First America
Coming June 22. Native people have been written out of the American story, but without us you don’t know what happened. This summer the United States will celebrate the 250-year…
Pushkin Industries Partners with Critical Frequency for New Narrative Podcast First America for America 250
The Series Hosted by Award-Winning Journalist Rebecca Nagle Will Launch Monday, June 22
New York, New York – June 5, 2026 – Pushkin Industries and Critical Frequency announced today the launch of First America, a new narrative podcast that explores the untold story of the United States’ origins through the unwritten Native history of the country. With Award-winning journalist and activist Rebecca Nagle, (This Land) citizen of Cherokee Nation, as host, the six-episode series will release on Monday, June 22.
Throughout each episode of the podcast, Rebecca will revisit moments of early American History, recontextualize these events to accurately center the participation of Indigenous Tribes, and build a connection to the current state of the country. First America will feature Rebecca, conversing with other leading Indigenous scholars and historians such as Maggie Blackhawk, (Fond du Lac Ojibwe), Ned Blackhawk (citizen of the Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone), Phil Deloria (descendant of the Standing Rock and Yankton Sioux tribes), and Nick Estes (citizen of the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe), to examine how events such as the Boston Tea Party and the Revolutionary War were built on the mistreatment of Indigenous peoples and were an integral part of the origins of the United States.
“Most often, when I hear the story of America, Native people are missing. We’ve been written out of the history. But without us, you don’t know what happened,” said Rebecca Nagle, host of the series. “We don’t know how America got here as a country, because we don’t know how it started. First America tells the true story of our country’s founding. And how our current political crisis is 250 years in the making.”
“When Rebecca approached Pushkin about partnering on this podcast, it was an immediate yes,” said Gretta Cohn, CEO of Pushkin Industries. “A powerful journalist and storyteller in her own right, she has also assembled a standout production team of collaborators, including extraordinary sound design and score. The result is an evocative and immersive podcast that demonstrates deeply how our past always connects with our present.”
The first episode of First America launches on Monday, June 22, with new episodes releasing weekly. The series will be available on Apple, Spotify, and all major podcast platforms, with the theme song being written by Pulitzer Prize-winning Navajo composer, educator, and performer Raven Chacon, whose work has appeared at LACMA, The Kennedy Center, and The Whitney Biennial. The show’s score also features Raven alongside award-winning White Mountain Apache musician Laura Ortman, whose performances have taken her from the Guggenheim and the Whitney Museum to the Venice Biennale and beyond.
Media Contacts:
The Lippin Group for Pushkin Industries