Chris Spotted Eagle | Leo Kupa Season 2, Episode 5

Chris Spotted Eagle is the spiritual leader for the Las Vegas Paiute Nation, a role he carries with deep reverence and responsibility. Raised on the Paiute Reservation in Las Vegas and connected to the Moapa Band of Paiutes, Chris is a living bridge between ancestral tradition and the modern urban landscape of Nevada. His family legacy is woven into the very fabric of Las Vegas — his grandfather helped fabricate the iconic “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign. As a song carrier and cultural steward, Chris brings an indigenous Nevada perspective that is both rare and essential to the conversation about preserving identity away from ancestral homelands. In this episode, Chris and Mailani share about their respective cultural practices, pulling similarities between Hawaiian and Paiute traditions. Chris speaks about the origin of his people to their ancestral lands and how he carries that responsibility as a leader of his community. This Leo Kupa Podcast Series explores the vibrant heartbeat of Hawaiian culture thriving in Las Vegas — the place Hawaiians lovingly call the Ninth Island. Through intimate conversations with practitioners, elders, and community builders, we journey into what it means to carry the sacred traditions of Hawaiʻi across the ocean and into the desert, keeping them alive with reverence, resilience, and aloha. Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/huimauliola/ https://www.instagram.com/leokupa_podcast/ Visit our website: huimauliola.org  Support us with a donation: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=SAC7XBZMJZJCC  Listen on the go with the audio version of this episode: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5lwSakTQacHbYS8WSQcYAB?si=5237a5949e774823  Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/leo-kupa/id1116560151  [alt for podbead] Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LeoKupa_Podcast  Mahalo to the sponsors of this episode: Island Fin Poke:  https://www.islandfinpoke.com/ Waiakea Water: https://waiakea.com/  This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, grant number MN-252929-OMS-23. The views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed do not necessarily represent those of the Institute of Museum and Library Services. This project received support from Papa Ola Lōkahi through the Makamaka Ola program. We gratefully acknowledge their generous funding, which helps us continue uplifting Native Hawaiian voices and traditional healing practices through the Leo Kupa Las Vegas series.