**In Conversation with the Creators of ‘American Genocide’**
In the wake of the United States’ painful and overdue reckoning with its racist past, a new podcast is exploring the history of genocide against Native Americans. ‘American Genocide’ is a 10-part series created by Crystal Echo Hawk and Sarah Ventre, and it tells the stories of the millions of Native people who were killed, displaced, and assimilated into white society over the course of American history.
Echo Hawk, a member of the Pawnee Nation, is a renowned activist, lawyer, and filmmaker. Ventre is a journalist and producer who has worked on projects for NPR, The New York Times, and The Atlantic. Together, they have created a powerful and moving podcast that sheds light on a dark chapter in American history.
In this conversation, Echo Hawk and Ventre discuss the importance of telling these stories, the challenges they faced in producing the podcast, and their hopes for the future.
**Glamour**: Why did you decide to create ‘American Genocide’?
**Crystal Echo Hawk**: I wanted to create a podcast that would tell the true history of genocide against Native Americans. This is a history that has been largely ignored or whitewashed in our country, and I believe it’s essential for all Americans to understand it.
**Sarah Ventre**: I agree. This history is not just about the past; it has a direct impact on the lives of Native Americans today. By telling these stories, we can help to raise awareness of the ongoing legacy of genocide and work towards creating a more just and equitable future.
**Glamour**: What were some of the challenges you faced in producing the podcast?
**Crystal Echo Hawk**: One of the biggest challenges was finding sources and documentation. The history of genocide against Native Americans is often difficult to find, and much of it has been destroyed or suppressed. We had to do a lot of research and digging to find the stories that we wanted to tell.
**Sarah Ventre**: Another challenge was balancing the need to tell these stories accurately and respectfully with the need to make the podcast accessible to a wide audience. We wanted to create a podcast that would be informative and engaging, but we also wanted to make sure that we were not sensationalizing or exploiting the suffering of Native Americans.
**Glamour**: What are your hopes for the future of ‘American Genocide’?
**Crystal Echo Hawk**: I hope that this podcast will help to educate people about the history of genocide against Native Americans and inspire them to take action to create a more just and equitable future. I also hope that it will help to heal the wounds of the past and build bridges between Native and non-Native Americans.
**Sarah Ventre**: I share Crystal’s hopes. I believe that this podcast has the potential to make a real difference in the world. By telling these stories, we can help to break the silence that has surrounded genocide against Native Americans for so long, and we can create a more just and equitable future for all..
