In Episode 96 of Red Hoop Talk, host Jennifer welcomes Julian Brave NoiseCat (Canim Lake Band Tsq̓éscen̓/Líl̓wat Nation), a writer, Oscar-nominated filmmaker, champion powwow dancer, and student of art and history. Julian’s work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The New Yorker, earning him honors such as the 2022 American Mosaic Journalism Prize and recognition on the TIME100 Next list. His first documentary, Sugarcane, co-directed with Emily Kassie, was nominated for an Academy Award and won the Directing Award at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. His debut book, We Survive the Night, continues his work of truth-telling and cultural revival through story.

In this episode, Julian opens up about the intergenerational trauma caused by residential and boarding schools across North America—beginning with his father’s survival story and their journey toward healing through art and storytelling. He shares how Sugarcane and We Survive the Night became acts of remembrance and reclamation, helping to confront painful histories while restoring connection across generations. Julian also reflects on how his mother ensured he stayed rooted in his Indigenous identity while growing up between Oakland and Canim Lake, and how the trickster figure Coyote helped him understand his father and the complexity of Native masculinity.

Through an intimate and thought-provoking conversation, Julian explores how storytelling, art, and truth-telling are powerful tools for resistance and renewal. He discusses the lasting legacy of the Alcatraz occupation and how it helped shift U.S. federal policy from “termination” to “self-determination” for Native Nations. For Julian, the work of storytelling is a responsibility as much as an art: “Once you commit to telling a story, you can’t half tell it—you have to go all the way there.”

Listeners will come away inspired by Julian’s reflections on reciprocity, generosity, and what it means to carry stories forward with integrity. Sugarcane is now streaming on Hulu and Disney+ under National Geographic, and We Survive the Night is available through Alfred A. Knopf and Penguin Random House. Follow Julian on Instagram at @jnoisecat and his father, artist Ed Archie NoiseCat, at @noisecatart.

Each episode of Red Hoop Talk connects listeners with powerful Native voices. By supporting the Association on American Indian Affairs, you help protect Native cultures, uplift Native storytellers, and strengthen the next generations.