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Taking on the task of changing a tribal constitution can be long and sometimes contentious. The Oglala Sioux Tribe is currently struggling to determine how best to include member input in their constitutional reform effort which includes 50 proposed amendments. The White Earth Nation worked on constitutional reform for years with little progress. The process divided the tribe and prompted the tribal chairwoman to resign. We’ll get updates on some current reform efforts and hear about what to expect if your tribe decides to update its constitution.

Guests:

Richard Monette (Turtle Mountain Chippewa Tribe) – professor of law at the University of Wisconsin Law School and faculty director of the Great Lakes Indigenous Law Center

Nakina Mills (Oglala Sioux Tribe) – councilwoman for the Oglala Sioux Tribe representing the Pine Ridge Village

Jason Decker (Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe) – currently a delegate to the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe’s Constitutional Convention

Dr. Keith Richotte (Turtle Mountain Chippewa) – assistant professor of American Studies at the University North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Break 1 Music: The Beautiful Dance (song) Black Eagle (artist) Flying Free (album)

Break 2 Music: Aroha – Love (Instrumental Remix) (song) Mika (artist) Mika Versus Fashion (album)

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The U.S. Department of Justice is in the process of distributing about $100 million to tribal victim support programs. The money comes from federal criminal fines, fees and special assessments and goes toward victim advocacy, crisis intervention, staff training and individual counseling. The idea is to help reduce suffering and build stronger communities for a population that, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, suffers violent crime at higher rates than others. We’ll get a glimpse of what tribal victims support programs offer and what difference they aim to make in their communities.

Guests:

Tracy Bigboy (member of the bad river tribe) – crime victim coordinator for the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa

Cecelia Westman (Tlingit) – advocate coordinator for the Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women

Alegra Roybal (PUEBLO) – sexual violence project coordinator at the Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women

Break 1 Music: Qaumajuapik (song) Riit (artist) Qaumajuapik (single)

Break 2 Music: Aroha – Love (Instrumental Remix) (song) Mika (artist) Mika Versus Fashion (album)

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People with dementia frequently can’t perform many of the basic functions of life, including feeding, cleaning and dressing themselves. Those tasks often fall to relatives, who must also cope with the confusion, anxiety and hostility that can accompany the disease. A 2016 study published in the Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association found Native Americans have among the highest rates of dementia. We’ll discuss the latest thinking on the best ways to care for loved ones with dementia. We’ll also get advice for those taking on the role of caregivers.

Guests:

Dr. Blythe Winchester (Eastern Band of Cherokee) – certified medical director of the Tsali Care Center and a geriatrician

Dr. J. Neil Henderson (Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma) – executive director of the Memory Keepers Medical Discovery Team at the University of Minnesota Medical School

Break 1 Music: Animal Song (song) Art Napoleon (artist) Mocikan (album)

Break 2 Music: Aroha – Love (Instrumental Remix) (song) Mika (artist) Mika Versus Fashion (album)

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The four Native American members of Congress just introduced a bill to create an advisory committee on missing and murdered Indigenous women. Some states like New Mexico and Wyoming assembled task forces to address the issue. Washington State is requiring the State Patrol to establish “best practices” for investigating missing Native Americans. Will more task forces, research reports and policy guidelines help solve the ongoing problem that disproportionately harms Native women? We’ll hear about some of the latest efforts and hear from experts about what the most promising approaches are.

Guests:

Wenona Benally (Diné) – former state representative in Arizona representing district 7

Deb Haaland (Laguna Pueblo) – U.S. Representative for the first district of New Mexico

Lucy Simpson (Navajo Nation) – executive director of the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center

Princella Parker RedCorn [Umóⁿhoⁿ (Omaha) Tribe] – communications officer for the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center

Break 1 Music: For Dallas (song) Fawn Wood (artist) Kikāwiynaw (album)

Break 2 Music: Aroha – Love (Instrumental Remix) (song) Mika (artist) Mika Versus Fashion (album)

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Many Americans who celebrate Cinco de Mayo probably have it all wrong. In the U.S. it’s an imported celebration much like St. Patrick’s Day. It’s an excuse for parties and stereotypes. In Mexico, May 5 commemorates the day in 1862 when a small army made up of mostly Indigenous people defeated a French army in the town of Puebla. Cinco de Mayo is not a big holiday in Mexico, but it’s widely celebrated in the U.S. We’ll learn more about Cinco de Mayo and how Indigenous people played a role.

Guests:

Dr. Gabriela Spears-Rico (Purépecha) – assistant professor at the University of Minnesota in American Indian Studies

Brenda Nicolás (Zapotec) – Ph.D student in Chicana and Chicano studies at University of California, Los Angeles

Rodrigo Rodriguez (Chicano) – community organizer at the SouthWest Organizing Project

Break Music:  Grass Dance (song) Tha Tribe (artist) Warriors In The Mist (album)

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Indian Country Today is branching out into television news. The operation is moving to Phoenix, Ariz. We’ll talk with editor Mark Trahant about big plans for the future. Also journalism students at the University of Montana are gearing up for the annual project to report on the state’s Native residents. We’ll talk with the program director about this year’s focus on missing and murdered Indigenous women. Tune in for our news round up.

Guests:

Carly Bad Heart Bull (Flandreau Santee Sioux) – descendant of Chief Cloud Man and community advocate

Kalen Goodluck (Diné, Mandan, Hidatsa, and Tsimshian) –  independent journalist who covers business, environment and tribal affairs

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

Jason Begay Navajo associate professor and director of Native American Journalism Projects at The University of Montana School of Journalism

Jordynn Paz (Apsáalooke) –  student at the University of Montana

Luke Nicholson (Coeur d’Alene) –  student reporter

Break Music:  Elders Land Ballad (song) Paula Nelson (artist) C.H.A.N.T. Cherokee Hope And New Traditions (album)

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Have you gotten a call from someone at the “security department” warning you about an outstanding warrant? Or the caller says you need to reveal personal information to them or you will lose your Social Security benefits. The Federal Trade Commission says 1.1 million people reported being scam victims in 2017. Most of those scams were over the phone. Romance scams reported to the FBI tripled over the past five years. A Navajo Nation Council delegate admitted on social media that he used poor judgement by sending a compromising video of himself to someone who contacted him online. The recipient then demanded money, threatening to release the video publicly. We’ll get an update on different kinds of scams and how to avoid them.

Guests:

Shawn Spruce (Laguna Pueblo) – programs consultant at First Nations Development Institute

Monica Vaca – associate director in the bureau of consumer protection at the Federal Trade Commission

Kimberly Yellow Robe (Rosebud Sioux ) – Southwest Area Public Affairs Specialist for the Social Security Administration

Mentioned on the show today:

How to report Fraud to SSA Office of the Inspector General:
OIG Fraud Hotline at 1-800-269-0271 or online

Block scam calls with Hiya

FTC: Stop Unwanted Robocalls and Texts

FTC: Growing wave of Social Security imposters overtakes IRS scam

FTC: Romance scams rank number one on total reported losses

Break Music:  Change of Life (song) Young Bird (artist) Change Of Life (album)

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Complaints against the Wolf Point School District include unequal treatment of Native students, bullying and even staff members using racial slurs. The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights is investigating the claims. The Fort Peck Assiniboine Sioux Tribes filed a complaint with the help of the Montana American Civil Liberties Union. We’ll learn more with some of those involved with the case.

Guests:

Lillian Alvernaz (Dakota/Nakoda Indigenous) – justice legal fellow at American Civil Liberties Union of Montana

Angeline Cheek (Fort Peck Assiniboine Sioux Tribes) – grassroots community organizer

Louella Douglas Contreras (Fort Peck Assiniboine Sioux Tribes) – mother of three children in Wolf Point schools

Meg Singer (Navajo) – Indigenous justice program manager for ACLU of Montana

Break Music: In My Heart (song) Alex Smith (artist) Rain in July – Native American Vocal Harmony (album)

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Organizers bill it as the ‘world’s largest powwow.’ This year’s Gathering of Nations Powwow in Albuquerque is again expected to draw thousands of powwow dancers and spectators from across the country. We’re broadcasting live from the arena to connect you with the drums, dances, events and music.

Guests:

Taylor Susan (White Mountain Apache and Walker River Paiute) – reigning Miss Indian World

Lisa Meeches (Anishinaabe) – A host of the Miss Indian World pageant, television and film producer for the true crime documentary series “Taken”

Ruben Little Head (Northern Cheyenne) – announcer for the Gathering of Nations

Jason Whitehouse – announcer for Gathering of Nations

Break Music – Gon (Grand Entry Song) (song) Gathering of Nations (artist) Gathering of Nations: Spirit Rising (album)