Native America Calling

Tuesday, May 26, 2015 – Online Loans

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Tribal online lending. Some think this business is unfair and unethical while others see it as a profitable business for tribes that have limited means and resources for other economical ventures like gaming and tourism. When state and federal entities push back on tribal lending — which is protected by sovereign immunity — is it a threat to all e-commerce for tribes? Are online loan businesses beneficial for tribes or harmful to the borrowers?

Guests:

Ellen Harnick – senior policy counsel for the Center for Responsible Lending

Barry Brandon (Muscogee Creek Nation of Oklahoma) – managing director of FTI Consulting and former executive director of the Native American Financial Services Association

Charles Trimble (Oglala Lakota) – past executive director of NCAI and principal founder of the American Indian Press Association

 

 

Break Music: Sun Up, Sun Down (feat. Mato Nanji) (song) Indigenous (artist) Time Is Coming (album)

Monday, May 25, 2015 – **ENCORE: Emotions And Language Revitalization**

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We all agree that it is important to speak our Indigenous languages. Learning a language is hard work and it’s even harder to for an entire community to start speaking again. Some feel that it is critically important to continue a language with only a few speakers left. But not everyone is able to spend the time learning their Indigenous language. This can lead to a range of emotions, including guilt. Is feeling guilty for not speaking your language a good thing? Can it motivate you to get moving? Or does it create an overwhelming feeling of fatalism? Learning a language is much more than just memorizing the words or even speaking with someone in conversation. How can communities and individuals prepare for the emotions associated with reviving their language?

Guests:

Gerald Hill (Oneida Nation of Wisconsin) – president of the board of directors for the Indigenous Language Institute

Joshua Hinson (Chickasaw) – director of the Chickasaw Language Revitalization Program

Thursday, May 21, 2015 – Graduation: At Odds With Eagle Feathers

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It’s graduation season and there are plenty of Native students celebrating their accomplishments across Native America. With all the excitement, there is often controversy when it comes to Natives wearing items connected to their culture – including eagle feathers. A ban on eagle feathers can be very upsetting and disrespectful to Native students and families who have high hopes of seeing a part of their culture represented during this milestone. Have you or a loved one been told you could not wear an eagle feather at graduation?

Guests:

Courtney Jordan (Cherokee), federal Indian law and gaming attorney with Crowe and Dunlevy

RJ Morin (Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa/Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara) – University of North Dakota student

Hillary Kempenich (Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa) – Chair of the Native American Parent Committee in Grand Forks, ND

 

Break Music: Nitohta (song) Asani (artist) Listen (album)

Wednesday, May 20, 2015 – Chemicals in Food

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Earlier this month, Panera restaurant officials announced they would drop 150 artificial additives in their food by 2016. This announcement is one small piece in a growing movement to reduce the amount of chemicals in the food we consume. The national focus on artificial additives in food may be primarily on pre-packaged and restaurant food. In Native America, there’s also growing concern about the chemicals in our traditional food. Are you concerned about chemicals in your food? Have you cut back on consuming traditional foods because of the impact of toxins in our oceans and land? Are there long-term impacts these chemicals may have on our lives? Should tribes also get involved in banning chemicals that could find their way into our bodies through food?

Guests:
Dianne C. Barton (Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa) water quality coordinator for the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission

Valerie Segrest  (Muckleshoot) – Muckleshoot traditional food and medicine program manager

Dr. Barbara Harper – board certified toxicologist

Break Music:  Buffalo (song) Algin Scabby Robe (artist) Along The Way: Round Dance Songs (album)

Tuesday, May 19, 2015 – New Platforms For Native Media

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The way we consume media is always changing. In the first three months of this year, 31,000 Americans cancelled their cable subscription, according to a media research group. Popular streaming platforms like Netflix and YouTube provide an opportunity for new voices to reach the masses. Many Native Americans and Alaska Natives are taking advantage of all the opportunities to get their work to more Native viewers. On this show, we explore new ways to experience Native media. Would you like to see more Native media on your TV or streaming media services?

Guests:

Molly Katagiri – director of Waabooz

Klee Benally (Diné) – writer and director of the film Power Lines

Tim Harjo (Fort Sill Apache) – President and CEO of  Native Flix

 

Break Music: Euphony (song) Nitanis “Kit” Largo (artist) Serenity (album) 

Monday, May 18, 2015 – Native Curriculum

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In Washington state, a new law requires schools to teach students about tribal government, culture and history during social studies classes. It’s sometimes known as the sovereignty curriculum and the Evergreen state is one of a handful of states, along with Montana, Oklahoma, New Mexico and North Dakota, that offer Native American curricula. Proponents say learning about Native people at a young age encourages understanding and acceptance. Others say teaching historical complexities expose some of the worst chapters in American history. Where do you stand?

Guests:
Michael Vendiola and Denny Hurtado of the Washington Office of Native Education
Mike Jetty and Mandy Smoker Broaddus of the Montana Office of Public Instruction

Friday, May 15, 2015 – The State of Maine Tribes

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Last month, Maine Governor Paul LePage issued an executive order that rescinded a previous executive order promoting state cooperation with tribes. This act has exacerbated already high tensions between Governor LePage and the 4 federally recognized tribes in the state. Some of the top issues are water quality, fishing rights and criminal jurisdiction. Join us as we discuss the tension between the tribes of Maine and the state government.  How important is it for states to have a good relationship with tribes? Do tribes need to cooperate with state officials?

Guests:

Chief Kirk Francis (Penobscot) – Chief  of the Penobscot Nation 

Jamie Bisonette Lewey (Abenaki) – Chair of the Maine Indian Tribal State Commission 

Mark Trahant (Shoshone Bannock ) –  journalist

 

Break Music:  Reservation Boy (song) Saving Damsels (artist) Empty rooms (album)

Thursday, May 14, 2015 – May Music Maker: Delbert Anderson Trio

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This month, we let the music of the Delbert Anderson Trio whisk us away. This group features Navajo musician Delbert Anderson and was born from a love of jazz music and need to jam. Their album, titled “Manitou,” highlights the trio’s ability to stretch music to create a big sound. Echoes of Native culture are heard in some of the compositions, as well as some pretty funky beats. We invite you to join us for our May Music Maker edition as we visit with the Delbert Anderson Trio.

Follow this conversation with the hashtag: #DATnativeJAZZ

Break Music: Groove Warrior (song) Delbert Anderson Trio (artist) Manitou (album)

Wednesday, May 13, 2015 – Sunshine Laws In Native America

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Accountability and transparency are the hallmarks of an open, honest government. Access to documents, meeting minutes and budgets helps keep American citizens engaged with their government. But in Indian Country, withholding information can be a systemic practice that impacts all tribal citizens. Without sunshine laws in Native communities, how does the public keep an eye on those who have power?

Guests:

Kevin Kemper (Choctaw, Cherokee), research professor at the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences  at the University of Arizona
Tom Arviso (Navajo), publisher of the Navajo Times
Bryan Pollard (Cherokee), executive editor of the Cherokee Phoenix

 

Break Music: Double Up (song) Stoney Creek (artist) PowWow Trail Blazin: Recorded Live At ’07 Crow Fair (album)

Friday, May 22, 2015 – Alaska Native in the Spotlight Mike Williams Sr.

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Yup’ik Elder Mike Williams Sr. has dedicated his life to making Alaska Native communities stronger. He led his own Native nation and has participated in more than a dozen Iditarod races. Williams also leads by example when it comes to sobriety. Right now many people are cracking open his new book “Racing Toward Recovery” to learn more about the challenges he’s overcome and the lessons he’s learned over the years. Williams is a strong advocate of the health of tribal nations. We invite you to join us as we visit with Mike Williams Sr., our May Alaska Native in the spotlight.

Break Music: Drum I Carry (song) Pamyua (artist) Side A Side B (Side A)(album)

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