5 California Native Podcasts You Need in Your Life
By Emily Clarke
Now that powwow season is officially over, many of us across Indian Country are finding ourselves with more free-time. I myself have been spending my free weekends working on new beadwork projects. One of my favorite things to do while beading, driving home to the Rez, or taking a walk now that Fall is finally here, is listen to podcasts. I used to roll my eyes when someone recommended a podcast or talked about how much they loved listening to things like audio books, but I’m slowly realizing how valuable they are. When I’m doing something that sometimes requires me to quiet my mind, such as beading a delicate pattern or focusing on traffic, I find it extremely helpful to have some sort of outside source to focus on. So, why not use my “free-time” to expand my knowledge and expose myself to the various perspectives within the Native community? The five podcasts listed throughout this article are all hosted by California Natives and incorporate important discussions on various aspects of Native culture. Many of these podcasts utilize storytelling and humor, two aspects of tribal culture I would consider “traditional,” to effectively get their message across. Additionally, not only are these podcasts educational and entertaining, but an act of Indigneous resistance as well. Native people having conversations with each other about Native culture, politics, and lifeways is something genocide and colonization was supposed to wipe out. By listening to and joining in these discussions, we as Native people are practicing our long-standing oral tradition as well as actively creating connections between one another.
Mother Earth Clan Podcast, hosted by Lorene Sisquoc (Apache and Cahuilla) and Cindi Alvitre (Tongva). The podcast includes discussions on family and community wellness, health, and traditional knowledge, values, and lifeways. Lorene and Cindi also say that the Mother Earth Clan Podcast also includes “lots of laughter.” There are three episodes of Mother Earth Clan Podcast available on their website and each episode has a different subject centered around land preservation and the use of Indigenous plants. A common theme within the podcast is the idea of being intentional. Intentional in how you treat the earth, the land, the environment, the plants and animals, and even the people within your community. The opportunity to learn from two Indigenous women is an extremely valuable one, and Mother Earth Clan Podcast doesn’t disappoint when it comes to rich storytelling and wholesome humor.
Place and Purpose podcast, hosted by Heyday authors Chairman Greg Sarris (Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria) and Obi Kaufmann, is a relatively new podcast that includes live video recordings of each episode. According to their website, Place and Purpose explores “the deepest questions of hope, culture, beauty, justice, time, and ecology.” Although centered around the idea of “place,” Place and Purpose can also get pretty philosophical and often discusses the challenges we face as humans living in today’s society. The combination of Greg’s literature background and Obi’s experience within ecological philosophy makes for compellingly unique conversations between the two that will spark almost any listeners’ attention. As of now, Place and Purpose podcast has three episodes available to watch and they plan to release a new video-podcast live every month.
Live From The Rez Podcast, hosted by Ral Christman Sr. from Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians, strives to showcase a “Rez” perspective on various Native topics. The podcast claims to represent “authentic Native American culture from a Rez-raised Native who actively lives within the culture.” Live From the Rez also invites a wide-array of Native guests to share their perspectives and personal experiences regarding issues that are affecting Native people on a daily basis. With guests like Kumeyaay leader Paul Cuero Jr., the late Chief Judge Claudette White of the Quechan Nation, and traditional Pipa Tipai singer Daniel Muprhy, Live From the Rez gives listeners a valuable peek into the lives of Native people across California. Conversations range from traditional gatherings to rez-life, and because Live From the Rez has a few years of experience compared to some of the newer Native podcasts, there is an array of episodes to choose from or binge-watch.
Native Sisters Podcast is posted by two Kumeyaay Tipai and Maidu sisters who are enrolled members of the Campo Band of Mission Indians in San Diego, California and descendants of the Berry Creek Rancheria in Oroville, California. Mary and Sylvia Johnson have a unique dynamic because of their close relationship, so humor, playfulness, and confidence are key components in each episode. What I love about Native Sisters Podcast is that they create such a comfortable and authentic environment because they talk about whatever they want. Episode topics range from Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women to interviews with various community members to spooky Native campfire stories. As I scrolled through their Spotify listen list, which has lots of episodes to choose from, I giggled to myself at episode titles such as “Who is Bigfoot?” and “The Extraterrestrial Experience.” Native Sisters Podcast is so inviting because not only are they touching on extremely important topics in Indian country such as violence and erasure, they’re also having fun, laughing together, and not taking themselves too seriously, which are three things I think Native people do best.
Last but not least, Carolann Jane Duro Mataweer (Maara’yam & Kumeyaay descent), owner of Quiet Quail Books, recently announced that she has started her own podcast called NDN Book Nerd: The Podcast. The podcast is dedicated to exploring literature, reading, and books all from a Native perspective. Carolann says, “I’ll be interviewing and having conversations with authors, publishers, book store owners, bookstagrammers, book clubs, book tubers, and more!” In fact, the first episode includes the owner of Black Walnut Books in a conversation about bookselling. NDN Book Nerd: The Podcast is dedicated to uplifting Native voices within the book industry as well as showcasing individuals who work to highlight Indigenous perspectives. You can listen to the very first episode on Spotify now!
Whether you’re looking for a new podcast to listen to while beading or you want to expand your knowledge on Native culture and perspectives, these podcasts will be exciting additions to your daily life. Laugh alongside Ral Christman as you learn what the illustrious “Rez Life” is really about, get in the spooky mood with a scary-stories episode of Native Sisters Podcast, or understand the importance of tending the land and healing your community by listening to the wisdom of Lorene Sisquoc and Cindi Alvitre on Mother Earth Clan podcast. It doesn’t matter if you listen to one of these podcasts or all five of them, just listening is already an important step towards uplifting Native voices and expanding your understanding of the various perspectives within Native communities.
As Native people, sharing knowledge, humor, and stories with one another is one of the ways we stay connected. They say knowledge is power, but I believe that the real power lies within the act of sharing knowledge with your community and passing it down to future generations. These podcasts are taking the Indigenous tradition of education and transforming it in a new way that is accessible to all who are willing to listen.
