In this episode, our hosts, Dr. Lyla June Johnston (Diné/Tsétsêhéstâhese) and Aimee Roberson (Chahta/Chikashsha), Cultural Survival Executive Director, speak with Nellie Davis (Agai Dicutta Numu - Paiute), an entrepreneur, traditional herbalist, bodyworker and community leader based in Reno, Nevada. Nellie is an enrolled member of the Walker River Paiute Tribe and uses her background to advocate for Indigenous visibility, wellness, and community healing.

Nellie explores how ancestral knowledge, connection to the land, and community care can support healing. She reflects on the difference between Indigenous approaches to wellness, emphasizing that well-being is not just individual, but deeply connected to our bodies, our communities, and the Earth. She also shares how working with plants has helped her reconnect with ancestral teachings and why passing that knowledge on to younger generations is essential to keeping culture alive.

Together, Aimee, Lyla, and Nellie explore healing as an act of remembering, reciprocity, and care.

Don't miss this conversation! Listen to "Agai Dicutta Numu Ancestral Plant Healing with Nellie Davis."

In Episode 6, co-host Dr. Lyla June Johnston (Diné/Tsétsêhéstâhese) speaks
with Margo Robbins (Yurok), Co-founder and Executive Director of the Cultural
Fire Management Council, Co-lead of the Indigenous People’s Burn Network, and
member of the International Indigenous-led Fire Network. Margo is a mom and a
grandma, and lives on the Yurok Reservation in far Northern California, United
States.

Margo shares how carefully working with fire can help water return to the
land, create healthier habitats for plants and animals, and support the renewal
of important species. Together, Lyla and Margo explore cultural burning as a
relationship with the land based in care, responsibility, and knowledge passed
down through generations.

Don't miss this conversation! Listen to “Reclaiming Fire: Cultural Burning
with Margo Robbins.”

In Episode 5, co-host Dr. Lyla June Johnston (Diné/Tsétsêhéstâhese) speaks with Dr. Nelly Masayi (Luhya), an Indigenous academic from western Kenya, about the role of Indigenous knowledge in protecting biodiversity, addressing climate change, and sustaining communities. Together, they explore the impacts of colonization on Indigenous cultures, land ownership, food systems, and women’s roles.

Don't miss this conversation! Listen to “Indigenous Kenya: The Power of Luhya Knowledge to Protect Biodiversity with Dr. Nelly Masayi.”

In Episode 4, co-host Lyla June Johnston (Diné/Tsétsêhéstâhese) speaks with Tanaya Winder (Shoshone, Ute, Diné, and Paiute), an accomplished author, singer-songwriter, poet, and motivational speaker, about burn out and working from our heart’s purpose. Tanaya combines storytelling, singing, and poetry to delve into themes of healing, love, and discovering one's purpose—what she calls "heartwork," as a form of medicine and encourages individuals to harness their voices as a source of power.

Don't miss this conversation! Listen to “Caring for Self, Caring for Community: Lessons in Leadership with Tanaya Winder.” To learn more about her work, visit: www.tanayawinder.com

In Episode 3, co-host Aimee Roberson (Chahta/Chikashsha) speaks with Alicia Moncada (Wayuu) and Avexnim Cojtí (Maya K'iche') about what it means to be Indigenous, how all of humanity has Indigenous roots, and the fierce love needed to care for and ensure the continuance of our cultures, communities, and connections to Mother Earth.

Don't miss this conversation! Listen to “Fierce Love: Balancing Nurture and Defense of Our Communities.”

In Episode 2, one of our hosts, Dr. Lyla June Johnston (Diné/Tsétsêhéstâhese), speaks with Burhan Sönmez about the revitalization of the Kurdish language.

Listen to “Healing Our Future: Mother Earth Medicine with Lyla June and Aimee Roberson”.

In Episode 1, our hosts, Dr. Lyla June Johnston (Diné/Tsétsêhéstâhese), Cultural Survival Board Member, and Aimee Roberson (Chahta/Chikashsha), Cultural Survival Executive Director, discuss their inspiration for this new podcast rooted in the wisdom of their ancestors.

Aimee and Lyla honor Indigenous cultures and values and invite listeners to collectively dream and co-create a future of mutual flourishing rooted in Ancestral Intelligence.

Listen to “Healing Our Future: Mother Earth Medicine with Lyla June and Aimee Roberson”.

In this Episode, Dr. Lyla June Johnston speaks with Aimee Roberson, Executive Director of Cultural Survival, to announce an exciting new transition! Lyla June and Nihizhi Podcast are joining forces with Cultural Survival to launch a brand new podcast called "Mother Earth Medicine"! Aimee and Lyla will now co-host the new show, combining their extensive networks with Indigenous communities to better help us interview, highlight, and platform amazing grassroots Indigenous leaders, thinkers and practitioners from around the world! For all those who have known and loved Nihizhi Podcast, please know that this is only a continuation of our power with a larger media team and the beautiful presence of Aimee Roberson.

Stay tuned!