Indigenous YOUth Nation – 5 Episode Series

What happens when Indigenous youth take the mic and share their cultures, creativity, and stories with the world?

Welcome to Indigenous YOUth Nation — a radio journey led by youth who are living, celebrating, and learning about their ancient living cultures.

In each episode, youth hosts take listeners beyond reservation lines and into the creative and cultural lives of Indigenous people who are challenging stereotypes, celebrating identity, and shaping what it means to be Indigenous today.

Hear “Day in the Life,” an audio diary where Indigenous youth share their everyday experiences of culture, community, identity, and tradition.

Meet inspiring artists, musicians, creators, historians, and trailblazers from featured Indigenous Nations as our youth hosts explore the people, places, and stories connecting today’s generation to their tribes and ancestors.

From contemporary art and music to traditional lifeways, language, food, family, and community, Indigenous YOUth Nation reveals the many ways young people are finding, reclaiming, and celebrating their cultures in today’s world.

These are voices you need to hear. These are stories that deserve to be shared.

Tune in to Indigenous YOUth Nation and experience Indigenous culture through the voices of the youth living their identity. Indigenous YOUth Nation is made possible with generous support from the NDN Collective Radical Imagination Grant.

EPISODE 1 – DINÉ (pron: dinn-NEH)

In this episode of Indigenous YOUth Nation, we celebrate the contemporary and traditional culture of the Diné (dih-NEH) Nation. Join us as a girl shares her preparations for her coming of age ceremony. A teen visits the Smithsonian Folk Life Center where she hears wax cylinder recordings of tribal ancestors from long ago. Listen in as youth interview a Young Adult Novelist, a young musician and hear from a tribal elder. All this coming up on Indigenous Youth Nation.

EPISODE 2 – JEMEZ PUEBLO (Pron: HAY-muss-PWEB-low)

In this episode  we celebrate the youth of JEMEZ Pueblo, (Pron: HAY-muss-PWEB-low), in New Mexico. There we meet a traditional youth dance group who bring their cultural identity to the Pentagon in Washington D.C., an innovative plant- based Chef, a tribal elder, and artist/musician Adrian Wall. All this coming up on Indigenous Youth Nation.

EPISODE 3 – Kānaka ‘Ōivi  (Pron: kah-nah-kah oh-ee-vee) Indigenous Hawaiian

In this episode of Indigenous YOUth Nation, we celebrate the contemporary and traditional indigenous culture of Kānaka ‘ōivi youth as we are invited to the beaches of ancestral wisdom with a youth who carries on her teacher’s medicinal ways. Hear the words of an Indigenous poet, meet a community activist and a traditional musician all while invoking wisdom of an elder. All this coming up on Indigenous Youth Nation.

EPISODE 4 – LIPAN APACHE (pron: Lee-pan-uh-PATCH-ee)

In this episode of Indigenous YOUth Nation, we celebrate the contemporary and traditional culture of the Lipan Apache Youth (pron: Lee-pan-uh- PATCH-ee), which continues to exist on the border of the U.S. and Mexico. Listen in as youth interview a tribal author, learn from an elder, talk music with world famous guitarist and filmmaker, Stevie Salas and connect with a youth movement who help to organize an intertribal gathering to grow tribal relations

 (Music sample @ 19:04 “Get Out Alive” – Stevie Salas – Records DK and  @ 25:45: “Older Than America” – Stevie Salas – Strong Buffalo.

EPISODE 5 – HAVASUPAI (pron: havah-SOO-pie)

In this episode of Indigenous YOUth Nation, we celebrate youth of the Havasupai (pron: havah-SOO-pie)  Nation who have lived in the Grand Canyon and the surrounding plateau for thousands of years. A teen learns how to make a cradleboard like the one she was carried in as a baby. Listen to youth voices they interview a poet, a tribal elder and honor indigenous legacy . All this coming up on Indigenous Youth Nation.