Host

The Garrison Institute co-founder, urban visionary and award-winning author Jonathan F.P. Rose.

Guest

Tiokasin Ghosthorse is a member of the Cheyenne River Lakota Nation, an educator, musician, Indigenous rights advocate, and international speaker on peace and our relationship with Mother Earth. He is the founder, host, and executive producer of First Voices Radio, which shares Indigenous perspectives, cultures, and stories. A master musician, he performs internationally and shares the traditions and teachings of Lakota culture. In 2016, he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by the International Institute of Peace Studies and Global Philosophy

Read and download the full transcript. 

Show Notes

• [00:00] Jonathan F.P. Rose welcomes Tiokasin Ghosthorse, a member of the Cheyenne River Lakota Nation, educator, musician, and founder of First Voices Radio, to explore Indigenous wisdom and our relationship with the living world.
• [02:42] Tiokasin describes an Indigenous worldview grounded in relationship, intuition, and the understanding that the center of the universe is everywhere. He reflects on the differences between Lakota ways of knowing and Western linear thought.
• [06:21] Tiokasin challenges the idea that consciousness belongs exclusively to humans. He invites us to recognize the intelligence of the natural world and to understand our place within a web of living relationships.
• [10:36] Jonathan and Tiokasin explore reciprocity between humans and the more-than-human world. Tiokasin recalls his grandmothers singing to seeds as they planted their gardens, sharing an example of Indigenous knowledge cultivated through generations of living closely with the Earth.
• [14:04] Tiokasin distinguishes between trying to establish peace on Earth and learning to live in peace with Earth. He reflects on the importance of Indigenous cultural knowledge in addressing ecological destruction, climate change, and humanity’s disconnection from nature.
• [20:10] Tiokasin discusses the significance of stones, water, and other forms of life within Lakota teachings, emphasizing relationship rather than the transactional pursuit of personal benefit.
• [23:22] Tiokasin explains how Indigenous languages can convey layers of relational meaning that are difficult to translate into English. He describes wochekia as acknowledging relationship rather than simply asking for something, and reflects on the deeper meaning of mni, the Lakota word for water.
• [34:03] Exploring Lakota concepts of living with Earth, Tiokasin reflects on the intelligence of geese, the lessons of natural cycles, and the importance of approaching life with awe and intuition.
• [39:18] Jonathan asks how communities can prepare for climate disruption. Tiokasin challenges apocalyptic thinking and argues that humans must learn to adapt to Earth’s changing conditions rather than expect nature to accommodate human comfort and privilege.
• [45:12] Tiokasin reflects on growing up with material scarcity, the wisdom of stillness, and the importance of trusting our relationships with all life. He encourages listeners to keep trying and to rediscover ways of living grounded in connection rather than fear.
• [48:08] Tiokasin questions the adequacy of symbolic land acknowledgments when Indigenous peoples and their living cultures remain overlooked. He calls for deeper recognition of Indigenous history and a renewed commitment to learning how to live together on the land.
• [52:00] Jonathan and Tiokasin consider the importance of embracing the full depth of human history, resisting cultural erasure, and learning to live in relationship with one another and the Earth.

This summary was created with the help of AI.