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As Thanksgiving approaches there is some irony in the tribe that met the Pilgrims when they landed are in a fight over whether they meet the legal definition of the word ‘Indian’. Mashpee Wampanoag leaders are pushing for congressional intervention to keep the more than 300 acres of land originally put into trust in 2015. The tribe lost a court ruling and the Trump Administration is siding with the court. The stakes are high. Among other things, it puts plans for a $1 billion dollar resort and casino into jeopardy.

Guests:

Jessie Little Doe Baird (Mashpee Wampanoag) – vice chairwoman of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe and co-founder of the Wôpanâak Language Reclamation Project

Don Ragona (Matinecock/Lakota) – director of development and house council for the Native American Rights Fund

Lance Gumbs (Shinnecock Indian Nation) – councilmember of the Shinnecock Indian Nation

Break 1 Music: Dee Zee (song) The Delbert Anderson Trio (artist) MANITOU (album)

Break 2 Music: Ideal Dub (song) Casper Loma Da-Wa (artist) Honor the People (album)

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Whether it’s moccasins, mukluks or some other traditional footwear, Native people are showing them off this week at work, school, or running errands. Rock Your Mocs is an annual pride campaign to spread awareness of Native people and culture. We’re celebrating too by sharing stories about the origins of moccasins and learning about their place in Native culture. Tell us about your moccasins.

Guests:

Jaylyn Atsye (Laguna Pueblo) – founder of Rock Your Mocs

John HorseChief (Osage and Pawnee) – audio/visual technician for the Wah-Zha-Zhi cultural center

Melissa Sanchez (Acoma Pueblo and Laguna Pueblo) – producer at Emergence Productions

Annawon Weeden (enrolled Mashpee Wampanoag) – eastern woodland instructor for the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation Cultural Resources Department

Break 1 Music: Muskisina (Moccasins) (song) Warscout (artist) Scouts (album)

Break 2 Music: We Are (song) Digging Roots (artist) We Are (album)

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Weak demand and regional moratoriums have slowed uranium mining in recent years. But tribes, like the Oglala Sioux Tribe in South Dakota, remain on the front lines, fighting efforts to revive and expand old, shuttered mines in the future. At an October hearing by the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board, Oglala Sioux Tribe representatives reiterated their contention the panel cannot legally issue a mining permit without proper resource studies with adequate tribal participation. The ASLB rejects that claim. The US Supreme Court is currently weighing the legality of uranium mining ban in Virginia. That could have implications for mining moratoriums on tribal land elsewhere.

Guests:

Kyle White (Oglala Sioux) – director of natural resources for the Oglala Sioux Tribe

Break 1 Music: Hay In The Loft/ Six Nations Reel (song) Métis Fiddler Quartet (artist) North West Voyage Nord Ouest (album)

Break 2 Music: We Are (song) Digging Roots (artist) We Are (album)

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Average in-state tuition at a public, four-year college has increase almost 170 percent in the last 20 years. Those numbers from the College Board show the cost of higher education are significantly outpacing inflation. To pay for college, students are having to rely more and more on loans. The resulting debt is a crippling figure for many students. On this show we’ll talk about the choice to take on student loans, and the options for paying them off.

Guests:

Carmen Lopez (Navajo) – executive director of College Horizons and Graduate Horizons

John Gritts (Cherokee) – former management program analyst in the US Department of Education

Scott Skaro (Standing Rock Sioux) – financial aid director for United Tribes Technical College

Break 1 Music: Napo’o Ka La (song) Makana (artist) Kiho’alu – Journey of Hawaiian Slack Key (album)

Break 2 Music: We Are (song) Digging Roots (artist) We Are (album)

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President Trump wants to end “birthright citizenship” in the United States for those born to parents who are not citizens. Making such a change would likely require changing the U.S. Constitution. There are parallels for Native Americans. Each tribe has its own requirements for citizenship, and not all of them fall into the category of birthright. Being a citizen of a nation comes with privileges as well as responsibilities. What does it mean to be a citizen of your tribe?

Guests:

Dr. Aaron Payment (Sault Ste. Marie Michigan Tribe of Chippewa Indians) – chairperson of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians and first vice-president of the National Congress of American Indians

James Gray (Akwesasne Mohawk) – on the traditional men’s council of Akwesasne

Taté Walker (Lakota) – Native activist and advocate and writer

Break 1 Music: Sitting Bull’s Memorial Song (song) Lakota Thunder (artist) Veterans Songs (album)

Break 2 Music: We Are (song) Digging Roots (artist) We Are (album)

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World War II, the Vietnam War, the Korean War and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have all become part of contemporary Native storytelling. These stories may bring up happy memories of adventure and heroism. They may also be painful reminders of trauma and loss. Either way, these stories are important for veterans and their loved ones. For Veterans Day we’re exploring veterans’ stories and talking about why it’s important to hear them.

Guests:

Doug Good Feather (Hunkpapa Lakota from standing Rock) – retired service man in the U.S. Army

Mitchelene Big Man (Crow) – president and founder of the Native American Women Warriors group and a retired Army veteran

Karen Lloyd – retired Army aviation colonel and director of the Veterans History Project

Break 1 Music: Flag Song (song) Black Lodge (artist) Veteran’s Honor Song (album)

Break 2 Music: Tha Mash Up (song) Wayne Silas, Jr. (artist) Infinite Passion (album)

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The last leg of the network of oil pipelines that stretches from North Dakota to the Gulf of Mexico is under construction. Indigenous protesters are among those who are committing acts of civil disobedience to try and halt completion of the 160-mile Bayou Bridge Pipeline project. They fear the possibility of an oil spill contaminating vital wetlands in Louisiana. We’ll hear from some of the stakeholders in the fight that has its roots in the opposition to the Dakota Access Pipeline.

Guests:

Mark Tilsen (Oglala Lakota from Pine Ridge) – poet and educator

Dallas Goldtooth (Diné and Dakota) – Keep it in the Ground campaign organizer for the Indigenous Environmental Network

Break 1 Music: Traditional Side Step Song (song) Little Otter (artist) Side Step Songs (album)

Break 2 Music: Tha Mash Up (song) Wayne Silas, Jr. (artist) Infinite Passion (album)

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The ballots are tallied and political pundits are spinning the election results. We add up the wins and losses for the record number of Native candidates who faced the voters. It’s possible America will be waking up to the first Native woman elected to Congress. Several other Native men and women are poised to make history in a number of state executive races. There are also concerns that some Native voters might be prevented from casting their ballots. We’ll get a round-up of key races and the down-ballot surprises. We also get analysis of what Election Day results might mean for the interests of Indian Country.

 

Break 1 Music: Maple Leaf Rag (song) Lakota John (artist) Winds of Time (album)

Break 2 Music: Tha Mash Up (song) Wayne Silas, Jr. (artist) Infinite Passion (album)

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A jingle dress dance at Standing Rock two years ago brought much-needed healing following a series of setbacks. A video, viewed more 3 million times, shows a handful of women dancing on the road in front of a blockade. We’ll take this moment to reflect on the healing power of the jingle dress and explore its origins and modern history. The metal cones sewn onto the fabric sway and create a distinctive jingle to the beat of the drum. Some tribes say the sound is sending prayers to Creator.

Guests:

Dr. Brenda Child (Red Lake Ojibwe) – professor of American Studies and American Indian Studies at the University of Minnesota

Adrienne Benjamin (Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe) – equity champion Mille Lacs Region Minnesota Education Equity Partnership and jingle dress maker

Erin Tapahe (Navajo) – student at Brigham Young University

Émilie McKinney (Ojibwe) – student and owner of Anishinaabe Bimishimo

Break 1 Music: Four Two-Step Songs (song) Pyawasits, Silas & Webster (artist) Wild Rice: Songs From The Menominee Nation (album)

Break 2 Music: Tha Mash Up (song) Wayne Silas, Jr. (artist) Infinite Passion (album)