Therapy Gecko – Episode: “I LIVE ON A NATIVE AMERICAN RESERVATION”

Podcast: Therapy Gecko (iHeartPodcasts)
Date: January 7, 2026
Host: Lyle (Geck)

Overview

This episode centers on two rich, reflective conversations with Native American callers, both exploring personal identity, cultural heritage, and the complexities of life on and off of reservations. The main portion is an in-depth discussion with Chris Barney, a Navajo sheep and goat herder, poet, filmmaker, and seed seller, who shares his lived experience on the reservation—as well as his take on tribal government, cultural preservation, spirituality, and the online world. A subsequent call from Nicole, a mixed-heritage Native American, reflects on family assimilation and the struggle to reclaim cultural identity. The episode's tone is curious, meandering, and empathetic, leaning into the personal details that illuminate broader issues of tradition, modernity, and belonging.

Key Conversation with Chris Barney

(Begins around 01:49)

Introduction and Background

• Chris Barney immediately establishes his Navajo heritage, offering his name, clans, and marking his origin as “rough rock” (02:14).

  “I told you who I am, my name, my four clans and where I'm from.” (02:14, Chris)

• Chris currently lives and farms on the Navajo Nation in northeastern Arizona.

• He is raising two nephews (18 and 14) as his own.

Culture and Change

• Chris describes the current state of “transition” on the reservation, citing the tension between holding on to traditional ways—language, clan systems, ceremonies—and the “outside” pressures of Westernization, technology, and English dominance. Younger generations especially feel this pull.

  “We're kind of in a moment, a transition in the culture. Like, we're still trying to hold on to our traditional ways, our language and culture, but … the influence from the outside world is drawing a lot of our people away, especially our young people.” (03:26, Chris)

• Language is a key identifier, with Chris lamenting that many young Navajo are not fluent, though some families make proactive efforts at cultural retention.

Daily Life & Livelihood

• Chris herds sheep and goats even during the call (06:06), highlighting how traditional lifeways persist.
• He describes his background in filmmaking and poetry, and his experiences working on small films, writing, and helping edit others’ screenplays.
• Employment on the reservation is diverse: tribal government administration, maintenance, teaching, medical professions, energy sector jobs, and “medicine people” conducting community healing. Some leave for education/work, but many return.

Spiritual & Historical Roots

• Chris shares Navajo creation stories: the people (the Diné) emerged from the earth through several worlds until arriving at this one, with their homeland defined by four sacred mountains.

  “We have our origins here on this land. Our creation stories say we came out of the earth, and from there we journeyed through several worlds into this one…” (09:15, Chris)

• Turtle Island is mentioned as a traditional Native American name for the continent (12:02).

Relationship to the US Government

• Chris thoughtfully recounts the US government’s historical treatment of the Navajo:

  • The “Long Walk” (forced relocation) to Fort Sumner (1864–8)—an event Chris likens to the Holocaust.
  • After four years, a peace treaty was signed (1868), establishing the basis for federal responsibility and funding today.
  • Much controversy exists over tribal government structure and spending, with Chris criticizing corruption, high salaries for officials, and a lack of benefits for everyday people.
  • Tribal governance mirrors US structures: there’s a president, council, three branches, and local chapters; representation in federal and state matters remains a dynamic process.

  “The tribal officials mostly spend it among themselves. They pay themselves millions of dollars and hundreds of thousands in salary… There's been a lot of controversy with him and his leadership, or lack thereof.” (15:51, Chris)

Community, Privacy, and Social Media

• Despite familial ties and being “surrounded by relatives,” Chris prefers a private life, somewhat distanced from neighbors due to local jealousy and drama.

  “The neighbors around me… get territorial and envious… so I just ignore them.” (22:38, Chris)

• Instead, Chris is highly active online, with thousands of Instagram and Facebook followers—he enjoys connecting virtually and sees himself almost as a “sheep herder influencer.”

• Chris sells drought-tolerant seeds (corn, beans, squash, etc.), trading via social media, often bartering for food or objects:

  “I barter and trade for things, too… People give me food, and we trade seeds with other people who are farmers and gardeners from all over the world.” (36:46, Chris)

On Teaching and Westernization

• Chris imparts knowledge to his nephews by integrating cultural lessons into daily life: teaching them plant, animal, and weather names in Navajo, sharing rituals, and connecting them to the land and traditional offerings.

  “You teach them. This is what this plant is. This is the name of this lizard… that's how I was raised.” (25:26, Chris)

• Both he and his nephews engage with modern media (e.g., Assassin's Creed, Zelda), acknowledging the blending of cultures.

• Chris embraces the paradox: “Animals… love you unconditionally. People are complicated.” (24:24, Chris)

Spiritual Perspective

• Chris’s view on death and the afterlife:

  “There’s no sadness, there’s no grief, there’s no pain [in the spirit world]. It's just bliss. You're free. It's better than the Christian heaven.” (21:04, Chris)

Parting Message

• Chris concludes with a call for unity and a return to spiritual harmony:

  “We're in a period of great transition on this Earth and we all need to come together… to remember who we are as human beings…” (29:53, Chris)

  “May everything become beautiful again… Everything will be restored in harmony.” (31:32, Chris)

Social & Economic Life

• Chris details his seed-selling efforts, leveraging Facebook/Instagram as his primary storefronts.
• He is open to bartering—crystals, obsidian, even rare Pokémon cards for seeds, reinforcing community and global connections.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On spirituality and land:

  “Our boundaries to our homeland is four sacred mountains, and we stay within those four sacred mountains, where we're supposed to, anyway.” (10:44, Chris)

• On American government history:

  “In 1864…the federal government came and relocated and tried to take at least 9,000 Navajos from our homeland when they marched them into New Mexico to a place called Fort Sumner and held them at gunpoint for four years.” (12:29, Chris)

• On privacy vs connection:

  “I live a pretty private life. … The neighbors around me, … get territorial and envious… I just ignore them.” (22:38, Chris)

Memorable Segment

• Chris discussing his barter/trading system (36:46+).
• Geck reacting, tickled by the idea of an “Instagram general store,” inciting listeners to hit Chris up with quirky trades.

Conversation with Nicole

(44:09)

Experience of Assimilation & Identity

• Nicole’s background: father is half Native American, half Puerto Rican; mother is white. Nicole presents as white, and her family lost much cultural connection through federal assimilation policies and the legacy of boarding schools.

  “My dad's family was super whitewashed because his mom, who is native, she was federally recognized as white … during the time they were sending Indian children to boarding school… they were like, oh no, she's white, she doesn't need to go…” (44:36 & 48:43, Nicole)

• Nicole reflects on feeling "invisible" as Native due to appearance and government erasure:

  “Now it's so cool to be different. I think back then it was like... it used to be bad to be different.” (49:38, Nicole)

• Her sister teaches at a reservation school in Arizona—echoes of Chris’s earlier point that a resurgence in language and culture is underway, though resources are stretched thin.

Personal Aspiration and Paradox

• Nicole shares her own artistic ambitions versus her struggle to make a living—expressing a now-common paradox for her generation:

  “At the end of the day, I can't make art if I don't have money, but I can't make money if I don't have time to create.” (58:14, Nicole)

• Geck and Nicole together riff on the concept of "schemes"—making ends meet, sharing rent, and balancing fulfillment and financial security.

  “The goal is to, like, be able to spend as much time, like, and energy doing the things you really want to do. And then, yeah, paradoxically, yes, you need money to do them.” (59:44, Geck)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:49 – Chris Barney introduces himself, his clans, and begins conversation
• 03:26 – On cultural transition, language, and youth
• 06:06 – Chris is herding sheep during the call
• 08:07 – Employment and diverse livelihoods on the reservation
• 13:55 – Treaty history, government relationships, and resource exploitation
• 15:51 – Controversy and corruption in tribal leadership
• 17:30 – Structure of tribal vs state/federal government
• 22:12 – On community, privacy, and social media
• 25:26 – How Chris teaches his nephews Navajo culture
• 29:30 – Chris’s parting message: Unity, harmony, and spirituality
• 33:37 – Chris explains his seed-selling business and bartering
• 44:09 – Nicole’s call begins; her background and experience of assimilation
• 48:43 – Impact of boarding schools, family’s denial of heritage, search for identity
• 52:47 – Nicole’s sister teaching on a reservation; language resurgence
• 54:08 – Nicole and Geck discuss fulfillment vs earning a living

Episode Takeaways

Core Themes

• Transition and Tension: The Navajo, and other Native communities, are at a crossroads—struggling to maintain traditional systems and knowledge even as economic, political, and technological change exerts pressure.
• History and Healing: Chris’s stories reflect collective trauma from colonization, forced relocation, and cultural erasure, but also offer a vision of healing and renewal through reconnection with land, spirit, and tradition.
• Modernity: Both Chris and Nicole are products of two worlds—deeply rooted in indigenous identities but also navigating (and leveraging) Western technology, social media, gaming, and commerce.
• Community, Privacy, and Online Connection: For Chris, online community (and animals) are preferable to often-fraught local human relationships. This tension reflects a larger social dynamic in rural and indigenous communities.
• Survival and Adaptation: Chris’s barter seed business and Nicole’s search for grants/goals both symbolize creative survival in a cash-driven world.
• Longing for Belonging: Nicole’s narrative especially highlights what is lost—and what is being reclaimed—when assimilation policies push people to disavow ancestral identity.

Notable, Relatable, and Humorous Moments

• Geck finding delight: in the idea of a sheep herder Instagram influencer and the analog/vibe-based seed trading system.
• Chris, deadpan: “Well, I call them my children… even though I eat them sometimes.” (23:57)
• Nicole on the “single tax”: playfully riffing on the economic calculus of love, rent, and the oldest “scheme” in the book.
• Chris, on privacy and neighbors: “People are complicated.” (24:24)

Final Reflections

A heartfelt, human episode that brings listeners inside the living realities of the Navajo reservation and the wider Native American experience. Chris Barney’s voice is dignified, wryly humorous, and honest—offering a rare glimpse of both struggle and resilient joy. Nicole’s story adds nuance to the conversation, reminding us of the generational impacts of assimilation and the ongoing journey of cultural recovery.

Highly recommended segments:

• Chris’s vivid, poetic descriptions of reservation life and tradition (throughout, 03:26–29:30)
• The practical how-to for bartering seeds online (33:37–38:44)
• Nicole’s perspective on assimilation, family history, and her struggle to reclaim belonging (44:09–54:08)

Next Steps:
Follow Chris Barney on Instagram at HastiiN Goat Herder or on Facebook as “Chris Barney”.
Barter for seeds, send a quirky trade, and learn about drought-friendly agriculture direct from the source.

Parting words from Chris (29:53):

“We are all children of Mother Earth in the universe and to never lose a connection to the source of life, to the Creator.”