The sentiment in Omaha, Nebraska, last month, was one of reciprocity.

The Gate-City of the West hosted the 2026 American Indian Higher Education Consortium’s fourth annual Tribal College Native Languages Summit, enabling teachers and advocates from across Turtle Island to share and learn from one another.

Aphelandra believes children’s books are for adults, too.

“And not just in the sense that adults can connect with their kids while reading them a picture book,” she said. “The only kid you need to appreciate the spare writing, sophisticated art and compelling themes of a really good picture book is your own inner child.”

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.”

If you’ve spent any time in northeast Wisconsin’s Native communities, then you’ve likely met Larry Patrick Madden. Known to many by the English translation of his Mohican name Maxkweeno, Madden’s presence induced smiles and proclamations of, “The Bear Man!”

There were important themes within the keynotes from last month’s 2025 Seven Generation Inter-Tribal Leadership Summit. Whether intended or not, they collectively reminded me of something rhetoric scholar Kenneth Burke wrote about what is referred to as the “unending conversation.”

Dr. Silje Solheim Karlsen’s message traveled a great distance to connect with the College of Menominee Nation.

A professor of Nordic literature at the Arctic University of Norway, as well as an adjunct professor at the Sámi University of Applied Sciences, Karlsen is “particularly interested in decolonizing teaching practices and pedagogy related to teaching.” Last month, she presented a public lecture on recent Sámi publications.