How to be a Dissident: Learning From Indigenous Resistance and Resilience (Chris La Tray)

In this first episode, Holly talks with Chris La Tray, Métis storyteller, Montana Poet Laureate, and author of the brilliant and timely memoir Becoming Little Shell. Chris shares the story of his people—the Little Shell Tribe, who remained landless for over a century after refusing to accept an exploitative treaty—and what their resilience teaches us about playing the long game in dark times.

They discuss why current political upheaval represents familiar patterns to Indigenous peoples who have survived 500 years of colonialism; how Chief Little Shell's principled refusal to accept 10 cents per acre for tribal lands led to 150 years of landlessness before achieving federal recognition in 2019; Chris's evolution from reluctant storyteller to understanding himself as chosen to carry forward his people's narratives; the tension between building a personal writing career and serving community stories; practical acts of cultural reclamation like using Anishinaabe greetings in daily life; the goldfinch story that taught him to stay open to ancestral guidance; what it means to play the long game and build something you may never see completed; moving beyond performative activism toward genuine relationship with Indigenous perspectives; the difference between cultural appropriation and authentic honoring; why asking "what should I do?" isn't the most helpful question for non-Native allies; how individual choices like canceling Netflix connect to larger systemic change; the psychological and spiritual costs of principled dissent across generations; and the responsibility that comes with privilege and platform in storytelling.

About Chris La Tray

Chris La Tray is a Métis storyteller, descendant of the Pembina Band of the Mighty Red River of the North, and enrolled member of the Little Shell Tribe. He served as Montana Poet Laureate from 2023-2025 and has made his living as an artist since 2015. His books include One Sentence Journal and Becoming Little Shell: A Homecoming. He writes the newsletter "An Irritable Métis" on Substack.

Substack: https://chrislatray.substack.com/

Book: https://milkweed.org/book/becoming-little-shell

Credits

Original music by Gracie Coates (of Gracie and Rachel) @graciecoates @gracieandrachel on Instagram, gracieandrachel.com

Sound engineering, editor: Adam Day, adamdayphotography.com

Producer: Holly Whitaker, hollywhitaker.com

Co-Producers: Adam Day, Afton Swenor

Original art by Misha Handschumacher, cmisha.com

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