Most children dream of being an astronaut or a princess when they grow up, but Autumn Fourkiller wanted to be a brain in a glass jar. Two decades later, the Indigenous writer doesn’t feel too far off from that career trajectory, but instead of floating on display, she showcases her experiences and thoughts in her newsletter, short stories, and upcoming novel. 
Anna and Nina sit down with Autumn to discuss dream interpretation, ritual ceremony, and processing grief through writing. Autumn illustrates how her Southern Baptist upbringing initially informed her spiritual journey and how her relationship with death has changed throughout her life. She opens up the dynamic she had with her estranged father and what it’s like to live and work from his house now that he’s passed away. 
Anna, Nina, and Autumn touch on the role of identity-defining relationships, particularly through the lens of teenage love and intimacy. They also dig into what cultural appreciation and knowledge looks like and compare that to harmful cultural appropriation. At the end of their conversation, Anna pulls a card for Autumn and they talk about what’s in her best interest right now. 
Listen to the episode on https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-be-human/id1575612024 (Apple Podcasts), https://open.spotify.com/show/1V8taFSZQDpMcXkrP5dGrs?si=PtYeksWSRLGn_vu1vWBvMw&dl_branch=1 (Spotify), https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5zaW1wbGVjYXN0LmNvbS9yTHpBOUg2Mg (Google Podcasts), https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/fa34c28b-2ac5-49cb-9fc7-15328379d789 (Amazon Music), https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-how-to-be-human-84625355/ (iHeartRadio), https://www.stitcher.com/show/how-to-be-human-5 (Stitcher), or on your favorite podcast platform
Topics Covered:
Autumn’s experience with storytelling and dream interpretation throughout her life 
What it’s like to identify with parts of your parents, especially after they’ve died 
Trusting the lessons that life teaches you 
Non-performative embodiment practices 
Discovering what you want to do with your magic 

Resources Mentioned:
https://scalawagmagazine.org/2022/02/cherokee-nation-stilwell-oklahoma/ (Life and Death in Strawberry Land)

Connect with Autumn: 
https://www.autumnfourkiller.com/ (Autumn's Website)
https://www.instagram.com/sadboyhowdy/ (Autumn's Instagram)

Get in Touch:
https://howtobehumanpod.com/ (How to Be Human)
https://www.instagram.com/howtobehumanpod/ (How to Be Human Instagram)
https://www.instagram.com/annatoonk/ (Anna's Instagram)
https://www.instagram.com/humannamednina/ (Nina's Instagram)
https://www.annatoonk.com/ (Book a session with Anna)
https://ninaendrsthealth.com/ (Book a session with Nina)