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Corine Pearce (Redwood Valley Rancheria Little River Band of Pomo Indians) weaves traditional Pomo baskets and cradleboards. But many of the grasses, ferns and trees she uses to practice her tradition burned in the California fires, so she is replanting and teaching others to ensure a future for her craft. She is among the 2020 Jennifer Easton Community Spirit Awards honorees. We’ll talk with her and others about their work and efforts to pass on the tradition of making art.

Guests:

Corine Pearce (Little River Band of Pomo Indians) – traditional basket weaver

H’KLUMAIYAT Roberta Joy Kirk (Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs/Diné) – bead worker

David Cournoyer (Rosebud Sioux) member of the First Peoples Fund board

Virgil “Smoker” Marchand (Arrow Lake Band from Colville Tribes) – artist 

 

Break 1 music: Intertribal 2 (song) Tha Tribe (artist) Woodland Groove (album)

Break 2 music: Aboriginal Kurdish (song) The Bart Willoughby Band (artist) Proud (album)

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Mixed Martial Arts has a dedicated Native following, both as a competitive sport and as a fitness regimen. Some Native MMA fighters are making names for themselves as pros, including Nicco Montaño (Diné) and David Michaud (Oglala Lakota). We’ll hear about the appeal of the sport and how fitness enthusiasts find inspiration in the intense mental and physical discipline required to go toe-to-toe with an opponent in the ring.

Guests:

Shana Pasapa (Nakota from the White Bear First Nation in Treaty 4 territory) – founder Power Our Women, purple belt in Jujitsu with a background in martial arts

Chee Bates (Navajo) – owner of Bates Premier Taekwondo

Indelahcio “Tat” Romero III (Turtle Mountain Anishinabek) – professional MMA fighter

 

Break 1 music: Yuve Yuve Yu (song) The Hu (artist) Yuve Yuve Yu (single)

Break 2 music: Aboriginal Kurdish (song) The Bart Willoughby Band (artist) Proud (album)

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Northern tribes have long ice fishing traditions. But today the sport has also evolved into an economic endeavor for tribes. Anglers bore holes in thick lake ice and drop a baited hook in. Some cut a large rectangle and wait with a fishing spear. We’ll hear from expert ice fishers about their passion and the different methods and secrets for the sport.

Guests:

Brendan Syrette (Ojibwe) – president of Black Fox Fishing

Darwin Sumner (Red Lake Nation) – heredity chief of the Red Lake Nation

 

Break 1 music: Song #7 (song) Red Lake Singers (artist) Old Times (album)

Break 2 music: Aboriginal Kurdish (song) The Bart Willoughby Band (artist) Proud (album)

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The bush fires in Australia have burned an estimated 20-million acres, claiming at least 24 human lives and countless wild animals. The size and severity of the fires have touched off debates about climate change and forest management. The country is suffering a crippling drought and record high temperatures. Some aboriginal leaders in Australia say traditional controlled burns might have prevented such devastation. We’ll look at what’s happening in Australia and learn more about the benefits of blending traditional fire management with modern day practices.

Guests:

Bill Tripp (Karuk) – deputy director of eco-cultural revitalization in the Karuk Tribe department of natural resources

Bodie Shaw (The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs) – Northwest deputy regional director of trust services for the Bureau of Indian Affairs

Gary Morgan – principal consultant for Global Wildland Fire Management Services

 

Break 1 music: Djotarra (song) Gurrumul (artist) Rrakala (album)

Break 2 music: Aboriginal Kurdish (song) The Bart Willoughby Band (artist) Proud (album)

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Donald Trump is only the third U.S. president to be impeached. Chances are extremely thin he’ll actually be removed from office. But the process, like the president himself, prompts strong opinions among elected leaders and the voting public. We’ll review the impeachment process so far and talk with Native political experts about how it’s being viewed by voters.

Guests:

Jourdan Bennett-Begaye (Diné) – Washington editor for Indian Country Today

Mark Trahant (Shoshone Bannock) – editor of Indian Country Today

Sam Deloria (Dakota) – former director of the American Indian Law Center

 

Break 1 music: Euphony (song) Nitanis “Kit” Largo (artist) Serenity (album)

Break 2 music: Rumble (Remastered) (song) Link Wray (artist) Rumble (Remastered) (single)

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In the Southwest, the Navajo shoe game is a big draw for storytelling and games in winter. It’s essentially a guessing game but it’s laced with songs, origin stories and some valuable life lessons. In the Great Lakes, males play Makazinitaagewin, or moccasin game. It’s a different kind of guessing game with as much culture, music and community bonding. We’ll hear more about shoe games and how they incorporate and preserve Native culture.

Guests:

Damon Panek (White Earth Ojibwe) – Moccasin game player

David “Amik” Sam (Mille Lacs band of Ojibwe) – Mille Lacs band elder and Makizin instructor

Kevin Belin (Diné) – Navajo language teacher, recipient the Billy Mills Dream Starter Grant “I’m a dream started”

 

Break 1 music: The Yucca Ball Is Hidden Now (song) Sammie Largo (artist) Navajo Shoe Game Songs Keshjee Siin (album)

Break 2 music: Rumble (Remastered) (song) Link Wray (artist) Rumble (Remastered) (single)

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Homeless advocates in Minneapolis say the city’s plans to help Native homeless people fall short. Activists recently occupied the location that previously held a homeless encampment of mostly Native people. The original encampment prompted city leaders to try and work toward a solution that includes construction of a temporary shelter. In Seattle, homeless Natives can now find temporary housing in modular trailers. The housing village offers more than just a place to stay. It’s part of a program that includes culturally appropriate services to help residents find permanent homes. In this hour we’ll explore what is being done to address homelessness in Native America and the pervasive challenges that remain.

Guests:

Colleen Echohawk (Pawnee) – executive director at the Chief Seattle Club

Derrick Belgarde (Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians/Chippewa Cree) – deputy director of the Chief Seattle Club

Robert Lilligren (White Earth Ojibwe Nation) – chair of the Metropolitan Urban Indian Directors

 

Break 1 music: Intertribal (song) Blackfoot Confederacy (artist) Confederacy Style (album)

Break 2 music: Rumble (Remastered) (song) Link Wray (artist) Rumble (Remastered) (single)

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The road to Hawaii’s Mauna Kea is open for the first time since July. Backers of the Thirty Meter Telescope say they’re putting off plans for the $1.6 billion project for at least the next two months. Officials withdrew any law enforcement presence that has been in place since opponents of the project blocked the road prevent construction crews from reaching the top of the sacred mountain. Opponents of the project say they have time now to switch focus to providing a more permanent solution. We’ll get an update on the on-going fight over construction of the new telescope on Mauna Kea.

Guests:

Kealoha Piscuiotta (Kanaka Maoli) – spokesperson for Mauna Kea Anaina Hou

Hank Fergerstrom (Kanaka Maoli) – spokesperson from the Na Kupuna O Keawe

Samuel Wilder King II (Kanaka Maoli) – executive director of Imua TMT

James Stone Jr. (Kanaka Maoli) –

 

Break 1 music: No luna i Kahalekai (Hula ‘Ala’apapa) (song) Joe Kahaulelio (artist) Ancient Hula Hawaiian Style: Vol. 1 Hula Kuahu (album)

Break 2 music: Rumble (Remastered) (song) Link Wray (artist) Rumble (Remastered) (single)

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Are you a dog person or a cat person? Maybe you’re more partial to hedgehogs or iguanas. Our pets earn a special place in our hearts and it’s time to give them some attention. Whether you like goldfish or golden retrievers, our guests will offer insights on why pets are so important in our lives and give advice on how to best take care of the animal members of our households.

Guests:

James Bywater (Cherokee Nation) – adjunct professor for Northeastern State University and licensed therapist

Joan White (Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate) –  vice-chair of the Lake Traverse Animal Rezcue

Shannon White (Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate) – volunteer for the Lake Traverse Animal Rezcue

Kimberly Craven (Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate) –  legal director of ACLU for South Dakota, North Dakota and Wyoming

Mentioned on the show: Cotton the therapy dog

Introducing Service, Emotional Support, and Therapy Animals: Benefits, Legal, and Ethical Considerations free class

Break 1 music: Eagle Dance REMIX (song) Decontie & Brown (artist) Ancestors (album)

Break 2 music: Standing Rock (feat. Nick Ørbæk Jacobsen) (song) Uyarakq (artist) Miseraq (album)