Legacy Podcast
Current Podcast Project
“Our Language is Made for Laughter”
Stories from Jicarilla Apache Tribal Elders
Season One, with six episodes, will launch in February 2026.
We want to honor the history of the Jicarilla Apache Nation by documenting stories of Elders Troy and Loretta Vicenti, as well as other elders of their tribe. Through podcasts and videos, we aim to preserve the endangered Jicarilla Apache language, culture, and values for future generations. Yes, the Jicarilla Apache language is considered endangered, with a classification of "severely endangered" by organizations like UNESCO. It is no longer the norm for children to learn the language, and only a few dozen fluent speakers remain.
Loretta & Troy Vicenti
Jicarilla Day Pow Wow,
February 2025
From the moment we sat down to record, we were immediately captivated by Troy’s stories. His very first memory ignites the imagination—it has already taken on a mythical quality in our minds. He recalls being not quite two years old, watching his grandfather lying in the corner of their cabin, their home on the reservation. Troy remembers crawling toward him as his grandfather spoke in Jicarilla Apache, playfully pretending to be afraid of the small child approaching. With animated expressions and sweeping gestures, his grandfather feigned fear until they both burst into laughter. That moment—laughing together—is Troy’s earliest memory of being alive. As Troy told us, the Jicarilla Apache language was made for laughter.
Troy Vicenti (far left) and his family featured on a postcard photographed in Colorado.
“Chief Beaver and family, The Jicarilla Apache, Indian Dancers at Seven Falls, Colorado Springs, Colorado” circa late 1950s
photo: Jicarilla Mustang Heritage Alliance
The bond with horses runs through every part of Troy and Loretta’s lives, evident in the stories they share and in the passions of their children and grandchildren.
Troy and Loretta’s granddaughter and great-granddaughters at the Jicarilla Day Pow Wow, February 2025. The sash says: Little Beaver Rodeo Princess
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Margot Lynn Gedert, Producer
Joey Xanders, Director
Maruf Noyoft, Editor
Friend, Transcriber -
Troy Vicente
Loretta Vicente -
Jicarrilla Apache Reservation in Dulce, New Mexico