A Smudge For Your Thoughts

Topic: The possibility of abolition of prisons and jails in Indian Country and how we can achieve it.

Guest: Joseph Henry Morsette, MSCJA, JD, LL.M.

Bio: Joseph Henry Morsette, MSCJA, JD, LL.M.; is a two-time self-published #1 bestselling author in multiple categories and #1 new release on Amazon; original course creator, coach, speaker, consultant, adjunct professor, pancreatitis survivor, tribal attorney, judge, prosecutor, public defender, federal police officer, enrolled member of Rocky Boy’s Band of Anishinaabe, Indigenous Combat Two-Service Veteran of Foreign Wars (USA/USAF), husband, father, grandfather.

Antonio Rafael is an indigenous (Coahuiltecan and Boricua) agroecologist, educator, outdoorsman, radical economist, artist, beekeeper, and gardener from Southwest, Detroit.

John Pepion is a Plains Indian Graphic artist from the Piikani Band of the Blackfoot Confederacy. He is based out of the Blackfeet reservation in north-central Montana, where the Rocky Mountains meet the plains. John is best known for his ledger art, an art tradition that developed in Plains tribes as the buffalo hide, they traditionally used for painting became scarce, and they were forced to adapt to making artwork on the ledger paper from accounting books. He comes from a family of artists, and pictographic art has been in his family for hundreds of years.

Sarah Agaton Howes is an Anishinaabe artist, designer, teacher, and community organizer from Fond du Lac Reservation in Minnesota. She is widely known for her cultural art classes connecting community through art.  She is the CEO and artist behind Heart Berry, an Inspired Natives Collaboration and Native lifestyle brand.

"We are a mother-daughter makeup brand inspired by our indigenous background. We are Creek and Coahuiltecan. We love the beauty industry and earth tone colors. We are just here to represent the indigenous culture."

Dante Biss-Grayson is a Veteran and a member of the Osage Nation. He is an Artist, Poet, and Fashion Designer. His work covers a vast array of topics through a variety of mediums. A Native-Renaissance is occurring and his multi-faceted approach to art and advocacy is apparent in the following projects:   As the Creative Director and Owner of the Sky-Eagle Collection, he has designed collections of Ribbon Skirts, Dresses, Jewelry, Neckties, and Scarves with the intent to bring Awareness and Action to issues impacting Indian Country. One Collection in particular address the MMIW epidemic and a percent of the proceeds are donated to Native American Advocacy Groups. This year he has started the "400 Ribbon Skirt Project," where he will donate 400 Ribbon Skirts to homeless and DV shelters to the the hardest hit reservations, and will send them to the 4 directions. This is a way to give good medicine and healing to those in need, and support Native Communities.   In the realm of Fine Art, he has excelled with Oil Paintings in abstract and expressionist styles. Initially part of his therapy for his multiple tours overseas in conflict zones, the work has enveloped, and eventually expanded into multi-media sculptures and paintings. He has created a 3d Holographic installation of a Straight-dancer, and plans to link these units together to form a 10 ft tall sculpture. Once completed, other tribal dancers will be part of the project, and the intent is to compare the physical world with that of the spirit world, and the connections between them.  Lastly, he has started a compendium of poetry in 5 volumes. The book of poetry brings awareness to the MMIW epidemic by honoring those who are missing, murdered, and taken away from their families and tribes.   

Visit National Indigenous Women's Resource Center to learn more about Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women - https://www.niwrc.org/resources 

Isaac Madson is Diné (Navajo) born and raised in the Navajo Nation. Isaac is known as @navabroisss on TikTok & Instagram. He is a new social media content creator that had a career in sports nutrition marketing before losing his career to Covid-19. Isaac focuses his platform on covering Native American social issues with humor from a Native American perspective. He has over 200,000 followers on TikTok & over 6 Million likes from various TikTok videos. Isaac is new to social media influencing and has focused his platform on showing the joys of loving his heritage and culture while existing in the 21st century.

Serene Lawrence (Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe, Hopi Tribe) is the Chief Operating Officer at Eighth Generation. Throughout the past four years at Eighth Generation, Serene has risen through the ranks to become COO and has been responsible for overseeing all product development from Artist engagement to Manufacturing and Marketing. She also coordinated Eighth Generation's timely donation of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to struggling health clinics in the early days of the pandemic. She is also a life long Jingle Dress Dancer and enjoys creating beadwork in her spare time.

Born in Treaty 1 Winnipeg Manitoba, The 21 year old First Nations/Irish artist Caid Jones is a Recording Artist & the Co-founder of PayAttention Records. He currently specializes in Hip-Hop/R & B, but has shown his vision of becoming a fully immersed musician. Caid jones is focussed heavily on community outreach, advocacy for indigenous voices in business and is passionate about environmental + social justice. He centers his music around his story in hopes to bring value and relation to those who listen. Speaking storytelling and raising awareness towards world issues in hopes to raise attention and vibration through art. Caid Jones brings passionate delivery combined with authentic and crafty wordplay to the music scene, his raw stage presence draws attention from all corners of the venues that he has played at.

Opening for artists such as Swollen Members, Brother Ali, DJ Shub and Skratch Bastid, Caid Jones has maneuvered his way through the Winnipeg music scene whilst being strategic with his releases and confident in his approach. His most recent release “Higher” can be found on Youtube along with his debut Music Video. Caid Jones can be found on instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and all streaming platforms.

Jesse DesRosier Assinaipooyii (Cree Speaker) born in the month of the big snow. I was given my Blackfoot name when I was 3 days old by my great great grandmother Mary Ground who was over 107. Since I was a child I’ve had a deep interest in my Niipatapiisinaan kii Nitsiipuhwahsin “Blackfoot ways of life and Language”. I graduated from the 8th grade at the Piegan Institute in 2003. Later I graduated Browning High School in 2007. Afterward I served four years fighting dragons for Uncle Sam (in the United States Marine Corps) 2007-2011. When I returned home I wondered and worked until I eventually started school in 2013 at the University of Montana Missoula, I graduated with a bachelors degree in May 2013. After returning home I started working back at the immersion school Piegan Institute where I teach the language currently, as well as Blackfeet Community College and online at Yale University. I have been very active in advocating for language, veteran health and Badger Two Medicine traveling to Washington DC twice speaking and advocating. I was also a keynote speaker at the 60th annual Wilderness Conference in Albuquerque New Mexico. I am a proud husband to Tillie Torpey who I captured from Idaho, and father of four amazing and wild rug rats. Among other things I am also an artist and amateur cage fighter. For more questions contact me at jessedesrosier@gmail.com  

Nalakwsis is a Cree artist based in Whapmagoostui, Quebec. Their art is inspired by their Cree culture, Cree Language and Eeyou Istchee.

For 3 decades , brother and sister Jeneda and Clayson Benally have been recording and touring bringing their empowering organic conscious raising charged music to communities throughout Europe and North America.

Multi award winning musicians Jeneda and Clayson Benally from the (Dine) Navajo Nation in Northern Arizona create an explosive duo of just bass, drums and vocals with a traditional Navajo backbone bridging folk, rock, world, pop and a little punk.

As brother and sister they grew up protesting the environmental degradation and inhumane acts of cultural genocide against their traditional way of life. Sihasins music reflects hope for equality, healthy and respectful communities and social and environmental justice.

Accomplishments:

Their first album “Never Surrender” produced by Grammy award winner Ed Stasium has won just about every award on the American Indian Music Scene. “Never Surrender” spent 18 weeks on Sirius XM'S Aboriginal countdown reaching the #1 spot and was highlighted in the Huffington Post as the #1 Freedom Fighting band to get you through the Trump Years .

Sihasin's second album “Fight Like A Woman” also produced by Ed Stasium, released in May 2018 has received 11 nominations in the Native American Music Categories, has won 2 Global Music Awards, Best Pop in the Indian Summer Music Awards and 5 nominations in the Native American Music Awards and is in current rotation throughout the world on Undercurrents radio and many college and independent radio stations.

Sihasin is a rare band that does more than just perform. They leave their audiences with an exhilarating feeling of hope and respect and cultural appreciation. The duo also gives presentations and workshops on Native American culture and history. . Workshops combine the creative process of solution -finding with music and are tailored for every age group especially in schools but not limited to libraries, conferences, concerts and festivals.

Sihasin has been featured in The London Sunday Times, NPR's All Things Considered, Arizona Highways, The Huffington Post, Ryot Magazine, Radio France's RFI, Arte TV, PBS, ABC and many many more. Sihasin has recent;y performed at the Kennedy Center, Grassroots Festival, Festival Alfonso Ortiz Tirado in Mexico, Tanz n Fest in Germany, The Museum of Native American History, Globalquerque, SXSW, World Fest, The Woody Guthrie Center and many more. They have had a national television commercial with Tony Bennett for Hyundai cars, they have done over 30 tours in Europe and many more across the U.S. Mexico and Canada. They are looking forward to continuing to tour the world bringing their message of Hope, respect and understanding.

My name is Natalye Myers. I am a mother of two little girls and I also have another baby on the way! I am an enrolled member of the Chippewa Cree Tribe located in Rocky Boy, Montana. I grew up in both Rocky Boy, Montana and Santa Cruz, California. Education has always been important to me. My parents, mentors, and teachers always instilled that education was key growing up. I always had the goal to go out into the world, get my education, and then come back to my reservation to give back to my Tribe. I graduated high school in California in 2012. I graduated from the Montana State University, Northern in 2018. I currently work at my hometown elementary school on my reservation as a 5th grade teacher. I am also a full time student at The University of Montana, working towards getting my masters degree! I should be graduating Fall 2021 with my masters in Curriculum and Instruction. I am pursuing my masters so I can be the best teacher I can be for the youth of my Tribe!

Lynn-Marie Angus is from the Gitxaala, Nisga'a, Cree, and Metis Nations, and is the Owner of Sisters Sage, an Indigenous Wellness Brand in New Westminster, BC.   Sisters Sage creates modern self care and wellness products using traditional and cultural knowledge. Lynn-Marie has bootstrapped her business to be one that is fast gaining recognition in a highly competitive field. She uses her platform to inspire and motivate other indigenous women and youth to define their own financial futures through business.   A fun fact: Lynn-Marie Angus is the first ever National Pow Wow Pitch competition winner!  

Rebekah “Carries Sweet Grass Woman” Jarvey is a Chippewa, Cree and Blackfeet self-proclaimed Indigenous Fashionista from Rocky Boy, Montana. She is a fourth generation beader and sewer. With the foundation of her traditional Tribal heritage and todays fashion, she combines Indigenous Style with a modern urban touch to authentic handmade masks and ribbon skirts. She believes it’s her responsibility to make sure the collector is looking stylish with culture.

Here’s the recent media outlets she was on,