How restoring the Great Coharie River reconnected tribal members

Near an overpass off of U.S. Route 421 in Clinton, North Carolina, Kullen Bell dips his hands into the cold, sweet tea-colored water of the Great Coharie River. Bell is a member of the Coharie tribe.

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Making sense of the world through the written word

Writing has always been a safe space for dg okpik. She started her first journal at 12 years old and filled the pages with thoughts about her family travels. Most summers they would pack up a Winnebago and drive across Alaska and Canada while her father followed military assignments.  

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Chickasaw father revitalizes Chikashanompa’ language

If you ask Chickasaw linguist Joshua Hinson what his favorite Chickasaw word is, he’ll grin and open his dictionary. His finger will slide past the entry where his Chickasaw name, Lokosh, is listed and point to the word just below. 

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Tricia Fields Alexander serves traditional Native foods across Indian Country

Traditional Native American recipes are a symbol of resilience, surviving generations of removal, genocide, and cultural assimilation. These foods are still found today and serve a deeply meaningful purpose within Native American community gatherings, like hog fries. This is where the community comes together to eat and be in community with one another. Tricia Fields Alexander is a Native American business owner and an enrolled member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. She serves traditional foods that include cornbread, grape dumplings and various meat roasts.

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Josiah Jones and his core of cultures

On a rainy day in Tulsa, Oklahoma, 24-year-old Josiah Jones stands outside of his grandparents’ house with a soft smile. He’s wearing black sweats, a black hoodie and a camel-colored jacket. His Nike sneakers only add to his 6-foot-2-inch frame and he shares that he treats himself to a really great pair once a year.

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