This special episode of the Native Language Protectors and Carriers series features Freddie Lewis, a dedicated Choctaw language instructor at the University of Oklahoma. Dr. Farina King talks with Freddie about the challenges and joys of sustaining Indigenous languages such as Choctaw. Freddie shares personal stories about his family’s experiences with boarding schools, the power of community-led language revitalization, and how teaching connects generations. The conversation highlights the rich legacy of the Choctaw Code Talkers, the significance of cultural memory, and exciting new projects bringing the Choctaw language to young learners and mass media.

Freddie Lewis is recognized by the Choctaw Nation as a certified language teacher and has over 12 years of experience teaching multiple levels of Choctaw at the University of Oklahoma (OU). In addition to his university work, he leads community classes, collaborates with museums, and involves his students in projects that support language learning and cultural preservation.

Listeners are especially encouraged to check out the powerful new short documentary (about 14 minutes long) Voices of Valor, which honors the Choctaw Code Talkers and shines a light on their enduring impact. The film will be screening at the Native Nations Center event room on the OU Norman campus on November 11, 2025, starting at 9 am Central Time.

Resources:

"Voices of Valor Film Debut," The Middle Ground

"Native American Languages at OU"

Choctaw Language Classes, Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma

Choctaw Cultural Center

First Americans Museum

Classroom VR Trunks: Choctaw Code Talkers 1918

Marvel ECHO x Choctaw Nation

"‘Sinners’ Puts ‘Truth on Screen’ for the Mississippi Band Of Choctaw Indians," AP June 6, 2025.

Learn more about the efforts to protect and support the study of Native American languages (and all languages) at the University of Oklahoma through the following petitions:

Oppose the Removal of Foreign Language Gen Ed requirements at the University of Oklahoma

Keep Indigenous Languages Alive at OU

For more information about the Oklahoma Native American Youth Language Fair, see the hyperlink.

In this episode, host Dr. Farina King is joined by Dr. Anton Treuer and Dr. Chelsea Mead to explore the transformative partnership between Bemidji State University and Minnesota State University, Mankato, dedicated to revitalizing the Ojibwe language. The conversation delves into the power of intergenerational learning, the use of technology to bridge distances, and the importance of community in language preservation. Anton and Chelsea share personal stories, discuss the challenges and triumphs of building university-based Native language programs, and reflect on the healing and strength that come from reconnecting with ancestral languages. Listeners will gain insight into the collaborative efforts that are making a difference for students, families, and communities across Ojibwe country and beyond.

Dr. Anton Treuer is a Professor of Ojibwe at Bemidji State University, renowned author, and leading advocate for Indigenous language revitalization. He was raised near the Leech Lake Reservation of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe in north-central Minnesota, although his mother is enrolled in the White Earth Nation (also known as the White Earth Band of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe). Anton has dedicated his career to building Ojibwe language programs, developing teacher training initiatives, and fostering equity in education. His work has had a profound impact both regionally and nationally, and he is recognized for his engaging teaching style, community leadership, and commitment to cultural preservation.

Dr. Chelsea Mead is a settler-colonist/non-Indigenous scholar who grew up in Anishinaabeg homelands of Michigan and now works in Dakota homelands of Minnesota. She is a Professor of History and American Indigenous Studies at Minnesota State University, Mankato, and has been learning Anishinaabemowin since she was a college student herself. Her research examines how educational institutions can be accountable to their pasts while supporting Indigenous students and communities in the present. Chelsea is also a contributing author to the edited volume COVID-19 in Indian Country, sharing insights on language, community, and resilience.

Resources:

Chelsea M. Mead, "Maawanji’idiwag: They Come Together," in COVID-19 in Indian Country: Native American Memories and Experiences of the Pandemic, eds. Farina King and Wade Davies (Palgrave Macmillan, 2024).

Anton Treuer, Everything you Wanted to Know About Indians But Were Afraid to Ask (Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2023 revised & expanded edition)

Anton Treuer's website- https://antontreuer.com/

"Multi-Campus Collaboration Funding: Ojibwe Language" (2023)

Ojibwe Language Programs, Bemidji State University

For more information about the Oklahoma Native American Youth Language Fair, see the hyperlink.

This episode features voices from a panel on the collaboration, “Indigenous Truthtelling of Boarding Schools,” held at the University of Oklahoma in August 2025 and funded by a NHPRC-Mellon Planning Grant for Collaborative Digital Editions in African American, Asian American, Hispanic American, and Native American History and Ethnic Studies. The panelists share their experiences studying Native American boarding schools and discuss plans for a digital edition with scholars at the University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State University, Northeastern State University, Utah State University, and Indigenous communities. The project connects universities and archives with Native Nations and communities to develop educational resources about boarding schools and to expand public access to records, oral histories, and community knowledge.

This episode includes:

Farina King (Navajo Nation citizen), professor of Native American Studies at OU and co-host of Native Circles. She researches Indigenous histories, especially boarding school experiences, and collaborates on projects linking oral histories, archives, and community engagement.

Sarah Milligan, head of the Oklahoma Oral History Research Program at OSU. She partners with the Chilocco National Alumni Association to digitize memorabilia, record oral histories, and create educational tools that support truthtelling and remembrance.

Teagan Dreyer (Choctaw descendant), PhD candidate in history at OSU. She researches the impacts of boarding schools on Native identity and community resilience.

Erin Dyke, associate professor of curriculum studies at OSU. She focuses on truthtelling, Indigenous-led education initiatives, and transforming curriculum to confront legacies of colonial schooling.

Asa (Ace) Samuels (Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes citizen), first-generation OU student. He mentors Native youth in cultural practices and serves as a facilitator for Mending Broken Hearts, a healing program addressing intergenerational trauma linked to boarding schools.

Kelly Berry (Apache Tribe of Oklahoma citizen), a postdoctoral fellow and lecturer in Native American Studies at OU. Berry is a descendant of boarding school survivors and researches histories of Indian boarding schools, including Carlisle, Chilocco, and early mission schools.

Blaine McLain, head archivist of Special Collections at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. He manages archival collections related to the Cherokee National seminaries and regional histories.

Britton Morgan, undergraduate student research assistant at NSU from Muskogee, Oklahoma. He works with NSU archives, focusing on materials related to Indian boarding schools.

Michelle Martin, independent scholar in Arizona and former NSU faculty. She studies the Tullahassee Mission School and the legacies of interracial marriage tied to boarding schools.

Cheyenne Widdecke, master’s student in anthropology at OU, specializing in archaeology. As a Graduate Research Assistant, she surveys archival collections, examines boarding school site records, and conducts oral history research with the Sac and Fox Nation.

Mary Harjo (citizen of the Muscogee/Creek Nation), boarding school alumna. She attended federal Indian boarding schools from 1st through 12th grade and later earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work at OU. A survivor of discrimination and abuse, she became a social worker and mentor, sharing her lived experiences to inform truthtelling and healing efforts.