From our friends at Pushkin – this is the untold story of America. This summer the United States celebrated the 250-year anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. When you read the Declaration, you realize it is a list of complaints. The last entry, the climax in our founders’ reasons for rebellion against the Crown, is this: “He has excited… the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.”

We have been told the Revolution was fought over taxation and representation. But what the founders were most angry about in our country’s most famous document was Indian affairs. How did generations of Americans miss this?

The first armed rebellion against the Crown was an attack on British forts that traded with tribes. When colonists threw tea into the Boston harbor, they dressed up like members of the Mohawk tribe—not for disguise, but because pretending to be Indian symbolized freedom and rebellion. The founding fathers’ first government failed because Indigenous nations were too powerful; war and diplomacy with Native people is why we have a central federal government.

Hosted and reported by Rebecca Nagle and featuring leading Native historians, First America unveils how the founders’ treatment of Indigenous nations—and their resistance—shaped US democracy. The show does not simply add another blemish to the image of the founding fathers, it reveals the real story of why the colonists rebelled, what kind of government they created, and, crucially, how our current political moment was 250 years in the making.

More episodes of America First are available wherever you get your podcasts, and here: https://podcasts.apple.com/ro/podcast/america-first/id1255352731?l=ro

Have you ever tried gardening by moonlight? Shirli Ewachuk says that thanks to the moon’s connection to water in the ground, the sky, soil and seasons work together to create the juiciest gardens. Shirli tells Rosanna how knowledge like moon planting was passed on by her mother and her aunties — knowledge she now passes on to others. Also on the show, we’ll hear how Gracyn Tanche hopes an upcoming medicine picking workshop will help Dehcho Dene access their land, culture and their Elders' knowledge. And, Marie Anderson shares how taking part in her first medicine picking workshop helped her feel more connected to her Dene identity.

As the place where the Assiniboine and Red rivers meet, The Forks marks an important trade route for Indigenous people that pre-dates colonization by thousands of years. This National Indigenous Peoples Day, Unreserved is live from The Forks on Treaty 1 territory! Rosanna captures some of the magic of this place as communities come together to celebrate and share stories of resilience and resurgence.

An almost forgotten dance is making a comeback on the powwow trail. This weekend the Great Lakes Woodland style dance is one of many styles you’ll find at the Wáhkóhtowin Powwow on Treaty One territory in Winnipeg. Rosanna hears from Anishinaabe dancer Ryerson Whetung about the hopping style that is set to a very fast double beat, as well as the floral work and otter turbans that bring this style’s simple but stunning regalia to life.

Did you know the Declaration of Independence contains a racial slur? When Rebecca Nagle learned that “merciless Indian savages” were a main grievance of America’s founders it changed her perspective on history. The Cherokee journalist tells Rosanna how her search for an Indigenous telling of America’s history created the backbone of a new podcast, First America. And, filmmaker Brad Munoa – a member of the Pachanga band – zooms into what we currently call California to tell a more complete story of that territory in his 10-part docuseries, People of the West. As America prepares to celebrate 250 years as a nation, we hear from Indigenous scholars and creators on the true story of America told through an Indigenous lens.

The story of Tshakapesh and his snaring of the sun is another way of explaining the annular eclipse – it’s one of the Innu stories passed down over thousands of years that is based on precise observations of the night sky. Rosanna speaks with astronomer, Laurie Rousseau-Nepton about the methodologies of her ancestors that showed the connections between climate, the earth, the stars, and us. Also on the show, Haudenosaunee knowledge keeper and astronomer, Samantha Doxtator, who is educating future generations through her portable planetarium and self-proclaimed space nerd, Ajuawak Kapashesit, on his new series “Sky World”.

As early as the 1500s, the fiddle reached some of the most remote and northerly Indigenous communities on Turtle Island. Dave McLeod says that’s part of the reason country music has such deep roots in community. This week, Dave stops by to share his Indigenous country record collection and Rosanna speaks with classic country soul Zach Moostoos-Willier and Cree country diva Desiree Dorion about why country music is so connected to the experiences and stories of Indigenous people.

Sharing Chickasaw culture through orchestral composition is Jerod Impichchaachaaha' Tate's heartwork. He wants his music to empower Indigenous people and create an opportunity for them to feel good about themselves, celebrating culture through epic and powerful symphonic scores. This week Rosanna speaks with composers and creators who are creating new spaces on orchestral stages across Turtle Island, featuring new works from Sandra Laronde and Jerod Impichchaachaaha' Tate.