Audio reporter interviews man in chair

Chickasaw citizen Arielle Farve Deer interviews Lokosh, also known as Joshua Hinson, who directs the language preservation efforts for the Chickasaw Nation.

 

Next Generation Radio Indigenous has had a profound impact on me. I will carry the professional skills I’ve developed this week throughout my career and cherish the relationships I’ve cultivated for a lifetime. 

 It was an adventure enhancing my audio storytelling expertise and cultivating audio technical skills. Before this training, I had limited experience developing audio stories, and I had a lot to learn, but the NextGenRadio team supported me every step of the way. Now, I have the experience and confidence to develop these stories. I am so grateful for the time and effort everyone put in to help me find my voice, and I look forward to creating more audio narratives. 

 This program also gifted me an opportunity to seek out and tell a story I was genuinely passionate about. I’ve produced many stories that I’m deeply proud of but sharing the story of a fellow Chickasaw who I’ve grown up admiring since he began the Chikashshanompa’ language revival was a powerful experience. I am thankful that the NextGenRadio teams’ generosity with their expertise empowered me to tell his story in a way that honors his journey and highlights the Chickasaw people’s resiliency. 

 Most importantly, I made enriching connections with my interview subject, fellow mentees and the NextGenRadio team. The mentorship I’ve received throughout the project from professionals who’ve turned their life’s passion for storytelling into impactful careers invigorated my love for storytelling. Their kindness in sharing their personal journeys with me heightened my appreciation for my own life story and made me feel all the more proud to be an Indigenous storyteller. 

 I’m excited to apply the skills the professional I’ve learned and support the incredible people who made this program such a phenomenal experience. I can’t wait to follow their example in telling powerful stories and empowering others in our profession.