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 podcast@cherokee.org!

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 podcast@cherokee.org!

In this new episode of Siyo from the Rez, meet Ethan Winn and Hondo Kirk, two friends who grew up together, graduated from our Cherokee Immersion School and are now the voices of Snotlout and Hiccup in the Cherokee version of “How to Train Your Dragon”!

Ethan and Hondo talk about their incredible full-circle journey — from learning the Cherokee language as students to working at our Durbin Feeling Language Center and voicing these iconic animated characters.

Discover the story behind this amazing opportunity to work with DreamWorks Animation, the unique challenges of translating the world of dragons into tsalagi, and what this project will mean to the next generation of Cherokee language learners.

💌 Email us at podcast@cherokee.org!

As we all gather with friends, family and our community this week, we wanted to share the story of our Cherokee Nation Seed Bank and the Cherokee woman in charge of it all: Feather Smith.

In this episode of Siyo from the Rez, we sit down with Feather, Cherokee Nation’s ethnobiology manager and former Miss Cherokee, to learn about the incredible history of our heirloom seeds, the massive undertaking of caring for our Heirloom Garden and Native Plant Site, and how these seeds are helping reconnect Cherokees everywhere to our culture and traditions.

💌 Email us at podcast@cherokee.org!

Gather ‘round the fire for a special spooky edition of Siyo from the Rez! Just in time for Halloween, we’re joined by celebrated Cherokee storyteller Candice Byrd Boney and former Miss Cherokee Ella Mounce for an episode filled with chills and cultural teachings.

Listen as they share haunting tales passed down through generations, from eerie personal encounters at Beaver Gap to the rich lore behind mysterious beings like the Deer Lady and shapeshifters. This episode explores our tribe's spooky side, unpacking the stories that have been whispered in our communities for years.

Whether you're a fan of scary stories or curious about Cherokee legends, you won’t want to miss these captivating accounts. Tune in to connect with our culture in a whole new way, and maybe leave the lights on afterward! 😬

Subscribe and share this episode with friends and family who love a good spooky story. Wado!

💌 Email us at podcast@cherokee.org!

Robert Lewis is what you might call a fan favorite — not just here in the Cherokee Nation, but everywhere he goes. Especially on the Cherokee Nation TikTok, where his storytelling videos always go viral.

In this episode of Siyo from the Rez, this Cherokee National Treasure talks about his love for storytelling and sharing stories with the world, how he was inspired as a child by his dad, and the meaning behind his stories: embracing respect and kindness for everyone, especially in our modern world and on social media.

💌 Email us at podcast@cherokee.org!

Deputy Secretary of State Canaan Duncan and our Community Liaison Melissa Payne stop by the podcast for this powerful new episode of Siyo from the Rez.

Canaan and Melissa discuss the long journey for Freedmen descendants to be recognized as Cherokee citizens and how our tribe isn’t hiding from this dark and painful chapter of our history.

Tune in to hear about the history of Freedmen, the inspiring Cherokee citizens of Freedmen descent who led the fight for equality, Cherokee Nation’s Equality Task Force, and how Melissa and Canaan are working in our Cherokee communities across the reservation and with Cherokee citizens across the country to make sure all voices are being heard.

💌 Email us at podcast@cherokee.org!

Step into the vibrant world of Simon Washee, a World Champion Fancy Dancer known for his bright and intricate regalia who is Cherokee, Cheyenne and Arapaho. From the powwow circuit to viral TikTok videos, Simon travels the globe with his family to compete against the best of the best and shares the beauty and athleticism of fancy dance with the world.

In this episode of Siyo from the Rez, Simon also shares his earliest memory of Cherokee National Holiday — dancing as a tiny tot with his brother — how his recognizable look has evolved over the years and the meaning behind his regalia.

💌 Email us at podcast@cherokee.org!