Talking in the Footsteps of our Ancestors

Center for Great Plains Studies at UNL

Talking in the Footsteps of Our Ancestors will share the journey of reconnecting the Otoe-Missouria people to their ancestral homelands in southeast Nebraska through the Walking in the Footsteps of Our Ancestors project. Through stories, history, and culture, we’ll focus on healing, reconciliation, and bridging understanding between Native and non-Native communities. Join host Johnnie Jae as we honor the past and build a future where all of us can walk together. Music by Johnnie Jae and Martin Luna. Cover art by Marci Black.

Episodes

  1. May 19

    A Life of Service to the Community

    In this episode, host Johnnie Jae talks with Della Warrior, who, during her long career, was president of the Institute of American Indian Arts, director of the New Mexico Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, and the first female chairperson of the Otoe-Missouria Tribe. She co-founded the Multi-Indigenous Initiative for Community Advancement with Wilma Mankiller in 2006 and has served on various boards, including the Smithsonian's National Museum of American Indians. Please note: There is some background noise in this interview and we apologize for the audio.

    34 min

  2. Feb 25

    Art as Responsibility

    Host Johnnie Jae talks with artist Kennetha Greenwood, Creative Project Manager and a Language Facilitator for the Otoe-Missouria Tribe, about art, language, and lifting up the next generation of creatives. Greenwood was part of the "Reflections of Our People, Our Ways, Our Land" exhibition of artworks by Otoe-Missouria tribal members at the Great Plains Art Museum.

    41 min

  3. 12/04/2025

    Historical markers and current views

    Host Johnnie Jae talks with project co-directors Christina Goodson and Margaret Jacobs about two reports produced by the Walking in the Footsteps of Our Ancestors project. One looks at historical markers in southeast Nebraska and how they talk about Indigenous history and Otoe-Missouria people. The second report is a pair of surveys asking both the tribe and residents of southeast Nebraska about reconciliation efforts in the region.

    53 min

  4. 10/02/2025

    Documenting the Journey

    Host Johnnie Jae talks with Annette Arkeketa, Marci Black, Rebecca Schlichting, and Candice Dalsing, the filmmakers who are creating a documentary about the Walking in the Footsteps of our Ancestors project, about how they are working with Otoe-Missouria tribal members to tell a deep story about the community, relationships, and healing.

    46 min

  5. 04/18/2025

    Building Relationships

    Join host Johnnie Jae and the leader of the Building Relationships group, Cory DeRoin, as they talk about how creating community and connections between Otoe-Missouria citizens and residents of Southeast Nebraska is at the heart of the Walking in the Footsteps of our Ancestors project.

    41 min

  6. 03/06/2025

    Connecting Through Art

    Episode 3: Join host Johnnie Jae and the co-leaders of the Visualizing Reconciliation group, Dr. Jessica Moore Harjo and Ashley Wilkinson, as they talk about how the project involves art and artists. Dr. Harjo, Weomepe, Otoe-Missouria, Osage, Pawnee, Sac & Fox, is an interdisciplinary artist, graphic designer, and entrepreneur. Dr. Harjo received her Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from Oklahoma State University, and her Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy in Design from the University of Minnesota. Wilkinson is the director and curator of the Great Plains Art Museum at the Center for Great Plains Studies.

    56 min

  7. 01/23/2025

    "Reconciliation Starts Within"

    Episode 2: Join host Johnnie Jae and Kevin Abourezk, a citizen of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe and team leader of the Creating Land-Based Commemorations group of the WFOA project, as they talk about the project’s beginnings, goals, and how everyone can make a difference in reconciliation efforts. Abourezk is a journalist and Deputy Managing Editor of ICTNews.org, which features Native American news and information. In his 25-year career, he has written about Native American people and stories and has received many national awards. He received a master’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communications from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of South Dakota.

    34 min

  8. 12/04/2024

    Walking in the Footsteps

    In this first episode of our series, host Johnnie Jae talks with the co-directors of the Walking in the Footsteps of our Ancestors: Re-indigenizing Southeast Nebraska project, Christina Goodson and Margaret Jacobs, about how the project started and its overall goals to connect the Otoe-Missouria people to their homelands and educate non Native Nebraskans about the history and ongoing presence of the Tribe and other Indigenous peoples in our region. This project is funded by the Mellon Foundation.

    40 min
  • 8 Episodes

About

Talking in the Footsteps of Our Ancestors will share the journey of reconnecting the Otoe-Missouria people to their ancestral homelands in southeast Nebraska through the Walking in the Footsteps of Our Ancestors project. Through stories, history, and culture, we’ll focus on healing, reconciliation, and bridging understanding between Native and non-Native communities. Join host Johnnie Jae as we honor the past and build a future where all of us can walk together. Music by Johnnie Jae and Martin Luna. Cover art by Marci Black.

Information