Native America Calling

12/23/2024

Native America Calling runs down some of the standout Indigenous tracks from the past year. We get expert recommendations from The Mainstream’s Brett Maybee (Seneca), Indigenous in Music with Larry K's (Ho-Chunk), and Sounds of Survivance’s Tory J (Quinault) from KEXP. They give us a wide range of selections that include rock, folk, jazz-fusion, soul, and more, in addition to the insightful stories behind the music. We wrap up the 2024 Native Playlist with music you don’t want to miss.

Native America Calling runs down some of the standout Indigenous tracks from the past year. We get expert recommendations from The Mainstream’s Brett Maybee (Seneca), Indigenous in Music’s Larry K (Ho-Chunk), and Sounds of Survivance’s Tory J (Quinault) from KEXP. They give us a wide range of ...

12/20/2024

Snow is on the ground and that means it’s story time. Storytelling is an art. But it is also the primary method for so many tribes to convey history, cultural lessons and spiritual guidance. The Diné story about the coyote and the lizard warns listeners to be wary of who they trust. A Chickasaw story explains how two brothers split up on their journey, becoming the Chickasaw and Choctaw tribes. We’ll hear those and some other selected stores by experienced Native storytellers.

GUESTS

Ogimaawab aka Joseph Sutherland (Nishnawbe Aski First Nation), Ojibwe language and culture educator

Sunny Dooley (Diné), blessing way Hané teller

Dancing Star aka Donna Courtney (Chickasaw Nation), Chickasaw Nation Storytelling program manager

Gene Tagaban (Tlingit, Cherokee, and Filipino), storyteller, performing artist, and wellness and health trainer

Snow is on the ground and that means it’s story time. Storytelling is an art. But it is also the primary method for so many tribes to convey history, cultural lessons and spiritual guidance. The Diné story about the coyote and the lizard warns listeners to be wary of who they trust. A Chickasaw s...

12/19/2024

12/19/2024

The Osage Nation successfully transferred more than 40,000 acres of land it purchased years ago into trust. It’s the second largest tribal trust land transfer in history. Their Oklahoma neighbor, the Cherokee Nation, is celebrating the transfer of five former boarding school properties into trust. The tribe says the properties on their reservation present opportunities to improve their surrounding communities. We’ll hear from each of the tribes and others about significant tribal land agreements.

GUESTS

Geoffrey Standing Bear (Osage), principal chief of the Osage Nation

Chuck Hoskin Jr., principal chief of Cherokee Nation

Lora Ann Chaisson, principal chief of United Houma Nation

Tanya Lewis, chairwoman of the Yavapai-Apache Nation

The Osage Nation successfully transferred more than 40,000 acres of land it purchased years ago into trust. It’s the second largest tribal trust land transfer in history. Their Oklahoma neighbor, the Cherokee Nation, is celebrating the transfer of five former boarding school properties into trust....

12/18/2024

President Joe Biden’s apology for the federal government’s role in Indian Boarding School abuses was among the top news stories for Native Americans this year. It was an unprecedented event, but received a mixed reaction from Native policy watchers. Other notable news includes a survey showing significant Native voter support for Donald Trump in the presidential election. We’ll get additional insights into the stories important to Native Americans, plus a few you may have missed.

GUESTS

Elizabeth Hernandez, The Denver Post reporter

Levi Rickert (Prairie Band Potawatomi), publisher and editor of Native News Online and Tribal Business News

Shaun Griswold (Laguna, Zuni, and Jemez Pueblo), journalist

Mary Annette Pember (Red Cliff Ojibwe), national correspondent for Indian Country Today

President Joe Biden’s apology for the federal government’s role in Indian Boarding School abuses was among the top news stories for Native Americans this year. It was an unprecedented event, but received a mixed reaction from Native policy watchers. Other notable news includes a survey showing s...

12/17/2024

A focus on reducing chronic absenteeism for Native American students is paying off in a Cheyenne-Arapaho school system. It’s a hands-on initiative with an intensive interest in reaching students in the Oklahoma tribe. It comes as absenteeism remains at high levels for all students since the COVID-19 pandemic, but especially so for Native students. We’ll hear about promising methods to help keep kids on the track for learning.

GUESTS

Hollie Youngbear (member of Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes), Watonga Public Schools Indian Educator

Jacob Metoxen (member of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin), legal specialist with the Tribal Law and Policy Institute

Johanna Farmer (member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe), program attorney with the National American Indian Court Judges Association

A focus on reducing chronic absenteeism for Native American students is paying off in a Cheyenne-Arapaho school system. It’s a hands-on initiative with an intensive interest in reaching students in the Oklahoma tribe. It comes as absenteeism remains at high levels for all students since the COVID-...

12/16/2024

After a period of colonial suppression, traditional kapa making is enjoying a sustained resurgence. In recent decades, a growing number of Native Hawaiian artists have mastered the labor-intensive process of harvesting, scraping, and soaking the bark of the wauke plant and embellishing the resulting fabric with colorful traditional designs. A new generation of artists is benefiting from this reclaimed expertise.

GUESTS

Dalani Tanahy (Native Hawaiian), Hawaiian kapa artist

Lehuauakea (Native Hawaiian), Hawaiian kapa artist

Micah Kamohoali’i (Native Hawaiian), Hawaiian artist, fashion designer, and educator

Roen Hufford (Native Hawaiian), Hawaiian kapa artist

After a period of colonial suppression, traditional kapa making is enjoying a sustained resurgence. In recent decades, a growing number of Native Hawaiian artists have mastered the labor-intensive process of harvesting, scraping, and soaking the bark of the wauke plant and embellishing the resulting...

12/13/2024

Bull and ba****ck riding, team roping, and barrel racing are among the highly anticipated competitions to watch at this year’s National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. We’ll talk with rodeo announcer Randy Taylor and some of the Native athletes working to make their names known in the arena.

GUESTS

Randy Taylor (Cherokee), professional rodeo announcer

Jacob Lees (Tlingit). professional ba****ck rider

JC Yeahquo (Mandan), team roping header

Danielle Lowman (Navajo), breakaway roper

Bull and ba****ck riding, team roping, and barrel racing are among the highly anticipated competitions to watch at this year’s National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. We’ll talk with rodeo announcer Randy Taylor and some of the Native athletes working to make their names known in the arena. GUESTS R...

12/12/2024

A bill to formally provide federal protections to the Ocmulgee Mounds in Georgia is making progress in Congress. If approved, it would establish the state’s first National Park and Preserve overseen by the National Park Service. The land is the ancestral home of the Muscogee Creek Nation and other tribes. The preservation momentum comes as several other locations look to better document and protect mounds. In Wisconsin, officials identified two mounds in Milwaukee’s oldest cemetery. We’ll get updates on recent efforts to recognize and preserve mounds.

GUESTS

Raelynn Butler (citizen of Muscogee Nation), secretary of culture and humanities for the Muscogee Creek Nation

Tracie Revis (citizen of Muscogee Nation and Euchee), director of advocacy for the Ocmulgee National Park and Preserve Initiative

Sunshine Thomas-Bear (Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska), cultural preservation director, NAGPRA representative, and tribal historic preservation officer for the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska — and director for the Angel De Cora Museum and Research Center

A bill to formally provide federal protections to the Ocmulgee Mounds in Georgia is making progress in Congress. If approved, it would establish the state’s first National Park and Preserve overseen by the National Park Service. The land is the ancestral home of the Muscogee Creek Nation and other...

12/11/2024

Tribally run business owners and individual Native American entrepreneurs are preparing for tariffs and other international trade shifts if Donald Trump delivers on his promise to enact tariffs on good from certain countries. Trump initiated a trade war during his first term that hampered tribes and business that trade directly with foreign countries or that readily use foreign products. We’ll find out how Native companies with foreign ties are preparing.

GUESTS

Wayne Garnons-Williams (Plains Cree from Moosomin First Nation), chair of the International Inter-tribal Trade and Investment Organization

James Collard, director of planning and economic development for the Citizen Potawatomi Natio

Larry Chavis (Lumbee), economist and business school professor

Tyler Tawahongva (Hopi), owner of Cloud 9 Recycling

James Collard, director of planning and economic development for the Citizen Potawatomi Nation

Tribally run business owners and individual Native American entrepreneurs are preparing for tariffs and other international trade shifts if Donald Trump delivers on his promise to enact tariffs on good from certain countries. Trump initiated a trade war during his first term that hampered tribes and...

12/10/2024

Donald Trump targeted trans issues during his presidential campaign. He promised to take aim at gender-affirming care early in his upcoming term in office, including restricting federal funds for trans medical support. That could have a major effect on such care within the Indian Health Service. In addition, at least half of all states now ban gender affirming care for minors. A pending U.S. Supreme Court decision will determine the future of such care in those states. We’ll gauge the direction for trans issues and find out how trans advocates are preparing both politically and personally for the next few years.

Donald Trump targeted trans issues during his presidential campaign. He promised to take aim at gender-affirming care early in his upcoming term in office, including restricting federal funds for trans medical support. That could have a major effect on such care within the Indian Health Service. In....

12/09/2024

BREAKING: Interior Secretary Deb Haaland (Laguna Pueblo) introduced President Joe Biden at the final White House Tribal Nations Summit.

Watch it live now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiyBrHWkSpQ

12/09/2024

The disproportionately high number of unsolved cases for missing and murdered Indigenous people (MMIP) inspired Haley Omeasoo to launch a research lab on the Blackfeet Nation’s Montana reservation. Ohkomi Forensics offers tribal police and other law enforcement agencies scientific data in an attempt to make connections with current and past investigations. It’s one of the ways Native advocates all over the country are working to fill gaps to improve the troubling statistics for Native crime victims.

GUESTS

Haley Omeasoo (enrolled member of the Hopi Tribe and a descendent of the Blackfeet descent), executive director and president of Ohkomi Forensics

Eleanore Sunchild (Thunderchild First Nation), Indigenous human rights attorney with Sunchild Law and member of the Redrum Motorcycle Club

Bree R Black Horse (Seminole Nation of Oklahoma), MMIP Assistant United States Attorney for the Northwest Regions

Melissa S***t (Diné), endurance roller skater

The disproportionately high number of unsolved cases for missing and murdered Indigenous people (MMIP) inspired Haley Omeasoo to launch a research lab on the Blackfeet Nation’s Montana reservation. Ohkomi Forensics offers tribal police and other law enforcement agencies scientific data in an attem...

12/06/2024

Shawn Spruce hosting in Anchorage this week very much appreciated Alaska holiday goodies from KNBA 90.3 FM News Producer Rhonda McBride!

12/06/2024

Tribal leaders are heading to Washington, D.C. for President Joe Biden’s last White House Tribal Nations Summit. The gathering is touted as a chance for tribal representatives to interact with Administration officials and gauge progress and hurdles when it comes to the federal government’s trust responsibility. The future of the regular meetings with the executive branch is uncertain. In his previous term, President Donald Trump chose not to convene regular meetings with tribes. We’ll get a preview of the upcoming summit and assess the potential for future interactions with the White House.

GUESTS

Larry Wright Jr. (Ponca Tribe of Nebraska), executive director for National Congress of American Indians (NCAI)

Kevin Washburn (Chickasaw Nation), dean at the The University of Iowa College of Law

Levi Rickert (Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation), publisher and editor of Native News Online and Tribal Business News

Tribal leaders are heading to Washington, D.C. for President Joe Biden’s last White House Tribal Nations Summit. The gathering is touted as a chance for tribal representatives to interact with Administration officials and gauge progress and hurdles when it comes to the federal government’s trust...

12/05/2024

It’s getting harder to stay ahead of cyber criminals. Tribes and tribal businesses are among the entities facing growing security threats. Some have had to pay large sums and shut down their network operations in response to cyber attacks. The newest report from Experian notes an increasing number of attacks and foresees a rise in younger hackers equipped with sophisticated AI technology. Organized foreign criminals are constantly hunting for security weaknesses to steal people’s personal information. The threat requires a response in know-how and financial resources. We’ll find out what’s happening behind the scenes as cyber security experts work to protect your data.

GUESTS

Renita DiStefano (Seneca Nation), president and CEO of Second Derivative, LLC

Brandon Benallie (Diné), cybersecurity expert

Shane Hill (enrolled Oneida Nation of WI), manager of cybersecurity for the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin

It’s getting harder to stay ahead of cyber criminals. Tribes and tribal businesses are among the entities facing growing security threats. Some have had to pay large sums and shut down their network operations in response to cyber attacks. The newest report from Experian notes an increasing number...

12/04/2024

Holiday shoppers are busy nailing down deals on smart TVs, cookware sets, and leather handbags at big-name online and retail stores. Native business owners and individual entrepreneurs offer an alternative during the holiday buying rush with gift ideas that make both an impression for the receivers and a difference for the sellers. We have some experts on gifts made by Native Americans that you might not have thought of.

GUESTS

Rico Worl (Tlingit and Athabascan), social designer and founder of Trickster Company

Major Robinson (Northern Cheyenne), owner of Sage & Oats Trading Post

Tally Monteau (Hunkpati Dakota), project manager for Triia with NADC

Calvin Crosby (Cherokee), owner of King's English Bookshop and executive director of Brain Food Books

Holiday shoppers are busy nailing down deals on smart TVs, cookware sets, and leather handbags at big-name online and retail stores. Native business owners and individual entrepreneurs offer an alternative during the holiday buying rush with gift ideas that make both an impression for the receivers....

12/03/2024

Representatives from the Canadian government just traveled to northern Quebec to apologize to the Inuit people of Nunavik for the mass killing of sled dogs some six decades ago. The apology comes with $45 million in compensation. The actions are acknowledgement of the government’s callous regard for the wishes, much less the livelihoods, of the Inuit as it carried out the slaughter of more than 1,000 dogs. The money will go toward revitalizing sled dog culture through training and operational support. We'll hear about what brought on the action and how Nunavik Inuit worked to secure accountability.

GUESTS

Jennifer Probert Erhart (Upper Tanana Athabascan), dog musher and tribal court support specialist in the tribal government and justice division at Tanana Chiefs Conference

Carl Erhart (Koyukon Athabascan), dog musher

Lucy Grey (Inuk), Makivvik Corporation coordinator for the dog slaughter file

Charlie Arngak (Inuk), deputy mayor of Kangiqsujuaq

MP Iqwinder Gaheer, Member of Parliament for Mississauga-Malton in Ontario, Canada

Representatives from the Canadian government just traveled to northern Quebec to apologize to the Inuit people of Nunavik for the mass killing of sled dogs some six decades ago. The apology comes with $45 million in compensation. The actions are acknowledgement of the government’s callous regard f...