Tiokasin Ghosthorse on Indigenous Language, Disconnection, and Returning to Earth

The Critical Social Worker: A Revolutionary Storytelling Podcast

Episode 67 of The Critical Social Worker: A Revolutionary Storytelling

PodcastGuest: Tiokasin Ghosthorse (Cheyenne River Lakota Nation)

Tiokasin Ghosthorse is an educator, musician, and founder of First Voices Radio. For more than three decades he has carried Indigenous voices into global conversations about Earth, culture, and healing. In this dialogue, Tiokasin and Professor Ace explore how language, disconnection, and modernity shape our lives — and what it means to return to intuition, kinship, and the living presence of Earth.

🌍 What You’ll Hear in This Episode

How substance abuse reflects deeper disconnection from culture and community

Why Indigenous languages carry wisdom English often forgets

The role of listening circles in restoring true communicationIntuition and heart knowledge as guides in a fractured world

Living in relationship with Earth, not in domination over it

🗝️ Key Takeaways

Healing begins with reconnection to culture, land, and community

Language shapes our reality — Indigenous languages offer different ways of being

Modernity often deepens disconnection, but Earth remains teacher

Listening differently opens pathways to self-discovery and collective healing

📖 Chapters

00:00 Intro to episode

01:20 Introduction to Indigenous Perspectives

10:06 The Role of Language in Connection

19:45 Understanding Disconnection and Reconnection

30:07 The Impact of Modernity on Indigenous Wisdom

51:17 The Importance of Listening Circles

52:37 Rediscovering True Communication

55:24 Cultural Identity and Historical Context

58:56 Nature and Spirituality: A Deep Connection

01:01:35 The Process of Self-Discovery

01:04:04 Decolonizing Language and Thought

01:07:36 The Role of Indigenous Knowledge

01:10:41 Understanding Relationships and Inclusion

01:13:36 Healing Through Present Awareness

01:16:15 Reflections on Language and Identity

01:21:51 Living in Harmony with Earth

01:25:34 Listening to Nature’s Wisdom

01:32:38 The Essence of Being vs. Doing

🔗 Connect with Tiokasin Ghosthorse

🌐 Website: akantuinstitute.org

🎙️ First Voices Radio: firstvoicesindigenousradio.org

📢 Patreon: patreon.com/Ghosthorse

💡 Support Revolutionary Social Work

For more information or to connect: [email protected]

🌐 revolutionarysocialwork.com

© UAF Social Work