All My Relations Podcast

Back in 2020, after the murder of George Floyd and during the Black Lives Matter uprisings that followed, All My Relations started a journey to support the Black community and Afro Indigenous relatives through having conversations on police brutality, anti-blackness, Indian Country’s connection to chattel slavery, and Afro-Indigenous history. This first episode in the series features an interview with Harvard professor Tiya Miles. Professor Miles is a scholar, historian, and writer whose work explores the intersections of African American, Native American and women’s histories. With Dr. Miles, we focus specifically on the history and structure of Black and Native interconnection. Through the lens of early Cherokee interactions with Black people, we talk about Black and Indigenous peoples first relationships that were shaped in a settler colonial landscape. We talk about how some southeastern Tribes like the Cherokee bent to colonial standards and acted in ways antithetical to Indigenous values by owning enslaved Africans, and how this legacy of pain and abuse has effects today for the descendants of those who were enslaved, and our communities as a whole. We touch on current conversations around the recognition of Freedmen Descendants by the Five Tribes. Our stories are intertwined, and we need to examine the past to determine how best to more forward. +++ Resources mentioned in the episode:Website for Dr. Miles: TiyaMiles.com The Cherokee Nation has put out a call for freedmen descendants to share cultural artifacts, family photos, and other memorabilia for an exhibit:  Call for Freedmen DescendantsCreek Freedmen descendants have a gofundme to raise funds to support the community and legal efforts to gain recognition: GoFundMeDr. Keene made a reading list on my blog two years ago on Anti-Blackness in the Cherokee Nation, which has a wide range of academic and non-academic resources on the topic: Dr. Keene’s Reading List#AMRPodcast #AllMyRelations #AllMyRelationsPodcast #BLM #BlackLivesMatter #afroindigenousText us your thoughts!Support the showFollow us on Instagram @amrpodcast, or support our work on Patreon. Show notes are published on our website, Allmyrelationspodcast.com. Matika's book Project 562: Changing the Way We See Native America is available now! T'igwicid and Hyshqe for being on this journey with us.

The Border Crossed Us is led by Jon Ayon, an AMR team member who conducted field research to gather the stories of peoples and Tribes at the southern settler colonial border between the United States and Mexico. This political border was drawn with no respect for the Indigenous peoples that live there — with land claims that predate both colonial governments. Now families and cultures are separated on either side. There are current cultural and religious permits in place for Native peoples to cross the border, but crossing remains a complicated and formidable challenge as border control determines which reasons are legitimate- often with no knowledge of traditions. Only in recent history has Indigenous migration been restricted and disqualified as a human right. An Indigenous future means free movement because heritage transcends borders. This is about the protection of the sacred: sacred land, sacred relations, sacred sovereignty and sacred traditions that require a sense of place and home. Our relationality does not end at a structural, colonial boundary. We would like to include a trigger warning for violence and sexual assault which appears in some of the stories. If you are listening with younger children, or would like to avoid hearing for your own sake, we offer warning within the episode and encourage you to skip portions at your own discretion. Due to complications, this episode was taken down. It’s been reevaluated and recut. We apologize for any confusion, so thank you for your patience, and we hope you enjoy the rerelease.+++  Please consider becoming a Patreon subscriber: https://www.patreon.com/allmyrelationspodcast For our Patreon Subscribers, we will be offering a special  virtual screening of Jon Ayon's film, No Soy Óscar: https://jonayon.com/nosoyoscar/ with a special virtual q&a with Jon, Dr.Dr.Dez and Matika.+++Special thanks to the following people for sharing their voices:Ral ChristmanMartha and Stan Rodriguez Cynthia Parada Riss HillWilly WhiteLori CachorraTomas JeffersonPenelope JeffersonPreston ArrowweedDan CheinMike Benavides Andrea Rudnik Team BrownsvilleEnrique LopezEmily SmithLupita Alonso+++  Learn more about Team Brownsville: https://www.teambrownsville.org/ Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amrpodcast/Support the show (https://www.paypal.me/amrpodcast)Text us your thoughts!Support the showFollow us on Instagram @amrpodcast, or support our work on Patreon. Show notes are published on our website, Allmyrelationspodcast.com. Matika's book Project 562: Changing the Way We See Native America is available now! T'igwicid and Hyshqe for being on this journey with us.

We are so excited to talk about the very highly requested topic: reconnection. So many of our relatives grew up with varying levels of kinship systems, and it is so important to not blame oneself for little connection. After 500 years of colonization and attempted erasure via relocation, prohibiting traditions, and pushing assimilation, we have all felt the effects in differing and unique experiences. Join us in a special, raw and vulnerable conversation about how Daniel French and another special surprise guest reconnected to their Indigenous communities. This conversation is powerfully important as reclaiming the connections that colonization has tried to keep broken for many generations is a very real experience for many Native folks. Special thanks Thank you to Daniel French and Adrienne Keene for joining us today.Thanks to the AMR team that worked on this episode: Teo Shantz, Dominick Joseph, Lindsey Hightower, Keoni Rodriguez. Thank you to Art by Ciara for our amazing episode artwork. Never forget that the ancestors know who you are.+++All My Relations is listener supported!Contribute to our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/allmyrelationspodcastFollow us on Social Media! @amrpodcast+++ #AMRPodcast #AllMyRelations #AllMyRelationsPodcast #reconnectingText us your thoughts!Support the showFollow us on Instagram @amrpodcast, or support our work on Patreon. Show notes are published on our website, Allmyrelationspodcast.com. Matika's book Project 562: Changing the Way We See Native America is available now! T'igwicid and Hyshqe for being on this journey with us.

“The Truth about Thanksgiving” is the first installment of a series we’re calling “Lies your teacher taught you”. In this episode we sit down with Matika and her 13-year-old nephew to teach about the true history of European and Native contact. As this episode is with a new teenager, we wanted to show that this is not a hard conversation to have, and most people do not want to be lied to - which is what rehashing the myth does. Ultimately, it stems from a limited perspective of history. The Thanksgiving myth that many Americans have been taught is that, upon arrival, the pilgrims were met with happy Indians who taught them how to tend the land and they had a great feast to celebrate. This whole concept was taken from one paragraph of one settler’s journal. Most of what we know about Thanksgiving is invented and packaged in easy-to-digest bites. This convenient story allows for the avoidance of discomfort for people with settler ancestries. The path to reconciliation starts with honest acknowledgement of our past, with open eyes, and open hearts for a better future. It is time for us to be in good relation with one another. We can do that by learning to give thanks in a good way.  Text us your thoughts!Support the showFollow us on Instagram @amrpodcast, or support our work on Patreon. Show notes are published on our website, Allmyrelationspodcast.com. Matika's book Project 562: Changing the Way We See Native America is available now! T'igwicid and Hyshqe for being on this journey with us.

Join us for an episode all about snaggin’! For part two of All My Loving Relations, we continue our conversation with the phenomenal Geraldine King, and bring in comedian Deanna Diaz (aka Dianna M.A.D.). Join us as we embark on a teepee creepin’ journey of all things S-E-X. Some things to look forward to: stories from our own aunties, the sacred power of self-pleasure, and some “dang cackle-able” jokes.Because of Christianity, and other colonizing forces, we don’t really know how to talk about sex, even in 2021. But why do some of our aunties, uncles, and even grandparents never seem to quit it with their sexual jokes? Often, our relatives use humor as a way to access topics which have long been stigmatized. Also, our kin should be more open to dialogue about sex given traditions of sexual agency within Native communities. However, Native people are also affected by the same shameful misconceptions which plague the rest of the euro-christian dominated world. But we should not be ashamed of sex! It is such a vital component of our most intimate relationships. Importantly, we acknowledge that as two cis-hetero women, this is a narrow conversation. It excludes a whole diverse, beautiful world of sex among our LGBTQ+, and Two Spirit relations. But we have plans for that conversation later in the season, so stay tuned for Sexy Sacred Round 2!++++Geraldine King (Anishinaabe) is a member of Kiashke Zaaging Anishinaabek located in the Robinson Superior Treaty area, northwestern Ontario. Her research interests include: Anishinaabe erotics, ethics of intimacy, kinship studies, theories of Anishinaabe phenomenologies, eco-erotics and Indigenous pedagogical transformation.Deanna Diaz, aka Deanna M.A.D. (Tonowanda Seneca), is from the Tonawanda Seneca Nation, raised in Southern California. She is a hilarious, and powerful standup comedian and part of The Ladies of Native Comedy. Deanna isn’t afraid to have the embarrassing, funny, and taboo real talk about sex. She helps us to have healthier conversations about sex in Indian Country. All My Relations is Listener SupportedBecome a PatronFollowAMR on InstagramMatika on Instagram and TwitterDesi on Instagram and TwitterGeraldine on Instagram and TwitterDeanna on Instagram and TwitterAMR TeamCreative direction, sound engineering, and editing: Teo ShantzFilm Editing: Jon AyonSound production: Max LevinDeveText us your thoughts!Support the showFollow us on Instagram @amrpodcast, or support our work on Patreon. Show notes are published on our website, Allmyrelationspodcast.com. Matika's book Project 562: Changing the Way We See Native America is available now! T'igwicid and Hyshqe for being on this journey with us.

The podcast explores the healing journey from historical trauma to love again, discussing topics such as the impact of boarding schools, the importance of quality relationships, the challenges of changing our bodies to love, challenging perceptions of love in the arts, the power of love and healing, overcoming obstacles to love and connection, creating a loving home environment, calling back spirits in ceremonial practice, the challenges and beauty of motherhood, and the significance of love in indigenous communities.

Since the onset of colonization Indigenous women have experienced violence with reckless abandon, today it is a public health emergency. Traditionally, many of our Native societies are matrilineal but settler colonialism has disrupted our traditional value systems. These shifts have tragically contributed to the epidemic of violence we see committed against our women and Two Spirit relations. The issue is systemic and this episode discusses how we must hold systems and people accountable. Mary Kathryn Nagle (Cherokee) is a playwright and lawyer with Pipestem Law, a firm dedicated to legal advocacy for the safety of Native women and tribal sovereignty. She represents families of victims and has testified before Congress for the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). Her perspective on the legal issues regarding MMIW expounds how tribal sovereignty and jurisdiction is so important in combatting the crisis. She also explains how political participation and allyship is necessary to fight subversive systems which propagate violence.Abigail Echohawk (Pawnee) is Director of the Urban Indian Health Institute and a leader in the movement to bring visibility to MMIW through political advocacy work, data, and research. Her organization conducted a seminal report on the crisis to better understand the prevalence of the crisis which has harmed our relations for 500 years.This episode is raw, real, and heart wrenching. The crisis must be addressed and we need allies to join us in making it visible so we can all take action. We need to hold non-Natives upholding these systems accountable. Further, we need Natives to step into roles of political power to demand change. Every statistic represents a Native woman. We must honor and protect our sisters. No more stolen sisters.Links and Resources Fill out our form Letter in support of VAWAUrban Indian Health InstitutePipestem LawPublic Law 280National Indigenous Women’s Resource CenterMary Kathryn Nagle New Yorker ArticleMontana Community FoundationSovereign Bodies InstituteAll My Relations is Listener SupportedBecome a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/allmyrelationspodcast FollowAMR on Instagram Matika on Instagram Desi on Instagram MusicSpecial thanks to Antone and The West Shore Canoe Family & Joanne Shannendoah  AMR Team  CreText us your thoughts!Support the showFollow us on Instagram @amrpodcast, or support our work on Patreon. Show notes are published on our website, Allmyrelationspodcast.com. Matika's book Project 562: Changing the Way We See Native America is available now! T'igwicid and Hyshqe for being on this journey with us.

In this episode we explore our ceremonies related to birth and question what it means to rematriate through motherhood. What are our traditional birthing ceremonies? What about our coming of age ceremonies? How do we reclaim our sexualities? How has colonization disrupted our traditional birthing practices? Join us in discussion with AMR co-hosts Matika Wilbur, Dr.Dr.Desi and honored guest Temryss Lane, as we unpack some of these questions.Temryss is an Indigenous sports icon from the Lummi Nation. She played soccer at Arizona State, then professionally  in Sweden. She went on to become a model and sports broadcaster while simultaneously getting her Master's degree  in American Indian Studies from UCLA.  Temryss is a real matriarch, and she's nearly 9 months pregnant in this episode!Our Moms are everything- supremely important to our cultures, lifeways, health, wellness, and personhood. Carrying life is sacred. Motherhood is sacred. It is a ceremony. All My Relations is Listener SupportedBecome a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/allmyrelationspodcastFollowTemryss Lane on InstagramAll My Relations on InstagramMatika on InstagramAMR TeamCreative direction, sound engineering, and editing by Teo ShantzFilm Editing by Jon AyonSound production by Max LevinDevelopment Manager: Will PaisleyProduction Assistant: Kristin BolanDirector of Business Development: Edison HunterSocial Media Intern, Lindsey HightowerResearch Intern, Keoni Rodriguez2nd Editor, Carly SjordalSales and Marketing Intern, Jamie Marquez-BratcherText us your thoughts!Support the showFollow us on Instagram @amrpodcast, or support our work on Patreon. Show notes are published on our website, Allmyrelationspodcast.com. Matika's book Project 562: Changing the Way We See Native America is available now! T'igwicid and Hyshqe for being on this journey with us.

This episode marks the 12th and final episode of Season Two. What a wild, magical, beautiful and tragic year it has been— a season of dramatic change: personally, professionally, spiritually, and as we say in the episode “you are allowed to feel all the feelings”. And we have! With the global pandemic, heavy social movements, politics (in general), adapting to a socially distanced world, it has been a real collective moment of transformation. And behind the scenes, our AMR podcast underwent massive change. Tune in as we  reflect and reveal some big updates over here at AMR!We’re so proud of Season 2 and we hope you’ll stay with us for Season 3! We love you 🤍 +++Please consider supporting our Patreon!Stay in touch with us on Instagram. +++Creative Direction and Engineering by Teo Shantz.Amazing episode art by Ciara Sana.Editing by Jon AyonIntroducing Dr. Dr. Desi #AMRpodcast #AllMyRelations #AllMyRelationsPodcast Text us your thoughts!Support the showFollow us on Instagram @amrpodcast, or support our work on Patreon. Show notes are published on our website, Allmyrelationspodcast.com. Matika's book Project 562: Changing the Way We See Native America is available now! T'igwicid and Hyshqe for being on this journey with us.

Please join us for the third and final piece of our series on the movement to protect Mauna Kea. We have been incredibly humbled and blessed to have reported on the movement, and are so grateful to everyone who made this possible. During the pandemic as tourist numbers have dropped, fish have returned in areas in Hawai’i where they have been absent for years. The land is healing itself. Despite the toll excessive tourism and capitalism has taken on the Hawaiian islands; there is still hope to heal. 27 years ago in 1993, tourists outnumbered Hawaiian residents 6:1 and Native Hawaiians 30:1. Imagine how those figures have risen today... The Mauna Kea movement has been one of relationships: to land, water, air, kanaka (people), and spirit. On this episode we hear again from the incredible Jamaica Osorio, activist, educator, and cultural practitioner; and Dr. Auntie Noe Noe Wong-Wilson, scholar, poet, and activist. They discuss the lessons and revelations  from time on the Mauna and pathways forward to honor relationships and empower future generations. We recorded this episode the day after the violent insurrection on the Capitol, so we bring in our thoughts about resistance, activism, and overthrow under settler colonialism. We hope that through this series you can join us in imagining an otherwise future, built and cemented in Indigenous relationships. There is so much to learn beyond this series, so please continue learning alongside us.“We are certainly not too late to live in dignity with our āina” - Jamaica Osorio+++All My Relations is Listener SupportedBecome a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/allmyrelationspodcastFollowDr. Noe Noe Wong Wilson, Executive Director of The LĀLĀKEA FOUNDATIONJamaica Osorio on InstagramAll My Relations on InstagramSupporthttps://www.puuhuluhulu.com/https://www.protectmaunakea.net/donateMusic and Oli Masa Kobayashi Kanaeokana La’ HowardEpisode art by  Ciara Sana.Fiscal Sponsorship by Speak Out!Support the show (https://www.paypal.me/amrpodcast)Text us your thoughts!Support the showFollow us on Instagram @amrpodcast, or support our work on Patreon. Show notes are published on our website, Allmyrelationspodcast.com. Matika's book Project 562: Changing the Way We See Native America is available now! T'igwicid and Hyshqe for being on this journey with us.