Native Circles
This podcast features Native American and Indigenous voices, stories, and experiences for everyone to learn, not only in North America but also throughout the world. The founders of Native Circles are Dr. Farina King (Diné) and Sarah Newcomb (Tsimshian), who were inspired to start this podcast to educate wider publics about the interconnections and significance of Native American, Alaska Native, and Indigenous experiences and matters. The primary co-hosts of the podcast are Dr. King, Dr. Davina Two Bears, and Eva Bighorse. Dr. King is the Horizon Chair of Native American Ecology and Culture and an associate professor of Native American Studies at the University of Oklahoma. Newcomb works as a freelance editor, writer, and blogger with degrees in English and a focus in Non-Fiction Creative Writing. Dr. Two Bears (Diné) is a Presidential Postdoctoral Fellow in the School for Human Evolution and Social Change at Arizona State University. Bighorse (Cayuga and Diné) is an Indigenous human development advocate with expertise in tribal healthcare relations. Brian D. King is an assistant editor for the podcast with experiences in journalism and writing. Learn more about the podcast and episodes on the official website of "Native Circles" at https://nativecirclespodcast.com/.
Native Circles
A Collaboration of Indigenous Truthtelling of Boarding Schools
A Collaboration of Indigenous Truthtelling of Boarding Schools
This episode features voices from a panel on the collaboration, “Indigenous Truthtelling of Boarding Schools,” held at the University of Oklahoma in August 2025 and funded by a NHPRC-Mellon Planning Grant for Collaborative Digital Editions in African American, Asian American, Hispanic American, and Native American History and Ethnic Studies. The panelists share their experiences studying Native American boarding schools and discuss plans for a digital edition with scholars at the University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State University, Northeastern State University, Utah State University, and Indigenous communities. The project connects universities and archives with Native Nations to develop educational resources about boarding schools and to expand public access to records, oral histories, and community knowledge.
This episode includes references to:
Farina King, professor of Native American Studies at OU and co-host of Native Circles. A citizen of the Navajo Nation, she researches Indigenous histories, especially boarding school experiences, and collaborates on projects linking oral histories, archives, and community engagement.
Sarah Milligan, head of the Oklahoma Oral History Research Program at OSU. She partners with boarding school alumni groups, including the Chilocco National Alumni Association, to digitize memorabilia, record oral histories, and create educational tools that support truthtelling and remembrance.
Teagan Dreyer, Choctaw descendant and PhD candidate in history at OSU. She researches the impacts of boarding schools on Native identity and community resilience.
Erin Dyke, associate professor of curriculum studies at OSU. She focuses on truthtelling, Indigenous-led education initiatives, and transforming curriculum to confront legacies of colonial schooling.
Asa (Ace) Samuels, Cheyenne and Arapaho citizen of Oklahoma and first-generation OU student. He mentors Native youth in cultural practices and serves as a facilitator for Mending Broken Hearts, a healing program addressing intergenerational trauma linked to boarding schools.
Kelly Berry, citizen of the Apache Tribe of Oklahoma with Choctaw relations. A postdoctoral fellow and lecturer in Native American Studies at OU, Berry is a descendant of boarding school survivors and researches histories of Indian boarding schools, including Carlisle, Chilocco, and early mission schools.
Blaine McClain, head archivist of Special Collections at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. He manages archival collections related to Cherokee Nation seminaries and regional histories.
Britton Morgan, undergraduate student research assistant at NSU from Muskogee, Oklahoma. He works with NSU archives, focusing on materials related to Indian boarding schools.
Michelle Martin, independent scholar in Arizona and former NSU faculty. She studies the Tullahassee Mission School and the legacies of interracial marriage tied to boarding schools.
Cheyenne Widdecke, master’s student in anthropology at OU, specializing in archaeology. As a Graduate Research Assistant, she surveys archival collections, examines boarding school site records, and conducts oral history research with the Sac and Fox Nation.
Mary Harjo, citizen of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and boarding school alumna. She attended federal boarding schools from first through twelfth grade and later earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work at OU. A survivor of discrimination and abuse, she became a social worker and mentor, sharing her lived experiences to inform truthtelling and healing efforts.
