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Some of the major art markets are wrapping up for the year. But for the artists, the work continues all year long. Many artists are constantly hustling, taking part-time jobs and branching out with other talents, just to put food on the table. A lucky few can get some breathing room with grants or fellowships. What does it take to have a thriving artist community in Native America? How do you support the artists in your life? We’ll speak with artists about their work, and the importance of supporting the arts.

Guests:

T. J. Young, Sgwaayaans (Haida) – traditional Haida carver

Charlene Teeters (Spokane) – academic dean for the Institute of American Indian Arts

Break Music:  Santa Fe (song) Samantha Crain (artist) You (Understood) (album)

We also heard from Mateo Romero (Cochiti Pueblo), Cannupa Hanska Luger (Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara and Lakota) and Francene Blythe (Diné, Sisseton-Wahpeton, and Eastern Band Cherokee) from the Native Arts and Cultures Foundation.

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Some traditional weddings take days to complete and require specific time-honored tasks from the bride and groom. They’re not the typical Western weddings with the puffy, white gowns, tuxedos and tiered cake. Many young Native American couples are opting for the traditional ceremony. What does it take to put on a traditional wedding? How have traditions changed to fit the times?

Guests:

Electa Hare-Redcorn (Pawnee) – social worker and community advocate

Ann Dora Tenakhongva (Hopi) – woman from First Mesa

Adrianne Chalepah (Kiowa and Apache) – comedian

Break Music:  Will You Marry Me (song) Eli Secody (artist) Rhythm Of A Songmaker (album)

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We put the spotlight on some of the Native filmmakers whose films recently graced the big screen. The Native Cinema Showcase, during Santa Fe Indian Market, highlights recent works. We discuss films, the movie industry and how Native Americans fit into the world of cinema.

Guests:

Cindy Benitez – film and video program specialist for the Native Cinema Showcase

Jordan Dresser (Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone) –  co-producer of “What Was Ours”

Sally Kewayosh (Ojibwe and Cree) – director of “Three Young Ladies”

Break Music: Raindrops (song) Clark Tenakhongva (artist) Su’Vu’Yo’Yungw (album)

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This is the time of year when young people are heading off to college for the first time. There are a lot of details and new experiences for incoming freshmen: financial aid, class schedules, dorm roommates, and missing home. Beyond the basics, what do Native students need to know to be prepared?

Guests:

Mikaela Crank Thinn (Navajo) –  director of the Scholars program for College Horizons

Josh Lucio (Zuni Pueblo) – program associate for scholarships and programs for the American Indian Graduate Center

Know Before “U” Go events

Break Music: Red Lake Singers (artist) Old Times (album)

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The protest grows in size by the day at the spot where Energy Transfer Partners aims to break ground on the Dakota Access Pipeline. The protesters near the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation hope to stop the momentum toward building the nearly 1,200-mile pipeline carrying crude oil from the Bakken oil fields to Illinois. Protesters set up at the Camp of the Sacred Stones are raising awareness of the issue, filling social media with videos. Meanwhile, lawyers on both sides are battling for their cause in the courts. Will pipeline opponents’ outcry change the outcome?

Guests:

Ladonna Brave Bull Allard (Standing Rock Sioux) – landowner of the Camp of the Sacred Stones

Jon Eagle Sr. (Hunkpapa Lakota) – Tribal Historic Preservation Officer for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe

Break Music: Cauyaqa Nauwa (song) Pamyua (artist) Caught In The Act (album)

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Native American entrepreneurs are among those tapping into the craft beer boom. With a brew pub on every corner, how do you rise above the crowd? From live music to food trucks to clever social media, Native breweries are working to make themselves known in the growing industry. We talk to Native people in the beer business about when to have an IPA over a lager. What are the best words to use when describing the taste of beer? And what’s with all the funny beer names?

Guests:

Shyla Sheppard (Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara) – owner and CEO of Bow and Arrow

Luke Steadman – head brewer at Bow and Arrow

Mark Sansaver (Assiniboine and Sioux tribe at Fort Peck) –  financial officer at Great Northern Development Corporation

Audrey Delmar Propster (Navajo) – a home brewer who is pursuing a cicerone

Break Music: Heeia (song) Henry Kapono (artist) The Wild Hawaiian (album)

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Do you have a picky eater in the family? Someone who changes the way you cook and shop for groceries? Children can be stubborn when it comes to downing healthy foods like broccoli or green beans. Exasperated parents feel guilty when they end up feeding their kids chicken nuggets and Froot Loops. What’s the solution to the picky eater conundrum?

Guests:

Kimberly Davis-Coniglio – registered dietitian

Michael YellowBird (Three Affiliated Tribes, and Arikara and Hidatsa) – professor of sociology and director of tribal and indigenous peoples studies at North Dakota State University

Jesse Padron (Oneida) – food service director for the Oneida Nations School System

Liz EchoHawk Kawe (Pawnee, Athabaskan from the Headwaters People) -a mother and a nutritional therapist

Break Music: Friendship Song (song) Art Napoleon (Travelling Sun) (artist) Miyoskamin (Early Springtime) (album)

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Many of us hope that we will someday write the great (Native) American novel. For those dedicated enough to put words to the page there are more ways than ever for getting work into readers’ hands. Many writers dash off copies to major publishing houses and collect rejection slips. Self-publishing is another option, but doesn’t offer anything in the way of distribution and marketing. Maybe the e-book path is best. What happens next after you type the words “The End” in your manuscript?

Guests:

Tim Tingle (Choctaw) – author of several books including “How I Became a Ghost” and “House of Purple Cedar”

Joseph Bruchac (Western Abenaki) – author of over 130 books including “The First Strawberries” and “Crazy Horse’s Vision”

Jeanne Devlin – editor of the Roadrunner Press

Break Music: Voodoo Child (song) Qvln (artist) Paleta – EP (album)

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Fighting to breathe is a scary experience. But that’s the reality for 1 out of every 12 people in the U.S. who have asthma, according to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. American Indian and Alaska Native children are 30 percent more likely to have asthma, according to the Office of Minority Health. Rates of asthma are increasing and it’s unclear why. Researchers say environmental contaminants like smoke, dust mites, mold, and certain chemicals can trigger an attack.  We’ll talk with doctors about the symptoms and the most up-to-date treatments. Email your questions about asthma to comments@nativeamericacalling.com.

Guests:

Dr. Michelle Harkins – chief of pulmonary critical care, sleep and allergy division at UNM and co-director of the adult asthma clinic at UNM

Richard Mousseau (Oglala Lakota) – director of prevention programs in the community health department at the Great Plains Tribal Chairman’s Health Board

Mansel Nelson – Senior Program Coordinator for Tribal Environmental Education Outreach at Northern Arizona University

Break Music: We Danced On (song) Arigon Starr (artist) Wind-Up (album)