Language Loss and Diaspora Grief (with Dr. Joel Selway)

Here’s an interesting question: How many generations ago were your ancestors speaking a different language than you are now? When Dr. Joel Selway lost his mother when he was 12 years old, he also lost a tie to his Thai ancestry. But shortly before his mission he came across an old book about learni…

The Impacts of Colorism (with Dr. David-James Gonzales)

What does sunshine have to do with family history? Well, besides helping our plants and vegetables grow, sunshine has a profound effect on our bodies. One of those effects is melanin production. Melanin is a dark pigment in our hair, skin, and iris of the eye, that protects us from the sun’s radiat…

Spilling the Family History Tea (with Dr. Sharon Staples)

Have you ever heard the term “spill the tea”? In recent contexts, this phrase means to perpetuate gossip or rumors. But is spreading gossip and rumors always a bad thing? In family history, it might not be. For this episode, we invited Dr. Sharon Staples to discuss what gossip has to do with family…

“Dreaming of You:” The Role of Dreams in Family History

“Late at night when all the world is sleeping, I stay up and think of you. And I wish on a star that somewhere you are thinking of me too.” These first lines of legendary singer Selena’s “Dreaming of You” may have been written about a romantic relationship, but they also apply to family history wor…

Healing from Generational Trauma (with Jalynne Geddes)

An indigenous teaching in many communities around the world is that in nature, poison is often located very near the antidote. For example, in Mayan legend, the Chechen trees have a toxic sap that causes rashes or burns when touched, but the Chaca trees grow nearby and provide an antidote. This ide…

The Bodies Our Ancestors Gave Us (with Dr. Ofa Hafoka)

When you think about the term “family history tools,” images of gigantic binders, wrinkled family history charts, and dusty rolls of microfilm probably come to mind. While these items can be useful, there’s another less obvious set of tools we need when we research—especially when we learn about ch…

Bonus: Would You Be Friends with Your Ancestors? (with Lisa Valentine Clark)

Here’s a joke: What did the pickle do when it won the championship? He just stood there to relish the moment. If you’re wondering what a pickle joke has to do with family history, just a wait a minute. Miya and Michelle invited Latter-day Saint comedian and actress Lisa Valentine Clark to discuss …

Becoming a Transitional Character (with Dr. Christopher Jones)

Have you ever heard of Marie Kondo?  She’s a Japanese professional organizer known for her method of only keeping what “sparks joy” in her life. We can follow her example by becoming a transitional character—someone who breaks cycles of negativity and embraces joyful practices. In this episode, we …

Shame and Poverty in Family History (with Dr. LaShawn Williams)

Thanks to Encanto, everyone knows we don’t talk about Bruno. But there are other aspects of family history we don’t talk about, like poverty and shame. Our guest Dr. LaShawn Williams explains, “When we talk about shame, we’re talking about this felt sense of unworthiness to be in connection or rela…

Gaining Genealogical Consciousness (with Dr. Amy Harris)

Dead cats and genealogy might seem like an odd mix. But when it comes to genealogical consciousness, they actually make perfect sense. BYU professor Amy Harris puts this into perspective by explaining that as a child, she would mourn the passing of her pet cats. But then she found peace when she re…