New Podcast Reexamines America’s Origins.

Pushkin Industries and Critical Frequency are partnering on “First America,” a six-part narrative podcast that aims to revisit the founding of the U.S. through Indigenous perspectives often absent from traditional historical accounts. The series debuts June 22 and will be hosted by award-winning journalist and activist Rebecca Nagle, creator of the podcast “This Land” and a citizen of the Cherokee Nation.

The weekly series is timed to coincide with growing interest in the nation’s 250th anniversary and examines key events in early American history through the experiences and participation of Native tribes. Episodes will explore topics including the Boston Tea Party, the Revolutionary War and other milestones, while drawing connections between those events and contemporary issues.

Nagle will be joined by several Indigenous scholars and historians, including Maggie Blackhawk of the Fond du Lac Ojibwe, Ned Blackhawk of the Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone, Phil Deloria, a descendant of the Standing Rock and Yankton Sioux tribes, and Nick Estes of the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe.

According to the producers, the podcast seeks to broaden the historical narrative by highlighting the role Indigenous nations played in shaping the country’s development. Nagle said Native perspectives are frequently excluded from mainstream accounts of U.S. history, making it difficult to fully understand how the nation was formed and how past events continue to influence current debates.

Pushkin CEO Gretta Cohn said the company was eager to support the project, citing Nagle’s experience as a journalist and storyteller. She also pointed to the production’s sound design and original score as key elements of the listening experience.

The series features a theme composed by Pulitzer Prize-winning Navajo musician Raven Chacon, whose work has been presented at institutions including the Kennedy Center, LACMA and the Whitney Biennial. The score also includes contributions from White Mountain Apache musician Laura Ortman.

The first episode of First America will be released June 22.