Afro-Indigenous Yesą on Turtle Island Podcast

Description: 

I'm Jala (pronounced Jay-la), also known as Mįyątipi:wa Simpa, an Afro-Indigenous Yesą woman living with a disability. Simpa (or Simpo) is an Indigenous surname from my Edo ancestors, a name I reclaim to honor my direct ancestors who were trafficked during the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Miyatipi:wa, meaning “I am happy” in Yesa:sahį (spoken by the Yesáh/Eastern Siouan peoples), began as a personal affirmation and grew into a term of endearment used by loved ones.

With a background in Psychology and current graduate studies in Social Work, I use this podcast to hold space for Afro-Indigenous histories, decolonization, mental health, and ancestral memory.

This webpage features only the most recent podcast episodes. To access the full archive, you can listen directly on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0wiRLyR5ObilcvNHLby1Rz

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As of July 4, 2025, all episodes are free to access and fully available to anyone with the link.

Bilahuk (thank you) to everyone who has financially contributed to this show. Since the Spotify Listener Support program ended in January 2025, I’m in the process of transitioning to a subscription-based model for select episodes. In the meantime, optional donations are welcomed via CashApp: $AfroYesah and go directly toward production, accessibility, and sustainability of this work.