We were lucky to catch up with Laura Darnell recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Laura thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

I have covered difficult topics in my podcast including racism, the KKK, and lynching, but I think the most meaningful episodes I have produced so far are from my People of the Island series, which covers the history of the Wyandottes, particularly the history of the Wyandot Nation of Kansas. This series also provides a general overview of western European and later American interactions with Native populations, imperialism, colonialism, and physical and cultural genocide. I try not to get graphic in any of my episodes, but I laid it all out and was very blunt about the terrors native populations have faced in our nation’s history.

This series was conceived in response to the revelation of the mass graves of native children found at multiple former boarding schools in Canada that children had been forced to attend after being forcibly removed from their families. America had the exact same practice. But, the reality of this history is rarely taught in schools and if it is mentioned, its very brief. And the horrors indigenous people still face today relates directly back to everything I covered in that episode. Therefore, I felt it was very important to dive into this dark past and share these historical truths with my listeners.

At the same time, I am white, an outsider to this history and this culture, so while it was important that I put everything into context for my listeners, I also wanted to avoid any connotations of white saviorism. And I realized that I had this wonderful, amazing opportunity to use my platform to uplift native voices. So, I interviewed 2nd Chief Louisa Libby of the Wyandot Nation of Kansas and published that conversation on my show so that everyone would get to hear the story of her people in her own words.

Laura, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am a historian. I have a BA in history and a MA in Public History (archives, museums, and historic preservation). A couple of years after getting my Masters, I hadn’t been able to find a job in a museum or archive, and I missed doing history. I had been introduced to podcasts a few years before and would spend pretty much all day listening to history podcasts while I was at work. Then one day, I had the idea that I could do a history podcast. I debated with myself for about six months as to whether or not I should start a podcast, before finally deciding that yes I would start a podcast. Then the question was, what should my topic be? I finally decided on the history of Kansas City, the city I lived in, because while I knew very little about the history of the City, I knew just enough to know that it was interesting. Also, at the time there were no other podcasts covering KC history and local history and community history had become a passion of mine after finishing my degree.

With the help of an old friend from high school, I thoroughly researched how to start a podcast, and the equipment and technical programs I would need. Homegrown KC debuted September 2019 and its still going strong. Originally, I had planned to organize it by series which would feature 3-5 topics of a similar nature, and expected that also meant that each series would only include 3-5 episodes. Well the core structure of 3-5 Topics per Series remains, however, because I like to be so detailed and each episode is only about 30 minutes in length, I have had some Series with over 10 episodes as each Topic has been broken into multiple parts.

I also have a Patreon, where subscribers can listen to interviews with other local historians, archivists, and museum experts about their work and what their institutions offer the public. Occasionally, I will make one of these episodes available to the general public for a limited time. The exception to that is my conversation with 2nd Chief Louisa Libby of the Wyandot Nation of Kansas, which is currently, and will always, remain available to the public.

In the summer of 2021, I created Homegrown KC Adventures, which are photographic explorations of various historic sites and festivals in KC that I post on my Social Media pages, which include Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Tumblr (I also have a Pinterest, but photos from my Adventures are not posted there). In February 2022, I created Adventure Minisodes. On select Adventures, I will create an accompanying recording to the photographs, detailing the history behind the historic site or special exhibit, and my thoughts and reactions after visiting.

I also have a website, homegrownkc.wordpress.com, which provides an overview of the show and everything associated with it, and provides more information on every Topic I cover. Visitors can also sign up for my free Newsletter on my website. And lastly, I also have a Youtube Channel, which I hope to expand and utilize more in the near future.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My mission has been and always will be to tell the story of Kansas City, to educate the public on historical truths, and to spread interest and passion for local and community history.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

For the most part, I am happy to simply produce this podcast because I know that I am producing the best ‘history of x’ that I can and that my listeners will learn this story. But, hearing back from my listeners is amazing. To hear from them and have them tell me they simply enjoyed the tale is great, but to hear from them that something I said was completely new information for them or that I said something that made them think and view a historical topic in a new light is an incredible sensation.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://homegrownkc.wordpress.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/homegrownkc_podcast/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HomegrownKCPodcast/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/HomegrownKC?lang=en
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-HMbKNhFdzgPPqpRXTLQ8w
• Other: https://app.redcircle.com/shows/74a09b40-92a9-40f2-b364-a03ad6736590 https://www.patreon.com/homegrownkc https://ko-fi.com/homegrownkc

Image Credits
I took all the photographs