In this episode, special co-host Diana Yáñez and Sweet Miche explore the concept of belonging, not just to each other, but to all of existence. From the linguistic wisdom of the Aymara people to the radical call of liberation theology and the hard work of healing Quaker involvement in Indian boarding schools, we’re asking what might happen to our faith if we start living from the “We” instead of the “I”?

Jiwasa: The Communal We with Rubén Hilari Quispe 

Rubén, an Aymara Quaker and linguist, introduces us to jiwasa – a concept of “we-ness” that includes humans, the environment, and even the objects around us. He invites us to sit with the unsettled feeling of language that doesn’t center the individual. Read Rubén’s article, “Jiwasa, the Communal We” in the January 2026 issue of Friends Journal or at FriendsJournal.org. You can hear an extended interview in Spanish with English subtitles at the Friends Journal YouTube page. 

Liberation Theology and the Inner Light with Renzo Carranza 

Guatemalan Friend Renzo Carranza explores how the Quaker Inner Light intersects with the radical tradition of liberation theology. Together, they form a call to action: reinterpreting the gospels from the perspective of the marginalized to transform society. Watch the full QuakerSpeak video, “Transforming the SPIRIT: Liberation Theology and the Inner Light” at QuakerSpeak.com.

Collective Relationship and Boarding Schools with Rachel Overstreet 

Rachel Overstreet (Choctaw Nation) discusses the history of Quaker Indian boarding schools. She suggests that the way forward isn’t through individual guilt, but through collective relationship. Read Rachel’s article, “Speaking with Friends About Indian Boarding Schools” in the January 2026 issue of Friends Journal or at FriendsJournal.org. Rachel writes the Native American Legislative Update, a monthly newsletter on the most important developments on Capitol Hill related to Indian Country. You can also write your Congressperson to cosponsor and pass the Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies Act. Find out more at fcnl.org/issues/native-americans.

Book Review: Chooch Helped 

Katie Green reviews a charming children’s book by Andrea L. Rogers and Rebecca Lee Koons (Cherokee Nation) that celebrates present-day Cherokee family life and love. Read Katie’s review of Chooch Helped in the January 2026 issue or at FriendsJournal.org.

Recommended Resources by Indigenous Creators

• Jonny Appleseed (Novel)
  • By Joshua Whitehead (they/them)
  • A beautifully fragmented story about a Two-Spirit, Indigiqueer person navigating life in Winnipeg. The title ironically reclaims a settler-colonial myth to tell a raw story of modern Indigenous identity.
• Coyote & Crow (Tabletop Role-Playing Game)
  • Created by a team of over 30 Indigenous creators
  • Set in an “Indigenous Futurism” world where the Americas were never colonized. This RPG focuses on community, advanced technology, and spirits in a world where history took a different path.

Drama & Performance

• The Thanksgiving Play (Play)
  • By Larissa FastHorse (Sicangu Lakota Nation)
  • A biting, hilarious satire that made history as the first play by a Native American woman on Broadway. It follows four well-meaning white people trying to create a “politically correct” Thanksgiving play for a school.
• The Rez Sisters (Play)
  • By Tomson Highway (Cree)
  • A modern classic of Indigenous drama. It tells the story of seven women on a reserve who dream of winning “the biggest bingo game in the world.” It’s a powerful blend of humor, tragedy, and the supernatural.
• Mary Kathryn Nagle: Land Sovereignty and Indigenous Women’s Rights (Podcast/Interview)
  • Produced by Peterson Toscano for Citizens Climate Radio
  • A deep-dive conversation with Cherokee playwright and attorney Mary Kathryn Nagle. She discusses how her plays, like Sovereignty and Manahatta, serve as “living law,” using the stage to advocate for tribal jurisdiction and the safety of Indigenous women.

Music & Audio

• Come and Get Your Love (Song)
  • By Redbone
  • The 1974 hit that made Redbone the first Native American band to reach the top five on the Billboard Hot 100.
• Forged (Podcast)
  • CBC Listen / Host: Adrian Stimson
  • A gripping series exploring a massive art fraud ring involving the works of Norval Morrisseau, the “Picasso of the North.”

Literature & Thought

• Sacred Instructions (Book)
  • By Sherri Mitchell (Weh’na Ha’mu Kwasset)
  • A roadmap for “spirit-based change” drawing on Penobscot ancestral wisdom to address modern crises.
• Dr. Lyla June Johnston (Scholar & Musician)
  • A Diné (Navajo) and Cheyenne artist whose work blends hip-hop with traditional acoustics and ecological activism.

Digital Culture & Media

• Trixie Mattel: Root Maintenance (Video/Q&A)
  • The world-famous drag queen discusses her biracial Ojibwe heritage and navigating identity in the public eye.
• Rez Ball (Film)
  • Produced by LeBron James and Sterlin Harjo
  • A 2024 film following a Navajo high school basketball team, capturing the unique, fast-paced style of “Rezball.”

Next Month’s Question

A central part of Quakerism is our commitment to peace. But that doesn’t mean we should avoid conflict. In fact, it means we have a specific responsibility to it. What is a small practice that brings you a measure of peace or stability in the midst of conflict and turmoil?

• Leave a voice memo at 317-QUAKERS (317-782-5377)
• Email us at [email protected]

Extended Interview with Ruben Hilari Quispe
Spanish, with English subtitles

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Transcript:

Sweet Miche (00:00)

In this episode of Quakers Today, we ask, what might happen to our faith if we start living from we?

 

Diana Yáñez (00:08)

We explore the Aymara concept of Jiwasa, the communal we, with Ruben Hilari Quispe, grapple with the hard history of Quaker Indian boarding schools with Rachel Overstreet, learn about liberation theology with Renzo Carranza, and hear about music, films, literature, and even a game all made by Indigenous people.

 

Sweet Miche (00:28)

It’s gonna be a packed episode. I am Sweet Miche and you just heard a new voice. This month we have a special co-host, Diana Yáñez.

 

Diana Yáñez (00:37)

Hi, I’m excited to be here.

 

Sweet Miche (00:39)

Peterson is off volunteering with the Red Cross, doing disaster relief, while we’re doing the hard work of holding down the fort in the studio. But Deanna, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

 

Diana Yáñez (00:51)

I am a member of the Central Philadelphia Friends Meeting, and I spend a lot of my time in Mexico City. So if you hear any loud trucks or anybody selling avocados outside, it’s the ambient noise of Mexico City. And I’m an investment manager for work, I’m a money coach, and I’m also an avid salsa dancer. So those are a little bit of aspects of me.

 

Sweet Miche (01:18)

Tell us like a little sneak peek of what next season on Quakers Today will be.

 

Diana Yáñez (01:22)

Yeah, I’m really excited about that. So as an investment manager, as a Quaker, as a money coach, I’ve always wondered like, what is different about Quakers and money? I’m excited to be co-facilitating with Quakers today. Like what is visionary finance through a Quaker lens? And we’re going to be talking about impact investing, reparations, questioning consumerism. It’ll be a fun season.

 

This is season five, episode five of the Quakers Today podcast, a project of Friends Publishing Corporation. This season of Quakers Today is sponsored by the American Friends Service Committee and Friends Fiduciary.

 

Sweet Miche (02:00)

So, Diana, do you want to introduce what we’ll be hearing in today’s episode?

 

Diana Yáñez (02:06)

Yeah, yeah, before we begin, we want to invite you to listen differently today. In this episode, we’ll be hearing about a concept called jiwasa. It’s a way of understanding we that exist in Aymara language, but does not have an equivalent in English or Spanish. Ruben Hilari Quispe joins us as a Quaker, an indigenous Aymara person, and a linguist. Three identities which matter for this conversation.

 

Jiwasa isn’t just an idea or a metaphor, it’s something embedded in grammar and everyday speech. If, as you listen, you find yourself thinking, I’m not sure I fully understand this, that’s not a failure. That unsettled feeling is part of what Ruben is inviting us into.

 

Sweet Miche (02:48)

You don’t need to translate everything into English in your head. Just notice what’s happening when language stops centering the individual and starts centering relationship.

 

Diana Yáñez (03:01)

¿Sigo en español o…? In English? Okay. Well, Ruben Hilari Quispe, it’s a pleasure to have you here. It was a pleasure to read your article and learn about jiwasa. And if you could briefly introduce yourself, that would be great for our listeners.

 

Ruben Hilari Quispe (03:21)

Thanks, Diana. And so my name is Ruben Hilari Quispe. I was born near Lake Titicaca in the Andean place in a village which is called Walata Chico. And so we have been growing up taking care agriculture and some camelids. And after that, I moved to the city, which is the side of the government La Paz. And so currently, I live in El Alto City.

 

Diana Yáñez (03:52)

In our previous conversation, we were talking about jigwasificación.

 

Ruben Hilari Quispe (03:58)

yeah. there is no equivalent in English because we have we for nosotros, right? And in Spanish and in Aymara there is, three, like the first one is jiwasa or, and another one is nanaka and the jiwasanaka. Jiwasa means we as community. Or I was trying to name in English like saying we-ness like saying we-we or something like that, right? Because we means not just we, you and me. In Aymara, he was a concept includes all the existence things from the Western knowledge like objects. But in Aymara, it’s not considered like objects. It’s considered part of we alive, literally.

 

Diana Yáñez (04:58)

I want to pause this here for a moment. Ruben just said something important that is really difficult to explain. And I want to say that as someone who speaks Spanish and English, this concept feels foreign to me too. One way I’m trying to hold it is this. In English and Spanish, when we say we, it usually means me plus some other people. But what Ruben is describing isn’t addition, it’s belonging. It’s not just who is included, but how responsibility works how life itself is understood and shared. Even things we’d normally call objects are part of that. Let’s stay with it as we go back to Ruin.

 

Ruben Hilari Quispe (05:39)

Ubuntu is one example, think, in Africa. I exist because you exist. And here we can amplify that concept saying this laptop exists because I exist, right? Or I’m conversing because these things exist, like as part of this totality. And in Aymara, that amplifies not just among the human being, but including all the existence.

 

Diana Yáñez (06:13)

And when we think of our Quaker experience, and I know that the Quaker experience is very diverse. I can think of my own personal Quaker experience. One of the key testimonies is community. Yeah. Right? So, jiwasa is taking that community and expanding it way beyond the personal to also the invisible.

 

Ruben Hilari Quispe (06:35)

a concept which is close to jiwasa, the community, as a structure, as a pattern, but not just among people, including enemies, including those people who can attack us.

 

Diana Yáñez (06:50)

many indigenous languages in the Americas, not just Aymara, but maybe many languages that are are Nahuatl, which is where I’m from here in Mexico, also have this concept of us-ness, right? Of we-we-ness.

 

Ruben Hilari Quispe (07:05)

Yeah, yeah, yeah. think maybe double we many other languages have that pattern. And so what I need has as well as Quechua or Haka and Tojolabal which is a language among them now was the people are always talking with tick, tick, tick, tick, which means us or it’s not just me.

 

Sweet Miche (07:30)

In his article, Ruben reminds us that if we want to change how we live, we may first need to change how we speak. A language shaped by jiwasa doesn’t begin with I, but with we. Through jiwasa, we’re invited to remember that human beings are not only capable of harm, but also communal by nature.

 

Diana Yáñez (07:55)

You can read Ruben Hilari Quispe’s full article, “Jiwasa, the Communal We: Recovering a Lost Foundation of Aymara Culture” in the January issue of Friends Journal or online at friendsjournal.org.

 

Sweet Miche (08:07)

And if you’d like to hear more from Ruben, there’s an extended interview in Spanish with English subtitles available on the Friends Journal YouTube page.

 

Diana Yáñez (08:17)

We encourage you to spend time with his words and notice how language shapes how we imagine community, faith, and responsibility.

 

Sweet Miche (08:25)

If jiwasa means that my existence is tied to you, then my liberation is tied to yours too. Liberation theology, which comes from radical Catholics in Latin America, insists that faith must address the structural sins of inequality.

 

Diana Yáñez (08:43)

Renzo Carranza is a friend who explores how the Quaker idea of the inner light might be an avenue into that collective we, a call to collective liberation.

 

Renzo Carranza (08:53)

My name is Renzo Carranza. I was born in Guatemala. My Yearly Meeting is Western Yearly Meeting. Liberation Theology is a movement, a theological, philosophical, and pastoral movement that started in 1960s in Latin America. This movement was born in the context of Cold War. What these theologians were looking for was a reinterpretation of the gospels from the perspective of the poor, oppressed and marginalized and Quakers with the concept of inner light and their theology they are going to say it every human being has something of God in them. I would say that the combination of these three theologies can create a theology that is based not only in abstract ideas, a theology that takes actions in society. And this is what God wants from us to transform the society by the power of the Spirit. The Gospel of Luke is, to liberation theology, what the Gospel of John is for Quakers. When you read and the Sermon of the Mountain. Blessed are those who have pure hearts. Blessed are the peacemakers, because they will become the children of God. When you read these categories of citizens that Jesus is talking about in the Kingdom of God, you realize that you cannot build an empire with this kind of people. At least not an empire inclined to wars that is inclined to violence. Quakers experienced a very similar situation in the 17th century. They’re going to say the kingdom of God is here. And now…

 

Diana Yáñez (11:05)

That was an excerpt from the QuakerSpeak video entitled “Transforming the Spirit, Liberation Theology in the Inner Light.”

 

Sweet Miche (11:12)

A big thank you to Layla Cuthrell for filming and editing these videos. You can watch them on YouTube or QuakerSpeak.com.

 

Renzo reminds us that the light is a call to transform society. But if we’re using that jiwasa lens, it means that we don’t just inherit the beautiful parts of our community’s history, we also belong to the parts that cause us pain.

 

Diana Yáñez (11:38)

Exactly. When we talk about Quaker Indian boarding schools, the instinct is often for the “I” to pull away, to say I wasn’t there, I didn’t do that. But Rachel Overstreet suggests that the way forward isn’t through individual guilt, but through collective relationships.

 

Sweet Miche (11:56)

She shares how shifting our focus from our own discomfort to the actual stories of our Indigenous neighbors can turn a shameful history into a foundation for active communal healing.

 

Rachel Overstreet (12:14)

My name is Rachel Overstreet. I am Choctaw Nation from Oklahoma, although I grew up in South Dakota before moving to Washington, DC to work at the Friends Committee on National Legislation. I am our lobbyist for Native American advocacy. FCNL, you know, we get a lot of questions all the time, like why do the Quakers have a Native lobbying team and what do you work on? Valid. FCNL has had a tribal lobbying team since 1974. Our biggest issue is the Indian boarding school issue. When I meet someone who doesn’t know much about these schools, the conversation might go a few ways. They’ll react with disbelief that they didn’t know about the system, with sadness for what happened, or with guilt for what past Quakers have done. All of these reactions are perfectly normal.

 

I’ve also observed many friends get stuck in their reaction and have a hard time seeing the next step. They feel as though there’s nothing to do about this history, but without an alliance with friends, Native communities are left to shoulder the burden of this history alone. Yes, the history of these schools is shameful. Yes, it may almost feel unreal that this happened, but allowing shame to cloud our judgment or slow our feet is another consequence of a culture that divides us by race instead of uniting us in action. As a Native friend, I see comfort in the words of Joanne Bays who said, action is the antidote to despair.

 

Guilt is a very natural emotion, but it’s not like super useful in terms of like progress or action. I did have an interaction one time with a Quaker who said, I’m so sorry that we destroyed your culture. Almost no one alive today was involved in Quaker Indian boarding schools. I think almost certainly no one. But the institution still exists. We have a lot of feelings, I think, as any kind of people, as Quakers, as Native people about the history of the Indian boarding school system. One of the best gifts that we have as Quakers is silence and the ability to just hold what they said and just figure out how to help. How can we be good allies instead of being scared to do or say the wrong thing?

 

Diana Yáñez (14:43)

I love her call to figure out how to help. It connects right back to jiwasa, stop centering your own guilt, the I, and start centering the relationship, the we. And I think what our guests pointed toward is the importance of truly seeing and honoring native life as it is today, not just as a history of struggle, but as a living, breathing, and beautiful culture.

 

Sweet Miche (15:05)

And that brings us to our book review for the episode. In Friends Journal, Katie Green reviews a new children’s book that celebrates exactly that kind of cultural vitality. It’s called Chooch Helped, written by Andrea L. Rogers and illustrated by Rebecca Lee Kunz. 

 

Diana Yáñez (15:23)

I love this story. It’s a charming look at a present-day Cherokee family. The title character, Chooch, which is the shortened version of the Cherokee word for boy, Atsutsa, is a two-year-old who just wants to be part of everything.

 

Sweet Miche (15:36)

It’s a beautiful reflection of family love. And the book itself is a celebration of Cherokee culture. Both the author and illustrator are citizens of the Cherokee Nation.

 

Diana Yáñez (15:46)

It was recently awarded the 2025 Caldecott Medal.

 

Sweet Miche (15:50)

The book is Chouche Helped by Andrea L. Rogers and illustrated by Rebecca Lee Kunz. Levine Querido publishes it.

 

Diana Yáñez (15:58)

You can find Katie Green’s full review in the December 2025 issue of Friends Journal or online at friendsjournal.org.

 

Sweet Miche (16:06)

Before we go, Peterson has a recommendation for us. Here is the audio file he sent in from the field.

 

Peterson Toscano (16:14)

Actually, Sweet Miche, I have several. We’ve compiled a list of music, films, literature, and even some games that feature Native American and First Nation topics all created by indigenous people. I’m going to highlight two of my favorites. First is a novel by Joshua Whitehead. It’s called Johnny Appleseed. Now, despite that folkloric name, this isn’t the American frontier myth you might be thinking of. Whitehead, who uses they, them pronouns,

 

uses the Johnny Appleseed name as a piece of irony to reclaim a settler colonial symbol. The story follows Johnny, a two-spirit queer indigenous person living in Winnipeg. It’s written in this beautiful, episodic, and almost fragmentary way. It’s a raw and vital look at the indigenous queer experience and how identity is woven through memory and place.

 

If you’re looking for something a bit more interactive, I highly recommend checking out Coyote and Crow. This is a tabletop role-playing game created by a massive team of indigenous creators. What makes it so unique is the setting. It takes place in a future where the Americas were never colonized. It’s a stunning example of indigenous futurism. It doesn’t just look back at history. It imagines a world where these cultures were allowed to flourish.

 

and advance technologically on their own terms. You will find links to both of these and many more indigenous led projects in our show notes at quakers today.org. And if you have your own recommendation, send it to us by email podcast@friends journal.org.

 

Diana Yáñez (18:04)

Quakers Today is written and produced by me, Diana Yáñez.

 

Sweet Miche (18:08)

And me, Sweet Miche. And though Peterson was out saving lives, he still helped write and produce everything you heard today. Thank you for everything, Peterson. Music on today’s show comes from Epidemic Sound.

 

Diana Yáñez (18:21)

Season five of Quakers Today is sponsored by Friends Fiduciary. Friends Fiduciary unites Quakers values with expert investing. They serve more than 460 organizations with ethical portfolios, shareholder advocacy, and a deep commitment to justice and sustainability. Through 20 million in plan giving and 1 million in annual support to 70 organizations, they empower donors to drive social good. Serving us trustee for more than 80 trust, Friends Fiduciary blends value with action supporting equity through advocacy and charitable impact. Learn more at friendspediciary.org.

 

Sweet Miche (18:57)

Season five is also sponsored by the American Friends Service Committee. The American Friends Service Committee works at the forefront of social change to meet urgent needs, challenge injustice, and build peace. AFSC’s Emerging Leaders for Liberation program helps young adults ages 18 to 22 develop social justice and leadership skills. Over eight months, participants learn about organizing, advocacy, anti-racism, Quaker principles and create a community project. If you’re connected to an AFSC program, a Quaker college, school, or meeting, consider applying at afsc.org slash programs slash emerging dash leaders dash liberation.

 

Diana Yáñez (19:43)

Visit QuakersToday.org to see our show notes and a full transcript of this episode. And if you stick around after the closing, you will hear listeners’ responses to the question, what is something you learned in school about Native Americans or indigenous people that you’ve since learned is not true? Thank you, friends. May we all grow in jiwasa and belonging.

 

Sweet Miche (20:04)

Perfect. In a moment, you will hear listener responses about what they might have learned in school about Indigenous people that they now know is not true. But first, let me share with you next month’s question. A central part of Quakerism is our commitment to peace. But that doesn’t mean we should avoid conflict. In fact, it means we have a specific responsibility to it. What is a small practice that brings you a measure of peace or stability in the midst of conflict and turmoil? Here’s the question again. What is a small practice that brings you a measure of peace or stability in the midst of conflict and turmoil?

 

Diana Yáñez (20:52)

Leave a voice memo with your name and the town where you live. The number to call is 317-QUAKERS. You can also send an email to [email protected]. We’ll have these contact details in our show notes over at quakerstoday.org.

 

Sweet Miche (21:11)

Now we hear the answer to the question, what is something you’ve learned in school about Native Americans or indigenous peoples that you’ve since learned is not true. Ashley wrote, I was taught that the U.S. was an untouched wilderness. I’ve since learned that this land was full of complex civilizations, trade routes and farming. The land was far from empty, is being actively cared for by millions of people. And Vee wrote, I’m from Columbia.

 

In school, we were taught Native communities were a monolith. I learned that all aspects of Indigenous peoples’ lives, their vestiment, education, architecture, religious and political structures, were rudimentary. I learned that scarcity in their past and present lives were a result of their lack of sophistication and not a legacy of colonization.

 

Danny (22:10)

It’s kind of funny to get this question as I am literally watching the Avatar movies which have such a strange relationship to like American ideas of indigenous history. I think the thing that I didn’t know about indigenous people that was wrong about the Nava who were everywhere when I was a kid it was like just the Navajo. We’re all over the place and they were actually just one of many tribes in a small, geographically distinct region of the United States.