Our Past is Our Future Podcast
In a special season of the SAPIENS podcast, hosts Ora Marek-Martinez and Yoli Ngandali share the stories of Black and Indigenous people who become archaeologists. From defying the status quo to diving through sunken ships, this special season brings listeners on a journey of reclaiming voices and reimagining history.
Hosts Dr. Ora Marek-Martinez and Yoli Ngandali share how they found their way to archaeology and what it means to be Black and Indigenous archaeologists. From defying the status quo in a classroom to diving through sunken ships, Ora and Yoli bring listeners on a journey of reclaiming stories and reimagining history.
Episode 2: Redrawing the Boundaries
The second episode of season 4 of the SAPIENS podcast features stories about what it means to unearth African history on the Caribbean island of St. Croix and why Black archaeologists are searching for sunken slave ships.
Episode 3: At the Heart of It All
In the third episode of season 4 of the SAPIENS podcast, an archaeologist and community historian share the difficult stories of identifying and protecting unmarked graves at Indigenous boarding schools and a historic African American cemetery threatened by development..
Episode 4: Curating as Caretaking
This episode of the SAPIENS podcast takes listeners behind the scenes in museums to explore how Black and Indigenous curators are re-imagining what their collections and exhibitions can do to change minds and transform hearts.
Episode 5: More Than a Mountain
In this SAPIENS podcast episode, listeners learn about Dzil Nchaa Si’an, a sacred mountain in Arizona that Apache tribal members depend on and deeply value. The mountain has also become a site of resistance.
Episode 6: Slavery, Sustenance, and Resistance
In this SAPIENS podcast episode, meet the archaeologists who are investigating how "slave cuisine" can be a new site of understanding Black survival and resistance.
Episode 7: Repatriation is Our Future
In the SAPIENS podcast season 4 finale, listeners hear the story of Dr. Rachel Watkins and why repatriation matters for African American communities.