Aunties on Air...and some Uncles too

Aunties on Air Episode 53: Honoring the Land and Building the Future: A Conversation Around CDFI's

Episode 53: Honoring the Land and Building the Future: A Conversation Around CDFI's  We took Aunties on Air to the big stage for our first-ever LIVE podcast recording! Auntie Lisa sat down in front of a crowd of over 300 incredible people at the Oweesta Convening for an unforgettable conversation with Hope Huskey and James Francis. But we didn’t stop there. Auntie Lisa also caught up with folks throughout the convening to dive into their backgrounds, their impactful work with CDFIs, and what it was like experiencing Wabanaki territory (many for the very first time!). Thank you to Oweesta for hosting us, and to everyone who sat down to share their story! Be sure to tune in this week, you won't want to miss it!  Wabanaki Words Used: Apc-oc (again in the future, parting, good-bye, farewell) - https://pmportal.org/dictionary/apc-oc [https://pmportal.org/dictionary/apc-oc]   Topics Discussed:   Oweesta - https://www.oweesta.org/ [https://www.oweesta.org/] Cross Insurance Center - https://www.crossinsurancecenter.com/ [https://www.crossinsurancecenter.com/] Chrystel Cornelius - https://www.oweesta.org/about_oweesta/our-team/chrystel-cornelius/ [https://www.oweesta.org/about_oweesta/our-team/chrystel-cornelius/] Cherokee Nation - https://www.cherokee.org/ [https://www.cherokee.org/] Oneida Nation - https://oneida-nsn.gov/ [https://oneida-nsn.gov/] Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa - https://tmchippewa.com/ [https://tmchippewa.com/] Ojibwe - https://ojibwe.net/ [https://ojibwe.net/] MMIW - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missing_and_Murdered_Indigenous_Women [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missing_and_Murdered_Indigenous_Women] Cherokee, North Carolina - https://visitcherokeenc.com/ [https://visitcherokeenc.com/] Authentically Cherokee - https://authenticallycherokee.com/ [https://authenticallycherokee.com/] Sequoyah Fund - https://www.sequoyahfund.org/ [https://www.sequoyahfund.org/] University of Maine - https://umaine.edu/ [https://umaine.edu/] Gerald Sherman - https://www.indigenousimpact.co/gerald-sherman [https://www.indigenousimpact.co/gerald-sherman] Pine Ridge, South Dakota - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pine_Ridge,_South_Dakota [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pine_Ridge,_South_Dakota] Bearcreek, Montana - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bearcreek,_Montana [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bearcreek,_Montana] O’ahu, Hawaii - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O%CA%BBahu [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O%CA%BBahu] Hawaiian Monk Seal story - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/27/igor-lytvynchuk-rock-hawaiian-monk-seal [https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/27/igor-lytvynchuk-rock-hawaiian-monk-seal] Jason “Firefly” Brown - https://www.fireflythehybrid.com/about [https://www.fireflythehybrid.com/about] Turtle Island Community Capital - https://turtleislandcommunitycapital.org/ [https://turtleislandcommunitycapital.org/] Wisconsin Native Loan Fund - https://www.winlf.org/ [https://www.winlf.org/] Menominee Nation - https://www.menominee-nsn.gov/ [https://www.menominee-nsn.gov/] Crafts from the Bay - https://www.facebook.com/p/Crafts-From-The-Bay-100068095383910/ [https://www.facebook.com/p/Crafts-From-The-Bay-100068095383910/] Sokolaponsis Designs - https://sokolaponsisdesigns.com/ [https://sokolaponsisdesigns.com/] Spruce Root - https://spruceroot.org/ [https://spruceroot.org/] Prince Edward Island - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Edward_Island [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Edward_Island] Woliwon Vendors:   Sokolaponsis Designs - sokolaponsisdesigns@gmail.com - sokolaponsisdesigns.com – Sokolaponsis Designs [https://sokolaponsisdesigns.com/] Wiphulakson - Wiphulakson  [https://www.wiphulakson.com/] Wooden Way Creations - woodenwaycreations@outlook.com - Woodenwaycreations.com End of The Trail Studio - cmanderson1996@gmail.com - Maliseet Inspired Native Artwork | End of the Trail [https://endofthetrailstudio.com/] Sandra's baskets & more - sandrapictou@hotmail.com Bonnie's Native Jewelry - mbonnie5658@gmail.com - Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/bonnie.murphy.10] Dina & Co. - Dina.an.company@gmail.com - Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/Dina.and.Company/] People of the Dawn Apothecary - podawnapothecary@gmail.com Lone Bear's Arts - info@lonebearsarts.com - Lone Bear's Arts [https://lonebearsarts.com/] Crafts From the Bay - belinda.miliano@yahoo.com - Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100068095383910] Mac King - kenzie.k.king00@gmail.com - Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/macbepainting/] Penawapskewi Designs - Home | Penawapskewi Designs [https://penawapskewidesigns.bigcartel.com/]   Wabanaki Tribal Nations: Houlton Band of Maliseet Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians | Littleton, ME (maliseets.net) [https://maliseets.net/] Mi’kmaq Mi'kmaq Nation | Presque Isle, ME (micmac-nsn.gov) [https://micmac-nsn.gov/] Passamaquoddy Tribe Indian Township Passamaquoddy Tribe @ Indian Township | Peskotomuhkati Motahkomikuk [https://www.passamaquoddy.com/] Passamaquoddy Tribe Sipayik Sipayik Tribal Government – Sipayik (wabanaki.com) [https://wabanaki.com/] Penobscot Nation Penobscot Nation | Departments & Info | Indian Island, Maine [https://www.penobscotnation.org/]   Special Thanks/Woliwon:  Guest: Hope Huskey, James Francis, Various Guests Producer: Gavin Allen Podcast Team: Macy Downs

Aunties on Air Episode 52: MMIW: Indigenous Sovereignty and Healing with Lyla June

Episode 52: MMIW: Indigenous Sovereignty and Healing with Lyla June Our ancestors understood that the health of the land is directly tied to the safety and sacredness of our women and relatives. In a system built on extraction, both our earth, our sisters and our relatives have faced deep violence. Today, we are continuing our focus on the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) crisis by welcoming Lyla June Johnston to our studio. This conversation explores how reclaiming our traditional food systems, land sovereignty, and ancestral wisdom serves as the greatest protective shield and path toward collective healing. Wabanaki Words Used: Apc-oc (again in the future, parting, good-bye, farewell) - https://pmportal.org/dictionary/apc-oc [https://pmportal.org/dictionary/apc-oc]   Topics Discussed:   Lyla June Johnston - https://www.lylajune.com/ [https://www.lylajune.com/] Diné - https://www.navajo-nsn.gov/ [https://www.navajo-nsn.gov/] Cheyenne - https://www.cheyenneandarapaho-nsn.gov/ [https://www.cheyenneandarapaho-nsn.gov/] Anadarko, Oklahoma - https://www.cityofanadarko.org/ [https://www.cityofanadarko.org/] Native Women by Lyla June - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWPXVbarjqM [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWPXVbarjqM] Ahupua’a Water Systems - https://www.nationofhawaii.org/ahupuaa/ [https://www.nationofhawaii.org/ahupuaa/] Time Traveler by Lyla June - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulK_GE9XjO8 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulK_GE9XjO8] Desirae Harp - https://mesarefuge.org/person/desirae-harp/ [https://mesarefuge.org/person/desirae-harp/] Emergence Magazine - https://emergencemagazine.org/ [https://emergencemagazine.org/] Robin Wall Kimmerer - https://www.robinwallkimmerer.com/ [https://www.robinwallkimmerer.com/] Plant, Baby, Plant - https://plantbabyplant.com/ [https://plantbabyplant.com/] Choctaw Nation - https://www.choctawnation.com/ [https://www.choctawnation.com/] Haudenosaunee - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haudenosaunee [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haudenosaunee] Jared Diamond - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jared_Diamond [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jared_Diamond] Norsemen - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norsemen [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norsemen] Desmond Tutu - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desmond_Tutu [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desmond_Tutu] Standford University - https://www.stanford.edu/ [https://www.stanford.edu/] All Nations Rise by Lyla June - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nr2VLI8jKww [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nr2VLI8jKww]   Wabanaki Tribal Nations: Houlton Band of Maliseet Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians | Littleton, ME (maliseets.net) [https://maliseets.net/] Mi’kmaq Mi'kmaq Nation | Presque Isle, ME (micmac-nsn.gov) [https://micmac-nsn.gov/] Passamaquoddy Tribe Indian Township Passamaquoddy Tribe @ Indian Township | Peskotomuhkati Motahkomikuk [https://www.passamaquoddy.com/] Passamaquoddy Tribe Sipayik Sipayik Tribal Government – Sipayik (wabanaki.com) [https://wabanaki.com/] Penobscot Nation Penobscot Nation | Departments & Info | Indian Island, Maine [https://www.penobscotnation.org/]   Special Thanks/Woliwon:  Guest: Lyla June Johnston Producer: Gavin Allen Podcast Team: Macy Downs

Aunties on Air Episode 51: MMIW: Healing Through Taking Space

Episode 51: MMIW: Healing Through Taking Space In Wabanaki territory and across Turtle Island, our women, girls and two-spirit relatives are the heart of our nations. They carry our stories, our languages, and our future. Yet, the painful reality of the MMIW crisis continues to affect our families and communities deeply. This week, we welcome back a very familiar voice and longtime advocate to the studio, our former Aunties co-host, Lauren Stevens. Together, the Aunties sit down with Lauren for a deeply necessary conversation about grief, resilience, and reclaiming our narrative. We dive into the profound medicine of speaking our stolen relations' names out loud, ensuring they are never made invisible by the systems around us. Lauren shares how utilizing the Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) network provides critical, proactive support to keep our people whole and protect our collective spirit before crisis even begins. This is an episode about taking up space, raising our voices, and anchoring ourselves in cultural traditions. True healing happens when we center our Wabanaki values, look out for one another, and refuse to be silenced.  Wabanaki Words Used: Apc-oc (again in the future, parting, good-bye, farewell) - https://pmportal.org/dictionary/apc-oc [https://pmportal.org/dictionary/apc-oc]   Topics Discussed:   MMIW - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missing_and_Murdered_Indigenous_Women [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missing_and_Murdered_Indigenous_Women] Salt Bay Chamberfest - https://saltbaychamberfest.org/ [https://saltbaychamberfest.org/] Dawn Avery - https://www.dawnavery.com/ [https://www.dawnavery.com/] Wilhelmina Smith - https://www.wilhelminasmith.com/ [https://www.wilhelminasmith.com/] We Are Water - https://portlandovations.org/event/we-are-water-a-northeast-celebration/ [https://portlandovations.org/event/we-are-water-a-northeast-celebration/] Yo-Yo Ma - https://www.yo-yoma.com/ [https://www.yo-yoma.com/] Rodger Paul - https://umaine.edu/nativeamericanprograms/people/rogerpaul/ [https://umaine.edu/nativeamericanprograms/people/rogerpaul/] Chris Newell - https://www.nefa.org/chris-newell [https://www.nefa.org/chris-newell] Mali Obomsawin - https://www.maliobomsawin.com/ [https://www.maliobomsawin.com/] Jeremy Dutcher - https://jeremydutcher.com/ [https://jeremydutcher.com/] Andri Magnason - https://andrimagnason.com/ [https://andrimagnason.com/] MMIW Poem by Feather Mason-Delorme - https://poetryinvoice.ca/write/monthly-poem-prize/winning-poems/mmiw-poem [https://poetryinvoice.ca/write/monthly-poem-prize/winning-poems/mmiw-poem] UNITY - https://unityinc.org/ [https://unityinc.org/]   Wabanaki Tribal Nations: Houlton Band of Maliseet Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians | Littleton, ME (maliseets.net) [https://maliseets.net/] Mi’kmaq Mi'kmaq Nation | Presque Isle, ME (micmac-nsn.gov) [https://micmac-nsn.gov/] Passamaquoddy Tribe Indian Township Passamaquoddy Tribe @ Indian Township | Peskotomuhkati Motahkomikuk [https://www.passamaquoddy.com/] Passamaquoddy Tribe Sipayik Sipayik Tribal Government – Sipayik (wabanaki.com) [https://wabanaki.com/] Penobscot Nation Penobscot Nation | Departments & Info | Indian Island, Maine [https://www.penobscotnation.org/]   Special Thanks/Woliwon:  Guest: Lauren Stevens  Producer: Gavin Allen Podcast Team: Macy Downs

Aunties on Air Episode 50: MMIW: Healing Through Policy

Episode 50: MMIW: Healing Through Policy In Wabanaki territory, our women are the heart of our nations. They are the givers of life, the keepers of culture, and the protectors of our future. Yet, for too long, our sisters have been made invisible by systems that fail to see their worth. Today, we are opening a three-part series on our Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) with Maulian Bryant. This is a conversation about love, grief, justice, and the sovereign right to live in safety. Wabanaki Words Used: Apc-oc (again in the future, parting, good-bye, farewell) - https://pmportal.org/dictionary/apc-oc [https://pmportal.org/dictionary/apc-oc]   Topics Discussed:   Maulian Bryant - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maulian_Bryant [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maulian_Bryant] MMIW - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missing_and_Murdered_Indigenous_Women [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missing_and_Murdered_Indigenous_Women] Oh, Grow Up! - https://www.facebook.com/ohgrowupbangor/ [https://www.facebook.com/ohgrowupbangor/] The Rock and Art Shop - https://www.therockandartshop.com/bangor [https://www.therockandartshop.com/bangor] Donna Loring - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donna_M._Loring [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donna_M._Loring] Peter Pan (1953) - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Pan_(1953_film) [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Pan_(1953_film)] 1980’s Settlement Act - https://www.mitsc.org/mitsc-narrative-summaries/summary-of-the-maine-indian-land-claims-act-of-1980 [https://www.mitsc.org/mitsc-narrative-summaries/summary-of-the-maine-indian-land-claims-act-of-1980] VAWA - VAWA Information [https://www.niwrc.org/policy-center/vawa?utm_term=vawa&utm_campaign=*Awareness+-+Policy+-+MXC&utm_source=adwords&utm_medium=ppc&hsa_acc=8095999829&hsa_cam=17881908641&hsa_grp=138123656063&hsa_ad=613172906560&hsa_src=g&hsa_tgt=kwd-152783025&hsa_kw=vawa&hsa_mt=b&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_ver=3&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=17881908641&gbraid=0AAAAADKUiyTEzvYqbXuJhUG9NBO0Ed9wd&gclid=CjwKCAjw-8vPBhBbEiwAoA39WgnZGFxiN9SRengqOCKaHPTfRYRlc_XYcP9KXHQlc4VdIDdXEvVLCRoCBfcQAvD_BwE] Janet Mills - https://www.maine.gov/governor/mills/ [https://www.maine.gov/governor/mills/] Troy Jackson - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troy_Jackson_(politician) [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troy_Jackson_(politician)] Mike Carpenter - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_E._Carpenter [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_E._Carpenter] Sara Gideon - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sara_Gideon [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sara_Gideon] Rachel Talbot Ross - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rachel_Talbot_Ross [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rachel_Talbot_Ross] Chellie Pingree - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chellie_Pingree [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chellie_Pingree] Mike Simpson - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Simpson [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Simpson] IHS - https://www.ihs.gov/ [https://www.ihs.gov/] BIA - https://www.bia.gov/ [https://www.bia.gov/] Abigail Echo-Hawk - https://aascu.org/people/abigail-echo-hawk/ [https://aascu.org/people/abigail-echo-hawk/] Holly Echo-Hawk - https://kauffmaninc.com/team/holly-echo-hawk/ [https://kauffmaninc.com/team/holly-echo-hawk/] Beverley Polchies - https://darkdowneast.com/beverlypolchies/ [https://darkdowneast.com/beverlypolchies/] Woodstock, First Nations - https://labrc.com/first-nation/woodstock/ [https://labrc.com/first-nation/woodstock/] Dark Downeast - https://darkdowneast.com/ [https://darkdowneast.com/] Wabanaki Alliance - https://wabanakialliance.com/ [https://wabanakialliance.com/] Harvard Project - https://indigenousgov.hks.harvard.edu/ [https://indigenousgov.hks.harvard.edu/] Zeke Crofton-McDonald - https://www.mitsc.org/commissioners-staff/ezekiel-crofton-macdonald [https://www.mitsc.org/commissioners-staff/ezekiel-crofton-macdonald] Olympia Snowe Women’s Leadership Institute - https://snoweleadershipinstitute.org/ [https://snoweleadershipinstitute.org/] Harvard Project - https://indigenousgov.hks.harvard.edu/ [https://indigenousgov.hks.harvard.edu/] Imelda Perley - https://forcitizenship.ca/people/imelda-perley/ [https://forcitizenship.ca/people/imelda-perley/]   Wabanaki Tribal Nations: Houlton Band of Maliseet Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians | Littleton, ME (maliseets.net) [https://maliseets.net/] Mi’kmaq Mi'kmaq Nation | Presque Isle, ME (micmac-nsn.gov) [https://micmac-nsn.gov/] Passamaquoddy Tribe Indian Township Passamaquoddy Tribe @ Indian Township | Peskotomuhkati Motahkomikuk [https://www.passamaquoddy.com/] Passamaquoddy Tribe Sipayik Sipayik Tribal Government – Sipayik (wabanaki.com) [https://wabanaki.com/] Penobscot Nation Penobscot Nation | Departments & Info | Indian Island, Maine [https://www.penobscotnation.org/]   Special Thanks/Woliwon:  Guest: Maulian Bryant Producer: Gavin Allen Podcast Team: Macy Downs

Aunties on Air Episode 49: Strengthening Our Communities Through Research, Data, & Sovereignty

Episode 49: Strengthening our Communities through Research, Data, & Sovereignty Indigenous communities across this nation hold deep knowledge on how we heal and how we learn. For many generations, academia and non-indigenous people have told our stories and shared their perspectives on who we are. Today, we have many indigenous scholars who are changing this trend. Increasingly, indigenous people are obtaining the education and degrees necessary to conduct research within our communities while integrating indigenous methodologies, making the work even more meaningful. The Aunties will be talking with Dr. Darren Ranco (Penobscot) and Dr. Suzanne Greenlaw (Maliseet), who are both indigenous researchers conducting innovative work in Wabanaki communities!  Wabanaki Words Used: Apc-oc (again in the future, parting, good-bye, farewell) - https://pmportal.org/dictionary/apc-oc [https://pmportal.org/dictionary/apc-oc]   Topics Discussed:   Darren Ranco - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darren_Ranco [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darren_Ranco] Suzanne Greenlaw - https://schoodicinstitute.org/team/suzanne-greenlaw/ [https://schoodicinstitute.org/team/suzanne-greenlaw/] Schoodic Institute - https://schoodicinstitute.org/ [https://schoodicinstitute.org/] University of Maine - https://umaine.edu/ [https://umaine.edu/] SUNY ESF - https://www.esf.edu/ [https://www.esf.edu/] Robin Wall Kimmerer - https://www.robinwallkimmerer.com/ [https://www.robinwallkimmerer.com/] “Braiding Sweetgrass” by Robin Wall Kimmerer - https://bookshop.org/p/books/braiding-sweetgrass-indigenous-wisdom-scientific-knowledge-and-the-teachings-of-plants-robin-wall-kimmerer/6fa4d296293d20e8?ean=9781571313560&next=t [https://bookshop.org/p/books/braiding-sweetgrass-indigenous-wisdom-scientific-knowledge-and-the-teachings-of-plants-robin-wall-kimmerer/6fa4d296293d20e8?ean=9781571313560&next=t] “Gathering Moss” by Robin Wall Kimmerer - https://bookshop.org/p/books/gathering-moss-a-natural-and-cultural-history-of-mosses-robin-wall-kimmerer/dcc7a63d6e4517d0?aid=86677&ean=9780870714993&listref=robin-wall-kimmerer&next=t [https://bookshop.org/p/books/gathering-moss-a-natural-and-cultural-history-of-mosses-robin-wall-kimmerer/dcc7a63d6e4517d0?aid=86677&ean=9780870714993&listref=robin-wall-kimmerer&next=t] “The Serviceberry” by Robin Wall Kimmerer - https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-serviceberry-abundance-and-reciprocity-in-the-natural-world-robin-wall-kimmerer/11103aae5b752d02?aid=86677&ean=9781668072240&listref=robin-wall-kimmerer&next=t [https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-serviceberry-abundance-and-reciprocity-in-the-natural-world-robin-wall-kimmerer/11103aae5b752d02?aid=86677&ean=9781668072240&listref=robin-wall-kimmerer&next=t] Emerald Ash Borer - https://www.emeraldashborer.info/ [https://www.emeraldashborer.info/] WaYS - https://www.wabanakiyouthinscience.org/ [https://www.wabanakiyouthinscience.org/] “The First Blade of Sweetgrass” by Suzanne Greenlaw and Gabriel Frey - https://a.co/d/0h8RcPDd [https://a.co/d/0h8RcPDd] Darren Ranco TEDx Dirigo  Talk- https://www.ted.com/talks/darren_ranco_addressing_wicked_problems_with_wabanaki_diplomacy [https://www.ted.com/talks/darren_ranco_addressing_wicked_problems_with_wabanaki_diplomacy]   Wabanaki Tribal Nations: Houlton Band of Maliseet Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians | Littleton, ME (maliseets.net) [https://maliseets.net/] Mi’kmaq Mi'kmaq Nation | Presque Isle, ME (micmac-nsn.gov) [https://micmac-nsn.gov/] Passamaquoddy Tribe Indian Township Passamaquoddy Tribe @ Indian Township | Peskotomuhkati Motahkomikuk [https://www.passamaquoddy.com/] Passamaquoddy Tribe Sipayik Sipayik Tribal Government – Sipayik (wabanaki.com) [https://wabanaki.com/] Penobscot Nation Penobscot Nation | Departments & Info | Indian Island, Maine [https://www.penobscotnation.org/]   Special Thanks/Woliwon:  Guests: Suzanne Greenlaw, Darren Ranco Producer: Gavin Allen Podcast Team: Macy Downs