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Coffee is not Indigenous to North America, but more than 60 percent of Americans drink a cup of coffee every day, according to the National Coffee Association USA’s 2019 National Coffee Data Trends report. It’s also found a place in Native American pantries and is now a cherished and necessary part of Native life. Coffee cafes, roasters and wholesalers are all reliable economic development opportunities for Native entrepreneurs.

Guests:

Kelvin Long (Diné) – founder and owner of Yeego Coffee

Mark Marsolais-Nahwegahbow (Ojibwe, a band member of White Fish River First Nations) – founder of Birch Bark Coffee Company

Tudor Montague (Ft. Yuma Quechan Nation) – founder of Spirit Mountain Roasting Company

Loretta Guzman (Shoshone and bannock) – owner Bison Coffee House

Break 1 Music: Coffee (song) James Bilagody (artist) Near Midnight (album)

Break 2 Music: Happy Birthday (song) Devin Whirlwind Soldier (artist) Northern Lights, Vol. 3 (album)

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There’s a number of interpretations for the hunch-backed, flute playing figure known as Kokopelli. It’s variously described as a fertility deity, a male trader going from village to village with a sack of goods, or even an insect. Depictions of Kokopelli appeared on pottery and rock art in the Four Corners area. In the last 30 years, Kokopelli has been adopted as a commercial symbol on everything from skateboards and café signs to t-shirts and roadside tourist stops. We’ll hear from historians and tribal cultural experts on what’s known about Kokopelli and how it has become a modern symbol for Southwest Indigenous culture.

Guests:

Jon Ghahate (Pueblo of Laguna and Zuni) – museum cultural educator at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center

Dr. Greg Cajete (From Santa Clara Pueblo) – professor in the college of education, former director of Native American Studies at the University of New Mexico

Daryn Melvin (Hopi) – staff assistant to the vice chairman of the Hopi Tribe

Break 1 Music: Kokopelli Blues (song) Keith Secola (artist) Native Americana – A Coup Stick (album)

Break 2 Music: Happy Birthday (song) Devin Whirlwind Soldier (artist) Northern Lights, Vol. 3 (album)

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Are your kids reading books this summer? Many libraries are offering summer reading programs with incentives like movie tickets and gift cards to get children reading. A large body of research warns that an entire summer off from school can lower achievement levels by the time classes start again in fall. Joining a reading program or taking a summer class can help prevent the “summer slide.” Educators and book lovers share their recommendations and their joy of summer reading.

Mentioned on the show: American Indian Youth Literature Awards

American Library Association Inclusive Booklist

Kid Lit Collective 2019 Summer Reading List

Guests:

Sara Marie Ortiz (Acoma Pueblo) – Native student success program manager at Highline Public Schools

Jay Odjick (Kitigan Zibi Anishinabe) –  artist, writer, and TV producer 

Naomi Bishop (Gila River Indian Community) –  librarian, past president of the American Indian Library Association, past chair of the American Indian Youth Literature Awards

Break 1 Music: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star (World) (song) Black Lodge Singers (artist) Kids’ Pow-Wow Songs (album)

Break 2 Music: Happy Birthday (song) Devin Whirlwind Soldier (artist) Northern Lights, Vol. 3 (album)

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The Washington state attorney general’s office must now obtain free, prior and informed consent on projects that affect the tribes. It’s a step up from consultation, which, in practice, typically falls short of adequate discourse on projects that include ancestral land. The United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples sets a standard mandating consent with Indigenous people “before adopting and implementing legislative or administrative measures that may affect them.” We’ll talk with the tribal president who was instrumental in getting the policy in Washington adopted. We’ll also get a picture of how consent is utilized internationally.

Guests:

Fawn Sharp (Quinault Indian Nation) – President of the Quinault Indian Nation

Bob Ferguson – Attorney General for the state of Washington

Bruce McIvor (Métis) – principal of First Peoples Law

Andrea Carmen (Yaqui Nation) – executive director of the International Indian Treaty Council

Break 1 Music: The New Era (song) Blackstone (artist) On The Oregon Trail (album)

Break 2 Music: Happy Birthday (song) Devin Whirlwind Soldier (artist) Northern Lights, Vol. 3 (album)

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The Supreme Court affirmed treaty rights in the case of a Crow tribal member charged with hunting without a license in Big Horn National Forrest in Wyoming. The court ruled the 1868 Fort Laramie Treaty granted rights to hunt in traditional territory. We’ll talk with a legal expert about what the ruling could mean for other cases. We’ll check in with Mary Annette Pember (Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa) about her three part series on sexual harassment in Indian Country. Also we’ll talk with U.S. Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ) about his priorities as chair of the House Committee on Natural Resources. And we’ll check in on the Cherokee Nation’s election.

Mentioned on the show:

Part 1: #MeToo in Indian Country; ‘We don’t talk about this enough’

Part 2: #MeToo What happens when Native women come forward with harassment complaints

Part 3: #MeToo. Toxic masculinity; Addressing a terrible truth

The Cherokee Nation’s next chief will have a big footprint in Indian Country

Guests:

Mary Annette Pember (Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa) – independent journalist and writer 

Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ) – U.S. Representative and Chairman of the House Committee on Natural Resources

Forrest Tahdooahnippah (Comanche Nation of Oklahoma) – partner Dorsey and Whitney LLP

Graham Lee Brewer (Cherokee Nation) – contributing editor for High Country News

Break 1 Music: Intertribal (song) Cree Confederation (artist) Pakosiyimitan (album)

Break 2 Music: Round Dance (song) High Noon (artist) Generations (album)

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It’s the time of year students sit through long graduation ceremonies with notable speeches to pick up their diplomas. But graduation marks years of hard work and dedication. As graduates prepare for the next chapter in their lives, we take the opportunity to celebrate their achievements. We’ll hear from educators, graduating seniors and their parents to help us honor the Native Class of 2019.

Guests:

Jonathan Sims (Pueblo of Acoma) – media creator, recent graduate with a MFA in fine arts in creative writing from IAIA low residency MFA program

Corwin Largo (Navajo) – Grad bachelors of science in industrial engineering, with a minor in mathematics from Navajo Technical University

Tvli Birdshead (Citizen of the Chickasaw Nation and descendent of Choctaw Nation, southern Cheyenne and Arapaho and Oglala Lakota) – recent high school graduate

Sienna Thomas (enrolled with the Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community) – recent graduate at California Indian Nations College

Break 1 Music: Celebrate (song) Devin Whirlwind Soldier (artist)

Break 2 Music: Round Dance (song) High Noon (artist) Generations (album)

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People often take courses on how to help someone with a serious injury or health emergency. Responding appropriately to a mental health crisis can be just as valuable. Mental health professionals now offer training called mental health first aid. The program teaches people how to recognize signs of mental distress whether it’s brought on by anxiety, mental illness or substance use. It gives people tools for responding to someone in crisis. We’ll hear more about the training and how it’s helping people in Native America.

Guests:

Capt. Emily Williams – director of the division of behavior health for the Great Plains area of Indian Health Service

Ashley Lincoln (Cherokee Nation tribal member) – manager of administration operations at the Cherokee Nation

Break 1 Music: Rolling Stone (song) Burning Sky (artist) A Simple Man (album)

Break 2 Music: Round Dance (song) High Noon (artist) Generations (album)

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Millions more Native Americans should be getting tested for Hepatitis C. That’s according to new recommendations by the Indian Health Service. IHS greatly expanded its recommendation for the age groups at risk of the potentially fatal infection. Previously, IHS deferred to the recommendation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that those born before 1965 get tested. The new recommendations reflect growing concern that Hepatitis C mortality rates for Native Americans are twice the national average. We’ll talk with health professionals who say catching infections earlier gives a better chance of treating and even curing the disease.

Guests:

Brigg Reilley – Epidemiologist for the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board who works with the Indian Health Service national Hepatitis C program

Brad Moran (Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa) – chief of pharmacy for the Fort Peck Service Unit

Break 1 Music: Nose Flute Dub (song) Paula Fuga (artist) Lilikoi (album)

Break 2 Music: Round Dance (song) High Noon (artist) Generations (album)

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For Memorial Day we revive a special remembrance of Caddo/Kiowa artist T.C. Cannon. A new exhibition of his paintings, works on paper, poetry and music is now at the National Museum of the American Indian. It reflects the influences on his work, including his upbringing in Oklahoma and his service during the Vietnam War. This remembrance features friends, members of his family, and others who were inspired by his work. (This is an encore show, so we won’t be taking phone calls on the air)

 

Break 1 Music: Mr. Tambourine Man (song) T.C. Cannon (artist)

Break 2 Music: Round Dance (song) High Noon (artist) Generations (album)

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Game wardens are responsible for issuing and enforcing fishing and hunting licenses. But their duties go far beyond that. Federal conservation officers are also watching out for fraudulent Native arts and crafts. Federal officers work closely with tribal game and fish officials to protect wildlife from poachers and polluters. We explore the roles of tribal and federal game and fish protectors.

Guests:

Logan Pardilla (Penobscot Nation tribal member) – game warden for the Penobscot Nation

Mariano Conley – ranger with the Gila River Police Department

Neil Thagard – director of the Nez Perce Tribe Wildlife Division

Break 1 Music: Hunting Chant (song) Art Napoleon (Travelling Sun) (artist) Miyoskamin (Early Springtime) (album)

Break 2 Music: Euphony (song) Nitanis “Kit” Largo (artist) Serenity (album)