a conversation on Indigenous injustice within the US prison system and the nearly 50 year imprisonment of Native activist, Leonard Peltier.  Joining us is Jim Toren. Jim has over thirty years of organizing experience, co-founded the American Indian Movement Support Group of Ohio, Indiana, and Northern Kentucky, and founded the organization, FootPrints for Peace.    Special thanks to Devin Dabney for music and production.

In this episode we talk with NativeAudio founder, Mike Trombley, an enrolled member of the Blackfeet Nation with over a decade of engineering experience.  NativeAudio is a Native-owned effect pedal company out of Dayton, Ohio bringing culture alive through sound.     Special thanks to Devin Dabney for music and production.

Live from the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, we dive into a discussion around decolonizing mental health with our guest, Sylvia Pinto.  Sylvia is a first generation Salvadoran American and a practicing mental health professional who discusses with us the complex intersection of Western medicine and Indigenous knowledge.   Special thanks to Devin Dabney for music and production. 

Live from the Woodward Theater in Cincinnati, we are joined by Palestinian activists Noel Maghathe and Sammy Ali, for a discussion around the parallels between Native Indigenous and Palestinian existence and experiences.   Special thanks to Devin Dabney for music and post production. 

In this episode we are joined by 1876, the world's only pow wow punk rock band, straight from Portland Oregon.  Forming in 2020, 1876 proudly represents both the Northern Cheyenne and Blackfeet nations, singing in both languages. With sounds that any pow wow goer would recognize, 1876 proudly expresses their unique perspective as urban Natives.   Special thanks to Devin Dabney for production and music.

In this episode I have the privilege of talking with Urban Native Collective's board president, Dawn Knickerbocker (Anishinaabe/White Earth), about Indigenous motherhood. We discuss our journeys as mothers, our collective responsibility, how colonialism has disrupted our understanding of motherhood, and so much more.    Special thanks to G French Productions & Devin Dabney for music and production.

Live from the Cincinnati Playhouse, Jae Merica, James Blanchard, and Olivia Nava join us for a conversation on Environmentalism, Eco-Colonialism, and Food Sovereignty.  During this discussion we chat about about the biggest impacts to our environment, the benefit of Indigenous value systems, and how are communities are stronger together. In partnership with the Playhouse Perspectives Series.  Playhouse Perspectives is made possible thanks to a generous gift from Barbara and Roderick Barr.    Special thanks to G French Production and Devin Dabney for music and production.

Live from the Cincinnati Playhouse, Jae Merica joins us for a conversation on Native identity. During this personal roundtable discussion, we talk about what it means to be Native and how we're building stronger communities together. We also talk about the many things that have impacted our Indigeneity, including our upbringing, blood quantum, proximity to whiteness, and much more.   In partnership with the Playhouse Perspectives Series.  Playhouse Perspectives is made possible thanks to a generous gift from Barbara and Roderick Barr.   Special thanks to G French Productions & Devin Dabney for music and production.

Laughter is some of the best medicine, and in this episode we discuss Homer Shadowheart's career as a Native comedian and actor.  We talk about Native representation in the entertainment industry, cultural appropriation, and so much more.    Special thanks to G French Productions & Devin Dabney for music and production.

Live from the Cincinnati Playhouse, Tala Ali and Sammy Ali Al-Sirhani join us for a conversation around working in White spaces as marginalized individuals. We discuss topics such as micro-aggressions, tokenism, and the struggles we face everyday in the workplace.   In partnership with the Playhouse Perspectives Series. Playhouse Perspectives is made possible thanks to a generous gift from Barbara and Roderick Barr.   Special thanks to G French Productions & Devin Dabney for music and production.