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Part 3 of Fira's Thesis Series examines how the institution can appear supportive on paper but also quietly shifts responsibilities and instability onto Indigenous students. In this episode, we dive into how unclear policies, unequal access to power, and the concept of "self-advocacy" significantly affect the experiences of Indigenous graduate students. When harm is only acknowledged through written rules, daily instability can seem normal, leading to silence as a survival tactic. It raises an important question: if policies promise fairness, how do we reconcile that with the reality on the ground?

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In Part 2 of the Thesis Series, we examine how institutional harm often shows up—not through overt discrimination, but through silence, shifting expectations, and assumed support that never fully materializes. This episode names the structures that place quiet, ongoing pressure on Indigenous scholars: unclear guidance, uneven power, emotional labor disguised as professionalism, and the expectation to endure harm without disruption. Rather than assigning blame, this conversation focuses on clarity—how systems function, who bears the cost of confusion, and why refusal can be an act of protection and survival. This episode sets the foundation for what comes next: turning survival into creation when institutions fail to hold us.

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Before there was a thesis, there was survival. In this opening episode, Fira shares the story of how she arrived at graduate school—not through a carefully planned academic path, but through years of navigating broken systems, community responsibility, loss, and improvisation.

From teaching on the reservation, to moving to Las Cruces after her mother’s passing, to entering a graduate program without Indigenous mentorship, this episode traces the conditions that made the thesis necessary. This conversation is not about individuals or institutions, but about patterns, absence, and what it means to build your own container when support disappears.

This is the beginning—before the language, before the defense, before the scholarship.

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This Episode marks the return of Dr. Georgina Badoni for Part Two of our conversation first introduced in Episode 21. In this episode, we reopen the space with intention, care, and accountability as Dr. Georgina Badoni shares what was left unsaid the first time around.

Dr. Badoni speaks candidly about the real reasons behind her departure from an institution that was not built to protect Indigenous women who speak truth. Through reflection on power, systems, and accountability, she unpacks the behaviors, breaking points, and responses that ultimately led her to step away. This conversation situates her experience within a larger pattern faced by Indigenous people navigating institutional spaces, while also naming what organizations consistently get wrong—and what could change if leaders truly listened.

Grounded in cultural teachings and personal strength, Dr. Badoni also shares how she cares for herself while carrying truth that holds weight, and offers guidance for others facing similar harm in their workplaces or communities. We close by looking forward—what’s next for her, what keeps her grounded, and how listeners can stand with those who speak out and push for change in their own spaces.

This is a powerful continuation of a necessary conversation—one rooted in courage, accountability, and the responsibility that comes with truth-telling.

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Whose faces are we carrying in our pockets every day?

We break down how U.S. currency honors slave owners, colonizers, and architects of Native genocide, and how that daily symbolism reinforces power and erasure. We also talk about Indigenous economies before the dollar—wampum, trade, livestock, and the teachings that defined real wealth long before capitalism.

From the faces on coins and bills to the jewelry our people wore as wealth and protection, this episode challenges listeners to rethink money, memory, and value. What it really means to carry history in your wallet.

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In this episode, we unpack Acting Attorney General Colin Bradley’s opinion on the colonial roots of blood quantum and how they violate Diné law and tradition. What does it mean to move beyond fractions and reclaim identity through k’é, clans, and community accountability — while still protecting against pretendians? Because being Diné isn’t something you claim; it’s the relationships you have with your people, your ancestors, and your place.

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Happy Indigenous Peoples' Day! We are back with a new episode to start season two! Hope you had a great break! A massive shout-out to all our listeners! We love you and thank you! We hope you are ready for the Fall season and for Halloween!

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From rez schools and border-town classrooms to universities, Indigenous students face systems that were never made with us in mind. In this episode, we share personal stories of corruption, discrimination, blood quantum barriers, and the hostile realities of “diversity” offices that fail to protect us.

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