Here Before, Hear Now

LaRae Wiley and Chris Park are the founders of the Salish School of Spokane. LaRae is a member of the Colville Confederated Tribes. She and her husband Chris then made a huge life change to become fluent in her native language with the goal of creating more fluent speakers. From selling their house, to living undocumented in Canada with a fluent elder, their dreams have now become a reality.

Tami Shirley has been chosen as the 2025 National Johnson-O’Malley Association Teacher of the Year for the Southwest At-Large Region. She works in the Chandler Unified School District helping Native students. Hear her insight on the state of Native education in this latest conversation.

Sierra Yazzie Asamoa-Tutu has just been elected to serve on Gallup City Council for District 2. She says she’ll be the first Diné woman to serve on the council. She talks to Colton about why she decided to run and how she’ll use her Diné perspective and background as a social worker to serve the small, historic city.

“Rock Your Mocs” is a social media event that was started by Jessica Atsye from Laguna Pueblo in New Mexico. What started as a small thing among friends has flourished globally. It’s a call for Native people to wear their moccasins, traditional footwear, in a show of cultural pride during November’s Native American Heritage Month. 

Mary Ruth Barnes discusses her latest novel “Where Birds Land.” The story details Barnes family history of her great-grandmother, Ella, living in Indian Territory as Oklahoma was becoming a state. She navigates legal battles in fighting for land as she deals with crooked businessman.  

Eva Thomas is a Canadia First Nations filmmaker and screenwriter who is from Tucson, Ariz. Her new film “Nika & Madison” just had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September. The movie explores the lives of two Canadian indigenous women on the run from authorities. It explores sexual assault and the criminal justice system through an indigenous person’s lens. Eva talks to Colton about the shift in natives and indigenous representation in film from “leather and feathers” to more complex characters.

Shondiin Silversmith is hanging up her reporter hat as she enters the world of academia. She’s reported on indigenous affairs for the bulk of career. Shondiin talks with Colton about career highlights and what’s next.

Colton speaks with Ohio Capital Journal reporter Megan Henry in her investigation into Ohio schools that use Native American tribal names or imagery as mascots. She found more than 80 schools use them as many states come up with laws to limit or ban this kind of usage. 

Natalie Benally is an OG guest from Colton’s first podcast. From her first interview back in the pandemic, Natalie has added numerous titles to her resume. On top of a recurring role on AMC’s Dark Winds, she now has two films she’s written on the film festival circuit. Listen to the two catch up and talk about her new endeavors.

Jourdan Bennett-Begaye is the first female to become managing editor of ICT News (formerly Indian Country Today). From the Navajo Nation, Jourdan is now based in Washington, D.C. She talks about coverage in Indian Country and the stories that need attention ahead of the Indigenous Journalist Association annual conference.

Students Imani Haven and Carmen Thompson from Dishchii'bikoh Community School are competing in the National History Day. They have advanced to the national competition, using the platform as a way to spread awareness for the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women crisis. The students centered their research on Emily Pike, a young Indigenous girl whose life was taken way too soon, to bring attention to the issue. Their teacher Jeron Valasco has been their sponsor.

Shonie De La Rosa is a Native filmmaker who directed “The Arrangement.” The romantic comedy centers on the Navajo culture and arranged marriage with the actors speaking primarily in the Navajo language. The film was supported by Navajo Nation Film to help preserve and revitalize the language.

Arizona-based journalist Patty Talahongva (Hopi) and ASU Howard Center for Investigative Reporting professor Lauren Mucciolo go in-depth on the crisis many Native Alaska villages are facing amid rising temperatures and the fight for survival and relocation. The work culminates in the FRONTLINE/PBS documentary “Alaska’s Vanishing Native Villages” which will air on Earth Day, April 22.  

Shuuluk Leo-Retz (Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Nation), an ASU alumnus and starring cast member of Haagua: "An Indigenous Surf Film," explores indigenous culture, surfing, and the importance of water.

Author Brian Young (Navajo) talks about his books for young adult readers that explore Navajo identity paying homage to tradition in modern times. The two-time Ivy League grad discusses Native representation in media and his refusal to water down his work to appeal to a broader audience.

Thomas “Breeze” Marcus is an artist whose murals are displayed all over the Phoenix area. He was raised on the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Reservation. “Breeze” ties his modern graffiti art displays with ties to cultural art elements. A featured artists at Scottsdale Ferrari Art Week (March 20-23), he tackles new-wave A.I. (American Indian) art.

Pearl Yellowman (Diné) was the Vice President of Operations at Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute in Albuquerque, N.M. She recently found herself on the list of layoffs at the school, SIPI, among 20 others. Yellowman talks about the impact of cuts to higher learning and Native American students. [We’ve reached out to SIPI’s current leadership for comment, we’ll update when we get a response.]

Federal Indian Law Attorney Julia Kolsrud discusses the tribe’s quest to gain crucial and much-needed resources in what would be the largest tribal water settlement in U.S. history.

Melanie Henshaw (Muscogee Nation) is an indigenous affairs reporter for InvestigateWest. Her recent reporting focuses on Colville tribal members facing higher than average medical debt for bills that aren’t even theirs to pay.

Former Miss Navajo Nation Alyson Shirley recently graduated from Arizona State University with her Master’s degree in Global Health. She plans to work with tribal member to address health disparities and inequities when it comes to HIV and STIs. Shirley also talks about her reign as Miss Navajo.

Gary Farmer is an actor, musician, and activist whose made a career in indigenous media. His performances in television and film have received rave reviews. The1989 film “Powwow Highway”, in which he stars, was just inducted into the Library of Congress National Film Registry.

Rep. Ruben Gallego joins Colton to discuss the Native American Child Protection Act.

Jeffrey Lazos-Fern is the marketing consultant for Arizona American Indian Tourism Association. This year he's had a major hand in putting together the Arizona Indigenous Food Symposium taking place in Old Town Scottsdale mid November. There will be a heavy focus on food sovereignty, environmental justice, as well as preserving cultural food practices. He shares how the indigenous culinary scene has grown in recent years. 

Alana Yazzie, aka The Fancy Navajo, is a Diné chef. She started posting recipes online about a decade ago and has cultivated a huge following on social media. Her first cookbook "The Modern Navajo Kitchen" will be released on October 8th. She shares recipes that highlight her Navajo culture.  

Dr. Two Bears is from the Navajo Nation. She brings a native perspective to archaeology, most recently recovering and recording information on federal Indian boarding schools. Her most recent work profiles the tribal response to the boarding Indian schools with its own community schools that heavily promote and teach Navajo language and culture.

Patty Talahongva is a Hopi journalist whose made her career in the television news industry. She’s currently working on a book focusing on Indian Boarding Schools using her first-hand experience at the Phoenix Indian School.

Chelsea Curtis is a Navajo journalist currently working for AZ Luminaria. She is currently focusing her reporting on the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, Two-Spirit and Transgender People crisis through a new grant. Chelsea is currently building a database of these cases and profiling victims, their families and advocates. She hopes data will spur change.

Logan Tsinigine details his great-great grandfather Hastin Taadidiin’s life story in the new documentary Bad Indian. It focuses on Taadiiin’s story of survival amid the forced relocation of Navajo people during the “Long Walk” by hiding in Antelope Canyon on the Navajo Nation. Tsinigine details Taadidiin’s story and also shares how his legacy in the canyon lives on to this day with Taadidiin Tours.

Arlyssa is a member of the Navajo Nation. She’s the breaking news editor and indigenous affairs reporter for The Arizona Republic. She has over a decade of experience covering Navajo Nation. She talks to Colton about her journey into journalism and about her reporting process. 

A member of the Navajo Nation, Connor Chee is a classically-trained pianist and composer. He blends his skills on the piano with his cultural heritage. He made his Carnegie Hall debut at 12 years old, and he currently has four studio albums out. 

Dr. Yvette Brown-Shirley is a member of the Navajo Nation who is a sports neurologist at Barrow Neurological Institute. Her passion is building relationships with Native American communities to address neurologic health inequities.

Natalie Benally is a Native artist who has graced the small and silver screen. She's currently based in Santa Fe, New Mexico with several projects under her belt and more in the works. 

Laney Lupe is from the White Mountain Apache Tribe. She was crowned Miss Indian Arizona in October 2023. Her mission as part of her reign is to visit all 22 tribal nations in Arizona to promote a healthy, active lifestyle.

Hosava Kretzmann (Navajo/Hopi) has dreams of competing in the Olympics as a marathon runner, as he was the first American to finish at the 2023 LA Marathon. He points to his culture and background as to what inspires him. 

Colton speaks with Albuquerque news anchor Royale Da (San Ildefsono Pubelo). She talks about how her culture and background influences her reporting and community involvement.

Charley Hogan is a Navajo actress who stars in the movie “Frybread Face and Me”. It’s a coming-of-age movie about a family on the Navajo reservation, and it premieres on Netflix November 24.

Navajo mechanical engineer Aaron Yazzie talks about his upbringing and how it lead him to a career at NASA and their mission to Mars.

Michael Alison, former Native American liaison to AZDH, explains tribal health inequities and the policies in place to address them. 

Colton Shone talks to Amy Denet Deal, the founder of 4KINSHIP, an organization helping indigenous communities. 

Four tribal youth leaders from UNITY (United National Indian Tribal Youth) come together to talk about issues that are important to their separate regions of the country.

Ms. Chavez is the international news anchor for Indian Country Today’s newscast. Broadcast on over 100 public TV station around the world, her reporting focuses on Indigenous issues. She talks about her background being from Santo Domingo Pueblo in New Mexico and how her upbringing is see in her storytelling.

Mrs. Blackwater-Nygren is the First Lady of the Navajo Nation. A lawyer and former state lawmaker, she now advocates for Navajo people. She also sits on the state’s newly created Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women taskforce.

Mr. Luther is from the Navajo, Hopi and Acoma tribes. Based in California, he’s a filmmaker with several projects under his direction. His latest film, “Frybread Face and Me” is a coming-of-age story of a little boy who spends time on the Navajo reservation.