Beyond the Art

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Beyond the Art

Podcast with artists, influences and changemakers across the Native American artworld.

Beyond the Art is a podcast about the Native American / Indigenous art world. In each episode we speak with art leaders, influences and change-makers in the Native American arts, from artists to museum directors and everyone in between. We discuss their experiences, the communities they serve, the translation and interpretation of Native American art today, how its transformed and continues to be a integral element in today's tribal communities, and why they’ve dedicated their lives to art.

09/10/2026

RECLAIMING HISTORY. REFRAMING THE IMAGE. ILLUMINATING THE STORIES THAT WERE ALWAYS THERE.

On this fascinating episode of Beyond the Art Podcast, we welcome Brian Adams and Sarah Stacke, the creative collaborators behind In Light and Shadow—a groundbreaking exploration of Indigenous photography, visual history, representation, and reclamation.

Their story begins with friendship.

Brian, an Alaskan Inuit photographer, grew up rarely seeing Indigenous photographers represented in the books, archives, and resources available to him. Too often, Native communities appeared through someone else’s lens—documented from the outside rather than represented by those living the experience.

Sarah, a non-Indigenous archival researcher, brought a deep commitment to uncovering overlooked histories and understanding the responsibility that comes with telling them.

Together, they began asking a larger question:

What if Indigenous photographic history were not simply collected—but reclaimed?

That question became the foundation for years of research, collaboration, and ultimately In Light and Shadow—a tangible visual history created with extraordinary attention to authorship, accountability, context, and community.

And perhaps most powerfully, the book creates something Brian did not have growing up: a roadmap for the next generation of Indigenous photographers and visual storytellers to see themselves within the history of the medium.

🎧 Listen on all major podcast platforms
📺 Watch the full conversation on YouTube

WATCH. LISTEN. FOLLOW. SUBSCRIBE. BE INSPIRED.

09/09/2026

WHO DEFINES NATIVE IDENTITY? WHO CONTROLS THE NARRATIVE?

On this compelling episode of Beyond the Art Podcast, Petala Ironcloud— Petala Ironcloud Lakota writer, cultural critic, and contemporary thinker—challenges us to reconsider how Indigenous identity is defined, represented, and understood.

For generations, Native stories have too often been told through outside perspectives. Petala’s work asks what happens when Indigenous people reclaim authorship and control the narrative themselves.

From his beginnings in textiles and weaving to writing and cultural criticism, Petala’s creative journey is one of evolution. The medium changed, but the mission remained: to create, question, challenge, and tell stories with purpose.

⚡ Identity is lived—not assigned.
⚡ Representation changes when Indigenous voices lead.
⚡ Storytelling can become an act of sovereignty.

Working at the intersection of art, media, politics, technology, and Indigenous culture, Petala pushes beyond familiar narratives and creates space for deeper conversations about identity, agency, and contemporary Native life.

🌟 Petala—thank you for being a guest on Beyond the Art. Thank you for sharing your journey, insight, immense creativity, and thought-provoking perspective. Your voice continues to challenge assumptions and move the conversation forward.

🎧 Listen on all major podcast platforms
📺 Watch on YouTube
🌐 Discover more: petalaironcloud.com

WATCH. LISTEN. FOLLOW. SUBSCRIBE. BE INSPIRED.

IndigenousIdentity

07/05/2026

The Most Powerful Story Is the One You Tell Yourself.

Who decides what it means to be Native?

For centuries, Indigenous peoples have been defined by history books, museums, government policies, Hollywood, and media—often by voices looking in from the outside.

On this compelling episode of Beyond the Art Podcast - Petala Ironcloud invites us to challenge that legacy and ask a fundamental question:

What happens when Indigenous people reclaim the authorship of their own stories?

As a Lakota writer, cultural critic, and contemporary thinker, Petala explores how identity cannot be reduced to a single definition or filtered through someone else’s perspective. Native identity is not static. It is living, evolving, complex, and deeply personal.

His journey—from weaving textiles to weaving ideas through writing—reflects a larger truth: the medium may change, but the purpose remains the same.

To tell stories with honesty.

To question inherited narratives.

To create space where Indigenous voices define themselves.

⚡ Identity is not assigned—it is lived.
⚡ Representation is strongest when it comes from within.
⚡ The future of Indigenous storytelling belongs to Indigenous storytellers.

Petala’s work sits at the intersection of art, media, politics, and culture, asking audiences not simply to observe Native communities—but to rethink how they understand them. His writing challenges assumptions, expands dialogue, and reminds us that storytelling is one of the most powerful forms of cultural sovereignty.

🌟 The question isn’t who is telling the story. The question is: Who has been missing from it?

Petala—thank you.

Thank you for joining us on Beyond the Art and for sharing your remarkable journey, your thoughtful perspective, and your unwavering commitment to advancing Indigenous thought. Your work continues to inspire artists, writers, scholars, and audiences to think more deeply about identity, creativity, and the power of narrative.

🎧 Listen now on all major podcast platforms.
📺 Watch the full episode on YouTube.

🌐 Learn more about Petala and his work: petalaironcloud.com

07/01/2026

Who Gets to Define Native Identity? Who Has the Authority to Tell the Story?

On this thought-provoking episode of Beyond the Art Podcast, challenges one of the most important questions facing Indigenous communities, artists, and cultural institutions today:

Who defines what it means to be Native—and who controls that narrative?

As a Lakota writer, cultural critic, and contemporary Indigenous thinker, Petala explores how Native identity has too often been shaped through outside perspectives—filtered through institutions, media, academia, and popular culture rather than through the voices of Indigenous people themselves.

His work asks us to reconsider long-held assumptions.

Not to accept easy definitions.

But to recognize that Native identity is living, evolving, and deeply personal.

⚡ Who has the authority to tell Indigenous stories?
⚡ What happens when Native people reclaim authorship of their own narratives?
⚡ How do art, language, media, and criticism reshape the future of Indigenous representation?

Petala reminds us that storytelling is more than documentation—it is an act of sovereignty. His work continues to challenge inherited narratives while creating space for Indigenous perspectives to lead the conversation.

His voice represents a new generation of Native intellectuals and artists who are redefining how Indigenous communities are understood—not through stereotypes or historical mythology, but through lived experience, contemporary thought, and cultural complexity.

🌟 When Native people tell their own stories, they don’t simply change the narrative—they reclaim it.

Petala—thank you.

🎧 Listen now on all major podcast platforms.
📺 Watch the full episode on YouTube.

🌐 Learn more about Petala and his work: petalaironcloud.com

06/25/2026

When the Loom Changed, the Story Continued.

On this compelling episode of Beyond the Art Podcast, we welcome Petala Ironcloud—Lakota writer, cultural critic, and thought leader whose extraordinary creative journey demonstrates that while the medium may change, the artist’s voice never does.

Petala’s artistic path began at the loom, immersed in the intricate world of textiles, weaving, and fiber arts. As a young artist, he found meaning in the rhythm of threads, structure, and the physical act of creating with his hands. But life presented an unexpected challenge. Leaving home for college and later relocating to New York City meant leaving behind the tools, equipment, and studio space essential to his practice.

Rather than allowing circumstance to silence his creativity, Petala transformed it.

He exchanged woven fiber for written language.

He replaced the loom with a keyboard.

And in doing so, discovered an entirely new way to weave stories.

His writing carries the same intentionality, complexity, and structure that once existed in his textile work—only now his medium reaches audiences across the globe. Today, Petala stands at the intersection of Indigenous art, media, politics, technology, and cultural criticism, challenging assumptions while expanding conversations around Native identity, representation, and contemporary Indigenous thought.

Petala’s journey is a remarkable reminder that creativity is never confined by materials or space—it is fueled by imagination, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to expression. His story illustrates how obstacles can become opportunities and how true artists continually reinvent their practice while remaining authentic to their vision.

🌟 Petala Ironcloud reminds us that every artist has the power to redefine their craft without ever losing their voice.

🎧 Listen now on all major podcast platforms.
📺 Watch the full episode on YouTube.

06/22/2026

Hickory Ground: A Sacred Place. A National Tragedy. A Story That Must Be Remembered.

On this powerful episode of Beyond the Art Podcast, we examine the profound historical significance of Hickory Ground—one of the most sacred ceremonial and ancestral sites of the Muscogee people—and the ongoing struggle to protect its legacy.

Long before Oklahoma became home to the Muscogee Nation, Hickory Ground stood as a thriving capital, a place of governance, ceremony, culture, and community. It was where generations lived, celebrated, prayed, and laid their loved ones to rest. It is not simply a location on a map—it is a sacred landscape woven into the history and identity of an entire people.

This episode explores one of the most heartbreaking chapters in modern Native history: the excavation of ancestral graves and the continuing fight to restore dignity, respect, and justice for those whose resting place was disturbed.

⚡ A story of sacred land.
⚡ A story of cultural survival.
⚡ A story of remembrance, resilience, and justice.

Through thoughtful conversation, this episode examines the historical, legal, and cultural issues surrounding Hickory Ground while asking larger questions about how America protects Indigenous heritage and whether Native sacred places receive the same respect afforded to other historic cemeteries and memorial sites.

History is not only preserved in books and museums.

It lives in landscapes.
It lives in ceremony.
It lives in the ancestors who came before us.

Hickory Ground reminds us that protecting Indigenous history is not simply about preserving the past—it is about honoring living cultures, safeguarding sacred places, and ensuring future generations understand the enduring legacy of Native nations.

🌟 We extend our deepest gratitude to the historians, legal advocates, cultural leaders, and community members who continue to educate, advocate, and stand in defense of Hickory Ground.

🌐 Learn more and support ongoing educational efforts: justiceforhickoryground.com -

06/18/2026

The Fight for Hickory Ground Is About More Than History—It’s About Humanity.

On this compelling episode of Beyond the Art Podcast, we examine the ongoing struggle surrounding Hickory Ground, one of the most sacred ceremonial and ancestral sites of the Muscogee people. This conversation moves beyond headlines and legal filings to explore a fundamental question:

How do we honor the dead, protect the sacred, and uphold justice when the systems designed to do so fall short?

Hickory Ground is not simply an archaeological site. It is a place of memory, ceremony, community, and ancestral connection. Yet today, it remains at the center of a deeply complex battle involving repatriation, tribal sovereignty, cultural preservation, and the rights of descendant communities.

This episode explores the heartbreaking reality that 57 Muscogee ancestors remain displaced from their resting place, while legal, institutional, and bureaucratic barriers continue to complicate efforts to bring them home.

Through the voices of advocates, legal experts, and cultural leaders, this conversation challenges listeners to confront difficult truths about preservation, repatriation, and the unequal treatment of Native sacred places throughout American history.

At its core, this episode is not about politics.

It is about respect.

It is about dignity.

It is about ensuring that Native ancestors receive the same protections, care, and reverence that any other community would expect for their loved ones.

🌟 Hickory Ground reminds us that cultural preservation is not merely about protecting artifacts—it is about protecting people, memory, identity, and the sacred relationships that connect generations.

🎧 Listen now on all major podcast platforms
📺 Watch the full episode on YouTube
🌐 Learn more and support the effort: justiceforhickoryground.com -

06/09/2026

Hickory Ground: Sacred Land. Stolen Ancestors. An Ongoing Fight for Justice.

On this urgent and deeply important episode of Beyond the Art Podcast, we confront the ongoing crisis at Hickory Ground—a sacred Muscogee ceremonial and burial site at the center of one of the most painful and complex struggles for Indigenous sovereignty, ancestral protection, and justice today.

This episode pulls back the curtain on the legal, historical, and institutional failures surrounding the excavation and desecration of sacred burial grounds—asking difficult but necessary questions about accountability, sovereignty, and what justice truly means for Native communities.

At the center of this conversation is the devastating reality that 57 Muscogee ancestors remain displaced, currently stored in inadequate conditions rather than returned home with dignity and care. Through an in-depth discussion, legal and cultural advocates reveal how systems originally intended to protect Native peoples—including NAGPRA (Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act)—have failed the very communities they were designed to serve.

This episode examines the legal complexities surrounding tribal sovereignty, repatriation, and historical preservation, while exposing the painful double standards Indigenous communities continue to face.

This conversation is about more than Hickory Ground.
It is about respect.
It is about ancestral dignity.
It is about protecting sacred places and Indigenous lifeways for future generations.

🌟 We are deeply grateful to the legal and cultural advocates who joined us to share their knowledge, courage, and unwavering commitment to justice. Thank you for helping illuminate this critical issue and for continuing the fight to protect Native ancestors and sacred spaces.

🎧 Listen now on all major podcast platforms
📺 Watch the full episode on YouTube
🌐 Learn more and support the movement: justiceforhickoryground.com -

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+19188128860

Website

http://www.beyondtheart.net/, https://www.kosu.org/podcast/beyond-the-art

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