This is a solo episode, part one of two, and it is an idea I have been kicking around a while.

Every story has a reason, and this one’s mine.

I made this one for my little homie, Che — so that one day, if he ever wants to know who his old man was, he’ll have more than memories. He’ll have my voice, my truth, my story.

This is the story of how every twist and turn — the Army, the acting dream in L.A., the loss of my son Bams, alcoholism, finding a brand new family in Portland— all led me here, to Native As I Can Be.

Our people are storytellers, and I hope one day when he tells his, my chapter will be very meaningful to him.

In other news...

I found six new distribution networks to put the pod on, increasing my online presence. That is good.

I am presenting the actual story of the first Thanksgiving to Che's entire first grade class, and presenting some information about my tribe. That is REALLY good. And it leads right into my next update..

I have applied for a PR position with my tribe, and I am really really hoping I get that job. The years and years of walking concrete floors in cold warehouses are taking a toll on my soon to be 46 year old body; I am ready to start doing something more personally meaningful the remainder of my years. Wish me luck, send out the good vibes..

"Great things start in little rooms." - Andre 3000

Geno Ray on the internet:

Instagram

@thunderlips_pdx

@n8ive_as_i_can_be

YouTube

@ThunderlipsPDX

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@thunderlips_pdx

Facebook

Geno Ray - personal

Geno Ray Nativeasicanbe - show page

We went live on location at Dante's in beautiful downtown Portland Oregon. In this episode of 'Native As I Can Be,' I talk with Jason Moore, Native drummer of Dead Animal Assembly Plant. We discussed Jason's musical journey, his upbringing on a reservation, the influence of his family, and the challenges he faced after losing his father. Jason shares how his cultural heritage shapes his music and drumming style, and how he uses his platform to raise awareness about important issues, including the crisis of missing Indigenous women. The conversation also touches on the evolution of his stage persona, Scorn, and the importance of community in the Montana music scene.

This is my first attempt at filming on location. It was a lot of fun and hope to do it again soon. It will only get better from here!I apologize for the lack of closed captioning, as soon as I start mucking with it too much, the audio and the video stop syncing. There's also a little bit of dead air at the beginning, just power through.

Jason Moore on the internet:@deadanimalassemblyplant

@skorndaap

Geno Ray on the internet:

Instagram

@thunderlips_pdx

@n8ive_as_i_can_be

YouTube

@ThunderlipsPDX

TikTok

@thunderlips_pdx

Facebook

Geno Ray - personal

Geno Ray Nativeasicanbe - show page

This week, my guest is Dr. Beverley Jacobs!

Dr. Jacobs has carried stories that most people could never bear. A Mohawk lawyer, scholar, and advocate, she has worked with Amnesty International, Native Women's Association of Canada, the Sisters in Spirit movement and pushed for a National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Women across Canada.

Dr. Jacobs took time out of her very busy schedule talk about loss, legacy, and the long fight for justice. It’s a story of grief and power — of a woman who turned pain into purpose, and a community that refuses to be silent. This is definitely one of my most powerful interviews ever.

Geno Ray on the internet:

Instagram

@thunderlips_pdx

@n8ive_as_i_can_be

YouTube

@ThunderlipsPDX

TikTok

@thunderlips_pdx

Facebook

Geno Ray - personal

Geno Ray Nativeasicanbe - show page

Native As I Can Be, episode 6 is here! We talked about growing up as a Native adoptee, finding her birth parents, and her connection and career communicating with relatives from the unseen world.

This week, I interviewed Melissa L. Bennett. Melissa is a domestic transracial adoptee and descendant of the Umatilla, Nimiipuu, Sac and Fox, and Anishinaabe Nations. She is a writer, storyteller and story listener, an educator, spiritual care provider, spirit worker, tarot reader, and ancestor whisperer. Melissa currently resides in rural Oregon where she lives with two cats, a lot of art supplies, and plenty of snacks.

Some of her essays can be found here:

https://expositionreview.com/flash-405/river-of-stars/
https://www.oregonhumanities.org/rll/magazine/joy-and-pain-spring-2023/creation-stories/
https://www.oregonhumanities.org/rll/beyond-the-margins/sema/
She can be found on Instagram @lostbirdtarot

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If you want to contribute to helping this podcast grow byleaps and bounds, head over to Kickstarter! I am attempting to raise money to get better cameras, mics, laptop and advertising. Every little bit, even $5, helps out a ton!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/nativeasicanbe/native-as-i-can-be-between-two-cultures

Geno Ray on the internet:

Instagram

@thunderlips_pdx

@n8ive_as_i_can_be

YouTube

@ThunderlipsPDX

TikTok

@thunderlips_pdx

Facebook

Geno Ray - personal

Geno Ray Nativeasicanbe - show page

I sat down with a friend I have known all the way since the early 2000s (!), Jade Jesser.

Jade is an author, actor, former stand-up comedian, and a yoga instructor.

Couple things to know about this episode... this was recorded via Zoom and on Jade's TikTok Live stream, and my computer couldn't handle melding those two things together. So, you are seeing the TikTok version. I also couldn't get the captions to work.

Business stuff:

Jade Jesser:

TikTok

@baelfire.books.jj

Baelfire: Innocence Lost: Jesser, Jade: 9798551220602: Amazon.com: BooksIf you want to contribute to helping this podcast grow byleaps and bounds, head over to Kickstarter! I am attempting to raise money toget better cameras, mics, laptop and advertising. Every little bit, even $5,helps out a ton!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/nativeasicanbe/native-as-i-can-be-between-two-cultures

Geno Ray on the internet:

Instagram

@thunderlips_pdx

@n8ive_as_i_can_be

YouTube

@ThunderlipsPDX

TikTok

@thunderlips_pdx

Facebook

Geno Ray - personal

Geno Ray Nativeasicanbe - show page

This week, I sat down with my very special guest, David Velarde.

David is an actor, screenwriter, and life enthusiast. He’s an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation and strives to bring tribal authenticity to his acting roles and screenplays. 

YouTube: @davevelarde8261

Instagram: @david.a.velarde.3

Facebook: David Anthony Velarde

If you want to contribute to helping this podcast grow by leaps and bounds, head over to Kickstarter! I am attempting to raise money to get better cameras, mics, laptop and advertising. Every little bit, even $5, helps out a ton!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/nativeasicanbe/native-as-i-can-be-between-two-cultures

Geno Ray on the internet:

Instagram

@thunderlips_pdx

@n8ive_as_i_can_be

YouTube

@ThunderlipsPDX

TikTok

@thunderlips_pdx

Facebook

Geno Ray - personal

Geno Ray Nativeasicanbe - show page

This week I sat down with my very special guest, Crystal Nicholson. She is a biracial author from Sacramento, CA that I *kinda* share some family ties with. We had a great conversation about growing up mixed, trauma, white supremacy, and, of course, children's books.

She can be found on TikTok at @the.rebel.author and her children's book Naya's Little Lionheart is available on Amazon.

Go check out my Kickstarter! I am working feverishly to make this podcast as large as I picture it my head and heart. I am trying to upgrade my equipment and get some more eyes/ears on the project. Check it out here:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/nativeasicanbe/native-as-i-can-be-between-two-cultures

A couple $5 donations and shares would really make this thing pop. Every little bit helps!

Episode 2 is here with my super special guest Shelise Gieseke!

Shelise is an intercountry, South Korean, racially and culturally displaced (transracial) adoptee. She was adopted as an infant through an adoption agency and raised on a farm by a white family in rural Minnesota. She has three siblings who are her parents’ biological children. She has been to Korea to search for her family, but did not find them. Shelise has been involved with adoptee-centered projects and organizations such as Land of Gazillion Adoptees blog and the Gazillion Voices online magazine and Adoption Mosaic, where she participates in mixed-constellation groups and is a co-facilitator of the adoptive parent course, Transracial Parenting. She loves to connect with all members of the adoption community and welcomes opportunities to reframe the adoption narrative to center adopted people. In her free time, she likes to watch k-dramas, go to taekwondo with her family, and pretend she is going to learn to speak Korean. Find her on Instagram: @skmg_adoptee

I'm back!!

After many years away, I have decided to relaunch Native As I Can Be. Life gets heavy, but the stories kept calling me. The show will now include video, better social media presence, and better audio.

I wanted to kick it off with something near and dear to my heart, so of course I chose wrestling. I couldn't have asked for a better guest, Celestial! Celestial is a luchador (Mexican professional wrestler) from Mexico and currently residing in Seattle, WA. We talk lucha libre, identity and what it means to represent your people in and out of the ring. This episode sets the tone for what is to come.

Instagram:

@celestialluchadorofficial

Facebook: Viento Gonzalez

Facebook Fan Page: Celestial 天上の

I am getting around to favorite topic (besides hip hop or wrestling), cultural appropriation. What is it, what qualifies as appropriation, why (or why not) is it offensive, what can we do about it? I don't anticipate answering any of those questions definitively, but I am hoping they provoke a little conversation and thought. 

I did something a little different with this episode, I decided to record while broadcasting on Facebook Live. It was challenging, and unless you like long pauses and dead air, not great. It was an experiment, I would do it again but definitely with a topic I have more knowledge of and don't need to rely so heavily on notes to talk about. 

One more thing, I apologize for the amount of sorta white noise you hear while I am talking. I know it can be distracting, especially in headphones. I am tinkering with settings and levels and will improve the sound quality the more of these I do. If anyone has any tips let me know.

That's all for now, enjoy the show!