If you’re interested in hearing about how language can heal a nation, two Oneida doctors have just the prescription.
“Not Those Kind of Doctors — A Serious Podcast by Unserious People” is hosted by Dr. Rosa Rylene King and Dr. Priscilla Belisle. Streaming on Spotify, it “explores the intersections of Oneida language, culture, healing, sovereignty and resilience.”
Their website states that the podcast is for everyone, noting that “Whether you’re Oneida, Indigenous or simply curious, this is a space for remembering, reclaiming and reimagining what it means to live well together.”
As a fan since its April 2025 debut, I asked King to share some of her experiences so that NEW Media readers can recognize why they should include it in their listening queue.
In addition to being a seasoned Oneida language and history adjunct faculty member at the College of Menominee Nation, King is “an Indigenous language revitalization scholar” as well as the executive director of Skaˀnikú·lat Inc. — an organization dedicated “to rematriating Oneida language and culture.”
Her co-host, Belisle, is one of CMN’s adjunct business faculty members, known for being a “community-based researcher focused on Indigenous knowledge, wellness and systems change.”
“Our work spans immersion education, curriculum design, research, community programming and public education grounded in Indigenous ways of knowing and accountability to our nations,” King said.
While many dynamic teachers are speaking about the power of using ancestral tongues throughout Turtle Island, “Not Those Kind of Doctors” heralds a different perspective — one that is open about the personal responsibility that is entwined within language work.
“We created the podcast to have honest, Indigenous-led conversations about language, culture, wellness and systems that often go unexamined. It’s a space to speak plainly, challenge harmful narratives and center Indigenous brilliance without having to translate ourselves for non-Indigenous comfort,” King said.
The four-episode first season featured topics that spanned from the Oneida creation story, to the impact of colonization, to how language usage brings healing and the role humor plays in bringing balance.
Running between 40 minutes to just over an hour in length, episodes were made for consumption, reflection and implementation.
When asked to describe their dynamic, King said, “Relational, honest, and grounded. We balance humor with depth, care with critique, and challenge each other in ways that feel supportive rather than performative.”
The second season has shifted focus to the reality that working to revitalize a language can be challenging. While ultimately hopeful and uplifting, in the first two episodes, the doctors admit that teaching language and culture can lead to burnout. They emphasize that self-care is essential for continuing the important work they’re doing.
The podcast is certainly resonating, as their use of storytelling and laughter to reconnect with ancestral knowledge feels fortifying for language teachers and inviting to those who want to learn more about Oneida culture.
“Listeners consistently share that the podcast feels affirming, grounding and refreshing,” King said. “Many say it helps them feel less alone in language work, leadership and Indigenous wellness spaces — and that it gives language to things they’ve felt but hadn’t heard named before.”
Hardly the kind of people to rest on their laurels, King and Belisle said the podcast will evolve throughout their forthcoming episodes.
“We plan to continue expanding conversations, welcoming guest voices and deepening episodes that support long-term sustainability in Indigenous language and cultural work. Growth will remain intentional, not extractive,” King said.
I concluded my questions by asking King to share her favorite Oneida word.
King said it is “yukwatsistay^,” which translates into English as “our fire — the fire we have within each of us.’”
King elaborated, “We use it as a reminder that language and culture live within each of us and our responsibility throughout our lives is to tend to and nurture this fire to support our internet logs for the purpose of continuity and the future of Oneida language revitalization.”
“Not Those Kind of Doctors” offers anyone with an internet connection the opportunity to hear powerful voices sharing stories about the life-changing work happening in northeast Wisconsin.
The conversations are dynamic, insightful and reinvigorating. If you tune in, you’ll find the podcast offers listeners a taste of the good medicine that can heal a nation.
Ryan Winn, Ph.D., teaches communications, English, history and theater at the College of Menominee Nation. Visit www.menominee.edu for more information about the school.
