Skip to main content

Subscribe to Smithsonian magazine and get a FREE tote.

Sequoia Carrillo

Sequoia Carrillo is an intern in the Office of Public Affairs at the National Museum of the American Indian. In the fall, she will be a junior at the University of Virginia specializing in History and Media Studies. During the school year, she works for the American History podcast and public radio program BackStory.

Stories from this author

The swearing in of Wilma Mankiller as Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma. Charlie Soap holds the Bible; the others are unidentified. Courtesy of the Wilma Mankiller Foundation.

Just doing "what I could," Wilma Mankiller changed Native America

From left to right: Zack “Doc” Battiest, Taboo of the Black Eyed Peas, and Spencer Battiest in the music video

Musician Spencer Battiest talks heritage, motivation, and Standing Rock ahead of museum concerts

Award-winning singer Spencer Battiest (Seminole Tribe of Florida/Choctaw) is a third- or fourth-generation musician, but his cultural roots go even deeper. “I’ve always had close ties with my tribe since I was young,” Spencer explains. “As I push forward in my career and see how far I can go, I always carry my tribe with me.” Battiest’s reverence for his heritage is palpable in his work. His music videos have Native directors, actors, tech hands, and producers. “I love doing business with other Natives. That’s always been my thing.”