You may have heard this voice before.  Welcome to our newest Yai-Team member, Free

Descending from Nooksack and Lummi heritage, musical artist Lil Jim talks to Roy about fitness, mental health, and weaving together culture and music. Listen in to hear how influencing indigenous youth kept him in the music game, what defines native hip hop, and what is in store for the HGS SAVAGE Fam!

Social media.  The good, the bad, and the ugly.  

Meditation can be used as a way to heal trauma.  Join us as we follow CSSP team member Amanda Frank in a guided meditation where we explore the houses in our heads. Bekabon, Amanda Frank, from Minto, Alaska.  Amanda has dedicated her life to healing through storytelling as a writer and professional email sender.

How are you doing? When you say you’re ok, are you really ok? In this episode we check in with each other; this starts our latest series centered around youth and mental health. At Children of the Setting Sun we start our week off with check-ins, where we speak from our hearts to ensure that we connect with each other before we start the work. This helps to know what our peers are carrying. 

The YAI sat down to ask each other, “what are we struggling with? What do we need help with? What strategies have we learned to get through hard times?” It is important to have your heart in the right place before embarking on a new journey, so that is what we are doing here.

You may have heard these voices in a few episodes.  Welcome new team members, Wykeklyaa and Roy!

In the Lummi language, the term for killer whale is qwe’lhol mechen, meaning “our relatives below the waves”.  Once called “Lolita”, then “Tokitae”, and now “Sk’ali Ch’elh-tenaut”, The Sacred Sea organization is working to bring our relative back home to the Salish Sea.  She was taken from her home in 1970 and has been at Miami Seaquarium ever since.  The Sacred Sea organization is a 501c3 non-profit whose work has been grounded in spirituality and backed by science.  The YAI Team sat down with members of the organization, Ellie Kinley, Raynelle Morris, Julie Trimmingham, and Tribal elder Shirley Bob.  They discuss their connection to Sk’ali Ch’elh- tenaut and the plan to bring her home.  To learn more, visit https://sacredsea.org/skalichelhtenaut/

“Our stories have to be told. If you have it in yourself at all anywhere to be a writer, do it.  Because the world needs your voice, needs your story. You never know who is going to encounter it and whose life it’s going to change.”

This inspiring interview with Rena Priest flows through the beauty of childhood, the nurturing hand that is culture and some uplifting encouragement to future writers. As a Washington State Poet Laureate and an enrolled member of the Lummi Nation, Rena walks WyKeklyaa Curleybear, a newly joined Young and Indigenous member, through a tour of her life.

“Doubt isn't always a bad thing but it becomes a bad thing when you let it override what you are capable of.”-- Hidatsa Tribal Member Benairen Kane and Bella have a conversation about acting, his identity growing up as an urban Native outside his reservation, and the importance of humor to get you through life. 

This interview took place on the set of “Canoe Journey” where CSSP embarked on filming the pilot for our first narrative series. This coming of age story centered around youth mental health and finding your identity places an emphasis on immersing yourself in culture as a preventative tool. It was a 10-day shoot and the YAI team was there on set during all of production playing various roles within. We were production assistants, talent handlers, and set designers; it was truly the best experience. Stay tuned for more info on the series.

With music by Quisol

Buffy Sainte-Marie, a Cree musician, artist and activist, has always been ahead of the curve. For six decades, she’s fought for Indigenous rights and visibility through her work. Today, we’re sharing a special episode from the folks over at PBS’ Webby Award-winning podcast American Masters: Creative Spark. Their host Joe Skinner sits down with Sainte-Marie for a compelling conversation about her creative process and inspiration, and how she brought the song “Carry It On” to life. 

Listen to the full episode with Buffy Sainte-Marie and follow American Masters: Creative Spark for even more interviews here: https://link.chtbl.com/VqMug88H?sid=YoungIndigenous

During the month of September, CSSP embarked on filming the pilot for our first narrative series titled “Canoe Journey”. This coming of age story centered around youth mental health and finding your identity places an emphasis on immersing yourself in culture as a preventative tool. It was a 10-day shoot and the YAI team was there on set during all of production playing various roles within. We were production assistants, talent handlers and set designers; it was truly the

best experience. During this time we sat down to speak with a few of the actors. This is the first of those interviews.

Sam Bob speaks on his time spent at a residential school and how it has affected his life now and the impact that experience has had upon his children. He discusses how he has learned to heal from that trauma. Sam talks about how love based behavior is key to prevent passing on trauma and also to mend relationships. Intergenerational trauma is prevalent in our people today due to colonization and Sam’s wisdom can be learned and shared to start or continue on a healing path. Breaking into the acting world and all the steps leading up to it is another talking point in this episode, with his advice of: “falling into belief,” or really believing in the story you are portraying. We are grateful to Sam’s dedication to healing and his craft of acting which have landed him gigs in Northern Exposure, The X Files and in scenes with Anthony Hopkins. Hope you enjoy the interview as much as we do.

Skelotses is our ancestral territory, it is our homeland. In the final part of our series with the Lummi Summer Youth Program we travel by boat through our homeland, the San Juan Islands; we are reminded how culture and community are used as preventative tools for positive youth mental health. We listen to youth tell us what they learned, and elders explain origin stories as well as more recent tribal history since the Point Elliot Treaty. It was a beautiful day full of whale watching, rich storytelling and togetherness traveling the traditional highways our ancestors once took. Join us as we embark on the final leg of the ‘Walking With Our Ancestors’ journey.

As season one of Young and Indigenous wraps up, we come together to give thanks to everyone who has been involved in our podcast so far. Hy’shqe to each and every person who shared their words with us and stay tuned for the next phase of our work! Special thanks to Michelle and Kyla Polasky and Eliza Julius for their hard work and beautiful spirits. Your contributions will always shine in the podcast, and we wish you well in your future endeavors.

Chatting with S'Klallam and Lummi tribal member, Elaine Grinnell, we are immersed and captivated by her singing and storytelling. She shares stories with important life lessons like the whale story but also the salmon story that teaches the origin of the salmon's hooked nose. These lessons, and many more, are shared along with the importance of bringing back the old ways, eating healthier foods and taking care of Mother Earth. She also speaks on another key principle, balance, balance in diet and balance in your life in general. You can check out Elaine’s Spotify channel for more stories!