Cowboys & Indians Magazine - April 24, 2024 - The store is modern, but the story of Mahota Textiles reaches far back into the threads of Chickasaw history. It begins with the kidnapping in 1736 of a young French girl in the Southeast who was known as French Nancy. She eventually became the bride of the Chickasaw warrior Alikuhlo Hosh, and they had a daughter.

The Observer - March 26, 2024 - Arguably the world’s most well-known eclipse artist, Nordgren brings celestial events to life in a way that sparks the imagination.

World Footprints - June 28, 2024 - The Basque Block in Boise, Idaho, stands as a vibrant testament to the rich cultural heritage of one of the state’s most distinctive ethnic communities. This historic stretch of Grove Street, once home to some of Boise’s earliest and most prominent families, now serves as a thriving center of Basque culture and cuisine.

COWBOYS & iNDIANS - Osage author and Oklahoman Chelsea T. Hicks debuted her first book to rave reviews. C&I talks to her about writing and her fight to preserve heritage languages.

Idaho Business Journal - A well-trained herding or ranch dog can sell for sometimes up to $25,000 to $30,000 each (though usually in the $5,000 to $7,000 range), but their value to ranchers and livestock owners is priceless. The newest breed of dog trainers also has a woman’s touch.

The Journal Record - Numbers from the annual Monarch Butterfly overwintering count in Mexico were released earlier this month, and the news was more dire than expected.

The Smithsonian Sept/Oct. 2023 - For these ambitious scientists in the rainforests of Ecuador, helping the environment has never tasted so sweet

Cowboys & Indians - The new Martin Scorsese movie masterpiece lays bare a shocking chapter in American history and thrusts Oklahoma and the Osage Nation into the Hollywood spotlight.

Sierra Magazine - Taking what they learned about how climate change is affecting the world’s most delicate ecosystems, Strøm and Sorby are promoting dialogue about it through the educational outreach platform they launched, Hearts in the Ice.

Cowboys & Indians Magazine - As Will Rogers’ The Illiterate Digest turns 100, the crucial quest goes on to enrich the legacy of “America’s favorite son” for future generations to come.

COWBOYS & INDIANS - Former rodeo contestant, master hatter, businesswoman, cancer charity founder, Cowgirl Hall of Famer — Lavonna "Shorty" Koger is also an American treasure.

AARP Magazine - At 51, I had fought most of my life to beat that red dirt sound out of my speech. I forced my tongue into contortions that didn’t quite fit because I felt that having a deep drawl came with judgmental assumptions of simpleminded ignorance. On this trip, however, I not only embraced the long vowels and country-speak that embarrassed me back home but amplified it.

By Heide Brandes

Forty years ago this month, a shabby little whitewashed wood and brick house put Tulsa’s Northside neighborhood on the national map when the movie The Outsiders premiered.

FODORS - Visit these spooky literary destinations for thrills and chills.

BBC - Did Vikings find their way to a remote part of Oklahoma? Some in a small community believe so, thanks to controversial runic carvings found in the area.

COWBOYS & INDIANS - BY HEIDE BRANDES

MAY 5, 2022

Every year, Cherokee youth take to their bikes to explore the tragic history of the Trail of Tears on a 950-mile ride.

ROUTE MAGAZINE - August 2022

BY Heide Brandes

Fortunately, the museum dedicated to one of the most beloved Americans in history is located right along Oklahoma’s stretch of Route 66. Tourists who may never have heard of the man who was once the top entertainer in the world now buzz through, thanks to the car clubs and bus tours that follow the Mother Road.

The Houston Chronicle - Nov. 19, 2021 - The first ever multi-vortex F5 tornado on record spurred life-saving advancements in weather science.

BBC TRAVEL - Hundreds of traditional healers in Ecuador provide spiritual cleansings. But these aren't for the thin-skinned: among other options, they can involve a rub-down with stinging nettles.

FODORS Travel - Here I was, a single female alone, decked out in a pretty little red dress and sassy boots smack dab in the middle of a New Orleans sex club. I had no idea what I was walking into.

TravelAwaits.com - Even before I turned 50, the idea of sharing a ship with thousands of strangers intent on eating and drinking themselves into a stupor while bombarding little destinations with drunken reveling and entitled behavior was torturous. I would rather not travel than travel on a cruise ship. Boy, was I wrong… and more than a little close-minded and judgy about the idea of cruising.

TravelAwaits.com - With only 35 guests aboard, the Santa Cruz II was my floating home away from home on Hurtigruten Expeditions’ inaugural cruise to the Galapagos Islands, and with stellar cuisine and a staff of highly-educated naturalists and cruise leaders, I couldn’t imagine a better way to explore a location that ranks high on many people’s bucket list.

ROADTRIPPERS - Built in 1886, the Crescent Hotel is a favorite for paranormal enthusiasts for its spooky reputation—but it also offers family-friendly activities and views so pretty that even the prospect of seeing a ghost (or several) doesn’t keep people away.

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVEL - The vision for the First Americans Museum in Oklahoma City was always ambitious. The center was established to promote the unique cultures, history, contributions, and resilience of the First American Nations in Oklahoma.

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVEL - The viridescent mossy glens and labyrinths of rock passageways at Dismals Canyon, in northern Alabama, could easily double for Middle Earth in J.R.R. Tolkien’s epics. But the real magic of this privately owned National Natural Landmark can’t be seen during the light of day. When the sun sets and night settles, tiny glowworms called dismalites shine bright with blue bioluminescence.

BIRDWATCHING DAILY - While the largest eradication program ever of rats was successful on one of the islands of Haida Gwaii, the rats continue to return. Naturalists are working to clear the rest of the islands of rats and the non-native deer species that threaten nesting sites.

In many ways, the return to a pure natural state also reflects the fight of the Haida people to regain their indigenous cultural identity as well.

COWBOYS & INDIANS - More than 1,000 years ago, the field where I stood was a thriving prehistoric Native American city and one of the largest and most important Native American centers in the Mississippian region. Up to 10,000 people lived in and around the main city area, and the winter and summer solstices attracted thousands for three days of religious ceremony.