Aaron Fay has launched an audio-only stream of Sweetgrass Stories: a 21st Century Perspective, featuring the storytelling of Sweetgrass Knowledge Keeper Wes Fineday. These audio-only versions are exact parallels of existing YouTube content, making it easier to listen on your phone, or in the car, or wherever you prefer. They are available (as the cool kids say) “Wherever you stream podcasts.”
Now, to translate this exciting news for, um, late adopters (like me), here are some FAQs (and links for deeper dives):
- What is a podcast anyway?
- A podcast is a downloadable recorded audio (radio) program (also called an “audio blog”) that you can listen to on the audio device of your choice.
- Podcasts are shared through RSS feeds.
- If you really, really want to know more, click here to check what Wikipedia says.
- What’s an RSS feed?
- RSS feeds are a standardized way for websites to update their content and make it available to subscribers. Once you subscribe, you can receive notifications of new articles, blog posts, podcasts, and more without having to constantly visit the website itself.
- RSS stands for “Rich Site Summary” or “Really Simple Syndication”, and it refers to the standard code that makes it all happen.
- Click here for a Reddit explanation, if you really, really want more.
- Where do you find these podcast platforms (that the cool kids think everybody knows!)
- Among the most popular in 2026 are:
- Spotify. The biggest. Download it for mobile on iOS App Store or Google Play. Google it to download on your computer. Offers a free level, supported by ads.
- Apple Podcasts. Comes pre-installed on iPhone, iPad, Mac computers. Free (as long as you buy the Apple device first).
- Amazon Music. Competitive with Spotify. Look for it on iOS App Store or Google Play. Offers a free level, supported by ads.
- YouTube. Video pods (not ideal while driving!!)
- Audible. Requires a paid subscription (includes lots of great audio books); included free with Amazon Music Ultimate (a paid service).
- There are many more. Try googling “podcatchers”.
- Among the most popular in 2026 are:
- Once you subscribe to your service of choice, search for “Sweetgrass Stories: a 21st Century Perspective”.
- Click on the link version of that title, and choose “Follow”
- (I’m trusting here that all services have equivalent functionality!)
- Following means any new content Aaron adds to the collection is instantly made available to you when you open that app.
- Once you’ve got this far, have a look and click follow on some additional Cree Podcasts like these:
- Rellik’s “Coffee N Cree”
- Charlotte Ross’s “Adult Silent Speakers: A Cree Perspective”
- One last question (for the committed language geeks): What is the etymology of “podcast”?
- “Podcast” is a portmanteau (or blend) of “iPod” and “broadcast” coined in 2004. It predates Apple’s podcasting to iPod and iTunes software.
Now that I have steps to follow, I need to go set it up for myself. (It’s really inconvenient to set it up when you’re already on the road.) Thanks to Aaron Fay for fact checking (so I’m not misleading any of my fellow, um, oldsters)!
