This special episode of the Native Language Protectors and Carriers series features Freddie Lewis, a dedicated Choctaw language instructor at the University of Oklahoma. Dr. Farina King talks with Freddie about the challenges and joys of sustaining Indigenous languages such as Choctaw. Freddie shares personal stories about his family’s experiences with boarding schools, the power of community-led language revitalization, and how teaching connects generations. The conversation highlights the rich legacy of the Choctaw Code Talkers, the significance of cultural memory, and exciting new projects bringing the Choctaw language to young learners and mass media.

Freddie Lewis is recognized by the Choctaw Nation as a certified language teacher and has over 12 years of experience teaching multiple levels of Choctaw at the University of Oklahoma (OU). In addition to his university work, he leads community classes, collaborates with museums, and involves his students in projects that support language learning and cultural preservation.

Listeners are especially encouraged to check out the powerful new short documentary (about 14 minutes long) Voices of Valor, which honors the Choctaw Code Talkers and shines a light on their enduring impact. The film will be screening at the Native Nations Center event room on the OU Norman campus on November 11, 2025, starting at 9 am Central Time.

Resources:

"Voices of Valor Film Debut," The Middle Ground

"Native American Languages at OU"

Choctaw Language Classes, Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma

Choctaw Cultural Center

First Americans Museum

Classroom VR Trunks: Choctaw Code Talkers 1918

Marvel ECHO x Choctaw Nation

"‘Sinners’ Puts ‘Truth on Screen’ for the Mississippi Band Of Choctaw Indians," AP June 6, 2025.

Learn more about the efforts to protect and support the study of Native American languages (and all languages) at the University of Oklahoma through the following petitions:

Oppose the Removal of Foreign Language Gen Ed requirements at the University of Oklahoma

Keep Indigenous Languages Alive at OU

For more information about the Oklahoma Native American Youth Language Fair, see the hyperlink.

In this episode, host Dr. Farina King is joined by Dr. Anton Treuer and Dr. Chelsea Mead to explore the transformative partnership between Bemidji State University and Minnesota State University, Mankato, dedicated to revitalizing the Ojibwe language. The conversation delves into the power of intergenerational learning, the use of technology to bridge distances, and the importance of community in language preservation. Anton and Chelsea share personal stories, discuss the challenges and triumphs of building university-based Native language programs, and reflect on the healing and strength that come from reconnecting with ancestral languages. Listeners will gain insight into the collaborative efforts that are making a difference for students, families, and communities across Ojibwe country and beyond.

Dr. Anton Treuer is a Professor of Ojibwe at Bemidji State University, renowned author, and leading advocate for Indigenous language revitalization. He was raised near the Leech Lake Reservation of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe in north-central Minnesota, although his mother is enrolled in the White Earth Nation (also known as the White Earth Band of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe). Anton has dedicated his career to building Ojibwe language programs, developing teacher training initiatives, and fostering equity in education. His work has had a profound impact both regionally and nationally, and he is recognized for his engaging teaching style, community leadership, and commitment to cultural preservation.

Dr. Chelsea Mead is a settler-colonist/non-Indigenous scholar who grew up in Anishinaabeg homelands of Michigan and now works in Dakota homelands of Minnesota. She is a Professor of History and American Indigenous Studies at Minnesota State University, Mankato, and has been learning Anishinaabemowin since she was a college student herself. Her research examines how educational institutions can be accountable to their pasts while supporting Indigenous students and communities in the present. Chelsea is also a contributing author to the edited volume COVID-19 in Indian Country, sharing insights on language, community, and resilience.

Resources:

Chelsea M. Mead, "Maawanji’idiwag: They Come Together," in COVID-19 in Indian Country: Native American Memories and Experiences of the Pandemic, eds. Farina King and Wade Davies (Palgrave Macmillan, 2024).

Anton Treuer, Everything you Wanted to Know About Indians But Were Afraid to Ask (Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2023 revised & expanded edition)

Anton Treuer's website- https://antontreuer.com/

"Multi-Campus Collaboration Funding: Ojibwe Language" (2023)

Ojibwe Language Programs, Bemidji State University

For more information about the Oklahoma Native American Youth Language Fair, see the hyperlink.

This episode features voices from a panel on the collaboration, “Indigenous Truthtelling of Boarding Schools,” held at the University of Oklahoma in August 2025 and funded by a NHPRC-Mellon Planning Grant for Collaborative Digital Editions in African American, Asian American, Hispanic American, and Native American History and Ethnic Studies. The panelists share their experiences studying Native American boarding schools and discuss plans for a digital edition with scholars at the University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State University, Northeastern State University, Utah State University, and Indigenous communities. The project connects universities and archives with Native Nations and communities to develop educational resources about boarding schools and to expand public access to records, oral histories, and community knowledge.

This episode includes:

Farina King (Navajo Nation citizen), professor of Native American Studies at OU and co-host of Native Circles. She researches Indigenous histories, especially boarding school experiences, and collaborates on projects linking oral histories, archives, and community engagement.

Sarah Milligan, head of the Oklahoma Oral History Research Program at OSU. She partners with the Chilocco National Alumni Association to digitize memorabilia, record oral histories, and create educational tools that support truthtelling and remembrance.

Teagan Dreyer (Choctaw descendant), PhD candidate in history at OSU. She researches the impacts of boarding schools on Native identity and community resilience.

Erin Dyke, associate professor of curriculum studies at OSU. She focuses on truthtelling, Indigenous-led education initiatives, and transforming curriculum to confront legacies of colonial schooling.

Asa (Ace) Samuels (Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes citizen), first-generation OU student. He mentors Native youth in cultural practices and serves as a facilitator for Mending Broken Hearts, a healing program addressing intergenerational trauma linked to boarding schools.

Kelly Berry (Apache Tribe of Oklahoma citizen), a postdoctoral fellow and lecturer in Native American Studies at OU. Berry is a descendant of boarding school survivors and researches histories of Indian boarding schools, including Carlisle, Chilocco, and early mission schools.

Blaine McLain, head archivist of Special Collections at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. He manages archival collections related to the Cherokee National seminaries and regional histories.

Britton Morgan, undergraduate student research assistant at NSU from Muskogee, Oklahoma. He works with NSU archives, focusing on materials related to Indian boarding schools.

Michelle Martin, independent scholar in Arizona and former NSU faculty. She studies the Tullahassee Mission School and the legacies of interracial marriage tied to boarding schools.

Cheyenne Widdecke, master’s student in anthropology at OU, specializing in archaeology. As a Graduate Research Assistant, she surveys archival collections, examines boarding school site records, and conducts oral history research with the Sac and Fox Nation.

Mary Harjo (citizen of the Muscogee/Creek Nation), boarding school alumna. She attended federal Indian boarding schools from 1st through 12th grade and later earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work at OU. A survivor of discrimination and abuse, she became a social worker and mentor, sharing her lived experiences to inform truthtelling and healing efforts.

Heather Tanana (Diné), a law professor at the University of Denver and associate faculty member with the Center for Indigenous Health at Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health, joins host Farina King to discuss her chapter in COVID-19 in Indian Country: Native American Memories and Experiences of the Pandemic. Her chapter, “The Intersection of the Law and Health: Water (In)security in Indian Country,” asserts that access to clean water is essential for health, culture, and community well-being, yet nearly half of Native American homes lack safe drinking water or basic sanitation compared to less than 1% nationwide. This episode examines the ongoing crisis of tribal water insecurity and the work still needed to close the gap.

Resources:

• tribalcleanwater.org is a website that contains a lot of resources, including some reports such as "Universal Access to Clean Water for Tribal Communities"
• In the episode, Heather makes a reference to this grassroots and community organization: https://tonizhoniani.org/
• "Water Is Life: Law, Systemic Racism, and Water Security in Indian Country," an article by Heather Tanana, Julie Combs, and Alia Hoss: https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/hs.2021.0034
• "Abandoned Mines, Abandoned Treaties: The Federal Government's Failure to Remediate Abandoned Uranium Mines on the Navajo Nation," an article by Nadine Padilla: https://lawreview.colorado.edu/print/volume-96/abandoned-mines-abandoned-treaties-the-federal-governments-failure-to-remediate-abandoned-uranium-mines-on-the-navajo-nation-nadine-padilla/
• Heather Tanana, "The Intersection of the Law and Health: Water (In)security in Indian Country," in COVID-19 in Indian Country: Native American Memories and Experiences of the Pandemic, eds. Farina King and Wade Davies (Palgrave Macmillan, 2024).

At age 40, Robert Collins realized that the Potawatomi language was still alive, which changed the course of his life. Now a dedicated language instructor for the Citizen Potawatomi Nation and various universities across Oklahoma, Collins shares his journey from machinist to language protector. In this episode, he emphasizes the sacredness of Bodwéwadmimwen (Potawatomi language), innovative teaching methods, and his dream of creating future generations of Potawatomi speakers and educators. This episode is a part of the special series on Native Language Protectors and Carriers, tracing how one man’s calling ignites a community’s hope.

Dr. Farina King narrates this episode, and special thanks to Brian D. King for editing the Language Protectors and Carriers series.

Robert Collins is a Citizen Potawatomi Nation member of the Delonais family and Thunder Clan. He serves as the Interdepartmental Potawatomi Language Lead at the Citizen Potawatomi Nation Cultural Heritage Center and teaches Potawatomi at the University of Oklahoma and other institutions. Collins designs curriculum for early childhood, college-level, and community language programs. He is a lifelong student of Bodwéwadmimwen that he now helps others reclaim.

Learn more about the efforts to protect and support the study of Native American languages (and all languages) at the University of Oklahoma through the following petitions:

Oppose the Removal of Foreign Language Gen Ed requirements at the University of Oklahoma

Keep Indigenous Languages Alive at OU

For more information about the Oklahoma Native American Youth Language Fair, see the hyperlink.

Learn more about Native American Languages at the University of Oklahoma.

Additional Resources:

Citizen Potawatomi Nation Language Department- https://www.potawatomiheritage.com/language/

"Collins Speaks on Learning Potawatomi Language" (December 2024)

Tina Bridenstine, "Program helps build Potawatomi language resources," Native Oklahoma (May 2025)

On this episode of the special series featuring Native Language Protectors and Carriers, we reflect on the legacy of the Native American Languages Act of 1990 through the stories of Michael Elizondo, Jr. and Chaz Meadows. They are two citizens of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes who are reclaiming their languages, one word and one conversation at a time. From learning with elders and attending ceremonies to immersive master-apprentice programs and digital classes, they share how language connects to culture, humor, and identity—and why its survival is essential for future generations.

Dr. Farina King narrates this episode, and special thanks to Brian D. King for editing the Language Protectors and Carriers series.

A Native of Oklahoma, Michael Elizondo, Jr. received his BFA from Oklahoma Baptist University (2008) and his MFA at the University of Oklahoma (2011). Elizondo has participated in numerous solo and group exhibits regionally and nationally. He has been a professor of fine art and art history at colleges and universities statewide, recently serving as the Director of the School of Art at Bacone College and Executive Director of Language and Culture with the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes. Elizondo is currently focusing on his studio practices full-time.

Jonathan (Chaz) Meadows is a citizen of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes and a dedicated advocate for Indigenous cultural and linguistic revitalization. He earned dual bachelor's degrees in Native American & Indigenous Studies and Sociology from Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado, graduating with Cum Laude and Dean’s List honors. Jonathan is currently a graduate student at the University of Oklahoma, pursuing a master’s degree in Native American Studies. A former president of the Pujuta Tipi Society RSO, his academic and community work is deeply rooted in cultural preservation, language revitalization, and intergenerational knowledge transfer. He is an alumnus of the Wells Fargo, Indigenous Land & Language, American Indian Service, and Cheyenne & Arapaho Higher Education scholarship programs, and a former apprentice in the Cheyenne Language Master Apprenticeship Program. His work is grounded in a lifelong commitment to sustaining Indigenous lifeways for future generations.

Learn more about the efforts to protect and support the study of Native American languages (and all languages) at the University of Oklahoma through the following petitions:

Oppose the Removal of Foreign Language Gen Ed requirements at the University of Oklahoma

Keep Indigenous Languages Alive at OU

For more information about the Oklahoma Native American Youth Language Fair, see the hyperlink.

Learn more about Native American Languages at the University of Oklahoma.

We honor Cheyenne and Arapaho speakers of all generations of the past, present, and future such as Joyce Twins (1943-2020) who taught Cheyenne language for over 20 years, including for some time at the University of Oklahoma.

In this powerful conversation, Dr. Christine Ami shares her journey of navigating the cultural arts program and collaborating on the T’áá wołí bee exhibit at Diné College during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through the lens of Wołí Bee, a Diné concept of perseverance, she discusses how Indigenous cultural arts undergirds resilience, community connection, and healing. Christine explores the challenges of maintaining educational programs, supporting students, and preserving cultural practices while facing personal grief and professional transitions during an unprecedented global crisis.

Dr. Christine Ami is a Diné scholar, weaver, and educator at Diné College, specializing in cultural arts and Indigenous studies. With expertise in grant management, curriculum development, and Indigenous animal studies, she has dedicated her career to preserving and promoting Indigenous cultural practices. Christine is an NEH award recipient and continues to research and teach about the intersections of Indigenous culture, education, and community resilience.

Christine expresses appreciation for the many artists, partners, and supporters who made the T’áá wołí bee (“Permanent”) Exhibit possible.

Resources:

Christine Marie Ami, "Wołí bee: Diné Cultural Arts Amid Pandemics,"
in COVID-19 in Indian Country: Native American Memories and Experiences of the Pandemic, eds. Farina King and Wade Davies (Palgrave Macmillan, 2024).

Christine M. Ami website

Christine M. Ami, "Meet Our Faculty," School of Business and Social Science, Diné College website

Christine Ami, "Between the Loom and the Laptop: A Diné Sabbatical," Tribal College Journal (Summer 2025), tribalcollegejournal.org/between-the-loom-and-the-laptop-a-tribal-college-faculty-sabbatical/.

Christine Ami, "'When Waters Rise and Rocks Speak': An Analysis of Indigenous Research Credential Theft by an Ally,” Wicazo Sa Review. 34, 2 (2022), muse.jhu.edu/issue/48824.

Christine Ami, "Politics of Distrust: The Navajo Nation’s use of propaganda devices to recruit participants for COVID-19 trial vaccine," Indian Country Today (2020), https://ictnews.org/opinion/politics-of-distrust-the-navajo-nations-use-of-propaganda-devices-to-recruit-participants-for-covid-19-trial-vaccine/.

Christine Ami, "Review Essay: The Diné Reader: An Anthology of Navajo Literature (Esther G. Belin, Jeff Berglund, Connie A. Jacobs, Anthony Webster, and Sherwin Bitsui, eds.)," Transmotion 8, 1 (2022): 209-217, https://doi.org/10.22024/UniKent/03/tm.1064.

Christine Ami, "Playing Indian: Internal Colonization Seated at the Navajo Loom," Navajo Cultural Arts Program Blog (2020), https://lib.dinecollege.edu/NCAP_Blog/02-2020.

“T’áá awołí bee: Best of Show Panel,” T’áá awołí bee: Navajo Contemporary Arts Conversation Series, Navajo Cultural Arts Program, YouTube video (posted 2021)

In this episode, Dr. Farina King is joined by Dr. Gavin A. Healey, a contributing author of COVID-19 in Indian Country and Assistant Professor of Anthropology and Applied Indigenous Studies at Northern Arizona University (NAU). Gavin highlights how Indigenous graffiti and muralism emerged as vital tools of community care and resistance during the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing from his chapter, “Native American Graffiti and Aerosol Muralism of the Pandemic,” Gavin addresses works by artists such as Ivan Lee (Diné), whose mural of a masked Diné woman sends a COVID-19 warning, and Jemez Pueblo artist Jaque Fragua, whose pieces amplify Indigenous sovereignty and survival. Photographer Kayla Jackson’s documentation of pandemic murals adds another dimension to the discussion. Gavin reflects on how these public art forms became acts of visual sovereignty, cultural expression, and collective healing in Indian Country, "demistifying" aerosol muralism.

Gavin A. Healey holds an interdisciplinary Ph.D. in American Indian Studies from the University of Arizona with an emphasis in Native Art and public art. His expertise in community-based participatory research and mixed method design aspires to provide agency to individual and community voices with a focus on Native graffiti muralism. This work with collaborators focuses on Native art and Native public art as dialectics of place-making and Native sovereignty. Coupled with his universities' duties, Gavin has spent his career working with Native artists and communities, urban and reservation, as an artist assistant on public murals, curator of museum and gallery exhibitions, and a conscientious ally in community wellbeing. His doctoral research produced the first empirical data collected on Native public art through public surveying. He is working on a forthcoming edited volume with Indigenous artists.

Resources:

Gavin A. Healey, “Native American Graffiti and Aerosol Muralism of the Pandemic: Alternative Messaging of Community Well-Being,” in COVID-19 in Indian Country: Native American Memories and Experiences of the Pandemic, eds. Farina King and Wade Davies (Palgrave Macmillan, 2024).

Gavin Alexander Healey, NAU Directory Webpage

Mural by Navajo graffiti artist, Ivan Lee in COVID-19 archive.

Jaque Fragua (Jemez Pueblo) featured on SODO Track Artists

Kayla Jackson photography, "Creative Cowboy."

NAU Applied Indigenous Studies

Hoka Skenandore (Oneida, Oglala Lakota, and Luiseno) artist website