Welcome to Native ChocTalk

Season 1

S9, E5, Part 2: The Bow, The Deer & The Ancient Choctaw Hunt: Amy & Ian Thompson & Mike Smith (Choctaw)

PART 2

In this episode, my guests, Amy, Ian and Mike take you deep into the heart of Choctaw tradition, food, and the sacred relationship with the hunt.

You’ll learn about:

- Life at Nan Awaya Farm (where yvnvsh (buffalo) and food are grown the Choctaw way
- Ancient Choctaw hunting - the reverence for animals & wisdom from elders
- Do buffalo will actually charge through 10k volts of electric fence?
- What it’s really like to care for buffalo every day
- The surprising stealth (and jumping skills!) of buffalo
- The second edition of Ian Thompson’s Choctaw Food book (launching soon!)
- Crafting traditional bows, arrows, and quivers
- Stories from the hunt - how our ancestors approached deer with such skill and respect
 

This episode is full of stories, surprises, and teachings that connect past and present. Don’t miss it!

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

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

S9, E5, Part 1: The Bow, The Deer & The Ancient Choctaw Hunt: Amy & Ian Thompson & Mike Smith (Choctaw)

PART 1

In this episode, my guests, Amy, Ian and Mike take you deep into the heart of Choctaw tradition, food, and the sacred relationship with the hunt.

You’ll learn about:

- Life at Nan Awaya Farm (where yvnvsh (buffalo) and food are grown the Choctaw way
- Ancient Choctaw hunting - the reverence for animals & wisdom from elders
- Do buffalo will actually charge through 10k volts of electric fence?
- What it’s really like to care for buffalo every day
- The surprising stealth (and jumping skills!) of buffalo
- The second edition of Ian Thompson’s Choctaw Food book (launching soon!)
- Crafting traditional bows, arrows, and quivers
- Stories from the hunt - how our ancestors approached deer with such skill and respect
 

This episode is full of stories, surprises, and teachings that connect past and present. Don’t miss it!

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

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

S9, E4, Part 2 Civil War Raids, Jail Walls & Wild Wilson Dunn: The Untold History of Tamaha, OK

PART 2

On this episode of Native ChocTalk, my cousin, Cheryl and I took a road trip into the heart of Choctaw country to explore the fascinating and little-known history of Tamaha, Oklahoma - a town with stories that are anything but small.

As we meandered along banks of the Arkansas River, we met a local gentleman walking his dogs. That chance encounter led me to Tonia Brannan - an unofficial town historian with a deep connection to the land, the stories, and the Choctaw history embedded in the soil who shares it all with me today.

From early ferry landings of the Choctaw trading points following Removal, to a Civil War steamboat raid led by Confederate Cherokee General Stand Watie, to the very first prisoner of the Tamaha jail, and even the scrappy boxing legend Wild Wilson Dunn, a Choctaw man who claimed to be Osage and once fought Jethro’s dad from the show, The Beverly Hillbillies - Tamaha has seen it all!

(By the way - know any Choctaws with the last name Dunn? Let me know!)

 

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

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

S9, E4, Part 1 Civil War Raids, Jail Walls & Wild Wilson Dunn: The Untold History of Tamaha, OK

PART 1

On this episode of Native ChocTalk, my cousin, Cheryl and I took a road trip into the heart of Choctaw country to explore the fascinating and little-known history of Tamaha, Oklahoma - a town with stories that are anything but small.

As we meandered along banks of the Arkansas River, we met a local gentleman walking his dogs. That chance encounter led me to Tonia Brannan - an unofficial town historian with a deep connection to the land, the stories, and the Choctaw history embedded in the soil who shares it all with me today.

From early ferry landings of the Choctaw trading points following Removal, to a Civil War steamboat raid led by Confederate Cherokee General Stand Watie, to the very first prisoner of the Tamaha jail, and even the scrappy boxing legend Wild Wilson Dunn, a Choctaw man who claimed to be Osage and once fought Jethro’s dad from the show, The Beverly Hillbillies - Tamaha has seen it all!

(By the way - know any Choctaws with the last name Dunn? Let me know!)

 

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

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

S9, E3, Pt 3: From Boarding School to Recovery: LaNora Parker, Comanche

PART 3

Join me in this 3-part series as LaNora Parker, great-granddaughter of legendary Comanche leader Quanah Parker, shares her story of leadership, survival, and healing.

LaNora was one of the first women to serve as Vice Chairman and Interim Chairwoman of the Comanche Nation. She reflects on her family’s powerful legacy—her father, Simmons Parker, was a Comanche Code Talker and WWII hero—and how that shaped her path.

She opens up about the painful realities of Native boarding schools, the loneliness, and cultural erasure she experienced, and how Comanche language and hymns remained a source of strength.

Now, as a voice for Native recovery, LaNora shares her personal healing journey and her mission to support sobriety through culture and purpose! Along with her niece, she co-founded Warchief Collection, a non-alcoholic beverage line rooted in Native wellness and resilience. Learn more at warchiefcollection.com

Her words of encouragement for all who are in recovery? “Pray about it. Cry about it. Read about it. Write about it. Talk about it. Be about it.”

 

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

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

Native ChocTalk
Native ChocTalk is an informative and educational podcast and resource center.

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