A new podcast series will explore the origins of the United States by placing Indigenous history at the centre of the story.
First America is a six episode narrative podcast from Pushkin Industries and Critical Frequency, hosted by award winning journalist and activist Rebecca Nagle, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation.
Across the series, Rebecca revisits key moments in early American history and examines how Indigenous Tribes shaped events that are often told without their participation.
The podcast will connect those historical events with present day political and social issues in the United States.
The series features conversations with Indigenous scholars and historians including Maggie Blackhawk of the Fond du Lac Ojibwe, Ned Blackhawk of the Te Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone, Phil Deloria, a descendant of the Standing Rock and Yankton Sioux tribes, and Nick Estes of the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe.
Episodes will examine events such as the Boston Tea Party and the Revolutionary War, exploring how the treatment of Indigenous peoples influenced the formation of the United States.
Rebecca said: “Most often, when I hear the story of America, Native people are missing. We’ve been written out of the history. But without us, you don’t know what happened.
“First America tells the true story of our country’s founding. And how our current political crisis is 250 years in the making.”
Gretta Cohn, CEO of Pushkin Industries, said the project was an immediate fit for the company and praised the team assembled by Rebecca.
She described the series as an immersive production that shows how historical events continue to shape the present day.
Weekly episodes will be available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other major podcast platforms from 22 June. Its theme song was written by Pulitzer Prize winning Navajo composer Raven Chacon.
The score also features Raven alongside White Mountain Apache musician Laura Ortman, whose work has been performed at venues and events including the Guggenheim, the Whitney Museum and the Venice Biennale.
