Real Native Roots: Untold Stories Podcast

What does it mean to become the medicine when healing is not a destination, but a lifelong relationship with ourselves, our ancestors, our bodies, and the generations still to come? In this episode of Real Native Roots: Untold Stories, Vickie sits down with Anishinaabe author, healer, mentor, and oracle deck creator Asha Frost, Healing Rainbow Woman, for a deeply personal conversation about the people, lands, and experiences that have shaped her life. Asha takes us home to the waters of Neyaashiinigmiing, shares how her mother became a cycle breaker, and reflects on her grandparents’ experiences with residential school and the grandfather who gifted her spirit name. She speaks candidly about living with lupus, learning to rest, reclaiming language, setting boundaries, and navigating her role as a bridge between Indigenous and non-Indigenous worlds. Together, they explore the worthiness of Indigenous healers, what younger generations are reclaiming, and how our healing ripples forward. And yes, we also meet “Flashy Ashy,” where Dancing Queen, lipstick, Broadway dreams, and Auntie Seahorse make their appearance. A conversation about remembering, becoming, and the medicine we carry forward. #RealNativeRoots #AshaFrost #TheInnerWinter #Anishinaabe #SevenGenerations

What does it mean to reclaim who we are while creating space for others to do the same? In this episode of Real Native Roots: Untold Stories, Vickie reconnects with longtime friend and fellow Window Rock High School alum Elton Naswood, a Diné advocate, storyteller, leader, and Executive Director of the Two-Spirit and Native LGBTQ+ Center for Equity. Nearly four decades after their school days on the Navajo Nation, Elton shares the people and experiences that shaped him, from the love and teachings of his grandparents and mother to the loss of his brother and the unexpected path that led him into decades of advocacy. Together, Vickie and Elton explore Two-Spirit identity and responsibility, the sacredness of Indigenous language, resilience, belonging, and the importance of reclaiming our place in the circle. And, of course, we meet Eartha Quake, Elton’s fabulous drag persona who brings culture, storytelling, advocacy, and plenty of laughter to another stage. 💃🏽 At its heart, this is a conversation between two old friends about who shaped us, who we’re becoming, and how we use our lived experiences to help others. Because our stories carry lessons. Our stories carry medicine. Poem featured in this episode: “Ownership” by Great-Grandmother Mary Lyons, from Wisdom Lessons. #RealNativeRoots #EltonNaswood #TwoSpiritCenter #NativeLGBTQ #IndigenousVoices

In this episode of Real Native Roots: Untold Stories, I sit down with Delano Saluskin (Shii) of the Yakama Nation, a respected leader whose nearly 80 years of life and more than five decades of service have been dedicated to his people, culture, and community. Together, we explore his journey from a childhood shaped by hardship and resilience to becoming a bridge builder, Tribal Chairman, advocate for economic sovereignty, and protector of land, water, and language. Along the way, Delano shares lessons on leadership, sobriety, family, faith, and what it means to think beyond ourselves to the generations yet unborn. This conversation is a powerful reminder that leadership does not have to be loud. Sometimes it looks like listening deeply, staying grounded in your values, and remaining open to change while honoring where you come from. If this episode resonates with you, please follow, subscribe, and share it with your relatives, friends, and communities so we can continue uplifting Indigenous stories, wisdom, and voices. #RealNativeRootsPodcast #RealNativeRootsUntoldStories #DelanoSaluskin #YakamaNation #IndigenousLeadership #GenerationsYetUnborn #LanguageIsMedicine #IndigenousStories

In this deeply heartfelt episode of Real Native Roots: Untold Stories, Vickie sits down with her dear friend, business partner, and “sister soul,” Barbara Roloff, for a conversation about identity, belonging, flowers, healing, and what it means to truly bloom later in life. 🌻 Barbara shares her journey growing up in a beautifully multicultural adoptive family, reconnecting with her Native Hawaiian roots, meeting her birth family as an adult, and discovering the many places that became “home” throughout her life. Together, Vickie and Barbara reflect on love, resilience, slowing down, community care, aging with intention, and the powerful lessons flowers can teach us about patience, purpose, and growth. You’ll also hear stories about Barbara’s flower farm journey, the parallels between tending gardens and tending communities, and why the world desperately needs more flowers…and more people willing to lead with love. This episode is for anyone navigating healing, identity, reinvention, grief, purpose, or simply trying to remember what truly matters in this short and sacred life. ✨ If this episode touched your heart, please share it with someone who needs these words today. ✨ Follow Real Native Roots: Untold Stories wherever you listen to podcasts. ✨ Leave a review, subscribe, and help us continue amplifying Native stories, wisdom, healing, and community conversations. Ahéhee’ for walking with us.  #RealNativeRoots #UntoldStories #IndigenousWisdom #TheWorldNeedsMoreFlowers #KuuleiFlowerFarm

In this episode of Real Native Roots: Untold Stories, Vickie sits down with Ameerah Suina Thomas, a 27-year-old Afro-Indigenous woman of Laguna Pueblo and West African descent whose voice carries both clarity and fire. Together, they explore what it means to be fully present in your body, how culture lives through everyday practices, and why food, music, language, and movement are not just traditions—they are medicine. Ameerah shares how her mother and Pueblo upbringing shaped her humility and strength, while her father instilled voice, joy, and the courage to live fully. She speaks honestly about navigating identity, solidarity, capitalism, and the emotional weight of being awake in today’s world. This episode dives into somatic healing, the sacredness of rage, and the importance of returning to the body in a time that constantly pulls us into the mind. Through laughter, reflection, and truth-telling, this conversation reminds us: You are not separate from the land—you are part of it. Your body holds wisdom. Your presence is medicine. And most importantly…You are needed. This is an episode for anyone seeking grounding, clarity, and a deeper connection to themselves, their community, and the world around them. Ahé'hee (Thank you) for being here and walking with us <3 if this story moved you, please share it, and don’t forget you can listen on all platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. #RealNativeRoots #IndigenousVoices #AfroIndigenous #HealingThroughStory #NextGenWisdom

2025 Story Recap with Tara Denetsosie-Lovato. In our first episode of 2026, Tara joins me to reflect on the voices, lessons, and medicine shared by our 2025 guests — from sovereignty and leadership to land, language, and coming home. We revisit the wisdom of artists, activists, aunties, and culture bearers who reminded us that culture is living, leadership is relational, and hope is a practice. Tara also shares something deeply personal: her lifelong relationship with horses. She reminds us that horses are medicine. That they mirror our truth. That if we rush, they rush. If we’re grounded, they settle. “Whatever you’re feeling, they’re going to reflect that 100 percent.” From barrel racing to ranch life, we explore preparation, foundation, accountability, and gratitude — lessons that echo everything our 2025 guests taught us. This episode is about sovereignty. It’s about coming home. It’s about remembering that our ancestors are listening. 🎙️ Tune in now. #RealNativeRootsUntoldStories #NativeWomenLead #HorseMedicine #IndigenousSovereignty #StoriesThatHeal

In this powerful episode of Real Native Roots: Untold Stories, Vickie welcomes her longtime sister and truth-teller Dar “Diamond D” for a wide-ranging, deeply human conversation about identity, land, governance, media, healing, and courage. Dar is Mohawk, a border-tribe woman raised between matriarchs, ironworkers, longhouses, cities, and ceremony. Her life story moves from the St. Lawrence River to Los Angeles, Arizona, and finally Alaska, where land, water, and community helped her gather the many threads of her life into clarity. Together, Vickie and Dar explore what it means to grow into your name, to survive trauma without losing humor, to tell Indigenous truth even when it’s dangerous, and to reclaim traditional governance rooted in consensus rather than colonial crumbs. Dar shares stories from investigative journalism, surviving a death threat, working in MMIP and victim services, running Native media spaces, mentoring youth, and holding community with both sharp honesty and deep love. This episode is about remembering who we are, refusing fear, lifting one another instead of pulling each other down, and returning to the waters that once gathered us. #RealNativeRoots #IndigenousVoices #NativeStorytelling #IndigenousTruth #DecolonizeEverything #IndigenousWisdom #NativePodcast #StoryAsMedicine #RealNativeRootsPodcast

In this powerful and intimate episode of Real Native Roots: Untold Stories, Vickie sits with Ojibwe leader, culture-bearer, and newly appointed President & CEO of First Peoples Fund, Tina Kuckkahn. Together, they explore the teachings that shaped her: her grandparents’ wisdom, the Seven Teachings, the prayerful reminder of “tobacco first,” and the deep spiritual ties to land, water, and ancestry. Tina shares the story of the Seventh Fire Jiimaan (Canoe) Journey, a multi-year effort to retrace the Anishinaabe migration by water—a journey of courage, prophecy, relational leadership, and reconnection. They speak about motherhood, ceremony, free will, and navigating life with faith. And, in true auntie fashion, Tina brings joy and humor as she talks about rediscovering freedom on her Harley and remembering the dreams we sometimes defer. This conversation is medicine—gentle, wise, grounded—and an invitation to listen inward, honor your place, and walk your path with intention. #RealNativeRoots #UntoldStories #NativePodcast #IndigenousPodcast #NativeVoices #IndigenousKnowledge #HarleyWomen #TwoWheelFreedom #NativeRiders #TobaccoFirst #AllCreationStoriesAreTrue #TinaKuckkahn

In this heartfelt and laughter-filled episode, host Vickie Oldman welcomes the magnetic and wise Jack Soto — a Navajo and Cocopah relative whose life journey weaves through wind, forest, and laughter. Together they explore what it means to find healing through pause, place, and presence. Jack shares stories of his roots — from his parents’ “Beans of Destiny” love story to his own evolution through faith, grief, and grace. He reflects on the medicine of laughter, food as a pathway to healing, and how mentoring young Native leaders continues to renew his hope. With vulnerability and humor, Jack reminds us that healing isn’t a straight road — it’s a dance between light and shadow, good and bad, joy and ache. Through laughter, love, and the gentle wisdom of land, he teaches us to be present with all that we are. This episode is a reminder that our stories are our medicine, and sometimes, the most sacred act is simply learning to be gentle with ourselves. ✨ Listen and Follow: Please like, follow, and subscribe on YouTube, and tune in to Real Native Roots: Untold Stories on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or directly on our website — and on any other platform where you listen to your favorite podcasts. #RealNativeRoots #UntoldStories #NativePodcasts #IndigenousWisdom #JackSoto #LaughterIsMedicine #GraceAndHealing #NativeVoices #CulturalHealing #BeGentleToYourself #StoryMedicine #SacredPause #NavajoAndCocopah #FoodIsMedicine #NativeStorytelling #SpiritualRoots #IndigenousJoy #HealingThroughLaughter #NativeMenHealing

In this powerful episode of Real Native Roots: Untold Stories, Vickie sits down with Shoshoni Hostler—a Yurok regalia maker, therapist, mother of five, and fashion designer whose viral shell dress stunned the world and sparked powerful conversations about cultural reclamation, representation, and resistance. From her Northern California homelands, Shoshoni shares what it means to create wearable memory and how every shell, stitch, and silhouette becomes ceremony. With 26 traditional dresses to her name, she is one of the most prolific dressmakers of her tribe. But her work goes far beyond the runway—Shoshoni leads multimillion-dollar behavioral health initiatives, mentors Native youth through her “Dragonfly People” project, and walks boldly in two worlds with both humility and fire. Together, Vickie and Shoshoni explore: The medicine of regalia and the spirit of the dress The unlearning of shame and reclaiming of Indigenous beauty Navigating lateral violence in Native spaces Why “not everyone can wear it, but everyone can feel it” And how brushing it off—literally—is ancestral wellness This episode is a love letter to Native women’s power, creativity, and unapologetic presence in every space—from the ceremony to the spotlight. #RealNativeRoots #UntoldStories #ShoshoniHostler #IndigenousFashion #RegaliaMaker #YurokStrong #NativeCreatives #WearableMedicine #ShellDress #CulturalReclamation #NativeFashionWeek #IndigenousBeauty #MatriarchMagic #SnakeEaterStrength #BeadworkAndHealing #NARA #DragonflyPeople #NativeVoices #IndigenousArtistry #HealingIsBeautiful #RepresentationMatters