Here Before, Hear Now

Salish School of Spokane

LaRae Wiley and Chris Park are the founders of the Salish School of Spokane. LaRae is a member of the Colville Confederated Tribes. She and her husband Chris then made a huge life change to become fluent in her native language with the goal of creating more fluent speakers. From selling their house, to living undocumented in Canada with a fluent elder, their dreams have now become a reality.

Tami Shirley – Award-winning Native American Educator

Tami Shirley has been chosen as the 2025 National Johnson-O’Malley Association Teacher of the Year for the Southwest At-Large Region. She works in the Chandler Unified School District helping Native students. Hear her insight on the state of Native education in this latest conversation.

Gallup, New Mexico’s first "Diné" councilwoman

Sierra Yazzie Asamoa-Tutu has just been elected to serve on Gallup City Council for District 2. She says she’ll be the first Diné woman to serve on the council. She talks to Colton about why she decided to run and how she’ll use her Diné perspective and background as a social worker to serve the small, historic city.

Rock Your Mocs

“Rock Your Mocs” is a social media event that was started by Jessica Atsye from Laguna Pueblo in New Mexico. What started as a small thing among friends has flourished globally. It’s a call for Native people to wear their moccasins, traditional footwear, in a show of cultural pride during November’s Native American Heritage Month.

Chickasaw author Mary Ruth Barnes

Mary Ruth Barnes discusses her latest novel “Where Birds Land.” The story details Barnes family history of her great-grandmother, Ella, living in Indian Territory as Oklahoma was becoming a state. She navigates legal battles in fighting for land as she deals with crooked businessman.