Angeline Boulley, citizen of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, joins host Jennifer Robin on the 97th episode of Red Hoop Talk to chat about the power of stories to heal, educate, and protect culture. Born into a family of storytellers, Angeline has spent her career in Native education and now brings that lived experience into her work as a bestselling author. Her novels reflect not only Ojibwe lifeways in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, but also the realities of Native youth navigating identity, justice, and survival.

Her debut, Firekeeper’s Daughter, was an instant #1 New York Times Bestseller and earned multiple awards, including the Walter Dean Myers Award for Outstanding Children’s Literature. She followed up with Warrior Girl Unearthed in 2023, a high-stakes thriller about reclaiming stolen history. Her newest book, Sisters in the Wind, takes readers on a daring journey with a foster teen who fights to claim her heritage on her own terms.

In this episode, Angeline reflects on how she weaves difficult truths into modern storytelling—whether about the Indian Child Welfare Act, repatriation, or the complicated relationship between Native Nations and law enforcement. She shares why she was determined that her audiobooks be narrated by Native voices, teaching narrators to pronounce Ojibwe language with care so the stories carry authenticity. She also recalls how the idea for Firekeeper’s Daughter lived with her for decades before she finally had the chance to bring it to life, writing it piece by piece in the quiet hours of the morning.

For Angeline, stories are not just entertainment. They are acts of cultural survival, a way to keep Native youth connected to their language and lifeways, and a reminder that representation can quite literally save lives.

Each episode of Red Hoop Talk uplifts Native voices like Angeline’s, and by supporting the Association on American Indian Affairs, you help ensure these stories continue to be heard.