Hóčhoka Podcast

“Give me a glimpse of what could be – not to ponder what might have been – reveal the blush of dawn – overlook the thorns beneath the rose – welcome the glow of winter’s stars – to laugh and play in drifts of snow – kindle that gentle beauty and pray when night and quiet come.” The poem called “Hope” is from “Survival Songs,” poetry by Lydia Whirlwind Soldier on her Native American boarding school experience.

“I retreat to the edge of dreams, empty my heart of haunting fears. I fly with the red-tail hawk along the bank of rolling thunderheads into the mysteries of prayer.” This is poetry that gives voice to the Lakota Way with heart-stirring imaginative power. Join our conversation with Lakota Poet Lydia Whirlwind Soldier.

How is it that a seminarian from Vietnam and a business major from Ft. Myers, Florida, find themselves traveling through Indian Country of the Northern Plains distributing books on St. Joseph's Indian School's Booklmobile? Let’s find out.

As Native communities across the country reclaim their narratives and embrace their cultural heritages, our work at St. Joseph’s Indian School has become increasingly enriched through Indigenous ways of knowing. It is time to ask, “Well, then, what about an indigenous evaluation framework for our students?”

What’s all this talk about Indigenous ways of knowing? Why should a school for Native American students seek to develop measurements of student achievement based on Indigenous knowledge systems? Let’s talk to Dr. Melanie Nadeau who can help us appreciate this complex topic.

What happens when a researcher and doctor in public health and an alum of St. Joseph’s, who herself works and pursues studies in health care, have the opportunity to get to know one another? Let’s find out when we meet Dr. Melanie Nadeau and Danielle Two Two.

Don’t miss Hóčhoka Season 6 when:

• Dr. Damian Costello joins us again to provide fresh perspectives on Catholicism through an Indigenous lens. We explore the Red Heifer, the Advent season and Our Lady of Guadalupe.

What happens when Lakota author and artist Donald Montileaux collaborates with our librarian, Claire Nehring, and her students to create an illustrating project? Let’s watch and listen in.

What happens when a beloved Lakota artist joins ranks with traditional tribal storytellers who used their wisdom and gifted voices to paint pictures of wonderful, magical animals and colorful birds on the walls of young people’s minds? To borrow some words from Donald Montileaux himself, this one is for all those children whose eyes dance in the firelight as he creates words and images that jump boldly from the pages of his books and into young imaginations.

What do an impromptu visit to a friend’s house, a pick-up basketball game, going on an out-of-state trip or cultural activities have to do with a healthy residential environment for kids? We’re about to find out from the Executive Director of the Coalition for Residential Excellence Don Forrester.