In this episode, Ranger Grace interviewed Kyle Awelagte to discuss his cross country and track experience as a collegiate athlete. As Kyle is from the Zuni Pueblo, he describes the cultural significance of running and shares that his family has a multi-generational history of running in Zuni. Not only is he an athlete, but he is an artist: Kyle shares his work as a fetish carver and the spiritual connections that revolve around this ancestral form of creativity. Tune in to this episode and enjoy!

Kyle Awelagte: I want to be able to teach the younger generation more about like the traditional and spiritual aspect of running and different art forms. I think that's my way of giving back to my community and keeping it thriving and living for as long as it goes

Lakin: Hello everyone, welcome back to season three of Grand Canyon Speaks.

My name is Lakin.

Meranden: And this is Meranden.

Lakin: In this episode, Ranger Grace interviewed Kyle Awelagte from Zuni Pueblo.

Meranden: Kyle, who runs cross-country at Fort Lewis College, has centered his focus on passing down traditional teachings revolving around athletics and art.

Lakin: From hosting a running event in his community to providing Zuni artists with business resources, Kyle looks forward to expanding on these endeavors in the future.

Meranden: Take a listen to this episode and we hope you enjoy.

Kyle Awelagte: Keshi, ko' don la:k'yadik'yana:we. Ho' Kyle Awelagte le'shinna. Hom annodi:we Dowa:kwe deyan K'yak'yali:kwe a:wan cha'le.

Kyle Awelagte: Good afternoon, my name is Kyle Awelagte. My clans are Corn and Child of the Eagle, and I am from the Zuni Pueblo. And this is my first time here, so it's exciting.

Kyle Awelagte: Thank you guys for all coming out and listening.

Ranger Grace: Yeah, and thank you so much, Kyle, for being here. It's really cool to have you out here.

Ranger Grace: And it's kind of hard to ignore the setting we're at. We are at the canyon, and the canyon's right behind us for those of you who are listening and not in the audience right now. And I do want to ask, just to get started, how does it feel to be at the canyon?

Kyle Awelagte: When I first got here, me and Shanoah were driving late at night, and we happened to see cloud storms like this, and a thunderstorm really hit. And at one point, I was kind of scared, but I knew that my ancestors were looking down on me. That was kind of like a signal that I'm back where we emerged from.

Kyle Awelagte: So I feel really connected to this place. It feels good to be here. Yeah, that's great.

Ranger Grace: That's a good example of how sneaky those thunderstorms can be when they show up, but a good sign at the same time. We like rain out here a lot. So part of the reason you're at the canyon is not just for the Grand Canyon Speaks.

Ranger Grace: Earlier today, you were demonstrating in the [Desert View] Watchtower as part of our cultural demonstration program, and there you were doing some, had some of your Zuni fetish carvings there. And to kind of let people who don't know, know about that, what is Zuni fetish carving? What were you doing at the time?

Kyle Awelagte: Zuni fetish carving is a form of art and also a way of expressing Zuni storytelling and tradition. It's typically used from natural stones and seashells and sometimes some elk antlers. So what Zuni fetish carving is, is an artist creates an animal or a spiritual, so what I like to make is called corn maidens.

Kyle Awelagte: So they have significance within our culture and the Zuni religion. A lot of it's used for some ceremonial practices and religious practices. And a lot of those pieces are for good omen.

Kyle Awelagte: A lot of them hold significant power in them. And a lot of people back home say that they're alive and which they are alive. They're living creatures, or not living creatures, but like a living spirit within that rock in that stone.

Kyle Awelagte: So that's why I do it just because of my culture and historical background on Zuni carving.

Ranger Grace: Yeah. And what got you into Zuni carving?

Like what was the moment you were like, I'm going to do this. And when did you start?

Kyle Awelagte: I remember when I was like 11 years old, my dad, he had his little motor set up inside the house and he was blasting music at one point while I was taking a nap.

And I went to go check in on him on what he was doing. And I saw that he had a piece of stone. It was angelite.

Kyle Awelagte: It was a really bright blue, kind of like a baby blue stone. And he was creating something out of it. And I asked like, “what are you doing?” And he said, “just watch this.” And he made a bear in like 20 minutes, 10 minutes. And I thought that was like the coolest thing ever.

Kyle Awelagte: So just from him explaining over the years, like what the purpose is and what like Zuni carving is, I saw that as like opportunity to learn and also opportunity to grow in my culture. So yeah, that's when I started really learning about Zuni fetish carving at age 11. And ever since then, he's brought me to trips like Santa Fe and different places. Just like, I just love the environment, like being able to be creative and have deeper meaning behind the art we make.

Ranger Grace: Yeah. And when you say trips like Santa Fe, what do you mean with that?

Kyle Awelagte: So usually in Santa Fe, New Mexico, they have like a big open like Indian market and a bunch of shops over there that sell like a bunch of Native American, different like jewelry, fetishes, just different stuff. And just being surrounded in that environment and looking what a lot of artists produce is something to be proud of. Just having that symbolism and different craftsmanship in like a big city is pretty cool to see.

Ranger Grace: Yeah, it sounds like a really inspiring environment to be in, especially with those crafts. And speaking of environment, I feel like you really set the scene with the story of your dad kind of with the loud music waking you up. And you mentioned like having the tools for fetish carving.

Ranger Grace: What is that process like? What goes into making a fetish?

Kyle Awelagte: So they tell you to have good thoughts and good spirit when you're doing fetish carving, because that's what you ultimately want to put into the rock. Just good, good spirit into it. So you start off by getting your raw materials, like your rock you find. So it can be like turquoise, serpentine, marble, just whatever you have.

Kyle Awelagte: And with that, we have a motor set up. So it's like, imagine like a motor that's in the middle, and that's the battery. And on the sides, there's a grinding stone.

And with that grinding stone, what I do is I like to look at the rock and visualize what I want. Because if you force it, it's not going to want to go that way. You kind of just have to work with the rock and like the shape and what you see in it.

Kyle Awelagte: So that's my second process. And I like to turn on music to like, make my spirit more happy. So I'll turn on like reggae or whatever I liked on the radio.

And yeah, I'll just get like getting like good vibes going. And having like the people around me that I love, just watching me create something. But other than that, you create the stone using the grinding wheel.

Kyle Awelagte: And my dad taught me to always like round it first and see what it comes out to. And a lot of the times it usually comes out to eagles. So I think eagles really speak out to me, and even bears. And with that, you kind of, you make the face for it. And you make the eyes because at the end of the product, it's living. So you want it to see.

Kyle Awelagte: And you create these bundles. So I use like wax to wrap it around and put little pieces of turquoise or coral. It's a offering to it. Or you can either sprinkle cornmeal on it, just to give appreciation for what you created. Yeah, so it's really just working with the stone and using your grinding wheel to create what you want, or what it wants to become. That's why I always say because you can't force it.

Kyle Awelagte: It's kind of a simple but kind of like a kind of joyful experience with it. It's also very dangerous too. Because you can like, sometimes I clip my finger with the grinding stone. And that's not too fun. But the music part is fun. And having my family and my dad teach me, that's the fun part. Yeah.

Ranger Grace: Yeah, it feels better to focus on the fun than the dangerous part.

Kyle Awelagte: Yeah.

Ranger Grace: And you've been doing that for a long time then. Because you said you started at 11. You're 21. So about 10 years.

Kyle Awelagte: Yeah.

Ranger Grace: Which is a long time to be doing a craft like that. So how have you seen that process change over time?

Kyle Awelagte: When I was 11, it took me like, probably like two weeks to like a month to even like, create something. Just because I didn't know what I was doing and how to work like the wheel and motor.

Kyle Awelagte: But ever since like, just watching my dad and him telling me stories about like, you can't force what you want to make. Because that's what I would do at a young age, I would try to force it and the rock would just crumble and not go the way I want it and make me frustrated and not want to do it. But he just told me to have that patience and time and always come in with good spirits and listen to what the rock wants to have you make out of it.

Kyle Awelagte: So just using those tellings from my father. So it really helped me develop as an artist and just a person in general, just life lessons and how I go about my heart and yeah, just my approach on it. So over the years, I've gotten better.

Kyle Awelagte: I've never had like opportunities like this where I've been able to demonstrate to people like around the world or anything. I've always just did it just out of like habit, because it was always fun to me, just growing up, not really having anything to do besides sports. So when I have like, any like something on my mind, and I just want to take it off my mind, I just like to turn on the music and just go to work on my craft.

Kyle Awelagte: So yeah, so over the years, it's really developed. Now I can like carve like with it like 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the stone. So I've gotten really better.

Ranger Grace: Yeah, yeah, it's cool to be able to kind of give yourself to the process.

Kyle Awelagte: Yeah.

Ranger Grace: And really bring that energy to it and the intention. You mentioned there, sports as well. So not only do you do this craft and this art, but you're in sports as well. What sports do you do?

Kyle Awelagte: Yeah, so ever since I was in elementary school, I've ran for the public school district for Zuni. And I started off when I was nine years old, is when I really started running.

Kyle Awelagte: I started, yeah, I started to just run out of like, because my mom told me to, to get out of the house and do something. So I just started running. I thought I was going to be a basketball player. I mean, I was a basketball player, but I'm not, I'm not good. And then my direction was mainly towards running just because over the years I've learned that Zunis and other Native American tribes are really good in running. And they've always used that way, even back then, to get to places.

Kyle Awelagte: They would travel long distances on their feet or even have like moccasins if they're lucky to run with. But I think just having that background in running is what really inspired me to go further and beyond than what I thought I could be capable of. So running's my, running's my thing.

Ranger Grace: Yeah, and with running, you kind of lean towards this a little bit with what you just said. Like fetish carving, that also has really big cultural significance. So what is the cultural significance in the historical context of running for Zuni?

Kyle Awelagte: So running is like just a way of life. I say it's a way of life of being able to, well, this is my perspective on running, being able to spiritually connect and mentally being able to get through things. So when I'm running, I usually pray in the morning to ask Sun Father for strength and guidance during like my runs.

Kyle Awelagte: And yeah, so I would say that's like a cultural teaching I've put into running. So it's just, it's more than, I feel it's more than running, like just, you know, getting hyped for a race and being like, let's go, let's go run, like in that competitive era. But I see it more as like a way of healing, like being able to know I work for something and work for a group of people that are known, like being able to just to represent something bigger than myself through running.

Kyle Awelagte: So like having that, having that background is something special and amazing. So yeah.

Ranger Grace: Yeah, I've heard other interviewees use the phrase running with purpose.

Kyle Awelagte: Yeah.

Ranger Grace: That same thing of like having it be meaningful.

Ranger Grace: And for you both running and the art you do, you started doing very young. And you've mentioned to me your kind of involvement and passion for Indigenous youth getting involved in cultural tradition. So what's the importance of that involvement for youth and cultural tradition?

Kyle Awelagte: Just being able to continue the tradition through the younger generation, I think is important because grandparents and those with knowledge tend to pass down those teachings to younger people. And just having that ability to do that is what keeps your people alive and your way of living, I would say. Yeah, just that's, that's really important because in ancient times, that's all anyone had.

Kyle Awelagte: We didn't have like a phone or text messages or like files or like, you know, iPads to like record anything. It was just orally taught, verbally or shown, like demonstrated towards the younger audience. So I really think it's important that our youth get involved with their ways of living or their traditional practices.

Kyle Awelagte: Because when I was little, my mom and like my grandparents and just community members would just tell me these random stories and like what to do and what not to do. And I think that's the most important thing that someone can do to the younger generation. So with that, I want to be able to teach the younger generation more about like the traditional and spiritual aspect of running and different art forms.

Kyle Awelagte: I think that's my way of like giving back to my community and keeping it thriving and living for as long as it goes. Yeah.

Ranger Grace: Yeah. And on that note, like with all you've already been doing and with starting both your art and your running so young, you kind of already have implied in a way you are, but like, do you see yourself as a role model for Indigenous youth?

Kyle Awelagte: Sometimes, sometimes I can be like, not really like a role model. I mean, I'm still like a, I'm like a young adult still living in this world and it's kind of hard to, but I try to be, when I go back home and the things I do, I'm careful with how I represent myself because I was, I was also that like little, little kid, like check, like looking at like the stars of like running and like the hardest, like I want to be like them.

Kyle Awelagte: So sometimes I feel like a role model and sometimes I don't, but a lot of times I, I look back at my community and I think I've become a role model, a pretty good role model for the youth. Yeah.

Ranger Grace: You make a good point. You're still young, but yeah, and you can still be a role model in that way. And were there people that were kind of role models for you to get involved with the things you're involved in?

Kyle Awelagte: Yeah. So a lot of my role models came with like in my community. And then of course for like my family members and out of my family, like some of my middle school coaches, their last names are Chopito, like Albert Chopito and them. They're my middle school coaches and my elementary coaches.

Kyle Awelagte: And they're really good at marathons and long distances. So I've always looked up to them and even people outside my community that also work within my community, like Eisinga and Coach Carroll and coaches I've had from high school all the way to college, like the Kyle Masterson, Laura Masterson, Coach Graham, Don Graham at Fort Lewis, which I go to now. Yeah.

Kyle Awelagte: Just having those different role models, something special to have, just having them being able to have them talk to, have gained their knowledge and being able to just have them work with me and what my purpose is as a runner and how I want to represent myself and my people. So having those role models makes everything 10 times easier.

Ranger Grace: Yeah. Adds to the community.

Kyle Awelagte: Yeah.

Ranger Grace: It sounds like school was important for you in that way of like having those opportunities.

Ranger Grace: What are the ways you connect with running outside of school?

Kyle Awelagte: So a lot of my running I like to do back home. I love running back home just because it's really like flat and that's really beneficial to runners just because of the soft sand and the properties of it. And like we can literally like run like two miles and you'll be like up a mountain and you can work hard for that.

Kyle Awelagte: And I respect both aspects because I look towards one for like a easy, relaxed day. And I look towards one to, for like knowing I can work hard and push myself and still having that view of like what I'm trying to represent, having the view of like Zuni and the Pueblo and the mountains, like just reminding myself of where I come from, having that ability to overcome challenges like within my running and having like those easy days, just running around in the village, like just seeing everyone walking and seeing the community members, like going, doing their jobs, having people sell outside the tribal building, their arts. It's just the coolest thing ever.

Kyle Awelagte: And being able to go up to the mountains and just look down, knowing that maybe I can be something big and represent them, knowing that I came from this small little Pueblo. Yeah.

Ranger Grace: Yeah. Representation feels really important. And with those like challenges in running, it sounds like running is ever evolving. And how have you seen that relationship change over time?

Kyle Awelagte: When I was younger, I really didn't know too much about like, like my culture and everything. And once I started like running and like I would always hear these stories of runners just within the community. I know we have like this, we used to have a thing happen in the, in our middle village where runners would, it's called a stick run. So runners would put their valuables in and race against other runners and run around the village.

Kyle Awelagte: And whoever was like the fastest basically collected everything. So that having that history and my dad telling me that our last name was a part of that and we were pretty fast as those runners. So having that knowledge and having, knowing that my people can do longer distances is, makes everything pretty much easier.

Kyle Awelagte: And not having like the knowledge of that before I started to develop my spirituality and my culture was hard at first because I didn't know who to like turn to. So once I started learning those different practices and languages to speak to our Gods and stuff, it life, it became life and running became so much easier in a way because I felt like my prayers were answered and they were hearing me up above. So being able to learn over the years and having that involved with my running and just school in general, it's a, it's a good trait to have and a good feeling that I'm able to continue that even as of right now.

Kyle Awelagte: I still do it to this day. Yeah.

Ranger Grace: That is really cool to hear just the way it has changed over time and the importance that you still hold and the involvement you still have with it.

And if you're willing, we talked earlier that you're actually hosting a running event for Zuni as well, which is a really cool way that you're developing that relationship continuously. If you want to speak to that a little bit. Kyle Awelagte: Yeah, for sure.

Yeah. So I created this run, it's called Corn Maiden Classic. It's in the heart, well not heart in the Zuni, but it's at our mountain called Dowa Yalanne.

Kyle Awelagte: So kind of like the history behind it or the stories told about it is our people use that mountain to get away from a major flood that was happening. And there was this sea serpent called the Kolo:wisi that was underneath swimming through. And the only way that that flood could stop was these two individuals, a boy and a girl were brave enough to put on all their traditional regalia and float all the way to the bottom and do a prayer for the flood to go away.

Kyle Awelagte: And on the mountain, there's these two stones that stick up. So that's a representation of those two who were able to do that. And I think that's so cool because it takes a lot of courage and sacrifice to do those things.

And a lot of people have their own challenges and they sacrifice a lot in their daily lives. So being able to kind of tell those stories about Dowa Yalanne and where I come from and having running incorporated, I think is so cool. It'll consist of a kid's fruit scrabble.

Kyle Awelagte: So that's basically line up some kids and they'll run like a couple meters and they'll be like little baskets of like fruit they can collect and just giving back to the little kids in a way I can. And having people gain health and fitness and just a way of getting out. Just promoting health in general is what I want to do and go further beyond with this event because this is just the beginning stages of some pretty big stuff I want to do later in the future.

Kyle Awelagte: Yeah, so with this I want to start and then create a competitive, kind of like a pro team for Zuni. And then build off of that and create a little center where these different types of athletes in any sport can have access to what a lot of these people have that we don't have. So being able just to raise funds and having accessibility to these different stuff to help young athletes and student-athletes flourish in this new world because technology's growing and growing and helping people adapt.

Kyle Awelagte: And having our cultural ways and having that new technology I think is gonna really be beneficial to our people, yeah. Ranger Grace: And it's an important kind of future and passion to have. .

And how are you like pursuing that? Kyle Awelagte: So I'm pursuing that in like different ways. Like just really starting to put myself out there because I was always like a shy person, never including myself into events or anything.

So I'm going to Fort Lewis College as of right now for a business administration, so bachelor's degree. And I want to use that business degree to help expand my passion running in art. So I want to help artists turn their art and their image into something much bigger than what they could imagine.

Kyle Awelagte: And having these different resources like in the village and not having to go seek out other resources. So just making that accessible at home while having that authentic credibility towards the artists themselves. Ranger Grace: Yeah, I think you're so well spoken about and it's really neat to hear kind of how much thought you've put into it and all these different elements at play.

And with that kind of train of thought, I think that's a good time to kind of take a break from these bigger questions we're talking about. And with this podcast, we always do kind of a lighter question. We call it our fun question that we ask.

Ranger Grace: So that question is, what is your favorite food? Kyle Awelagte: Oh, okay. I like cherry wood smoked barbecue ribs.

That's what I like with potato salad and roasted corn and green chili and tortillas. That's like my favorite thing ever. But I also like just chicken alfredo.

So I like everything honestly. I like desserts. I ain't even gonna lie.

Kyle Awelagte: I ate a cake. Ranger Grace: I mean, as a runner, yeah, it's pretty important to you. Kyle Awelagte: Yeah, they say that, but I just be eating anything honestly.

Ranger Grace: Well, they both sound like good meals. On that note, like as a runner, we had another runner on the podcast and I had been curious with her of like, running can be really demanding and can be pretty hard on the body. So like, do you do to take care of yourself as a runner?

Kyle Awelagte: Physically, I do what any other runner does is stretch because you really need to like let your, you need to really rest your body and just let your blood flow. So that being like sleeping more than eight hours, taking electrolytes, being able to stretch, roll out, going to trainers, have them work with you. But on the mental side, I like to pray before my runs and after and just thank like my ancestors and my gods for the gifts they give me and the new day that and just being thankful that I'm able to run because I know there's not a lot of people who can do the things I do.

Kyle Awelagte: And I'm really appreciative of what's been given to me. And my hard work that I've built over the years and just being able to really enjoy it and having just using prayer as a way to mentally take care of myself and having my family too, is I say a good recovery method to just having their good energy. So in physical and mental and spiritual, it's how I take care of myself.

Ranger Grace: Yeah, you earlier, this reminded me you mentioned how with your fetish carving, it can kind of be a space you go to, to kind of get away from other things. Does running feel like that too, just from the process you just talked about of how you? Kyle Awelagte: Yeah, so running, and I say any other sports you have so much passion in can be so demanding.

And that can like really mess like with your mental and even your physical. So being able to have like different outlets and the things you love to do, like just say, like spending time or creating art, listening to music, taking walks or enjoying nature is something that every person should do just for their well-being. And having that takes the workload off of the thing you may find hard, like your passion, because our passions are, they're going to be hard at points, and sometimes you're going to enjoy them.

Kyle Awelagte: But having those different outlets is what makes you miss it again, and being able to take it on for another day. Ranger Grace: Would you say, because it sounds like, you know, you've mentioned challenges with running, and I suppose you could find challenges in carving as well, like clipping a finger. So you touched on that a little bit, but how do you, what advice would you give to overcome challenges?

Kyle Awelagte: I say just take it day by day and have, have faith in yourself that you'll be able to overcome those challenges, and that you have people or friends or family that you can depend on to take that workload off of your, weight off your shoulders, and just go and, just go into the next day knowing that it's a new opportunity for growth, rather than dwelling on it for like a whole week or a whole month. Just take that appreciation that, yeah, okay, I failed.

Kyle Awelagte: Let's try again tomorrow and see if I can do something better and overcome that challenge. And it's, it's good to fail because you learn from those moments, and you adapt because that's who we are as a people. You, you adapt to overcome challenges naturally, and so just take it day by day.

Kyle Awelagte: Don't stress about long-term, just put yourself in the now and live in the moment.

Ranger Grace: Yeah, pushing forward.

Kyle Awelagte: Yeah.

Ranger Grace: Community. You mentioned like the importance of failing. We have a big phrase with our staff of failing forward and how that can be really important to just keep moving past things and learning from them.

Ranger Grace: And as the sun is starting to set, before we open up to audience questions, is there anything else that you really want to leave the audience with? Like anything important you want them to know? Just be thankful that you're here on this earth today experiencing the things you are.

Kyle Awelagte: Enjoy nature, enjoy what you can see, enjoy what you can hear, enjoy what you can feel, enjoy what you can eat, because I love eating. And just live in the present of today and know that everything happens for a reason.

Kyle Awelagte: So, keep being creative, keep being cool, keep being friendly, keep being loving, and yeah, that's what I'm going to leave you guys with.

Ranger Grace: I think those are good words to leave people with. So now I kind of turn to you guys in the audience. Is there anything you'd like to ask Kyle about? Any questions?

Audience Member: Hi, I'd like to know what type of footwear you prefer to run in?

Kyle Awelagte: Okay, so, um, I like to be comfortable in my runs, and I love New Balance. I think New Balance has, like, really squishy foam in it, and I think that, like, takes the ease off of, like, knee pain and, like, your bones and your muscles.

Kyle Awelagte: So having that New Balance shoe, I think, is, like, the best thing ever. But race-wise, I like to race in Nike. I'm a Nike guy.

Audience Member: What's your favorite type of stone to carve on?

Kyle Awelagte: Oh, okay, um, I love sandstone, just, um, because it's really, really soft, and that's good, but what makes it hard is you have to be, like, really delicate with it, or you'll shave everything off. And the only reason I love it is because when you get it wet, it smells like it rained outside, so you can smell, like, that earthy, like, um, smell. So that's the, that's my favorite stone, sandstone.

Audience Member: Do you plan on running down the canyon or from rim to rim one day?

Kyle Awelagte: Rim to rim one day, that's, how long is that, like, 24 miles? Almost a marathon. Is that a marathon? I plan on doing it. I'm, I'm, like, I've run in the mountains, like, back home, so I'm slowly training for it, but it's going to happen. It's going to happen one day, and we'll record it.

Audience Member: How do you run on sand?

Kyle Awelagte: How do I run on sand? So what I like to do is, what my coach taught me was, um, you want to take, like, baby steps and pump your arms, and what I like to do in that moment when, you know, you're struggling and you feel like, oh my god, this sand really is a killer, I, I like to focus on my breathing and take two deep breaths and just, like, remind myself that, um, I'm stronger than, um, this sand and I'm capable of doing, doing it. So it's a physical and mental thing.

Kyle Awelagte: So physically, I like to go on my toes and lean forward and use my arms, but use baby steps, and mentally, I like to tell myself, um, that I'm capable of doing this, even though it's hard. Always just have a good mindset and you'll get through things, yeah.

Audience Member: Um, throughout your running career, what is one of your most memorable races?

Kyle Awelagte: Okay, I think the most memorable race was, it was, I think it always had to be the Zuni invite, um, where I'm doing my run at, so Dowa Yalanne. I think just having, like, the community there, like, everyone comes out for that, and I think that's, like, the coolest thing ever, because you see, like, Zuni, Zuni runners that haven't ran or anything, you know, you don't get to really see them, and the community finally, like, come out to, like, see you run, and the other runners.

Kyle Awelagte: Like, other Native American runners just run and run up our, run their sacred mountain, so I think just that, having, like, the community and your loved ones and even having, like, your ancestors there watching down on you, um, I think that has to be, like, the most memorable one that I've enjoyed so far, yeah.

Ranger Grace: Alright, well, Kyle, thank you so much for coming out here and being a part of the podcast.

Kyle Awelagte: Thank you. I want to thank everyone for just sitting patiently and listening. Um, safe travels back to wherever you come from, and, uh, blessings towards you guys, so thank you guys.

Kyle Awelagte: Elahkwa.

Ranger Jonah: Grand Canyon Speaks is a program hosted by Grand Canyon National Park and the Grand Canyon Conservancy. A special thanks to Aaron White for the theme music.

Ranger Jonah: This recording reflects the personal lived experiences of tribal members and do not encompass the views of their tribal nation or that of the National Park. To learn more about Grand Canyon First Voices, visit www.nps.gov/grca. Here at Grand Canyon National Park, we are on the ancestral homelands of the 11 associated tribes of the Grand Canyon, these being the Havasupai Tribe, the Hualapai Tribe, the Navajo Nation, the Hopi Tribe, the Pueblo of Zuni, the Yavapai Apache Nation, the Kaibab Band of Paiute Indians, the Las Vegas Paiute Tribe, the Moapa Band of Paiutes, the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah, and the San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe.