Nihizhi, Our Voices: An Indigenous Solutions Podcast

In this episode, host Lyla June interviews Charlene Nijmeh, the chairwoman of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe, which is comprised of all known surviving American Indian Lineages aboriginal to the San Francisco Bay Region.

Throughout the episode, the discussion focuses around the powerful history of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe, stories of resilience, and the "Trail of Truth", a 90-day horseback journey across the United States, all the way from San Francisco to Washington, beginning August 4th.

With a strong sense of public service and duty towards her tribal communities, Charlene sits at the helm of the "Trail of Truth" protest and is determined to make sure that the voices of the unrecognized tribes are heard.

To learn more about the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe, visit Muwekma.org.
To donate to the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe, vist https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=NJSTHL7GYM7WE.
To learn more about Charlene Nijmeh, visit CharleneforCongress.com.

In this episode, host Lyla June interviews Dean Barlese, an elder and spiritual leader from the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe and Max Wilbert, writer and community organizer whose been part of grassroots political work for 20 years, and is the founder of Protect Thacker Pass.

Their discussion focuses around the status of the lithium mining project to be built on Thacker Pass, a physical feature located in Humboldt County Nevada, traditional and unceded territory of the Paiute and Shoshone people, currently designated as United States Bureau of Land Management (BLM) public land. The traditional Paiute name of Thacker Pass is Peehee Mu’huh. Now it is also the site of a massive lithium mine under construction, that is destroying the area and valuable habitat for the creatures who live there.

Throughout the episode, our guests touch on how they are fighting against this project and why everything we do counts, and matters.

To learn more or get involved, visit ProtectThackerPass.org
To donate, visit GiveButter.com
To read the autobiography of Billy Haywood, visit Archive.org

In this episode, host Lyla June talks with Maria Azhunova of the Buryat-Mongol Indigenous Peoples, Director of the Land of Snow Leopard Network.

Their discussion focuses around the significance of the Snow Leopard, it's meaning and how they are spreading awareness and education on this sacred animal, as well as protecting the animal from humans and outside dangers that can interfere with the endangered snow leopard, who lives in the mountains of South and Central Asia. Throughout this episode, they also talk about how interconnected all indigenous beings are, human and non-human and how to reflect on your own connection.

To learn more about the Snow Leopard, visit snowleopardconservacy.org or landofsnowleopard.org.

In this episode host Lyla June talks with  Shelly Covert, spokesperson for the Nisenan Indigenous Nation, native to Grass Valley & Nevada City areas of northern California. Co-founders of CHIRP (California Heritage: Indigenous Research Project) Shelly Covert and Ember Amador discuss their $2.4M GoFundMe campaign to recover sacred lands stolen during the California  Gold Rush. As of the publishing of this episode, they have already raised $2M. We discuss the tragedy of having to buy back stolen lands, but also celebrate that stolen wealth is being put towards the return of Indigenous lands. We request more support, and also celebrate that this small native nation, nearly extinguished by the California genocide and state-funded bounty hunting of indigenous peoples, is making a roaring comeback in the 21st-century.

CHIRP's mission to preserve, protect and perpetuate Nisenan Culture is informed by the Nevada City Rancheria Nisenan Tribal Council, which assesses and identifies the needs and best practices of their Tribal citizens. This episode  focuses on their fight and journey to buyback the Nisenan homelands and how CHIRP is able to uplift their community and impact those around them to donate, volunteer and stay informed about the buyback.

To learn more about CHIRP, visit chirpca.org or their social media: Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, or Twitter
To learn more about the Nisenan Tribe, visit nisenan.org

In this episode host Lyla June talks with  Shelly Covert, spokesperson for the Nisenan Indigenous Nation, native to Grass Valley & Nevada City areas of northern California. Co-founders of CHIRP (California Heritage: Indigenous Research Project) Shelly Covert and Ember Amador discuss their $2.4M GoFundMe campaign to recover sacred lands stolen during the California  Gold Rush. As of the publishing of this episode, they have already raised $2M. We discuss the tragedy of having to buy back stolen lands, but also celebrate that stolen wealth is being put towards the return of Indigenous lands. We request more support, and also celebrate that this small native nation, nearly extinguished by the California genocide and state-funded bounty hunting of indigenous peoples, is making a roaring comeback in the 21st-century.

CHIRP's mission to preserve, protect and perpetuate Nisenan Culture is informed by the Nevada City Rancheria Nisenan Tribal Council, which assesses and identifies the needs and best practices of their Tribal citizens. This episode  focuses on their fight and journey to buyback the Nisenan homelands and how CHIRP is able to uplift their community and impact those around them to donate, volunteer and stay informed about the buyback.

To learn more about CHIRP, visit chirpca.org or their social media: Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, or Twitter
To learn more about the Nisenan Tribe, visit nisenan.org

In this episode, host Lyla June interviews Marina Thomas, a curly haired, light skinned Onk Akimel O'odham mother fighting for the existence of our culture so our kids can play in the water.

Their discussion focuses around the intense urbanization, colonization, distortion of their history and water theft the Akimel O'odham people are facing in the Phoenix and Tucson area. Throughout the episode, Marina also touches on what it means to be an Onk Akimel O'odham woman and how she got in touch with her indignity and her ancestors while working with Oak Flat.

To learn more about the O'odham Led Direct Action Collective of Native Aunties, visit their Instagram.
To learn more about the O'odham Piipaash Alliance, visit their  Instagram.
To learn more about protecting Oak Flat, visit their website.

In this episode, host Lyla June interviews Jeffrey Haas, a Jewish civil rights and criminal defense attorney who has represented with the families of Black Panther leaders, Water Protectors at Standing Rock, and many more. The conversation focuses on the topic of indigeneity between Zionists and Palestinians, how some members of the Jewish community are feeling about what Israel is doing, the United State's affect on the war against Palestinians and how to focus on making the world a more equitable place.

To learn more about Jeffrey, visit his Instagram.

To learn more about his work with Santa Feans for Justice in Palestine, visit their website.

In this episode, host Lyla June interviews two Palestinians who work with Sabeel, a Palestinian Christian group in Jerusalem. They work for Palestinian liberation within the context of the settler Zionism of the USA-Israel alliance. We discuss 1) how they are the original and Indigenous Christians of that land, 2) what gives us hope, 3) what the world can do amidst the ongoing genocide of Palestinian people, 4) what it means to be a Palestinian Christian, and 5) how they have spent their lives as Palestinian men working for a better world and what it means to work for a better world.

Follow Sabeel on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/naimateek
Follow Sabeel on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sabeelelquds

In this episode, host Lyla June interviews two Palestinians who work with Sabeel, a Palestinian Christian group in Jerusalem. They work for Palestinian liberation within the context of the violent and  well funded militarism, apartheid, and occupation of the settler Zionism of the USA-Israel alliance. We discuss 1) what gives us hope, 2) what the world can do amidst the ongoing genocide of Palestinian people, 3) what it means to be a Palestinian Christian, and 4) how they have spent their lives as Palestinian men working for a better world and what it means to work for a better world. 

Follow Sabeel on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sabeel.elquds
Follow Sabeel on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sabeelelquds

Indigenous People of Turtle Island (ala North America) have been intentionally burning the landscape for millennia with low intensity burns. This cycles the nutrients of dead grasses in the fall into mineral rush ash, that nourishes the seeds and shoots for the coming spring. It also curtails incoming vegetation that may compete with old growth or other highly selected trees. It helps to keep the trees in the forest spaced widely apart to prevent crowding which results in many dehydrated, nutrient poor, shaded trees, instead of a few healthy trees with plenty of nutrients, sunlight and water. In this episode we talk with three members of the Karuk Tribe, Vikki Preston, Frankie Tripp and Leece Larue. We discuss the tribe's proactive, cultural use of prescribed fires. These prescribed burns are important to wildland systems in the Klamath River region, bringing new life, growth and protection from larger, more rapidly burning wild fires.  While working with local departments, the Karuk peoples are able to put fire on the ground and educate those in their area why and how these practices should be done to ensure a safe, purposeful burning, that may not happen when left up to official departments alone controlling these prescribed burnings. Join along as they share their stories and what this work means to then


To learn more about the Karuk Tribe, visit their website.

To learn more about Vikki Preston, visit her Instagram.

To learn more about Leece Larue, visit their Linkedin or Instagram.