Lost Cultures: Living Legacies
Lost Cultures: Living Legacies is a podcast from Travel + Leisure that explores the histories of peoples who inhabited places in the past and the communities that live there today. It examines how cultures interact, build on one another, and leave lasting influences even as populations change. The show questions whether cultures can truly be lost when people move on or adapt. Season 2 features stories about vibrant communities worldwide, including the Kānaka Maoli of Hawai‘i, the Sámi of Norway, and the Baghdadi Jewish community of India.
Episodes
The Māori: The First People of Aotearoa (New Zealand)
In the Season 2 finale of Lost Cultures: Living Legacies, host Alisha Prakash delves into the history and traditions of the Māori, the first people of Aotearoa (New Zealand). Centuries ago, their ancestors crossed the Pacific in waka, or canoes, navigating by stars, bird migrations, and ocean swells. Their arrival marked the beginning of a cultural legacy rooted in kinship with the land and sea an
The Narragansett: Bridging the Past With the Future
In this episode, host Alisha Prakash speaks with three members of the Narragansett community—Lorén Spears, Executive Director of the Tomaquag Museum, and Dawn and Cassius Spears, founders of Ashawaug Farm—whose ancestral homelands are in present-day Rhode Island. The conversation delves into the preservation and legacy of Narragansett cultural traditions, examining pivotal historical events such a
Encore: The Tongva: A Lasting Influence on Los Angeles
Los Angeles today is an influencer on the global stage, thanks to its most well-known industry, Hollywood. And its very name hints at the earlier influence of colonizers from Spain and Mexico in the area. But who were the original influencers of the L.A. Basin? And how did this Indigenous culture help shape the way Angelenos and tourists experience the area today? Guests Kimberly Morales Johnson a
The Sámi: A Story of Resilience
In this moving and deeply personal episode of "Lost Cultures: Living Legacies", host Alisha Prakash takes listeners to the Arctic homeland of the Sámi people, the Indigenous communities of Sápmi, a vast region spanning Norway, Sweden, Finland, and northwest Russia. We speak with three Sámi voices from Norway: renowned musician Mari Boine, professor of sociology Astri Dankertsen, and reindeer herd
Encore: The Rapa Nui: The Actual Name of Easter Island and its People
You’ve likely heard of “Easter Island” and the giant stone statues that famously reside there, confounding people who can’t understand how people could have made and moved them so long in the past. But did you know that the island and the people that live here are actually called Rapa Nui? Or that the artistry and engineering of those statues are a key reason that the people there were able to sur
Baghdadi Jews of Calcutta: “Carrying Our Heritage in Our Hearts”
Explore the rich history of Calcutta's Baghdadi Jewish community with host Alisha Prakash. Rahel Musleah, a journalist, educator, and singer who leads tours through her company Explore Jewish India, shares accounts of her family’s deep roots in Calcutta and the customs preserved by the diaspora. Jael Silliman, a writer and scholar, offers a broader view of the Baghdadi Jewish experience, drawing f
The Kānaka Maoli of Hawai‘i: Rooted in Aloha
In this episode of Lost Cultures: Living Legacies, we journey to the Hawaiian islands to explore the deep roots and living traditions of Kānaka Maoli, the Native Hawaiian people. Our guests, all Kānaka Maoli, include Dr. Uluwehi Hopkins, a professor of Hawaiian and world history, Evan Mokuahi Hayes, a cultural practitioner and founder of Detour Hawai‘i and Hawaiian Tour Co., and Hokulani Holt Padi
Bermuda: The Crossroads of the Atlantic
On the Season 2 debut of Lost Cultures: Living Legacies, we travel to Bermuda, an Atlantic island whose history spans centuries and continents. Once uninhabited, Bermuda became a vital stop in transatlantic trade, a maritime stronghold, and a cultural crossroads shaped by African, European, Caribbean, and Native American influences. Guests Dr. Kristy Warren and Dr. Edward Harris trace its transfor
Season 2: Launching May 21, 2025
What can we discover about a place by exploring the histories of those who once lived there–and those who live there still ? In what ways do cultures build upon each other as populations come and go? How do they complement each other, interact, and leave their marks on the people that come after them? And are cultures truly ever lost, even if the people move on or evolve and adapt? Lost Cultures:
Cajuns & Creoles: The Stunningly Adaptive People of South Louisiana
Cadie. Acadie. Acadian. Cajun. Acadiana. These words are part of the history and culture that developed in south Louisiana over the course of the last three centuries. They're an integral part of telling their story — but they can't do it alone. Combining elements from various peoples who traveled from several continents, this mix of cultures is so unique, even a gumbo metaphor isn't complex enoug
The Taino: A Constantly Evolving Caribbean Identity
When researcher Jorge Estevez visited the Smithsonian as a boy, he saw a sign that stated his people had “disappeared” four centuries before. How did this claim become conventional wisdom? To get to know the history of the Taino people is to understand the effects of brutal colonization combined with historical misinformation — and the process of cultural fusion, which created a people with roots
The Nubians of Egypt: Preserving a Lost Homeland
How is it that people belonging to one of the oldest civilizations in the world have lost so much of their ancestral homeland? What steps must they take to preserve their culture in the face of such challenging circumstances? Anthropologist Yasmin Moll and Dr. Menna Agha, along with Mona Sherif-Nelson, founder of the Nubian Foundation, share the history of the Nubian people of Egypt, delve into th
The Rapa Nui: The Actual Name of Easter Island and its People
You’ve likely heard of “Easter Island” and the giant stone statues that famously reside there, confounding people who can’t understand how people could have made and moved them so long in the past. But did you know that the island and the people that live here are actually called Rapa Nui? Or that the artistry and engineering of those statues are a key reason that the people there were able to sur
Encore: The Undiscovered Story of NYC's Lower East Side
New York City’s Lower East Side has been home to many communities, from the Lenape to Dutch and English colonizers to an influx of groups from Europe, China, Puerto Rico, and the American South. How has each arrival and exodus affected the neighborhood — not just in terms of size, but also sustained cultural impact? The Tenement Museum's Dolan Cochran guides us through the history of the Lower Eas
The Picts: The Mysterious Painted People of Scotland
Of all the cultures covered on this podcast, why did the Picts come closest to actually being lost? How did these "painted people" from what is now known as Scotland largely disappear from the historical record? Fascinating recent discoveries have helped people to better understand this tribe, who the Romans once faced with fear on the fields of the British Isles. Guests Tim Clarkson and Gordon No
Aboriginal Peoples: On Australia for Many Millennia and Looking to the Future
Australia is a far-away destination for travelers based in most other parts of the world. Its remoteness has bred unique wildlife and, among its people, an archetypal ability to persevere. Much of the pop culture of the last 40 years may lead you to believe the continent's Aboriginal peoples descended from colonizers — but did you know this population's roots may actually trace back to the first s
The Tongva: A Lasting Influence on Los Angeles
Los Angeles today is an influencer on the global stage, thanks to its most well-known industry, Hollywood. And its very name hints at the earlier influence of colonizers from Spain and Mexico in the area. But who were the original influencers of the L.A. Basin? And how did this Indigenous culture help shape the way Angelenos and tourists experience the area today? Guests Kimberly Morales Johnson a
The Ainu: A Culture Too Strong for Japan to Erase
The popular image of Japan is often the modern metropolis of Tokyo or its feudal history, samurai and all. But there’s also a culture you may not know about. It predates even the concept of Japan as a nation, while still existing today. So, what is this culture and why are the people still so little-known relative to other aspects of the nation they're a part of? Professors Kinko Ito and Kirsten Z
The Maya: Truth and Lore in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula
Many people think of the Maya as existing mainly – perhaps even solely – in the historical record, far in the past from our modern day. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. So, how have they influenced the architecture, cuisine, and culture of the Yucatan Peninsula and many of the experiences you may have there today? On this episode, we’re joined by Carlos Rosado, a tour guide and editor
The Undiscovered Story of NYC's Lower East Side
New York City’s Lower East Side has been home to many communities, from the Lenape to Dutch and English colonizers to an influx of groups from Europe, China, Puerto Rico, and the American South. How has each arrival and exodus affected the neighborhood — not just in terms of size, but also sustained cultural impact? The Tenement Museum's Dolan Cochran guides us through the history of the Lower Eas
Introducing Lost Cultures: Living Legacies, a new podcast from Travel + Leisure!
What happens to a place when the cultures within it change over time? Lost Cultures: Living Legacies, a new podcast from Travel + Leisure, spotlights destinations that have experienced significant cultural shifts throughout history. We reveal how they build upon and complement one another, while preserving their traditions. Through conversations with archeologists, academics, artists, and local me
