For centuries, he provided nourishment for hundreds of families. And for countless winters, his wooly coat sheltered them from the freezing, bitter winds.

He’s the American Bison. And as this beautiful creature was nearly erased from the earth, he still survived and carried on in all his majesty, just as our Choctaw people also live on.

My guests, Amy and Ian Thompson of Nan Awaya Homestead are some of the caretakers of our great and mighty bison, and of our Oklahoma lands and traditional Choctaw foods.

I know you will absolutely enjoy this episode where we learn about the history of the buffalo and our Native heritage surrounding these stunning creatures, as well as:

• The story of the buffalo vs the train
• The near extinction of our great bison
• Buffalo parenting
• How much buffalo weigh, how fast they can run and how high they can jump
• On a scale of 1-10, how ignorant people are who try to pet these beasts
• Revitalizing healthy Choctaw traditional cuisine
• Restoring the native landscapes of our pastures

As you may know, I’ve always been a huge an of the American Bison. In fact, my logo is a buffalo (his name is Yvnvsh – meaning “buffalo” in Choctaw). So for many reasons, this episode is near and dear to my heart.

Join us as we pay tribute to the mighty yvnvsh!

Nan Awaya Website: https://www.nanawaya.com/

Native ChocTalk Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/nativechoctalkpodcast

All Podcast Episodes: https://nativechoctalk.com/podcasts/

For centuries, he provided nourishment for hundreds of families. And for countless winters, his wooly coat sheltered them from the freezing, bitter winds.

He’s the American Bison. And as this beautiful creature was nearly erased from the earth, he still survived and carried on in all his majesty, just as our Choctaw people also live on.

My guests, Amy and Ian Thompson of Nan Awaya Homestead are some of the caretakers of our great and mighty bison, and of our Oklahoma lands and traditional Choctaw foods.

I know you will absolutely enjoy this episode where we learn about the history of the buffalo and our Native heritage surrounding these stunning creatures, as well as:

• The story of the buffalo vs the train
• The near extinction of our great bison
• Buffalo parenting
• How much buffalo weigh, how fast they can run and how high they can jump
• On a scale of 1-10, how ignorant people are who try to pet these beasts
• Revitalizing healthy Choctaw traditional cuisine
• Restoring the native landscapes of our pastures

As you may know, I’ve always been a huge an of the American Bison. In fact, my logo is a buffalo (his name is Yvnvsh – meaning “buffalo” in Choctaw). So for many reasons, this episode is near and dear to my heart.

Join us as we pay tribute to the mighty yvnvsh!

Nan Awaya Website: https://www.nanawaya.com/

Native ChocTalk Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/nativechoctalkpodcast

All Podcast Episodes: https://nativechoctalk.com/podcasts/

I recently caught up with Dr. Art Martinez from the Chumesh Tribe while he was at the Washoe Tribal Concessions at the beautiful Meeks Bay at Lake Tahoe. Dr. Martinez is a Trauma Specialist, and Clinical Psychologist. He’s also the Co-Director for the Center for Native Child and Family Resilience and more.

(If you or someone you know is struggling with domestic violence, thoughts of suicide or trauma, please see important resources below.)

Dr. Martinez has spent his career promoting the healing of historical trauma within our American Indian communities. In this episode, he shares examples of historical trauma as it pertains to those who were forced to flee their lands to save their people, the boarding schools and ongoing family trauma, the missing and murdered and their families, and drugs, alcohol, domestic violence and violence on the reservations and elsewhere.

Dr. Martinez is proud to work with Native Dads Network (“NDN”) to help build a stronger community for Native children who don’t have father figures. He also is involved in “Boys with Braids” to promote healing and strength, as well as several other valuable organizations.

In this episode you’ll also learn about:
• What trauma actually entails
• Why some American Indians don’t support each other
• What to do when you observe someone being abused
• White Bison, Inc., Native Wellness Institute, My Two Aunties - all agencies that are part of the solution for healing
• A form of historical trauma that Dr. Martinez himself has faced
• Suicide rates among American Indians

The following resources are available for those struggling with thoughts of suicide, domestic abuse, sexual violence and more:
• Center for Native Child and Family Resilience: https://cncfr.jbsinternational.com/
• Capacity Building Center for Tribes https://capacity.childwelfare.gov/tribes
• “StrongHearts Native Helpline is a 24/7 domestic, dating and sexual violence helpline for Native Americans and Alaska Natives, available by calling or texting 1-844-762-8483 or clicking on the chat icon on Strongheartshelpline.org.”
• National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-8255
• Crisis Text Line (Text to this number: 741741)

For those dealing with trauma or various forms of abuse, please know you are not alone and may Creator protect you and bless you.

Yakoke, Dr. Martinez for helping us to understand this crucial topic and for all you do to help our communities!

Communities for Healing:
• Native Dads Network: https://www.facebook.com/NativeDadsNetwork
• Boys with Braids: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063728225133
• StrongHearts Native Helpline: https://www.facebook.com/strongheartsdv
• White Bison, Inc: https://www.facebook.com/whitebisoninc
• Native Wellness Institute: https://www.facebook.com/NativeWellnessInstitute

Native ChocTalk Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/nativechoctalkpodcast
All Podcast Episodes: https://nativechoctalk.com/podcasts/

They were forbidden to practice their culture and to speak in their Native tongue. And yet, in World War I, that very language would surprise the Germans and ultimately contribute to victory!

Many know of the Navajo Code Talkers, but what most don’t realize is that in World War I, it was the Choctaw who were the first to begin the method of Code Talking.

And yet, they were sworn to secrecy. Most of them would pass on before the world knew of their heroism. But these heroes weren’t looking for glory. They served their country with honor, then came back to Oklahoma, back to their simple lives of fishing and hunting.

A Colonel Morrissey once stated, “We found that the Germans knew absolutely nothing about our preparations and were taken completely by surprise. This was the first time that we surprised the Germans during our stay in the lines, and I attribute it in many respects to the fact that the Choctaw language was used in making preparations for this attack.”

I come to you today from the beautiful First Americans Museum (FAM) in Oklahoma City to talk about our Code Talkers with my Choctaw guests, Nuchi Nashoba (President of the Choctaw Code Talkers Association) and Judy Allen (Historic Projects Officer at Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma)!

These ladies are incredibly humble, so they won’t tell you (but I will) that they were highly instrumental in ensuring these and other Code Talkers were granted the recognition they deserved with medals and a ceremony in DC, their families standing in their place to accept that recognition on their behalf.

I think you’ll enjoy this fascinating information on our great Choctaw Code Talker heroes. Yakoke, Nuchi and Judy!

More information:

Find the books, “Memory Keepers”, “Joseph Oklahombi & the Panther War Cry”, “Toby and the Secret Code” and “Ben and the Missing Pony” at the tribal headquarters Choctaw Store in Durant or call 580.924.8280 for more information.

I also highly recommend Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer’s book, Anumpa Warrior: Choctaw Code Talkers of World War I – it’s excellent! https://www.sarahelisabethwrites.com/code-talkers

Check out the Choctaw Code Talkers Association on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/choctawcodetalkers/

Calling all Choctaw Veterans! Judy is working on a Choctaw Veterans book so if you’d like to take part in that project, please contact her at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Donations to the Choctaw Code Talkers Association can be sent to: Treasurer, Carole Ayers at 8692 Homestead Road, Kingston OK 73439.

Thanks again to First Americans Museum for hosting us! This museum serves “as a dynamic center promoting awareness and educating the broader public about the unique cultures, diversity, history, contributions, and resilience of the 39 Tribal Nations in Oklahoma today.” https://famok.org/

Native ChocTalk Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/nativechoctalkpodcast
All Podcast Episodes: https://nativechoctalk.com/podcasts/