Grounded with Dinée Dorame

Latest Episodes:

Episode 14 - Beth Wright (Pueblo of Laguna) , Attorney, Marathoner, and one of my BFFs! Apr 21, 2021

Show notes

"It's about the process…something running teaches you is that your goals don't necessarily get easier. But you do get stronger and better at working towards them over time."

Beth Wright (Pueblo of Laguna) is an attorney at the Northwest Justice Project, 3-time Boston Marathon finisher, and former NCAA Division I runner at Syracuse University. She also happens to be one of my lifelong best friends! Beth and I are former high school cross-country/track & field teammates, and I am lucky to have been able to cheer her on to 3 Individual State 5AAAAA Track & Field championships during those years. We've been through so many things together, from suffering through senior year AP Calculus to surviving the infamous Hell's Hills in XC, to incredibly important conversations around our shared Indigenous identities. Beth went on to run Cross Country and Track & Field at Syracuse University, then would later receive her J.D. from the University of New Mexico in 2020. In this conversation, we reflect on our experiences as Native students in both high school and college, her time with Wings of America and Beth's cultural connections to running, plus how my dad played a major role in her running career.

These days, Beth works primarily with Northwest Tribes and Indigenous communities through her position at the Northwest Justice Project, Washington's largest publicly funded legal aid program. Her office provides civil legal assistance and representation to low-income people in cases affecting things like family safety and security, housing preservation, protection of income, access to health care, education and more.

If you would like to support Beth's work at the Northwest Justice Project, please visit:

https://nwjustice.org/donate

In this Episode:

Follow Grounded Pod:

Instagram: @groundedpod
Twitter: @groundedpod
Facebook: facebook.com/groundedpodwithdinee

Subscribe, Listen, & Review on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Soundcloud | Stitcher

Music by Jacob Shije (Santa Clara Pueblo, NM).

This podcast was made possible through the Tracksmith Fellowship Program.

Episode 13 - Dustin Martin (Diné), Executive Director of Wings of America Apr 14, 2021

Show notes

"What I love most about running is the rhythm, at a very base level. You can go into a rhythmic trance and find thoughts you wouldn't be able to otherwise. Your breath is in conversation with whatever terrain you're running."

Dustin Martin (Diné) is the Executive Director of Wings of America, a non-profit organization based in Albuquerque, NM that empowers Native youth and their families through running. If you've listened to past episodes of this show, you have likely heard so many shout-outs to both Dustin and the Wings of America program. Dustin is a lifelong runner who grew up in Gallup, NM but spent his high school years in Albuquerque. He went on to run Division I Cross Country at Columbia University, where he also expanded his passion for the arts through silk screen printing and Indigenous design. In this conversation, we talk about how his professional life and running intersected, how his philosophy around running has evolved over time, and his own experience as a Native student-athlete at an Ivy League institution.

The pandemic has dramatically shifted the work of Wings of America, so Dustin tells us more about how they've managed to keep connecting to community through running on virtual platforms. Wings of America holds an important role in the broader Indigenous running community through various initiatives, including their sponsorship of an all-Native American National Team the USATF Cross-Country Nationals every year and the Wings Pursuit Program, which provides Native student-athletes the opportunity to attend Boston Marathon weekend and learn more about college pathways.

In this Episode:

Wings of America
"Designer Profile, Dustin Martin," by Dr. Jessica Metcalfe, Beyond Buckskin– About Native American Fashion, September 14, 2010
"Brother and sister run the Boston Marathon in moccasins," by Jourdan Bennett-Begaye, com, April 15, 2019
"Pablo Vigil: The Man Behind a Remarkable Sierre-Zinal Record" by Doug Mayer, com, April 25, 2015

Follow Wings of America:

Instagram: @wings_of_america
Twitter: @WingsofAmerica
Facebook: facebook.com/WingsOfAmerica1988

Follow Grounded Pod:

Instagram: @groundedpod
Twitter: @groundedpod
Facebook: facebook.com/groundedpodwithdinee

Subscribe, Listen, & Review on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Soundcloud | Stitcher

Music by Jacob Shije (Santa Clara Pueblo, NM).

This podcast was made possible through the Tracksmith Fellowship Program.

Episode 12 - Lydia Jennings (Huichol & Pascua Yaqui), Environmental Microbiologist and Trail Runner Apr 07, 2021

Show notes

"I am a scientist because of running… as you're running, you're on the land making observations. That's the first step of the scientific process."

Dr. Lydia Jennings is a Wixáritari (Huichol) and Yoeme (Pascua Yaqui) environmental microbiologist and trail runner. She is originally from Santa Fe, NM but currently resides in Tucson, AZ– where she recently completed her PhD in Environmental Science from the University of Arizona. Lydia's dissertation and research interests include soil health, environmental remediation, Indigenous science, mining policy, and environmental data ownership by tribal nations. In March 2021, as a way to celebrate her academic journey and doctoral degree, Lydia completed a solo 50-mile Honor Run for 50 Indigenous Scientists, where she dedicated each mile of run to a scientist who inspires her. She was able to raise over $8,000 on behalf of the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) to support their T3 Fund, which provides Indigenous students affected by the COVID-19 pandemic college scholarship funds. In this conversation, we learn about what questions Lydia is asking in her research, what her favorite soils/lands to run on are, and how being an Indigenous runner-scientist shapes the way she connects with the land.

In this Episode:

Wings of America
"Send a Runner: A Navajo Honors the Long Walk," Book by Edison Eskeets
Lydia's 50-mile Honor Run Twitter Thread
American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES)
Will Run for Soil Documentary Project
Will Run for Soil Instagram

Follow Lydia Jennings:

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Instagram: @groundedpod
Twitter: @groundedpod
Facebook: facebook.com/groundedpodwithdinee

Subscribe, Listen, & Review on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Soundcloud | Stitcher

Music by Jacob Shije (Santa Clara Pueblo, NM).

This podcast was made possible through the Tracksmith Fellowship Program.

Episode 11 - Women's Running Across the Generations with Kathrine Switzer, Patti Catalano Dillon, & Weini Kelati Mar 31, 2021

Show notes

This recording is from a live panel on "Women's Running Across the Generations" that took place on March 20th, 2021 as part of the "Creating Community Through Movement" event hosted by the Native Health Initiative (NHI). Panelists include:

Kathrine Switzer is an icon in running, an author, and an Emmy award-winning television commentator. She was the first woman to officially run Boston as a registered competitor in 1967 and New York City Marathon champion. She has been widely recognized for her achievements in the sport and for her advocacy work beyond running. She is part of the USA National Women's Hall of Fame and is the Founder of 261 Fearless, a foundation that encourages healthy living and fosters a supportive global community for women.

Patti Catalano Dillon is a Mi'kmaq runner who dominated the American Road Racing scene in the 1970-80s. She is known for being first Native and American woman to sign a pro contract. She is also the first Native and American woman to run a sub-2:30 in the marathon distance. Patti is a former world record and American record holder in several distances, including the marathon, 20K and 30K. She was inducted into the National Distance Running Hall of Fame in 2006.

Weini Kelati is an Eritrean runner who is currently training with Under Armour's Dark Sky Professional Distance Team and formerly competed for the University of New Mexico, where she was the 2019 NCAA Division I Individual Cross-Country Champion. At UNM, Weini became the most decorated All-American in program history with 13 All-American honors. She was also crowned the 2019-20 Mountain West Female Athlete of the Year and made the 2020 Academic All-Mountain West Team.

In this conversation, you'll hear our panelists discuss the evolution of women's professional running (specifically in the marathon distance), who they cite as their support systems, their current goals, and how they all hope to use their running as a form of social change.

Thank you again to Native Health Initiative, Running Medicine, Wings of America, and the many other organizations involved in organizing this event and inviting me to moderate.

In this Episode:

Follow the Panelists:

Kathrine Switzer (Instagram): @kathrineswitzer
Patti Dillon (Instagram): @pattispeaks227
Weini Kelati (Instagram): @weini_kelati

Follow Grounded Pod:

Instagram: @groundedpod
Twitter: @groundedpod
Facebook: facebook.com/groundedpodwithdinee

Subscribe, Listen, & Review on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Soundcloud | Stitcher

Music by Jacob Shije (Santa Clara Pueblo, NM).

This podcast was made possible through the Tracksmith Fellowship Program.

Episode 10 - Ric & Nell Rojas, Father/Daughter Running and Coaching Duo Mar 24, 2021

Show notes

"One of the most important things in inspiring other brown-skinned girls to run or achieve whatever they want, is to do it myself. I get motivation every day in my training from [knowing] the kind of role model I can possibly be." – Nell Rojas

"New Mexico is a great running community… we all spoke the same language– a running language. No matter what, that was the bond that we had with each other."- Ric Rojas

Ric and Nell Rojas are a dynamic father-daughter duo in running. Between the two of them, they've set numerous records and boasted several big wins from the mile to the marathon distance. Together, they utilize their experience and unique philosophy to coach a variety of athletes (runners, throwers, jumpers, etc.) in the Boulder, Colorado area. In this conversation, Ric and Nell reflect on their biggest career wins, give some coaching advice, and discuss how their community/family has shaped their running.

Ric Rojas originally hails from Los Alamos, NM. In high school, he became a legend when he won four New Mexico high school state titles, as well as setting the prep mile record of 4:12.60 back in 1970. Ric went on to graduate from Harvard University and compete professionally against formidable opponents like Frank Shorter and Bill Rodgers. He competed in two U.S. Olympic Trials (in the 10,000-meter Run) and won several major road races, including the inaugural BolderBoulder 10k in 1979. He also set the 15K World Record in 1981 with a time of 43:12. As a master's runner, Ric has won three USATF Age-Group National 5000-meter Track Championships.

Nell Rojas grew up in Boulder, Colorado. She is a triathlete turned marathoner, finishing 9th at the 2020 Marathon Olympic Trials in what was only her third marathon ever and winning Grandma's Marathon in 2019 with a personal best of 2:28:06. Nell ran Division I Track and Cross-Country for The University of Northern Arizona (NAU) where she was a 3-time Big Sky Steeplechase Champion, 5k Big Sky Champion, and All-Conference in Cross-Country. Currently, Nell is a passionate coach and athlete, who takes a very holistic and well-rounded approach to helping others achieve their goals.

My heart goes out to the Boulder, CO community this week. If you would like to support or donate to the families of the victims of the recent tragedy at King Soopers in Boulder, please see the links below.

Families of Boulder Tragedy Victims GoFundMe Page– donate directly to families of the victims through a verified crowdsource funding channel.

Colorado Healing Fund– 501©3 non-profit that distributes funds to the organizations and people working on the ground to help and support community members impacted.

In this Episode:

BOLDERBoulder10k
Nell Rojas BOLDERBoulder10k 2019 Finish
"Nell Rojas uses dad's coaching to prepare for U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon" by Michael Sandrock,com, February 16, 2020.
"Daughter Wins Bolder Boulder 40 Years After Her Dad Won the Inaugural Race," by Andrew Dawson, com, May 29, 2019.

Follow Ric and Nell Rojas:

Nell's Instagram: @nell_rojas_running
Nell's Twitter: @nellrojas
Rojas Running Instagram: @ricrojasrunningtrack
Rojas Running Website: https://rojasrunning.com/

Follow Grounded Pod:

Instagram: @groundedpod
Twitter: @groundedpod
Facebook: facebook.com/groundedpodwithdinee

Subscribe, Listen, & Review on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Soundcloud | Stitcher

Music by Jacob Shije (Santa Clara Pueblo, NM).

This podcast was made possible through the Tracksmith Fellowship Program.

Episode 9 - Latoya Shauntay Snell, Endurance Athlete & Food/Fitness Blogger Mar 17, 2021

Show notes

"It takes a lot of grit to be able to show up, way before the race. A lot of people put so much emphasis on the day of, but we don't give ourselves enough credit for the actual training that we put in…give yourself the credit and grace to say I am capable of doing hard things."

Latoya Shauntay Snell is an endurance athlete, activist, and food/fitness blogger. Latoya has completed over 30 marathons and documents much of her training over on her blog, Running Fat Chef. She is also the co-host of The Long Run Podcast (through the 300 Pounds and Running Network) alongside Martinus Evans. You may have seen her sharing the November 2020 cover of Runner's World as a Runners Alliance Ambassador, advocating for runner safety and body politics. Latoya's advocacy journey continued to evolve when, in 2017, she was heckled by spectators while running the New York City Marathon, which was publicized in Runner's World. She went on to pen an essay about that experience on The Root that went viral. Her platform has continued to grow since then and she creates amazing content across social media platforms– from workouts, to food and meal prep, to life lessons. In this conversation, she shares insights on marathon training, endurance, and how to stay motivated when facing adversity.

In this Episode:

Running Fat Chef Blog
"I'm a Plus Size Runner and I Got Heckled at the NYC Marathon," by Latoya Shauntay Snell,com, November 30, 2017.
"Running Needs Something More Radical Than Body Positivity. Here's How Latoya Shauntay Snell Is Making It Happen," by Taylor Dutch,com, October 22, 2020.
Black Girls Run

Follow Latoya Shauntay Snell:

Instagram: @iamlshauntay
Tik Tok: @iamlshauntay
Twitter: @latoyashauntay
The Long Run Podcast with Martinus Evans

Follow Grounded Pod:

Instagram: @groundedpod
Twitter: @groundedpod
Facebook: facebook.com/groundedpodwithdinee

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Episode 8 - Russell Dinkins on Saving College Track & Field Mar 10, 2021

Show notes

"Track & Field is important to me because of the opportunities...my youth program coach stressed using your sport as a means for accessing greater academic opportunity. Since 6 years old, I have carried that message with me."

Russell Dinkins is an elite athlete and former Princeton University runner. After writing a viral piece for Medium.com last June, Russell found himself leading the charge to save Men's Track & Field and Cross-Country at several colleges and universities across the United States, as we've seen several institutions cutting their programs over the past year. Schools have cited various reasons for this, including Coronavirus budget reductions and other institutional policies like Title IX, which is a federal law that protects against sex discrimination in college sports. Ultimately, Russell helped successfully reinstate the Men's Track & Field and Cross-Country programs at William & Mary, Brown, and the University of Minnesota. We talk about diversity in Track & Field, college pathways for low-income students, and the admissions and recruitment process. This is a complex conversation with many layers, but I appreciate Russell's candidness here as he discusses his own experiences at Princeton and gives educators, parents, coaches, and current high school athletes some great advice along the way.

In this Episode:

"Brown University, If You Were Actually Serious About Racial Justice You Would Not Be Cutting the Men's Track Team," by Russell Dinkins, com, June 2, 2020.
"Cutting College Track Hits Black Athletes the Hardest," by Martin Huber, Outside Magazine (Online), October 13, 2020.
"A Winning Plan and a Major Letdown," by Greta Anderson, Inside Higher Ed, June 1, 2020.
"Save College Track & Field," by Matt Taylor, Tracksmith Journal
"On Track to Justice," by Russell Dinkins, Tracksmith Journal

Follow Russell Dinkins:

Instagram: @dancingdinks
Twitter: @dancingdinks

Follow Grounded Pod:

Instagram: @groundedpod
Twitter: @groundedpod
Facebook: facebook.com/groundedpodwithdinee

Subscribe, Listen, & Review on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Soundcloud | Stitcher

Music by Jacob Shije (Santa Clara Pueblo, NM).

This podcast was made possible through the Tracksmith Fellowship Program.

Episode 7 - Faith E. Briggs, Documentary Filmmaker & Runner Mar 03, 2021

Show notes

"I love having folks to be stride in stride with. There's a lot of community in sweating together."

Faith E. Briggs is a runner, storyteller, and documentary filmmaker passionate about sharing contemporary stories from diverse communities. Her work spans many fields, and we talk about some of her amazing documentary films including This Land, which digs into conversations about public lands, what it means to be a conservationist and who is invited to the conversation. As part of making that film, she ran 150 miles across public lands and monuments alongside local community members in order to educate herself on the history and importance of the land. Faith was also a sprinter during her college years at Yale University and we bond here over our shared alma mater and residential college dorm, Ezra Stiles (feat. our favorite mentor/Head of College, Steve Pitti– GFM, Stiles forever). We chat about how she balanced her academic, cultural and social life during those years and spend quite a bit of time discussing her personal running journey.

In this Episode:

A Tribe Called Red
Yale Afro-American Cultural Center
Yale Native American Cultural Center
Ezra Stiles Residential College at Yale
"Navajo Nation and Urban Outfitters Reach Agreement on Appropriation," by Alysa Landry, Indian Country Today, November 22, 2016
Wings of America
Black Roses NYC (Running Club)
"This Land" Documentary
Nuestra Tierra

Follow Faith E. Briggs:

Follow Grounded Pod:

Instagram: @groundedpod
Twitter: @groundedpod
Facebook: facebook.com/groundedpodwithdinee

Subscribe, Listen, & Review on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Soundcloud | Stitcher

Music by Jacob Shije (Santa Clara Pueblo, NM).

This podcast was made possible through the Tracksmith Fellowship Program.

Episode 6 - Leroy Silva (Pueblo of Laguna), NB3 Foundation Community Coordinator Feb 24, 2021

Show notes

"For a lot of Indigenous cultures, movement is essential to our survival…whether it's food or ceremony. I feel that is one of the roots of how running is carried on in my life. I can see it in my culture."

Leroy "Buster" Silva (Pueblo of Laguna) is a movement and wellness advocate, community coordinator for the Notah Begay III (NB3) Foundation, and former teacher/coach and student-athlete. He's also the founder of Family+Indigenize+Thrive, an organization he created that takes an intergenerational approach to address challenges Native communities face when it comes to achieving wellness. He notes the importance of family in this conversation, as a parent, husband, brother, and Laguna community member. This means he spends lots of time reimagining ways to incorporate traditional lifeways and Indigenous wellness practices into his family's routine. We also hear about his experiences as a Native student-athlete at Haskell Indian Nations University, a tribal university in Lawrence, Kansas, and his time as a wellness instructor at the Native American Community Academy (NACA) in Albuquerque, NM.

In this Episode:

Follow Leroy Silva:

Instagram: @leroybustersilva

Follow Grounded Pod:

Instagram: @groundedpod
Twitter: @groundedpod
Facebook: facebook.com/groundedpodwithdinee

Subscribe, Listen, & Review on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Soundcloud | Stitcher

Music by Jacob Shije (Santa Clara Pueblo, NM).

This podcast was made possible through the Tracksmith Fellowship Program.

Episode 5 - Verna Volker (Diné), Founder of Native Women Running Feb 17, 2021

Show notes

"I want Native women to be seen in a positive way... to show that we're visible in the running community, but also to provide a space for Native runners because I felt like that space wasn't there. I wanted to build that for these women."

Verna Volker (Diné) is a Hoka One One Global Ambassador and the founder of Native Women Running. With over 17k followers on Instagram, Native Women Running provides "visibility, inspiration, and community to Native women runners on and off the reservation." Verna focuses her efforts on giving Native runners a platform in a predominantly white industry and media space. In this conversation, we discuss the ways Verna has found community while living away from her homelands, how she has continued to navigate motherhood, and what inspired her to start Native Women Running.

This week, I would love for listeners to join me in supporting two Indigenous-led organizations, Pueblo Action Alliance (@puebloactionalliance) and Seeding Sovereignty (@seedingsovereignty) in their mutual aid efforts. They are currently running the Indigenous Impact Community Care Initiative, which focuses on protecting and caring for our unsheltered Indigenous relatives here in New Mexico. This initiative is on-going, and they are asking for donations by mail or you can donate funds directly to the organizations below.

Donate to:

Pueblo Action Alliance

Seeding Sovereignty

Mail donations to:

P.O. Box 40212, Albuquerque, NM 87196

In this Episode:

Follow Verna Volker: