Hóčhoka Podcast
The Lakota word Hóčhoka means the center of the camp circle. The name speaks to the actual location of the recording studio, the centrality of the mission of St. Joseph’s Indian School to all that we do, the role of the podcast to be at the center of the Native American educational conversation and gather others around that conversation.
Episodes

Monday Feb 03, 2025
Monday Feb 03, 2025
Who are the wakȟáŋheža? Lakota children are called by this word that means “little sacred ones.” Significantly, the Indigenous have known all along what new science is proving: There is great power in the spiritual life of children. Let’s explore the topic with Dr. Damian Costello and learn what it means for parents and educators everywhere.

Monday Jan 27, 2025
Monday Jan 27, 2025
What does it mean to be 13, back stage adults, watching on tiptoe, waiting to go onstage?" Some years ago, TIME magazine reporter Nancy Gibbs asked that question. Today we hear from someone who spends every day in a middle school classroom. Let’s find out what he says about this unique stage of life.

Monday Jan 20, 2025
Monday Jan 20, 2025
Theologian John Shea says, “We are the story God tells. Our very lives are the words that come from God’s mouth.” If this is so, the intersection of the rich Indigenous storytelling tradition and Scripture holds profound assets both for Native Christians and for all followers of Christ. Let’s learn more!

Monday Jan 13, 2025
Hóčhoka Podcast Season 7 Teaser
Monday Jan 13, 2025
Monday Jan 13, 2025
Don’t miss Hóčhoka Season 7 when:
Monique Gray Smith, author of “Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults,” joins us for three lively conversations
Chris Hoklotubbe enriches the Christian perspective with Indigenous wisdom
Damian Costello returns to talk about Black Elk, the Ghost Dance and more
Steve Huffstetter, SCJ, “talks thiyóšpaye”
We explore the world of youth with Influencer Gabe Dannenbring and others
We learn about Zitkala-Šá whose remarkable life is commemorated on a quarter by the United States Mint

Monday Dec 16, 2024
Monday Dec 16, 2024
“We say this phrase, ‘Mitákuye Oyá’sin.’ It means all my relatives, all my relations. Once you have that belief, you find it easier to care for people, to have compassion for other people, to practice generosity and reciprocity.” Those are the words of Ben Sherman, grandfather of today’s guest, alum Danielle Arpan, whose pursuit of a nursing degree embodies his teaching.

Monday Dec 09, 2024
Monday Dec 09, 2024
“I ponder within my heart, where will I gather the holy, fragrant flowers? Who will I ask? … If they showed them to me, I will fill my tilma and with them I will greet the nobles, with them I will make the lords happy.” This famous pre-colonial Native song is a key that opens our imaginations to the mystery of the apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Let’s open that door!

Monday Dec 02, 2024
Monday Dec 02, 2024
Darkness gets a lot of bad press. Few of us want to be “in a dark place” or living in “the darkest hour.” Many are afraid of the dark, the absence of light, and it is under the cover of darkness that nefarious deeds go unseen. Colossians 1:13 proclaims, “He has rescued us from the power of darkness.” But Dr. Damian Costello tells us that Indigenous and Catholic traditions alike tell us that darkness is nothing less than sacred. Listen.

Monday Nov 25, 2024
Hochoka Season 6, Episode 13 - Talking Thiyóšpaye Part II with Trinity Sazue
Monday Nov 25, 2024
Monday Nov 25, 2024
Winston Churchill, who served as Prime Minister of England during the Second World War, once said, “I’d rather spend half an hour in the company of a top carpenter than three hours in the company of an average brain surgeon.” It’s our good fortune today to spend around a half hour with someone we consider a top carpenter here at St. Joe’s, alum Trinity Sazue.

St. Joseph’s Indian School's video podcast series showcases the people and ideas that make our school the special place it is.
Watch, listen and learn more about what the school has to offer. Listen to the wisdom of thought-leaders on Native American education today. Laugh, hope, warm your heart and sharpen your mind at the center of the school’s camp circle.