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Trail of Tears

'Poet Warrior' Joy Harjo Wants Native Peoples To Be Seen As Human

Joy Harjo's memoir is Poet Warrior. She plays saxophone and recites poetry on her new album, I Pray for My Enemies. Shawn Miller/W.W. Norton hide caption

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Shawn Miller/W.W. Norton

Author Interviews

'Poet Warrior' Joy Harjo Wants Native Peoples To Be Seen As Human

Fresh Air

The nation's first Native American poet laureate has a new memoir in which she tells her own story — as well as the story of her sixth-generation grandfather, who was forced from his ancestral land.

'Poet Warrior' Joy Harjo Wants Native Peoples To Be Seen As Human

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A Treacherous Choice And A Treaty Right
Weshoyot Alvitre for NPR

Code Switch

A Treacherous Choice And A Treaty Right

The Principal Chief of Cherokee Nation told his people to stay strong during this pandemic, and to remember how much they've endured over a long history that includes the Trail of Tears. This episode takes a look at the treaty, signed almost 200 years ago, that caused that suffering, and how it's being used now as a call to action.

A Treacherous Choice And A Treaty Right

Listen · 31:30
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How A Seed Bank Helps Preserve Cherokee Culture Through Traditional Foods

Cherokee Nation Cultural Biologist Feather Smith-Trevino holds an unripe Georgia Candy Roaster Squash at an educational garden in Tahlequah, Okla., where traditional native plants are grown. Courtesy of the Cherokee Nation Seed Bank hide caption

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Courtesy of the Cherokee Nation Seed Bank

The Salt

How A Seed Bank Helps Preserve Cherokee Culture Through Traditional Foods

The seeds are free for any Cherokee, but recipients have been limited because demand is so high. Collecting the seeds has been difficult and emotional, but the program has helped unify the community.

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