Bestselling Native author David Heska Wanbli Weiden and Deborah J Ledford discuss his award-winning thriller WINTER COUNTS. 

Worthy winner of The Edgar award, Hammett Prize, International Thriller Award, Weiden gives us fascinating insights about creating the WINTER COUNTS characters, Lakota lore, and how his debut novel has opened the doors for fellow Native authors.

https://davidweiden.com/  - https://davidweiden.com/bio/  
https://linktr.ee/deborahjledford - https://deborahjledford.com - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BMFS7WLW

David Heska Wanbli Weiden-with Deborah J Ledford Authors on the Air Ep3

I love people of color.
Why do they smell like that?
They smell like ass
they want to live in a trap house
OD and blackout
all they talk about is drugs, Money and Internet Clout
credit score 0
Bought a Hellcat
can't go back on their ego
Glock with a switch
For fried chicken they will snitch 
murder of Tupac shocker
Loot a foot locker
No good father
they claim they're oppressed
but they're just a mess
can't hold a job
always playing the victim 
Blaming others for their lack of ambition 
they glorify violence, it's their only mission
no respect to the law, just a bunch of corruption 



We Wuz Kangz

This Balkan x Indian fusion track, inspired by the Bulgarian folk song "Mome Kalino" features a thrilling 7/8 rhythm, Sufi-style Hindi lyrics, and dramatic Balkan melodies. The song blends mandolin, Turkish rubab, and Balkan davul drums with modern rock elements. A duet with Bollywood vocalist Krishna Beuraa, this emotional power ballad captures themes of longing, love, heartbreak, and empowerment, with the title "Najaa" pleading "don't go." A bold, cinematic anthem for world music lovers.

Najaa (ft. Krishna Beuraa)

Bestselling Cherokee author Vanessa Lillie and Deborah J Ledford discuss the award-winning thriller BLOOD SISTERS, a USA Today Bestseller and Target Book Club and Good Morning America Book Club Pick, featuring Cherokee archaeologist for the Bureau of Indian Affairs Syd Walker, who returns to her roots, determined to solve a crime prompted 15 years earlier.  

https://vanessalillie.com/ - https://vanessalillie.com/blood-sisters/  
https://linktr.ee/deborahjledford - https://deborahjledford.com - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BMFS7WLW

Vanessa Lillie-BLOOD SISTERS-with Deborah J Ledford Authors on the Air Ep 5

In this episode of The Lens: Living Diverse, host Ben sits down with the legendary Kelly MacDonald, celebrated broadcaster and host of AMI’s Kelly & Company. Kelly shares his journey as a Black man living with sight loss navigating the entertainment and broadcasting industry. He reflects on the challenges and triumphs of breaking into an industry that, at one time, overlooked diversity in race, disability, and body image. Kelly discusses the evolution of representation in media and addresses questions about identity, including the perception of “not sounding Black” within both the Blind community and society at large. He also offers practical advice for aspiring entertainers and broadcasters about overcoming similar barriers. Don’t miss this insightful episode where Kelly lifts the lid on the wisdom beneath his signature fedora!

You can find Kelly on:
Instagram: @kellyandcoami 
X (Twitter): @amikellymac

The Lens: Living Diverse – Some Great Company with Kelly MacDonald

Keyanna Sawyer-Jones is a leading strategist in beauty and wellness brand development, with nearly two decades of experience driving growth for multicultural brands. As the founder and CEO of Bleum Creative, Keyanna has established a premier brand strategy agency dedicated to helping BIPOC beauty, lifestyle, and wellness brands create lasting legacies and achieve meaningful market impact.

Take a listen as Ena and Keyanna discuss her early career as a model and actress, finding Bleum Creative, collaborating with iconic brands and her philanthropic efforts.

Business of Beauty:  Keyanna Sawyer-Jones tackles beauty and wellness with Bleum Creative

Cry For Help (School Shooter Cover)

Some podcast apps may not display links from our show notes properly, so we have included a list of links at the end of this description.
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Majority cultural norms in the United States suppress our ability to truly feel our grief and each person’s experience with grief is as unique as the grief itself. Writer, somatic practitioner, and artist Camille Sapara Barton’s take on grief speaks directly to the ways that BIPOC and queer communities and individuals disproportionately experience unique constellations of loss. In their work, Camille honors every experience: The loss of displacement from homelands, severed lineages and ancestral ways of knowing. The grief of colonization and theft. The deep heaviness that burrows into our bodies when society tells us our bodies are wrong.
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In this conversation with author, educator, activist, and intuitive healer Michelle Cassandra Johnson, Camille shares ways we can tend to our grief both alone and in community, drawing upon their new book Tending Grief, written specifically to center and hold the grief of BIPOC communities.
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This episode was recorded during a live online event on August 2nd 2024. You can also watch it on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube channel. A transcript is available at ciispod.com. To find out more about CIIS and public programs like this one, visit our website ciis.edu and connect with us on social media @ciispubprograms.
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We hope that each episode of our podcast provides opportunities for growth, and that our listeners will use them as a starting point for further introspection. Many of the topics discussed on our podcast have the potential to bring up feelings and emotional responses. If you or someone you know is in need of mental health care and support, here are some resources to find immediate help and future healing:
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-Visit 988lifeline.org or text, call, or chat with The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by dialing 988 from anywhere in the U.S. to be connected immediately with a trained counselor. Please note that 988 staff are required to take all action necessary to secure the safety of a caller and initiate emergency response with or without the caller’s consent if they are unwilling or unable to take action on their own behalf.
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-Visit thrivelifeline.org or text “THRIVE” to begin a conversation with a THRIVE Lifeline crisis responder 24/7/365, from anywhere: +1.313.662.8209. This confidential text line is available for individuals 18+ and is staffed by people in STEMM with marginalized identities.
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-Visit translifeline.org or call (877) 565-8860 in the U.S. or (877) 330-6366 in Canada to learn more and contact Trans Lifeline, who provides trans peer support divested from police.
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-Visit ciis.edu/ciis-in-the-world/counseling-clinics to learn more and schedule counseling sessions at one of our centers.
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-Find information about additional global helplines at befrienders.org.
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LINKS
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Podcast Transcripts: https://www.ciispod.com/
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California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) Website: https://www.ciis.edu/
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CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/ciispublicprograms
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CIIS Public Programs Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ciispubprograms/
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Mental Health Care and Support Resources:
https://988lifeline.org/
https://thrivelifeline.org/
https://translifeline.org/
https://www.ciis.edu/ciis-in-the-world/counseling-clinics
https://befrienders.org/

Camille Sapara Barton: On Tending Grief

Nick Medina and Deborah discuss his latest release, INDIAN BURIAL GROUND, which features undercurrents of dark noir, literary, mystery and horror elements to craft an outstanding, fully captivating journey of two characters. Presented in alternating past and present chapters, Noemi and Louie will capture your hearts as they struggle to heal their fractured relationship, while righting a number of wrongs on their reservation. Fascinating characters and a chilling horror element that slow burns to a scorching blaze. 

Nick Medina - https://www.nickmedina.net/ - https://www.nickmedina.net/books  
Deborah Ledford - https://linktr.ee/deborahjledford - https://bit.ly/3kYuYvs 


Nick Medina-INDIAN BURIAL GROUND with Deborah J Ledford Authors on the Air Ep 11

This week on The Lens: Living Diverse, Ben sits down with Anne Mok, a content creator, public speaker, author, storyteller, and advocate. Anne shares her identities and experiences as an Asian woman with sight loss who immigrated to Canada at a young age, reflecting on what her culture means to her. Once shy, Anne found confidence through the power of storytelling. With her calm presence, she shares insights on how to overcome challenges, embrace authenticity, and encourages others to share their stories. Whether you're looking for motivation or practical storytelling tips, this episode will leave you feeling empowered and ready to view life through a lens of purpose.

The Lens: Living Diverse – Finding Purpose in View with Anne Mok

This is a podcast for people who are curious about the world and themselves featuring talks and conversations presented by the Public Programs department of California Institute of Integral Studies, a non-profit university in San Francisco. Listen here or on your favorite podcast app to a diverse array of visionaries, artists, and scholars sharing compelling experiences, offering new perspectives, and expanding creative horizons.

The CNIB Podcast Network is a collection of audio programming designed to give a voice to people across the CNIB community as they share their personal stories of life with sight loss. Listen to the episodes on any of the platforms listed below. If you enjoy what you hear, subscribe!

The Authors on the Air Global Radio Network is an international digital media corporation featuring  podcasts, book reviewers and conference media coverage..  Our content is available on audio and video platforms in 153 countries.

New tracks tagged #bipoc