Opening the Box of Knowledge Podcast

Episode 5 features language warrior, revitalizer and multi talented Daaljíni, Mary Cruise. We are blessed to speak with her about her work with Haa Yoo X̱ʼatángi Kúdi (Our Language Nest) as Lead Instructor and Child Care Administrator. She makes valuable connections daily with our youth and elders by bringing our indigenous language to the forefront to keep it alive and hold our people up. Enjoy the listen!

In episode 4 of season 2 we had the pleasure to meet virtually with the multi talented photographer, videographer and writer Joe Yates. Originally from Craig, Alaska, Joe now lives in Anchorage and has had many exciting projects in the last 5 years including working on the hit series Molly of Denali, National Geographic's Life Below Zero and many more exciting opportunities. Enjoy the episode!

In Season 2, Episode 3, we had the pleasure of having Dr. Tina Woods on our show. Woods is Unungax (Aleut) and originally from Saint Paul Island, and Chamorro from the Island of Guam. She was adopted Lingít (Tlingit) into the Kaagwaantaan, (Eagle, Wolf), and her given name is Náakw laatseeni. Woods holds doctorate in Clinical-Community psychology with a Rural Indigenous Emphasis from the Universities of Alaska Anchorage, and Fairbanks. She respectfully blends both Western science and Indigenous practices based on teachings from Elders. In this episode we focus on healing and how our culture has the ability to heal and using that healing to meet our tribal citizens where they are at. We hope you enjoy! Trigger Warning - This production contains material of a sensitive nature including trauma related issues that may be triggering for some individuals.

In Episode 2 of Season 2 we met with illustrators, Nick and Kelsey Foote whose most recent work on the children's book Kuhaantí is nothing short of amazing! Kuhaantí is written entirely in Lingít with no translations making it the first of its kind in decades. We hope you enjoy our discussion and getting to know the wonderful brother and sister combo of Nick and Kelsey.

We are back! We kicked off episode one of season two with the incredibly talented Warren Jones! Warren Jones is a Yup'ik philosopher on culture, awareness and identity. Take a listen to a great opening episode and a guest that we would love to host again in the near future!

In Episode 14 we had the privilege to sit with Tlingit author, editor, and playwright Vera Starbard. Known for her work on the Emmy nominated television series, “Molly of Denali”. We have a wonderful discussion regarding her work on the show as well as an uplifting conversation about Indigenous people occupying spaces in television, movies, theater and more.

On episode 13 we feature social media influencer and TikTok content creator Ciugun Kelsey Wallace. Ciugun is Yup'ik and originally from Mamterilleq (Bethel), Alaska located on the Kuskokwim River. Ciugun creates inspiring and comedic content with a passion that can be heard throughout this episode. We hope you enjoy!

In Episode 12 we got to meet two inspirational and exceptionally skilled indigenous skiers, Ellen Bradley and Connor Ryan. Ellen Bradley, Kakéin Shee, is a Tlingit professional skier and scientist whose family comes from Angoon and grew up in Seattle. Connor Ryan is Lakota and visiting us from the Rocky Mountain region of Colorado and also a professional skier. Both Ellen and Connor are incredibly passionate about getting our Native youth access to the mountains to explore the sport of skiing and snowboarding. We were so happy to hear about their connection to our lands and what drives them to continue their journey as professional skiers who seek to expand the sport to our Native youth.

In Episode 11 we caught up with our friends John Gourley and Eric Howk, singers and guitarists of the Grammy winning indie rock band, Portugal. The Man. We talked about their roads traveled (literally & figuratively) as musicians and performing for a wide variety of venues and causes including the annual First Alaskans Institute: Elders & Youth Conference, and recent performance in support of Congressman Mary Peltola. Qacung joins us from the road while on his world tour with his band Pamyua and we get to gain insight on the lives of traveling musicians and what drives them in their unique creative process.

In episode 10 we had the pleasure of sitting down with artist and filmmaker Miciana Alise. Miciana's work ranges from screenwriting and graphic art to traditional Northwest Coast design, to videography. We discussed her current and past work in the Sundance Institute who champions and deeply supports Indigenous-created stories on a global scale. Miciana's feature script, Nancy's Girls, led to 2019 and 2021 Sundance Institute Indigenous Program Fellowships. Her second feature, Fancy Dance (co-writer), lead to a 2021 Sundance Screenwriters Fellowship, 2021 SFFilmRainin Grant, was featured on the Indigenous List hosted by The Black List and the 2022 Wescripted Cannes Screenplay List. She is a 2022 Flaherty Fellow and Women at Sundance | Adobe Fellow.

In episode 9, we had a great time chatting with Nicholas Galanin and hearing about his artistic and musical endeavors including carving totem poles and being part of this year's Awk Rock Indigenous Music Festival! Hope you enjoy!

In Episode 8 we had the pleasure of sitting down with filmmaker, and activist Mark Titus and got to know him and learn about the exciting work he does as founder of Eva's Wild, and a little about his work and research on the decline of salmon populations. To view his films, "The Breach", and "The Wild", and learn more about his work visit https://linktr.ee/markdtitus.

In Episode 7, we had the coolest opportunity to work with Perseverance Theater in Juneau, Alaska and host a Community Talkback after watching their latest show, Where the Summit Meets the Stars. Written and directed by Frank Henry Kaash Katasse, Where the Summit Meets the Stars is an ethereal Alaska Native story driven by music, dance, and the culture of the Tlingit people. After the show we were honored to sit with the writer & director as well as the performers and learn a little bit about them as well as share stories, laughs and insights on the production of this amazing piece of theater. Our guests included: Frank Henry Kaash Katasse - Writer & Director Jake Waid - Actor (As the role of John) Xáalnook Erin Tripp - Actress (As the role of Rose) Kenny Ramos - Actor (Plays the role of Anthony) Ed Littlefield / Shaakindustóow - Musician Jill Kaasteen Meserve - (Musician Apprentice - not featured in podcast)

In Episode 6, we had the pleasure of having Perseverance Theater Board Chair, Joe Bedard join us for a great conversation about our local theater and Indigenizing the theater as a whole. About our guest: Joe Bedard was born and raised in Anchorage, with an Inupiaq, Yup'ik and Cree heritage. He served in the Army as a Combat Medic, and entered the field of Information Technology in the early 90s. He's currently Senior Systems Administrator at the Alaska Native Medical Center, co-owner of Sleeping Lady Films/Waking Giant Productions, as well as co-founder of Dark Winter Productions, an Alaska Native playwright and actor group.

In Episode 5 we were so lucky to have Senator Lisa Murkowski with us for an engaging conversation! Born in Ketchikan, Alaska, Senator Murkowski is a lifelong Alaskan whose family heritage goes back three generations. Senator Murkowski was adopted into the Deisheetaan (Beaver) clan and given the Tlingit name Aan shaawátk'I, which means ‘Lady of the Land'. She is the first member of the Alaska congressional delegation to earn the National Indian Health Board's Jake White Crow Award for Lifetime Achievement and the National Congress of American Indians' Congressional Leadership Award. We hope you enjoy the conversation and we can't wait continue this journey of Opening the Box of Knowledge!

In Episode 4 we had the honor and pleasure of sitting down with the hit TV series Reservation Dogs actor and comedian, Bobby Wilson! About our guest: Bobby D Wilson AKA Bobby Dues is an actor, writer, poet, visual artist, and comedian. Wilson is known as one of the founding members of Indian Sketch Comedy group The 1491s. Listen as we chop it up with Bobby and get to know him and learn about his path as an artist and a little about his upbringing. Get ready for a lot of laughs! SKODEN! STOODIS!

In Episode 3, we had the pleasure of having Tlingit & Haida employees, Jeni Brown and Dave Evenson with us to talk about what Recovery looks like and share some personal experiences as well as the lessons learned along the way. **Trigger Warning** These discussions can be triggering and we want to remind our listeners that this conversation is about the raw truth of addiction and letting people know that Recovery is Possible! We wanted to share some resources with our listeners and help hold each other up this Recovery Month: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) - https://www.samhsa.gov/recovery-month Tlingit & Haida's Community & Behavioral Services - https://cbs.ccthita-nsn.gov/ Mental Health and Recovery Resources for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) - https://www.workithealth.com/blog/mental-health-and-recovery-resources-for-black-indigenous-and-people-of-color-bipoc/ Thanks for listening and make sure to rate, review and comment with feedback! We appreciate your support!