The hochokaaudio’s Podcast

Hochoka Season 7, Episode 9 - Monique Gray Smith – The Wisdom of an Indigenous Garden

Native American elders advise, “Go among the standing people.” This is a reminder that plants can be our caretakers, healers, teachers, and guides. There are intelligences other than our own. Imagine how less lonely the world would be if we knew and believed that we didn’t have to figure everything out by ourselves.

Hochoka Season 7, Episode 8 - Christianity Through an Indigenous Lens, Part II – Humanity and Creation

“You are dust and unto dust you shall return,” admonishes the Christian Church each Ash Wednesday. What happens not only to the fear factor but also to our understanding of what it is to be human when we look at our relationship to creation through an indigenous lens? Let's talk to Dr. Chris Hoklotubbe and find out.

Hochoka Season 7, Episode 7 - Zitkala-Šá, Part III – Red Bird and Catholicism

To some, Gertrude Simmons Bonnin, who chose the pen name Zitkala-Šá, might be a study in contradictions. How did the woman who authored “Why I am a Pagan” also embrace Catholicism? Who better to help us explore the topic than Dr. Damian Costello?

Hochoka Season 7, Episode 6 - Zitkala-Šá, Part II – Why She Matters to the United States Mint and You

“My country! ‘tis of thee, Sweet land of Liberty, My pleas I bring. Land where OUR fathers died, Whose offspring are denied, The franchise given wide, Hark while I sing.” This stirring takeoff on Samuel Francis Smith’s “My Country ‘Tis of Thee” begins our conversation on the final two decades of the life of Zitkala-Šá.

Hochoka Season 7, Episode 5 - Zitkala-Šá, Part I – Why She Matters to the United States Mint and You

The 2024 Zitkala-Šá Quarter is the 15th coin in the American Women Quarters Program. Who is this woman minted by the United States Treasury, and why does that matter to all of us?

Season 7, Episode 4 - Speaking of Youth, Part III - The Buffalo Harvest

What is a Buffalo Harvest and what is the significance of the buffalo to the Lakota people? Let’s learn from two people who recently participated in a harvest.

Hochoka Season 7, Episode 3 - Speaking of Youth, Part II - The Spiritual Life of Children

Who are the wakȟáŋheža? Lakota children are called by this word that means “little sacred ones.” Significantly, the Indigenous have known all along what new science is proving: There is great power in the spiritual life of children. Let’s explore the topic with Dr. Damian Costello and learn what it means for parents and educators everywhere.

Hochoka Season 7, Episode 2 - Speaking of Youth, Part I – Gabe Dannenbring and The Middle Schooler

What does it mean to be 13, back stage adults, watching on tiptoe, waiting to go onstage?" Some years ago, TIME magazine reporter Nancy Gibbs asked that question. Today we hear from someone who spends every day in a middle school classroom. Let’s find out what he says about this unique stage of life.

Hochoka Season 7, Episode 1 - Christianity Through an Indigenous Lens, Part I – Scripture and Storytelling

Theologian John Shea says, “We are the story God tells. Our very lives are the words that come from God’s mouth.” If this is so, the intersection of the rich Indigenous storytelling tradition and Scripture holds profound assets both for Native Christians and for all followers of Christ. Let’s learn more with Dr. Chris Hoklotubbe.

Hochoka Season 6, Episode 16 - Talking Thiyóšpaye Part III with Danielle Arpan

“We say this phrase, ‘Mitákuye Oyá’sin.’ It means all my relatives, all my relations. Once you have that belief, you find it easier to care for people, to have compassion for other people, to practice generosity and reciprocity.” Those are the words of Ben Sherman, grandfather of today’s guest alum Danielle Arpan whose pursuit of a nursing degree embodies his teaching.