Native America Calling

03/07/2025

This Sunday, AMC’s crime thriller "Dark Winds" begins its third season.

Brian Bull has this preview in the latest edition of National Native News with Antonia Gonzales.

https://www.nativenews.net/friday-march-7-2025/

Stay connected to NNN all weekend long for Brian Bull's full-length conversations with your favorite stars of "Dark Winds" including this one with actor Zahn McClarnon.

03/07/2025

Tribal and state public health efforts in New Mexico are credited with cutting the Native American su***de rate in that state by 43% over a year’s time. It’s even more notable in that the percent reduction is more than five times that of the rest of the population. There are still troubling statistics, including a study that shows Native American young people at most risk. We’ll hear from su***de prevention experts about where problems persist and what is being done to offset them.

GUESTS

Shelby Rowe (Chickasaw), executive director of the Su***de Prevention Resource Center

Dr. Deidre Yellowhair (Diné), research assistant professor in the division of community behavioral health for the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science at the University Of New Mexico

Lynette Hepa (Iñupiaq), director of the department of health and social services for the North Slope Borough

Amanda WhiteCrane (Northern Cheyenne), director of the Native & Strong Lifeline with the Volunteers of America Western Washington

Tribal and state public health efforts in New Mexico are credited with cutting the Native American su***de rate in that state by 43% over a year’s time. It’s even more notable in that the percent reduction is more than five times that of the rest of the population. There are still troubling stat...

03/06/2025

Serving up soul food nostalgia and Auntie approved!

Danielle Larsen Artwork’s piece "Indigenous Moose Soup" is one of the many stunning pieces of art featured in our upcoming Alaska Native Art Auction. The RIVR's John Sallee has this preview.

https://anaa25.givesmart.com/

03/06/2025

A play in Burbank, Calif. exposes the frustrations Native Americans often express about the ongoing tragedy of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP). The largely Native production, "Four Women In Red", portrays a group of women who learn they’re largely alone in finding out information about missing loved ones. The play comes at a time of job cuts for Department of Interior officials and federal law enforcement officers. At the same time, the Trump Administration announced new efforts to identify remains of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People and reunite them with their families. Some states, including New Mexico, are making moves to reinforce their efforts to solve MMIP crimes.

GUESTS

Angel Charley (Acoma Pueblo and Navajo), New Mexico State Senator for District 30

Laura Shamas (enrolled member of the Chickasaw Nation), playwright

LaRenda Morgan (Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes), MMIP chapter chair and government affairs officer for the Cheyenne & Arapaho Tribes

William J. Horton (Choctaw Nation), Bureau of Indian Affairs Missing and Murdered Unit regional agent in charge

Darlene Gomez, attorney and activist for MMIP

A play in Burbank, Calif. exposes the frustrations Native Americans often express about the ongoing tragedy of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP). The largely Native production, Four Women In Red, portrays a group of women who learn they’re largely alone in finding out information about...

03/06/2025

Curious what you’ll see at our Art Auction? This stunning collar by C. Ruby Designs is a true blend of nature and artistry, handcrafted with sea otter, sea lion, beaver, and lynx fur. Bid on this and more during the silent auction portion of our event. Reserve your ticket or table today! https://anaa25.givesmart.com/

03/05/2025

Iowa is testing new legal limits as the first state to remove gender identity as a protected class in the state’s civil rights code. The Trump administration is also removing transgender service personnel from the military. And the State Department is using existing law against fraud to bar foreign transgender athletes from entering the country, something critics worry could be used to ban any trans traveler. After years of progress, Native American trans residents are facing a major rollback of favorable laws and policies. We’ll hear about the current public climate and what might be in store for the future.

GUESTS

Shelby Chestnut (Assiniboine), executive director of the Transgender Law Center

Stephanie Byers (Chickasaw), former Kansas state representative

Vernon Gonzales (Houma), trans advocate

Shuína Skó (Klamath Tribes), Two-Spirit poet, author, & cultural consultant

Iowa is testing new legal limits as the first state to remove gender identity as a protected class in the state’s civil rights code. The Trump administration is also removing transgender service personnel from the military. And the State Department is using existing law against fraud to bar foreig...

03/04/2025

We talked with Diné actor, DezBaa’ about the upcoming season 3 of “Dark Winds” today. Catch past shows of the NAC podcast.

03/04/2025

Among the shows and films touching on Native American themes is the start of season three of the suspenseful "Dark Winds" crime saga on AMC. The well-received show has new mysteries with Lt. Joe Leaphorn (Zahn McClarnon), Bernadette Manuelito (Jessica Matten), and Jim Chee (Kiowa Gordon) among many other Native characters. The show just got confirmed for a fourth season. The Netflix limited series "American Primeval" is a violent retelling of the American West with several significant Native storylines and characters. And fresh off its Academy Award nomination, "Sugarcane" is a hard-hitting documentary about the Canadian residential school system.

GUESTS

Julie O’Keefe (Osage Nation), Indigenous cultural consultant for "American Primeval"

Vincent Schilling (Akwesasne Mohawk), editor and founder of NativeViewpoint.com and a certified Rotten Tomatoes critic

Dezbaa’ (Diné), SAG-AFTRA union actor, WGA union writer, independent filmmaker, and Helen Atcitty in “Dark Winds”

Among the shows and films touching on Native American themes is the start of season three of the suspenseful Dark Winds crime saga on AMC. The well-received show has new mysteries with Lt. Joe Leaphorn (Zahn McClarnon), Bernadette Manuelito (Jessica Matten), and Jim Chee (Kiowa Gordon) among many ot...

03/04/2025

For the first time ever, the Alaska Native Art Auction Gala will feature a fashion show, “Sewing Our Ancestors' Dreams!”

Experience Indigenous arts and celebrate culture and community with us.

Will you be there? ➡️ https://anaa25.givesmart.com/

Koahnic Broadcast Corporation KNBA 90.3 FM Native America Calling National Native News Indigefi

03/03/2025

➡️ Save the date FRIDAY MARCH 21! ⬅️

Join us for the 30th Annual Alaska Native Art Auction Gala on March 21 at The Hotel Captain Cook. Enjoy a night of stunning artwork, cultural performances, and our first-ever fashion show celebrating Indigenous design.

Secure your spot by March 11.

🎫 https://anaa25.givesmart.com/ 🎫

03/03/2025

President Donald Trump has promised to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education. Education advocates worry about what that means for the $119 billion the federal government sends to public K-12 schools and what becomes of the programs supporting Native American students. We’ll get a sense of what the future for Native primary and secondary education along with concerns from Native educators and policy advocates.

GUESTS

Julia Wakeford (Muscogee and Yuchi), National Indian Education Association policy director

Kimberly Daingkau-Begay (Kiowa, Caddo, and Pawnee), executive officer and president of the Arizona Indian Education Association

Matt Jackson (Seminole Nation of Oklahoma), social studies teacher at Norman North High School

President Donald Trump has promised to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education. Education advocates worry about what that means for the $119 billion the federal government sends to public K-12 schools and what becomes of the programs supporting Native American students. We’ll get a sense of wha...

02/28/2025

Federal staff layoffs, spending freezes and other executive orders by the Donald Trump administration jeopardize food pathways for tribes and federal grants and loans for Native farmers.

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is helping conservation of an endangered fish called the Sicklefin Redhorse. It has a long and traditional relationship with the tribe in the southeast.

The first children’s book by Squamish ethnobotanist Leigh Joseph teaches young about Indigenous plant knowledge and harvesting. "This Land Knows Me: A Nature Walk Exploring Indigenous Wisdom" is an engaging lesson on the plants around us and the cultural stories that go along with them.

That’s all on "The Menu", our regular special feature on Indigenous food hosted and produced by Andi Murphy.

GUESTS

Carly Griffith Hotvedt (Cherokee Nation), executive director of the Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative

Styawat / Leigh Joseph (Skwxwú7mesh). ethnobotanist, knowledge keeper, professor at Simon Fraser University, and owner of Sḵwálwen Botanicals

Dr. Caleb Hickman (Cherokee Nation), supervisor fisheries and wildlife biologist for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians

Federal staff layoffs, spending freezes and other executive orders by the Donald Trump administration jeopardize food pathways for tribes and federal grants and loans for Native farmers. The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is helping conservation of an endangered fish called the Sicklefin Redhorse....

02/27/2025

Compensation for college athletics is changing fast. University sports programs are having to adapt to the evolving market for athletes through what is known as name, image and likeness. The issue is being debated in state legislatures and Congress. A settlement between the NCAA and current and former athletes could open the door to schools directly compensating athletes and revenue sharing among institutions. We’ll find out how some Native athletes are navigating the new N.I.L. reality and what some of the potential benefits and pitfalls could be.

GUESTS

Taybor Moss (Cherokee), senior softball player for Piedmont Wildcats

Xavier Guillory (Nez Perce), recent graduate of Arizona State University where he played college football for the Sun Devils

Jaelyn Bates (Navajo and Sioux), junior women’s basketball player

Mark Branch (Kaw Nation), head coach of the University of Wyoming wrestling team

Natalia Chavez (Cochiti Pueblo), women’s basketball player at Abilene Christian University University

Compensation for college athletics is changing fast. University sports programs are having to adapt to the evolving market for athletes through what is known as name, image and likeness. The issue is being debated in state legislatures and Congress. A settlement between the NCAA and current and form...

02/26/2025

The good news is overdose deaths dropped significantly in the most recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The bad news is Native Americans and other people of color are not enjoying the same statistical headway against the persistent scourge of fentanyl, he**in, and other dangerous drugs. We’ll look at the efforts that are showing promise in saving people’s lives and explore ways to eliminate disparities for populations that are losing ground.

GUESTS

Philomena Kebec (Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians), economic development coordinator for the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa

Adam Fairbanks (White Earth Nation), executive director of Anishinaabe Endaad

Harold Peralto (Navajo), certified peer support worker for New Mexico Behavior Health Services Division’s OPRE

George Green (Winnebago tribe of Nebraska), certified peer recovery specialist for the Indian Health Board of Minneapolis, Inc.

The good news is overdose deaths dropped significantly in the most recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The bad news is Native Americans and other people of color are not enjoying the same statistical headway against the persistent scourge of fentanyl, he**in, and other...

02/25/2025

Haskell Indian Nations University lost nearly a quarter of its staff in the Trump administration’s mass terminations. It’s one of two higher education institutions that rely on federal funds through the U.S. Bureau of Indian Education that are scrambling after the sudden and unprecedented job cuts. The reduction of more than a thousand National Park Service employees prompted worries over certain sacred and important Native treasures protected by federal workers. We’ll check on how the fast-paced federal job restructurings are affecting issues Native people are following.

GUESTS

Chuck Sams (Cayuse and Walla Walla), former National Park Service director

Pearl Yellowman (Diné), former vice president of college operations at Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute

Paige Willett (Citizen Potawatomi), former communications specialist at the Bureau of Indian Education

Angel Ahtone Elizarraras (Wichita), Student Government Association president at Haskell Indian Nations University

Haskell Indian Nations University lost nearly a quarter of its staff in the Trump administration’s mass terminations. It’s one of two higher education institutions that rely on federal funds through the U.S. Bureau of Indian Education that are scrambling after the sudden and unprecedented job cu...

02/25/2025

Repatriation advocates have had some recent progress in both policy and practice when it comes to getting important items returned to tribes. But the ongoing effort to educate elected officials, institutional leaders, and the public requires time and resources. We got an update on the eve of the biggest annual conference for people working in the repatriation field - and an update on a Florida repatriation dispute.

GUESTS

Shannon O’Loughlin (Choctaw), Chief Executive and attorney for the Association on American Indian Affairs

Samuel Kohn (Apsáalooke), attorney

Kim Mettler (Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara), Next Generations Director at the Association on American Indian Affairs and life coach

Betty Osceola (Miccosukee), environmental educator

Repatriation advocates have had some recent progress in both policy and practice when it comes to getting important items returned to tribes. But the ongoing effort to educate the elected officials, institutional leaders and the public requires time and resources. We’ll get an update on the eve of...

02/22/2025

You're Invited to the KNBA 2025 Alaska Native Art Auction Gala!
Join us in celebrating 30 years of Alaska Native artistry, culture, and community at the KNBA 2025 Alaska Native Art Auction Gala. This year, we’re introducing something new—the "Sewing Our Ancestors' Dreams" Alaska Native Art Auction Fashion Show, a dynamic showcase of Indigenous design and storytelling.

Experience a live art auction, a stunning fashion show featuring Indigenous designers, special live performances and music, and the opportunity to support Native voices and programming.

📅 Date: Friday, March 21, 2025
📍 Location: Hotel Captain Cook, Anchorage, AK
⏰ Time: 6 PM – 9 PM
🔗 Tickets & Silent Auction: ANAA25.givesmart.com
📌 RSVP by March 11, 2025 to secure your spot.

All proceeds support KBC’s mission to amplify Native voices through programs like National Native News, Native America Calling, and KNBA 90.3 FM—the nation's only Native urban public radio station.
With your support, we can make 2025 the most successful auction yet, featuring incredible original artwork from local and national artists. Be part of this milestone event—get your tickets today!

02/21/2025

Drums, rattles, and other percussion instruments are well-known sources of musical accompaniment connected to Native American music. Flutes were one of the first melodic instruments developed by North American Indigenous peoples. In addition, there are a variety of other traditional instruments, including fiddles and harps, that certain tribes perfected over generations. We’ll hear about some of the ways Native Americans have been making music over the years, and some of the ways they’re being incorporated in contemporary compositions.

GUESTS

Andrew Weaver (Yup'ik), program coordinator for the Alaska Native Heritage Center

Bennett Wakayuta (Hualapai and Hopi), artist

William Rodriguez (Taino), owner of Archaic Roots and Indigenous instruments specialist

Shawn Yacavone, owner of Ukulele Friend and co-chair of the Hawaiian Music Archives at Hawaiʻi State Archives

Drums, rattles, and other percussion instruments are well-known sources of musical accompaniment connected to Native American music. Flutes were one of the first melodic instruments developed by North American Indigenous peoples. In addition, there are a variety of other traditional instruments, inc...