INDIGENOUS-LED
PODCAST
SEASON 1 - Voices of Belonging
INDIGENOUS LED Podcast uplifts Indigenous voices as part of a healing movement rooted in the sacred bonds between land, people, culture, and our more-than-human relatives. Guided by the wisdom of tribal knowledge and the leadership of Indigenous communities, this first season brings together conversations with co-founders, an ecologist, youth leaders, and a Kainai Elder—each sharing stories of belonging, restoration, and relational stewardship.
These episodes center Indigenous-led conservation as both ancient and visionary—proof of Indigenous solutions to the planetary crisis we face. They carry the teachings of our Knowledge Keepers and amplify a shared commitment to rematriation, relational leadership, and restoring balance through the return of buffalo and the renewal of right relationships.
Through this series, INDIGENOUS LED podcast host, Lailani Upham invites listeners into a circle of kinship and care—where healing land and people are inseparable, and where the voices of our communities guide a future rooted in reciprocity, responsibility, and collective belonging.
Cristina Mormorunni and Ervin Carlson join story producer Lailani Upham to share the beginnings of INDIGENOUS LED and the movement to restore free-roaming buffalo across Blackfoot territory and beyond. Through personal stories and deep reflections, they explore how buffalo rematriation is rooted in cultural responsibility, ecological balance, and spiritual connection. This episode highlights the power of Indigenous storytelling to heal relationships—with land, community, and our more-than-human relatives.
Music: Documenting Wildlife - Descript ES Bison, Prairie Dogs, Birds, Crickets - IL Blackfeet release wild Buffalo - Missoulian Video - YouTube • Blackfeet release wild buffalo Between Cloud and Land - Ketsa - Free Music Archive 2011-13 - Ketsa - Free Music Archive Whiter Skies - Ketsa - Free Music Archive
Thank you to our sponsors and Wild Foundation. www.indigenousled.org
Producer Lailani Upham at www.ironshieldcreative.com and co-producer Josh Adler at Ecologica
Ecologist Stephanie Barron reflects on her journey bridging Western science with Indigenous knowledge systems rooted in relational stewardship. With a background in botany, wildlife, and environmental education, she reflects on how Indigenous mentorship guided her toward a more holistic, land-based approach. From carnivore stories to lessons from beavers and bison, this episode uplifts the power of decolonial science and storytelling to restore balance, renew kinship, and heal relationships with our more-than-human relatives.
Music: Documenting Wildlife - Descript Wolf SFX -Descript Tribal Rain Dance (live Percussion) - Descript The Three Little Pigs - Silly Symphony - - YouTube • The Three Little Pigs - Silly Symphony Wolf Song - Reuben Black Boy - ℗ 2004 Smithsonian Folkways Recordings / 1979 Folkways Records - YouTube • Wolf Song Creepy Distant Wolves - Descript Flow of Nature - Descript Beaver Medicine Song - James White Calf ℗ 2004 Smithsonian Folkways Recordings / 1979 - YouTube Mist - Ketsa - Free Music Archives
Thank you to our sponsors and Wild Foundation. www.indigenousled.org
INDIGENOUS Producer Lailani Upham at www.ironshieldcreative.com and co-producer Josh Adler at Ecologica
At Blackfoot Crossing Historical Park, Youth Programs Manager Sarah Little Bear shares how seasonal camps are cultivating the next generation of land stewards. Designed to deepen Native youth’s ecological and cultural knowledge, these gatherings foster belonging, ceremony, and intergenerational connection. Youth voices—including Ethan Running Crane—reflect on the role of culture, mentorship, and collective memory in shaping a future rooted in responsibility. This episode honors youth as vital carriers of rematriation, renewal, and relational power.
Music: Documenting Wildlife - Descript Equilibrium - Descript Hard Sell - Ketsa - - Free Music Archives Siksika Youth Conference SFX - IL Space Exploration Future Technology - Descript Blackfoot youth drummers Ochapowace powwow 2024 - Big juicy_19 - YouTube Warriors Song - Theodore Last Star, ℗ 2004 Smithsonian Folkways Recordings / 1979 Folkways Records - YouTube Tribal Drums with Windchimes - Descript Thunderous - Descript Thank you to our sponsors and Wild Foundation.
Producer Lailani Upham at www.ironshieldcreative.com and co-producer Josh Adler at Ecologica
Kainai Elder Shane Little Bear shares teachings rooted in love, ceremony, and the living knowledge passed down by his grandparents. Raised in a close-knit Blackfoot community, he reflects on the healing power of horses, the sacred role of buffalo, and the everyday practices that restore balance. Through stories of land, kinship, and cultural continuity, Shane calls on youth to reclaim language, connect with elders, and carry forward the teachings that sustain our collective future.
Music: Documenting Wildlife - Descript Alright - Supaman - YouTube Dancing in the Redwoods - Miracle Spotted Bear - YouTube Eagles Journey - Tory “Good Medicine” De Roche and Manu Josiah - YouTube
Thank you to our sponsors and Wild Foundation. www.indigenousled.org
Producer Lailani Upham at www.ironshieldcreative.com and co-producer Josh Adler at Ecologica