In this episode, Dr. Amanda Cheromiah offers an unfiltered reflection on her first eight months living and working in Carlisle, Pennsylvania—the former site of the Carlisle Indian Industrial School. Through 20 personal and communal observations, she traces what it means to carry out Indigenous-centered work in a place shaped by historical trauma and ongoing presence. From healing ceremonies, student support, and repatriation to microaggressions, humor, and ceremony, these truths reveal the emotional, spiritual, and intellectual labor of staying rooted in a place of both harm and possibility. She invites listeners to witness the power of intertribal connection, the significance of Grandma’s House as a space of care, and the national momentum building around truth-telling and accountability. This episode is a call to action, a moment of gratitude, and a testament to the living presence of Native Peoples in a place too often spoken about only in the past tense.

This episode was recorded in December 2024.

In this special episode, Dr. Amanda Cheromiah sits with two of the inaugural Student Advisory Fellows for the Center for the Futures of Native Peoples. Kanoa Hunter (Native Hawaiian), a graduating senior majoring in History, and Alex Kluge (German), an international student studying English-Speaking Cultures, reflect on their time at Dickinson College, their experiences with CFNP, and what it means to engage with Indigenous narratives across cultures. From Kanoa’s deep ties to land and community to Alex’s fresh perspective as a visitor on Indigenous homelands, this conversation bridges oceans, languages, and lived experiences. Together, they share what it means to listen, learn, and help shape a Center that honors Native voices and futures.

John Truden earned his PhD inUS History from the University of Oklahoma. His first book- currently under review at the University of Nebraska Press - explores Indigenous-settler relationships in Oklahoma, Texas, and Kansas between Reconstruction and the Red Power era. His second book will examine Native America during the 1970s. He has published in both academic journals - notably the Western Historical Quarterly - and in more accessible forums such as Oklahoma Humanities magazine, the Osage News, and the Metro Library Podcast. John Truden worked on extensive projects with the Absentee Shawnee Tribe Cultural Preservation Office, the Seminole Nation Historic Preservation Office, and Greetham Law, the Chickasaw Nation's principal legal counsel. Among other projects at Dickinson College, he coordinated the Indigenous Consortium, a campus wide (and beyond) monthly discussion group for faculty interested in Indigenous issues. Outside of academia, John Truden and his wife Emily enjoy traveling, trying new foods, reading together, and playing with their dog Ruffles.

Dr. Truden's Recommended Reading List:

Indigenous History in the (continental) United States

• John Stands In Timber, Cheyenne Memories (1967)
• Adrienne Keene, Notable Native People: 50 Indigenous Leaders, Dreamers, and Changemakers from Past and Present (2021)
• Ned Blackhawk, The Rediscovery of America: Native Peoples and the Unmaking of U.S. History (2023)
• Nick Estes, Our History is the Future: Standing Rock Versus the Dakota Access Pipeline, and the Long Tradition of Indigenous Resistance (2019)
• Claudio Saunt, Unworthy Republic: The Dispossession of Native Americans and the Road to Indian Territory (2021)

Indigenous Children Literature

• Carole Lindstrom, We Are Water Protectors (2020)
• Ashley Fairbanks, This Land (2024)
• Dawn Quigley, Jo Jo Makoons (chapter book series)
• Angeline Boulley, The Firekeeper's Daughter & Warrior Girl Unearthed (YA literature)
• Chag Lowry, Soldiers Unknown (2019)

Indigenous Fiction

• A three way tie: N. Scott Momaday, House Made of Dawn, James Welch, Winter in the Blood (1974), Leslie Marmon Silko, Ceremony (1977)
• Louise Erdrich (all of her stuff, because she is the most prolific Indigenous writer working today)
• Robert Dale Parker, editor, The Sound the Stars Make Rushing Through the Sky: The Writings of Jane Johnston Schoolcraft (2008)
• Gerald Vizenor, Bear Island: The War at Sugar Point (2006)
• Tommy Orange, There, There & Wandering Stars (2019, 2024)

Boarding School-related books

• Brenda Child, Boarding School Seasons: American Indian Families, 1900-1940 (2000)
• Celia Haig-Brown, Tsqelmucwílc: The Kamloops Indian Residential School―Resistance and a Reckoning (1987, 2022)
• David Maraniss, Path Lit By Lightning: The Life of Jim Thorpe (2022)
• Julie Pearson-Little Thunder, Chilocco Indian School: A Generational Story (2022)
• Abigail Chabitnoy, How to Dress a Fish (2019)

Law and Policy

• Vine Deloria Jr., Custer Died for Your Sins: An Indian Manifesto (1969)
• Walter Echo-Hawk, In the Courts of the Conqueror: The 10 Worst Indian Law Cases Ever Decided (2010)
• Thomas J. Biolsi, Deadliest Enemies: Law and Race Relations On and Off Rosebud Reservation (2007)
• Sarah Deer, The Beginning and End of Rape: Confronting Sexual Violence in Native America (2015)
• David E. Wilkins, Dismembered: Native Disenrollment and the Battle for Human Rights (2017)

International Indigenous books

• Haunani-Kay Trask, From a Native Daughter: Colonialism and Sovereignty in Hawaii (1999)
• Ailton Krenak, Life is Not Useful (2021)
• Ursula Pike, An Indian Among Los Indigenas: A Native Travel Memoir (Heyday, 2021)
• Darren Byler, In the Camps: China's High-Tech Penal Colony (2021)
• Rashid Khalidi, The Hundred Years' War on Palestine: A History of Settler Colonialism and Resistance, 1917-2017 (2021)

Lynette Stant, a member of the Dine’ Nation, is a distinguished educator with over two decades of experience in elementary education. Currently, she teaches third grade on the Salt River Indian Reservation in Scottsdale, Arizona, where her deep-rooted commitment to student success and cultural empowerment drives her pedagogical approach. Lynette holds a Master’s degree from Grand Canyon University and graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Arizona State University. She is also a proud Gates Millennium Scholar Alumni.

A trailblazer in her field, Lynette made history in 2020 when she was named Arizona Teacher of the Year, becoming the first Indigenous woman to earn this prestigious honor. This recognition highlights her unwavering dedication to providing an inclusive, culturally responsive education that nurtures both academic growth and personal development for her students. Her contributions to education extend beyond the classroom; in recognition of her leadership, Lynette was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Northern Arizona University, underscoring her profound impact on the education community and her ongoing commitment to advancing educational equity. As an educator, Lynette’s mission is to ensure that all her students, particularly Indigenous youth, have the tools and opportunities they need to become leaders in a competitive global society. She is steadfast in her belief that education must honor and integrate students' cultural identities, languages, and heritage. Her work is driven by a profound commitment to ensuring that Indigenous students are equipped with a strong educational foundation, enabling them to thrive academically while staying connected to their communities and cultural traditions. Lynette’s career is a testament to the power of culturally relevant, student-centered education and her unwavering belief in the transformative power of teaching.

Song Credit: Kwelosoet by Fawn Wood

Recorded January 17, 2025.

Kate Theimer is a Project Partner with the Carlisle Indian School Digital Resource Center, focusing on cataloging photographs and authority control of student names. She also hosts the Carlisle Indian School Research podcast and is the author of A Very Correct Idea of Our School”: A Photographic History of the Carlisle Indian Industrial School (2018).

Since 2004, she. Kate, She has also given, Since 2004, sheKate is a Fellow of the Society of American Archivists and has written, edited, or contributed chapters to fourteen books about archives and numerous articles in archival journals. She has given plenary addresses at international archival conferences in New Zealand, Canada, Germany, and Norway and state and regional archival associations in the United States. She has participated in or moderated over twenty presentations at conferences.

Before starting her career as an independent writer and editor, she worked in the policy division of the National Archives and Records Administration. She holds a Master of Science in Information (Specialization in Archives and Records Management) from the University of Michigan and a Master of Arts (Art History & Archaeology) from the University of Maryland.

Carlisle Indian School students mentioned in the episode:

Bruce Patterson - https://carlisleindian.dickinson.edu/ci-search/bruce%20patterson

While Buffalo - https://carlisleindian.dickinson.edu/images/white-buffalo-c1882

1884 Student Body - https://carlisleindian.dickinson.edu/images/carlisle-indian-school-student-body-version-1-1884

Ice Skating - https://carlisleindian.dickinson.edu/ci-search/ice%20skating

John Leslie - https://carlisleindian.dickinson.edu/ci-search/john%20leslie

Recorded on February 12, 2025, in Carlisle, PA.

On November 17, 2024, in Carlisle, PA, the Carlisle Town Band performed a program featuring music connected to the Carlisle Indian Industrial School (operated from 1879 to 1918). As Band Director Dave Rohrer explains in this recording, the concert included four pieces—two originally played by the Carlisle Indian School Band and two composed by Dennison Wheelock, a former student and Band Master at the school.

• "In Storm and Sunshine" – March by John Clifford Heed, edited by Frederick Fennell
• "Raymond Overture" – From the opera Raymond, composed by Ambroise Thomas, arranged by V. F. Safranek
• "Dance of the Red Man" (Movement III of Aboriginal Suite) – Composed by Dennison Wheelock, arranged by David Kammerer
• "Carlisle Indian School March" – Composed by Dennison Wheelock, arranged by David Kammerer

For the entire concert program, visit the Carlisle Indian School Digital Resource Center.

About the Carlisle Indian School Band

The Carlisle Indian School Band was one of the most renowned and accomplished musical ensembles of its time, gaining national recognition for its exceptional performances. Established as part of the Carlisle Indian Industrial School’s broader assimilationist agenda, the band symbolized Indigenous resilience and musical excellence. It performed at major national events, including World Fairs, presidential inaugurations, and high-profile sporting events, showcasing the talents of Indigenous musicians to audiences across the country. Under the leadership of figures like Dennison Wheelock, the band not only entertained but also demonstrated the deep musical traditions and adaptability of Native students. Its legacy endures as a testament to the complex and often contradictory history—where music was both a tool of assimilation and a means of cultural expression and artistic achievement.

About the Carlisle Town Band

Originally founded in 1844 as the Carlisle Brass Band, the Carlisle Town Band has been performing continuously since 1900.

References & Additional Resources

In Lily Sweeney’s first talk, she references the poem "Alarum" from Amanda Gorman’s Call Us What We Carry.

In her second talk, Sweeney discusses Derek Baron’s article, "Opera and Land: Settler Colonialism and the Geopolitics of Music at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School." Baron, in turn, cites Dylan Robinson’s book, Hungry Listening: Resonant Theory for Indigenous Sound Studies, regarding how music functions as a legal and historical tool for Indigenous communities.

Sweeney also references Lawrence Hauptman’s chapter, "From Carlisle to Carnegie Hall: The Musical Career of Dennison Wheelock," from the book The Oneida Indians in the Age of Allotment, 1860-1920.

Audio Recording

Dr. Amanda Cheromiah (Laguna Pueblo) recorded the concert using the Voice Memos app on her iPhone.

Barbara Landis is the retired Carlisle Indian Industrial School Archives and Library Specialist for the Cumberland County Historical Society in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. She has worked closely with individuals and nations to develop biographical and research resources forwww.CarlisleIndianSchool.org. Landis encourages those studying Carlisle to acknowledge descendants' complex and varied responses to this failed educational experiment. Through her work, she remains committed to honoring the experiences of Carlisle Indian School students and their descendants—celebrating those who thrived, mourning those who suffered, and recognizing the lasting impact of their stories. Landis remains an active member of the Carlisle community and beyond, continuing her dedication to education, remembrance, and engagement with Carlisle Indian School history.

Recorded on January 29, 2025, in Carlisle, PA.

Jim Gerencser is the Associate Dean for Archives and Special Collections at Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA and also Director of the Carlisle Indian School Digital Resource Center. He holds an MLS from the University of Pittsburgh and an MA in History from Shippensburg University. With 25 years of experience managing digital projects at Dickinson, Jim is focused on making primary sources easily discoverable and accessible to wide audiences while still maintaining their original context. He is strongly committed to public service and outreach, and he has been particularly active over the past ten years with sharing information about the importance of the Carlisle Indian School records from the U.S. National Archives and elsewhere that had, for nearly a hundred years, been largely hidden and difficult to access.

Recorded on January 14, 2025 in Carlisle, PA