BY THE FIRE WE CARRY, Rebecca Nagle on Indigenous Sovereignty and Democracy

Writer's Voice with Francesca Rheannon

In this episode, Rebecca Nagle, journalist and author of By the Fire We Carry: The Generations’ Long Fight for Justice on Native Land, unpacks the history of the Cherokee Nation and broader Indigenous struggles for sovereignty.

Nagle intertwines personal family history with systemic injustices, tracing the consequences of the Trail of Tears, the Indian Removal Act, and the ongoing fight for Native land rights. She examines how these histories intersect with larger issues of capitalism, democracy, and climate justice.

The conversation also highlights recent landmark Supreme Court decisions and their implications for Indigenous sovereignty and U.S. democracy.

““If you think that lawlessness towards one group can’t eventually affect you, history tells us otherwise.” — Rebecca Nagle

Then, we continue our Thanksgiving week tradition of hearing Native American storyteller and ethnohistorian Marge Bruchac talk about the holiday from the Native point of view — and her re-telling of the Story of Corn.

Writers Voice— in depth conversation with writers of all genres, on the air since 2004.

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Key Words: Rebecca Nagle, By the Fire We Carry, Indigenous sovereignty, Cherokee Nation, Supreme Court, Trail of Tears, McGirt v. Oklahoma, Native land rights, Indian Removal Act, democracy and genocide, environmental justice, Neil Gorsuch

Key Topics

• The legacy of John and Major Ridge and their controversial role in Cherokee history
• The Trail of Tears and its ongoing impact on Indigenous communities
• The Indian Removal Act: greed, violence, and the roots of U.S. capitalism
• Supreme Court cases Murphy v. Oklahoma and McGirt v. Oklahoma and their significance
• The resilience of Native sovereignty and environmental challenges
• Lessons from Indigenous struggles for addressing democratic backsliding

Timestamps

• [0:00] Introduction
• [4:35] Rebecca Nagle’s family history and connection to Cherokee Nation
• [12:15] The Trail of Tears and the Indian Removal Act
• [20 :30] Supreme Court cases Murphy and McGirt: reclaiming Indigenous land
• [25:45] Capitalism, environmental justice, and Native land exploitation
• [39:00] Democracy, systemic injustice, and Indigenous resilience
• [43:47] Lessons for today’s democratic struggles

Listen to or read an excerpt from Rebecca Nagle’s By the Fire We Carry.

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