Traverse Talks With Sueann Ramella

Imagine a stranger took your family's heirlooms and then offered you an opportunity to purchase them back before selling them at auction. In 1993, the Nez Perce tribe raised $608,100… Continue Reading Captive Returns Home: The Story Of Wetxuuwíitin – With Chairman Sam Penney

What do you really know about psilocybin, commonly known as magic mushrooms? Research on the substance has lagged behind in the U.S. but, recent grassroots movements and a non-profit in… Continue Reading Psilocybin: Psychology, Policy and Possibilities – With Sam Chapman

Can an instrument suit your personality? Dr. Jacqueline Wilson of Yakama would say so. She believes her personality fits best with a large, low sounding, double reed woodwind instrument: the… Continue Reading Using Her Bassoon To Elevate Indigenous Voices – With Composer Dr. Jacqueline Wilson (Yakama)

When you cross paths with a wild animal, oftentimes you notice it and recognize it by name. Can you do the same with plants? Rich Old can. He has a… Continue Reading Tales Of A Weed Worker – With Botanist Rich Old

Grieving the loss of a loved one is already hard enough. To make matters worse, many people have no idea where to begin when dealing with the material items left… Continue Reading You Inherited A House Full Of Stuff. What’s Next? – With Estate Services Owner Rich Old

Zoe Hana Mikuta is a young author of the YA science fiction novel “Gearbreakers” and its recent sequel “Godslayers”.  She started writing this series while still in high school, featuring… Continue Reading Would You Sacrifice Humanity For A Chance At Divinity – With Author Zoe Hana Mikuta

Emerald LaFortune grew up being lured into the wilderness by her parents who placed little pieces of candy in the middle of a hiking trail to guide her along. Now,… Continue Reading Navigating Rough Waters And Tough Conversations – With Outdoor Writer And Guide Emerald LaFortune

Sara Minkara lost her sight at the age of seven but gained a greater awareness of herself and the world around her. Because she can't interact with labels from a… Continue Reading Seeing People As They Are, Not How They Look – With Inclusion & Disability Expert Sara Minkara

Sarah Zabel is a retired U.S. Air Force major general and former vice director of the U.S. Defense Information Systems Agency. After witnessing one of her best friends experience a sharp decline in mental health, she decided to embark on a journey to better understand depression so she could talk about it with her friend.… Continue Reading Is Your Brain Like A Computer – With Retired Major General Sarah Zabel

Book, comic book and video game author Sam Maggs is working to carve a path for minorities in industries traditionally populated by cisgender, heterosexual white men. Having written books including The Fangirl’s Guide to the Galaxy and games including Call of Duty: Vanguard, Sam has a wealth of experience in the business of comics and… Continue Reading What’s It Like As A Woman In A Man’s World? – With Author Sam Maggs

Disability culture activist, community performance artist, and author of Eco Soma, Petra Kuppers, encourages listeners to contemplate the relationship they have with everyday objects in their life.  In this episode of Traverse Talks with Sueann Ramella, Petra leads a mindfulness exercise that encourages a sense of awareness and connection with the earth. Sueann and Petra… Continue Reading How Do We Experience The World Around Us? – With Disability Culture Activist Petra Kuppers

The dandelion: in America, it is a distracting weed in an otherwise pristine lawn and in China, it is a valuable flowering plant used to treat common ailments. Both a nuisance and a remedy, this plant reminds us that perspective is important. In this episode, Jiemei Lin, Chinese born illustrator and muralist, explains how the… Continue Reading How Does Art Connect Us? – With Muralist Jiemei Lin

Chris Matthews, political commentator, author and professional interrupter discusses his career in journalism and politics in this episode of ‘Traverse Talks' with Sueann Ramella. During this fast-paced conversation, the two cover a lot of ground. Chris explains his upbringing in a middle-class Catholic family and what it was like to grow up during the Cold… Continue Reading What’s What: Themes And Faces In American Politics- With Political Commentator Chris Matthews

Ann Curry, journalist, former NBC anchor and renowned national and international correspondent, recounts her experience as one of the first reporters to cover the war in Darfur. In this episode of Traverse Talks with Sueann Ramella, Ann explains the meaning of “ganbaru” , a phrase her mother taught her. She defines integrity, discusses the importance… Continue Reading What Does It Mean To Have Integrity As A Journalist? – With Journalist Ann Curry

Have you ever been inspired to make a change in your community after witnessing an issue within it? Nikkita Oliver, gender fluid abolitionist, artist, educator, poet and attorney, grew up witnessing systemic injustice. Now, they are working with Creative Justice, a non-profit based in Seattle, to dismantle the school to prison pipeline. In this episode… Continue Reading How Can We Learn To Shape A Better Tomorrow? – With Community Organizer Nikkita Oliver

Tabitha Simmons and Kathy Sprague, partners in business and in marriage, have created and held space for queer folks in the town of Moscow, Idaho for years. They have inspired many people to be themselves by creating safe spaces for self-exploration and simply showing them that it's possible to exist as a queer person in… Continue Reading How Many Lives Does a TabiKat Live? – With Moscow Duo Kathy Sprague and Tabitha Simmons

Peace campaigner and humanitarian, Kwabi Amoah-Forson, journeyed across America asking people what “peace” means to them. From Tacoma, Washington to Washington, D.C. Kwabi traveled in a baby blue Mitsubishi van known as The Peace Bus delivering humanitarian aid and learning how to best advocate for long-term change. In this episode of Traverse Talks with Sueann… Continue Reading What Does Peace Mean to You? – With Peace Campaigner Kwabi Amoah-Forson

In this special episode of Traverse Talks with Sueann Ramella, producers Greg Mills and McKayla Fox with host Sueann Ramella discuss the origins of the podcast, how this second season came to be and the things they enjoyed and learned from all the wonderful guests. Do you know of someone that you think would be… Continue Reading 25. Bonus Episode: BTS Of Season Two

In this episode of Traverse Talks with Sueann Ramella, author Jess Walter talks about humility and confidence, about the characters that still haunt him and how the history of Spokane shapes his work. With seven novels, one book of short stories and one nonfiction book, Jess is an award-winning author, with accolades such as, National… Continue Reading 24. Jess Walter

In this episode of Traverse Talks with Sueann Ramella, attorney Judy Cornish, talks about the confusion around diagnosing dementia, how she found her way into being an advocate for better dementia care and she explains the DAWN Method which is her approach to dementia care. Being a licensed attorney in Moscow, Idaho, Judy is not… Continue Reading 23. Judy Cornish

In this episode of Traverse Talks with Sueann Ramella, siblings and co-authors of a children’s book Keith and Chenoa Egawa talk about their book The Whale Child, the rollercoaster life story of their grandparents and how they came to be, and growing up trying to maintain their many cultural identities. Both Keith and Chenoa are… Continue Reading 22. Keith and Chenoa Egawa

In this episode of Traverse Talks with Sueann Ramella, retired social worker and community leader Josh Gortler shares his story: his childhood, fleeing with his family from the Nazi Holocaust, his adolescence, in Displaced Person camps, and his adulthood, free to speak as a Jew in America. Josh gives talks to students in Northwest schools… Continue Reading 21. Josh Gortler and Gigi Yellen

In this episode of Traverse Talks with Sueann Ramella, Nez Perce Tribal police chief Harold Scott talks about his childhood in Lapwai, Idaho and how the racism and disrespect placed on him and his community lead him to a career in law enforcement where he hopes to change the culture of policing. Harold has been… Continue Reading 20. Harold Scott

In this episode of Traverse Talks with Sueann Ramella, creator of a local newspaper, The Black Lens, in Spokane, Wash., Sandra Williams shares her life story growing up in the predominantly white inland northwest as a black woman, her work ethic and what she is doing to insure future generations have a place that feels… Continue Reading 19. Sandra Williams

In this episode of Traverse Talks with Sueann Ramella, reporter Esmy Jimenez talks about her life growing up in a rural part of central Washington as an undocumented immigrant, being the first in her family to navigate governmental organizations, and the fun and hardship of reporting on the never ending news cycle. Esmy has reported for… Continue Reading 18. Esmy Jimenez

In this episode of Traverse Talks with Sueann Ramella, cartoonist Jesse Clyde is radiating good vibes and positive energy. He shares with host Sueann Ramella about how he tries to be present in the moment and explains how money and other societal distractions can take away from his artwork. Jesse is a local northwest artist from… Continue Reading 17. Jesse Clyde

In this episode of Traverse Talks with Sueann Ramella, speech language pathologist Jennifer Griffin talks about what is dyslexia and signs that you or your child may be suffering from it. Jennifer also talks about techniques they use at her clinic to improve the neurological connections and synopsis speeds to help kids conform to the educational… Continue Reading 16. Jennifer Griffin

In this episode of Traverse Talks with Sueann Ramella, author Chigozie Obioma talks about how his time in Cyprus for school and growing up in Nigeria shaped his work, the types of racism he has experience in his travels and the meaning behind his name. Chigozie last two books were finalists for the Man Booker… Continue Reading 15. Chigozie Obioma

In this episode of Traverse Talks with Sueann Ramella, author Christine Hemp talks about her latest book, a memoir Wild Ride Home, finding red flags in relationships, taking care of aging parents and always keeping your true north. Christine is not only an author, but poet, musician, speaker and teacher. Her work as been feature… Continue Reading 14. Christine Hemp

In this episode of Traverse Talks with Sueann Ramella, Will O’Neal and Renee Love, leaders within the organization Backyard Harvest, share how the group serves its community and how both they and many of their volunteers got a close-up view of food insecurity within local households. They talk about everything from the importance of knowing… Continue Reading 12. Backyard Harvest

In this unique episode of Traverse Talks with Sueann Ramella, NWPB’s Scott Leadingham interviews author Becky Albertalli. The two talk about identity, representation of LGBTQIA+ books in grade school libraries, and how people come out and present themselves to the world. Becky is most famous for the Simonverse, a series of young adult fiction novels.… Continue Reading 13. Becky Albertalli and Scott Leadingham

In this episode of Traverse Talks with Sueann Ramella, author Ryka Aoki shares how growing up in the U.S., she has a hard time seeing what happens on a societal level, but still wants it to be better, as well as her personal experiences as a transgender woman. Sueann and Ryka talk about her experiences… Continue Reading 11. Ryka Aoki

In part two of our conversation with award winning writer Ted Tremper we talk humor, media literacy and hear his thoughts on the state of politics.

Ted Tremper is an award winning writer, co-creator of the TV series Shrink, and was a producer for The Daily Show. He talks about how the traumatic loss of his mother and coming up through the Chicago improv scene have shaped his career and his life.

Paranormal romance writer, Stella Williams created Serpentine Creative to help writers of color get published. She talks about her passion for writing and helping vulnerable youth in this episode of Traverse Talks.

Ross Gay is a poet, author and co-creator of The Tenderness Project. He discusses getting comfortable with vulnerability and basketball as art in this episode.

Why don’t you see more people of color in the mainstream talking about mental health? American, LatinX, feminist mental health activist, Dior Vargas talks about breaking the stigma of mental illness for people of color.

Jericho Brown. His poetry can take your breath away. His book, The Tradition, won the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for poetry. Find out about his writing journey, how he got his name and why he loves librarians in this episode of Traverse Talks with Sueann Ramella.

What is your family’s immigration story?  Professor Emeritus at the University of Washington, Carlos Gil, talks about digging into his family’s past and writing about their struggle to pursue the American dream.

Author and speaker Dawn Shaw says that accepting your appearance and realizing your value is how to be resilient. She shares some steps on how to do that in this episode.

How can you acknowledge racist thoughts and heal them? Jordan Chaney is a black, indigenous person of color, a lecturer, poet and an artist in Pasco, Washington. He talks about setting and respecting boundaries when it comes to talking about race.

Is the United States in a juvenile stage of development? Where did American Exceptionalism come from? Dr. Lawrence Pintak also talks about understanding the Muslim and Arab world. Dr. Pintak is a former CBS News Middle East correspondent and author of several books on politics and the Middle East.