Siyo from the Rez

💬 Siyo! We'd love to hear from you! Send us a text! (Make sure you include your name and contact information.)This Veterans Day, we're honoring the warrior spirit that runs through Cherokee families, generation after generation, with a special episode of our Siyo from the Rez podcast. Cherokee Nation Secretary of Veterans Affairs S. Joe Crittenden, who served in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War, joins us in the studio to talk about his family’s legacy of military service and the work our tribe does to honor and support our veterans.Secretary Crittenden says he’s often asked why Native people serve in the Armed Forces at a higher percentage than other groups. He thinks it comes down to the warrior spirit we have within us. We want to be sure that our families are safe, our communities are good, and our way of life is intact for the next generation.💌 Email us at [email protected]!

💬 Siyo! We'd love to hear from you! Send us a text! (Make sure you include your name and contact information.)We’re dropping a special episode of our Siyo from the Rez podcast for Indigenous Peoples Day! Meet Sacongah Gray, a young historian reviving Cherokee dugout canoes for the first time in Oklahoma. Sacongah talks about our pre-contact ancestors who used dugout canoes to travel waterways and why he started the Telliko Canoe Society to revive this ancient tradition that was nearly lost.💌 Email us at [email protected]!

💬 Siyo! We'd love to hear from you! Send us a text! (Make sure you include your name and contact information.)Jane Osti didn't pick up clay until she was 40. Now her pottery sits in celebrated museums across the country, including the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian in D.C. and Crystal Bridges in Northwest Arkansas. Jane joined us in the Siyo from the Rez studio to talk about her journey into Cherokee pottery, the profound influence of her mentor — the legendary Anna Mitchell — becoming a Cherokee National Treasure, and what it means to carry forward a tradition once nearly lost. Jane also opens up about mentoring the next generation (including her own granddaughters) and why she believes none of us get anywhere alone. It's a conversation about legacy, resilience, and the power of passing on what we know. Tune in and discover why Jane says her greatest work isn't the pottery. It's the people she's taught.💌 Email us at [email protected]!

💬 Siyo! We'd love to hear from you! Send us a text! (Make sure you include your name and contact information.)The fishing world knows Jason Christie as a pro angler at the top of the sport who’s won 10 Bass Anglers Sportsman Society (B.A.S.S.) tournaments, including two this year alone. But when he joined us in the studio, he assured us that he’s just a Cherokee boy from the rez.Tune in and get hooked as we talk with Jason about his career, how he got started, how he stays inspired, and how he stays so humble.Jason is in New York right now, preparing for two Bassmaster tournaments this month. Let’s all wish him luck as he prepares for a potential historic 11th win!💌 Email us at [email protected]!

💬 Siyo! We'd love to hear from you! Send us a text! (Make sure you include your name and contact information.)A new episode of our Siyo from the Rez podcast featuring Cherokee National Treasure Noel Grayson! 🏹Noel joined us in the studio to talk about Cherokee bowmaking and flintknapping and why he’s devoted his life to preserving and passing on these traditional skills.He also shares a lot of knowledge — like why bowmakers gather their wood during specific moon phases — and reflects on the enduring tradition of gadugi and the matrilineal heart of our Cherokee society.Tune in — and share this episode with anyone who loves Cherokee culture! It’s a good one. Enjoy!💌 Email us at [email protected]!

💬 Siyo! We'd love to hear from you! Send us a text! (Make sure you include your name and contact information.)What does it take to create a thriving Cherokee-owned business? This month, we sit down with Deputy Secretary of State Canaan Duncan and Cherokee entrepreneur Dillin Springwater, who went from push-mowing yards as a teenager to now running multiple businesses filled with Native employees. Together, they talk about the many ways Cherokee Nation lifts up small-business owners: from TERO vendor preference to $84 million in SSBCI funding, workforce pipeline programs, and our Opportunity Zones program for small-business owners on the reservation and at-large. Whether you're on the reservation or an at-large citizen with a dream, this episode's for you.This is Cherokee Nation's official podcast.This episode was hosted by KenLea Keys and Colton Branstetter.Producer: Bryan DuganExecutive Producers: Julie Hubbard and Jason McCartyEditor: Samantha RobinsonGraphic Designer: Justyne EdenVisual Effects: Ray CareySoundtrack by Chuj MackeyThis episode was filmed at the W.W. Keeler Tribal Complex in Tahlequah on the Cherokee Nation Reservation.💌 Email us at [email protected]!

💬 Siyo! We'd love to hear from you! Send us a text! (Make sure you include your name and contact information.)Siyo from the Rez is back for Season 2! In our premiere episode, we sit down with Oscar Hokeah, who drew from his Cherokee and Kiowa upbringing and Mexican heritage to write his celebrated debut novel, “Calling for a Blanket Dance.”Oscar reflects on moments from his life and family history that influenced his novel and why writing what you know can lead to work that feels both personal and universal.This is Cherokee Nation's official podcast.This episode was hosted by KenLea Keys and Colton Branstetter.Producer: Bryan DuganExecutive Producers: Julie Hubbard and Jason McCartyEditor: Samantha RobinsonGraphic Designer: Justyne EdenVisual Effects: Ray CareySoundtrack by Chuj MackeyThis episode was filmed at the W.W. Keeler Tribal Complex in Tahlequah on the Cherokee Nation Reservation.💌 Email us at [email protected]!

💬 Siyo! We'd love to hear from you! Send us a text! (Make sure you include your name and contact information.)We’re closing out the first season of Siyo from the Rez with an extra special guest: Cherokee National Treasure and host of “Cherokee Voices, Cherokee Sounds” Dennis Sixkiller! 📻❤️Dennis joins us to talk about hosting his #CherokeeLanguage radio show for 20+ years, his traditional upbringing in Jay, his passion for Cherokee marbles, and why he’s dedicated to keeping our language alive for future generations. Tune in for a laugh, a language lesson, and help us celebrate our season finale of Siyo From the Rez! 🎙💌 Email us at [email protected]!

💬 Siyo! We'd love to hear from you! Send us a text! (Make sure you include your name and contact information.)Keli Gonzales makes audacious art. It's bold. It's modern. It's rooted in Cherokee culture, but it doesn't shy away from her pop culture influences like The Simpsons. Keli wants her art to pop, using Cherokee syllabary and design motifs in unique ways and swapping the earth tones that people expect in Native art for daring colors like bright pink.Beyond the bright colors, Keli reveals the deeper purpose behind her art, from the importance of depicting strong Cherokee women to showing the humor in our culture that's been underrepresented in media.In this episode, Keli also discusses her day job at our Cherokee Immersion School, her passion for inspiring little Cherokees to be excited about showing their creativity, and her art that’s currently on display at the Cherokee Cultural Pathway in downtown Tahlequah.💌 Email us at [email protected]!

💬 Siyo! We'd love to hear from you! Send us a text! (Make sure you include your name and contact information.)Baseball holds a special place in our communities, but how much do you know about the Native players who helped shape the game? In our first episode of the new year, we sit down with Rob Daugherty, a Cherokee Nation citizen and first-language Cherokee Speaker, who is a dedicated baseball historian.Rob joins us to celebrate the release of his new book, "Native American Major Leaguers." He shares the untold stories of 28 Native athletes — six who were Cherokee — who played baseball professionally between 1897 and 1947, long before history often gives them credit. Rob talks about his journey to verify these legacies, his passion for collecting memorabilia, and the deep connection our people have with the sport. Tune in to hear how Rob is helping preserve this vital part of our history for future generations.💌 Email us at [email protected]!