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The Hopi Tribe and others find themselves in the position—again—of trying to stop a damaging sale of items by a French auction house. The EVE auction house is holding its sixth auction of Native American objects later this month, selling items from several tribes. Many of the items are considered sacred. A bill to curb some sales died in Congress. Sponsors of the STOP Act (Safeguard Tribal Objects of Patrimony) say they plan to bring it back, but it still lacks power to stop international sales like the upcoming auction.

Guests:

Leigh Kuwanwisiwma (Hopi) – director for the Hopi cultural preservation office

Aaron Sims (Acoma Pueblo) – attorney from the Chestnut Law Office and the Acoma Pueblo’s general legal council

Vanessa Elmore – Antique Tribal Art Dealers Association (ATADA) representative of the legal committee and art appraiser who specializes in American Indian art

Break music: We Are (song) DiggingRoots (artist) We Are (album)

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What feels like support for someone in the grip of addiction could actually make things worse. Family and friends naturally want to help someone whose life dissolves into homelessness, crime or other dangerous conditions that can accompany addiction. That help can cross the line into enabling. We’ll talk about what enabling looks like and what the friends and family of those who are dealing with addiction can do to truly help.

Guests:

Tina Anderson (Curyung) – integration councilor with mental health and chemical dependency with the Spokane tribe of Indians behavioral health

Bud (Citizen Potawatomi Nation) – chair of the first Native American Al-Anon convention in Albuquerque

Break music: Everything’s Gonna Be All Right (song) Twice As Good (artist) That’s All I Need (album)

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Producers for the movie version of the “Ni’ihau Incident” are casting white actors to play people of color. Actor Zack McGowan will play Native Hawaiian Benehakaka “Ben” Kanahele, who was a key figure in the World War II event. It’s a true account of a Japanese pilot who crashed on a Hawaiian island. The choice of McGowan in the lead prompts the recurring question of why the role wasn’t offered to a Native Hawaiian. It also highlights Hollywood’s long history of whitewashing movie characters.

Guests:

Dr. Keao NeSmith (Native Hawaiian) – consultant and researcher

Moses Goods (Native Hawaiian) – actor, playwright and storyteller

Conrad Lihilihi (mixed Native Hawaiian) – filmmaker

Brían Wescott (Athabascan/Yup’ik) – actor member of the National Native Americans Committee at the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists

SAG-AFTRA phone number (855) SAG-AFTRA / (855) 724-2387

Break music: Everything’s Gonna Be All Right (song) Twice As Good (artist) That’s All I Need (album)

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The Minneapolis Dakota community successfully negotiated the removal of a controversial sculpture at the Walker Art Center. Activists and community members protested artist Sam Durant’s piece “Scaffold” which is fashioned after several historical hanging gallows. The artist said it’s partly based on the structure used to hang 38 Dakota men in Mankato Minnesota in 1862. The Minneapolis Native community said it diminished the history of the Dakota 38. Now the structure will be dismantled and burned. Is the outcome an acceptable model for dealing with insensitive art?

Guests:

Sam Wounded Knee (Crow Creek Dakota Nation) – Minneapolis resident

Kate Beane (Flandreau Santee Sioux) – Outreach and Program Manager of Native American Initiatives at the Minnesota Historical Society

Break music: Enaemaekisaeh (song) Wayne Silas Jr (artist) Infinite Passion (album)

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The Eastern Band of Cherokee leadership remains in turmoil as the principal chief and tribal council are at odds. The tribe’s Supreme Court allowied the impeachment process against the chief to continue. Meanwhile Principal Chief Patrick Lambert released financial audits he says shed light on financial misconduct by council members. We’ll talk with a reporter covering this complicated issue. Also two Native Americans are running for Congress. One of them hopes to be the first female Native in the US House of Representatives. Join us for our round up of the news.

Guests:

Holly Kays – reporter with the Smokey Mountain News

Mark Trahant (Shoshone-Bannock) – journalist

Dr. Renae Ditmer (Sault Sainte Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians) – freelance writer

Rebekka Herrera-Schlichting

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

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This month we go to the Navajo Nation to sample the debut album “Gratitiude” by Dinè flute player Jonah Littlesunday. Over the years he’s used his Native American flute to help bring a bit of joy to the lives of the audiences including elders and children. He’s noted for his ability to translate emotions and stories thorough his flute playing. Songs like “Echoes” and “Navajo Waltz” swirl listeners into the landscapes he grew up with. Other tracks on the album are reflections of love, peace and unity.

Guests:

Jonah Littlesunday (Navajo/Dine) – Musician/Comedian

Break music: Navajo Waltz (song) Jonah Littlesunday (artist) Gratitiude (album)

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The new Netflix series “13 Reasons Why” has suicide experts debating the appropriate ways to address suicide in the media. Some are praising the show’s candid look at bullying, sexual assault and suicide, while others say it glorifies troubling issues for a vulnerable population. A show centered around suburban, white teenagers may not resonate with some Native youth. But the series does present an opportunity to revisit the many ways to reach out to Native youth that experience dramatically higher rates of suicide than any other group. We’ll talk with experts and youth about what it takes to save young lives.

Guests:

Teresa Baldwin (Inupiaq) – suicide prevention advocate

Shelby Rowe (Chickasaw Nation) – Youth Suicide Prevention Program Manager for the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services

Angelita Lee (White Mountain Apache) – Research Program Coordinator for the Johns Hopkins University Center for American Indian Health

Break music: Mahk Jchi (song) Ulali (artist) Heartbeat: Voices of First Nations Women (album)

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The editor of “Write” magazine came under fire for an editorial he wrote called “Winning the appropriation prize.” In it, he encouraged authors to appropriate more; to write more about cultures and people they don’t identify with. That sparked a debate on appropriation as other editors and authors from Canadian media weighed in. Are people missing something about appropriation? We’ll talk with Indigenous writers from Canada about what appropriation is and how it affects Native people.

Guests:

Alicia Elliott (Tuscarora) – Tuscarora writer

Kateri Akiwenzie-Damm (Chippewas Nawash First Nation/ Saugeen Ojibwe Nation) – writer, publisher and consultant, Kegdonce Press

Dr. Niigaan Sinclair (Anishinaabe) – assistant professor and Native studies department head at the University of Manitoba

Break music: Big Crow (feat. Black Lodge Singers) (song) DJ Shub (artist) PowWowStep – EP (album)

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Full interview with Hal Niedzvieski

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Tobacco smoke contributes to 41,000 non-smoker deaths every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A handful of studies, including one by the Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences, suggest even thirdhand smoke—chemicals and residue from tobacco smoke that settle on walls, clothes and furniture—might also cause harm, mostly for people in smokers’ homes. Some tribes ban commercial tobacco smoking in certain areas. But is that enough to protect children and other nonsmokers?

Guests:

Jovian Henio (Mescalero Apache and Diné) – Outrech cc, currently working on smoke-free signals project

Char Day – program manager for Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights

Carla Feathers (Pawnee and Cherokee) – Tobacco Prevention Program manager for the Muscogee Creek Nation

Break music: Strongheart (song) Sissy Goodhouse (artist) The Third Circle (album)

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Knowing how to apply for a job or resolving conflicts with friends are among the wide range of basic life skills that aren’t directly taught in school. Young people might pick up such skills from family or community members if there are good role models. We’ll talk with folks from NativeVision, a sports and life skills camp that has spent more than 20 years making life skills a priority. They tell us why it’s important for Native youth to zero in on the basics.

Mentioned on the show: 2017 NativeVision Sports and Lifeskills Camp
June 15-17, 2017 in Whiteriver, AZ
Sports offered: football, lacrosse, basketball, soccer, volleyball and track
For youth ages 8-18

NativeVision camp registration: local non-local

Guests:

Bill Walker (Chickasaw) – southwest regional director for the Bureau of Indian Affairs and assists with NativeVision

Justin Giles (Muscogee Creek/Cherokee) – lacrosse coach at NativeVision

Olivia Trujillo (Diné) – year round program coordinator for Native Vision

Break music: I Walk With You (song) Joseph Fire Crow (artist) Face the Music (album)