258: Paul Bunyan and Indigenous Traditions (with Leah Lemm)

Sometimes you just gotta go off about Paul Bunyan and timber. We’re joined by Leah Lemm, who shares with us growing up with Paul Bunyan stories, how he became a villain in her eyes, and how to honor history without making things up.

Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of colonialism, ecoterrorism, deforestation, violence against Indigenous people, manifest destiny, human rights violations, animal death, generational trauma, cannibalism, ableism, bullying, fire/burning, drowning, and animal attacks.

Guest

Leah Lemm is a radio & podcast host/producer, singer/songwriter, and a member of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe. Her work revolves around sound/music/voice and community story-sharing, with the mission to Amplify Native Voices. She currently lives in Grand Rapids, MN with her husband, young son, and country dog. For information about her podcast, Wisdom Continuum, visit their website.

Housekeeping

MERCH! Get the Mothman Crewneck at spiritspodcast.com/merch!

Recommendation: This week, Amanda recommends wearing Mothman’s butt out in the world.

Books: Check out our previous book recommendations, guests’ books, and more at spiritspodcast.com/books

Call to Action: Check out NEXT STOP: An audio sitcom that explores the turbulent time of your mid-to-late 20s when everyone is changing around you -- and you worry that you might not catch up. Season 1 is out now! Search for NEXT STOP in your podcast app or go to nextstopshow.com

Sponsors

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Skillshare is an online learning community where you can learn—and teach—just about anything. Explore your creativity at Skillshare.com/spirits and get a free trial of Premium Membership. This week Amanda recommends “Portrait Photography: Shoot & Edit Instagram-Worthy Shots” with Jessica Kobeissi.

Orphan Black: The Next Chapter is the official continuation of the hit TV series that continues the journey of the sestras and explores the dangerous, life-changing consequences of having destroyed Project Leda for good. Learn more about Orphan Black: The Next Chapter at realm.fm, and be sure to listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

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About Us

Spirits was created by Julia Schifini, Amanda McLoughlin and Eric Schneider. We are founding members of Multitude, an independent podcast collective and production studio. Our music is "Danger Storm" by Kevin MacLeod (http://incompetech.com), licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0.