FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEDIA CONTACT:
Shonda Moore
Director of Marketing & Communications
(951) 963-4362
smoore@calhum.org
Oakland, CA — March 30, 2026 — California Humanities announces the launch of Reclaiming Our Stories: Voices of Indigenous Peoples of California, a six-episode podcast series amplifying the voices, leadership, and lived experiences of Native peoples across the state. The first episode premieres May 5, 2026.
As the United States approaches the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the series offers an opportunity to broaden public understanding by including Indigenous perspectives that are often absent from mainstream historical narratives.
Hosted and story-woven by the Honorable Victorio L. Shaw, Esq., a citizen of the Hoopa Valley Tribe and Chief Judge for the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians and the Robinson Rancheria Tribal Courts, the series creates space for Indigenous leaders, artists, educators, and advocates to define their own narratives — on their own terms.
“Reclaiming Our Stories to me is an opportunity for California Tribal people to showcase some of our best, brightest, and most accomplished minds and to allow them to explain our truths and our perspectives on the past, present, and future of not only Native California but the state as a whole,” said Shaw. “I hope that listeners will take away a new perspective, one that encompasses the experiences and the wisdom of original inhabitants of this land and their descendants. With this new perspective, they can view the world through a more grounded, spiritual lens.”
Structured by region and theme, Reclaiming Our Stories highlights Indigenous leadership from across California and explores narrative sovereignty, tribal governance, artistic expression, legal advocacy, journalism, and intergenerational resilience. The series follows a six-part narrative journey: Owning Our Narrative → Telling the Truth in Our Own Voice → We Decide Our Future, moving across past, present, and future, emphasizing context, continuity, and lived experience rather than a single timeline.
Featured guests include Judge Abby Abinanti (Yurok), Georgiana Sanchez (Chumash, O’odham), Cristina Gonzales (Chumash), Terria Smith (Cahuilla), Cindi Alvitre (Tongva), Nicole Myers-Lim (Pomo), and Michelle Lee (Pit River, Cahuilla). Additional guests will be announced in the coming weeks.
The series’ visual identity was created by commissioned Indigenous artist Monica Zavala (Gabrielino, Tongva), whose artwork reflects themes of land, continuity, and narrative sovereignty that anchor the project.
“At California Humanities, we believe communities must have the power to tell their own stories,” said Rick Noguchi, President & CEO of California Humanities. “Reclaiming Our Stories reflects our commitment to cultural respect, civic dialogue, and the enduring strength of California’s Indigenous communities.”
Reclaiming Our Stories: Voices of Indigenous Peoples of California is made possible through the generous support of the 11th Hour Project and The Weingart Foundation. The podcast also gets support from By the People: Conversations Beyond 250, a series of community-driven programs created by humanities councils in collaboration with local partners. The initiative was developed by the Federation of State Humanities Councils and the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage.
“We support Indigenous Peoples, particularly those in California, to represent themselves and tell their own stories,” said Hester Dillon (Cherokee Nation), director of the Indigenous Communities program at the 11th Hour Project. “Native communities are diverse and vibrant across the United States, despite ongoing efforts to eradicate and invisibilize us through erasure and stereotypes. The 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence is an important opportunity for Americans to understand that foundational tenets of American democracy in 1776 were borrowed from the Haudenosaunee Confederacy and that Tribal nations have a government-to-government relationship with the United States.”
“Supporting Indigenous sovereignty includes the right to tell one’s own story—honoring the resilience, cultural strength, and self-determination of Native communities at a critical moment when erasure threatens our collective understanding of history,” said Joanna S. Jackson, President and C.E.O., Weingart Foundation. “We are proud to support projects like Reclaiming Our Stories, which help ensure that the voices of the First Peoples of California are not only heard, but recognized as essential to shaping a more inclusive narrative.”
The series was recorded in partnership with Hear Me Now Studio Nonprofit Podcast Network and produced by Jeff Holden and Sawyer Milam.
Episodes will be available beginning May 5, 2026, on major podcast platforms.
For more information, visit calhum.org.
About California Humanities
California Humanities, a nonprofit partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities, connects Californians to ideas and one another to better understand our shared heritage and the many cultures that shape our state. For 50 years, our grants and programs have fostered connection, community, and learning through storytelling, dialogue, and the arts.
To learn more, visit calhum.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
About the 11th Hour Project
The 11th Hour Project provides grantmaking and other support to organizations and historically excluded communities who are working towards renewable energy solutions, resilient food systems, ocean restoration and preservation, and the protection of human rights. We partner with nonprofits that use a variety of advocacy tactics to shift narratives, mobilize against harmful practices, envision more regenerative pathways, and inspire meaningful policy and rights-based regulatory change.
ABOUT THE WEINGART FOUNDATION
Founded in 1951 by Ben and Stella Weingart, the Weingart Foundation is a private grantmaking organization advancing racial, social, and economic justice for all in Southern California. Since its founding, the Foundation has granted over $1 billion in grants and loans to organizations, coalitions, and collaboratives, providing critical services and building power in communities most impacted by racial and socioeconomic injustice. In 2017, the Weingart Foundation committed to aligning its entire investment portfolio with its mission through mission-related and program-related investments that drive equity. The Foundation also partners with philanthropic, public sector, and community leaders to advance shared solutions that advance justice.
