In Episode 96 of “Red Hoop Talk,” host Jennifer sits down with Tiokasin Ghosthorse, a citizen of the Cheyenne River Lakota Nation of South Dakota and the longtime voice behind First Voices Radio. For more than three decades, Tiokasin has used live radio to share Native perspectives on peace, culture, and our relationship with Mother Earth. Known internationally as an educator, musician, and advocate, he describes himself as a “perfectly flawed human being,” drawing on his Lakota values to explore what it means to live in balance with the world around us.

A master Lakota flute player who has performed everywhere from Lincoln Center to the United Nations, Tiokasin weaves together language, music, and nature as sources of energy and connection. In the episode, he reflects on non-dualistic ways of thinking and how the Earth herself teaches us—no academic degree required. “We were born singing in the form of crying,” he says, offering a powerful reminder that music connects all of us from birth. Tiokasin also talks about listening with patience rather than just tolerance, a lesson learned over decades of interviewing nearly a thousand guests with different worldviews on First Voices Radio, which concluded its final live broadcast in July 2025.

His stories move between personal and universal, from the spontaneity of live radio to the deep meaning carried by Native languages, where words hold not just definition but emotion and spirit. Tiokasin’s work has earned global recognition, including a Nobel Peace Prize nomination, but his focus remains on being a good human being and helping others do the same by accepting life’s mysteries rather than trying to solve them. To hear more from Tiokasin or explore the archives of First Voices Radio, visit firstvoicesindigenousradio.org. Each episode of “Red Hoop Talk” uplifts Native voices like Tiokasin’s, and by supporting the Association on American Indian Affairs, you help ensure these stories continue to be heard.