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A civil rights lawsuit brought by the Department of Justice forced a hotel owner in Rapid City, S.D. to issue a written apology and take other steps after publicly banning Native Americans as hotel guests, but another lawsuit claims the hotel is still turning away Native customers. A business owner in Arizona faced few consequences after a public tirade against Native Americans. Such disparaging actions and public comments aimed at Native Americans are a step backward in the work toward equality and civil discourse. The response to those actions can make a difference going forward. We’ll discuss what is required by individuals and institutions to make things right after publicly disrespecting Native people.

GUESTS

Cody Blackbird (Eastern Band Cherokee, Dakota, and Romani descent), award-winning musician and artist  

Nick Tilsen (Oglala Lakota), president and CEO of the NDN Collective

Myra Munson, chair of the Healing Task Force at the Ḵunéix̱ Hídi Northern Light United Church 

Maxine Richert (Athabaskan and Tlingit), Native Ministries committee member at Ḵunéix̱ Hídi Northern Light United Church

Brandon Ferguson (enrolled member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe), founder and executive director of Ending the Silence Rapid City

Break 1 Music: V for Vanity (song) THRONE (artist) Lionfish (album)

Break 2 Music: Shi Keyah Hozho (song) Klee Benally (artist) Respect Existence or Expect Resistance (album)

Below is the letter required by the settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice:

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Some of the big news stories from the past year promise to spill over into the months ahead and beyond – from the fallout for #Native #Americans caught up in a massive Medicaid fraud scheme in Arizona to the causes and ramifications of the deadly fires that destroyed Lahaina, Hawaii. Those are two of the big events that Native journalists are following in 2024.

GUESTS

Levi Rickert (Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation), publisher and editor of Native News Online

Brandi Morin (Cree, Iroquois and French), freelance journalist

Arlyssa Becenti (Diné), Indigenous Affairs reporter and an editor for the Daily Focus at the Arizona Republic

Anita Hofschneider, senior staff writer at Grist Magazine’s Indigenous Affairs desk

Break 1 Music: Land of Skoden (song) Nadjiwan (artist) The Great Sea (album)

Break 2 Music: Shi Keyah Hozho (song) Klee Benally (artist) Respect Existence or Expect Resistance (album)

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The New Year provides an opportunity to press the reset button and shed those intrusive negative thoughts. Improving our physical and mental health, prioritizing important relationships, and putting the worries of the world in the right context can all make a difference at home or at work. We’ll have helpful strategies and inspiration for everyone from expert self-starters to those working on a major motivation overhaul.

GUESTS

D.J. Eagle Bear Vanas (Odawa Nation), motivational storyteller, host of the PBS special “Discovering your Warrior Spirit”, and author of Warrior Within

Sifu JoAnn Wabisca (Métis-Cree), co-founder and instructor of Ekata Training Center; U.S Savate Team president and coach

Tanaya Winder (Southern Ute, Pyramid Lake Paiute, Diné, and Duckwater Shoshone), poet, writer, and motivational speaker

Break 1 Music: Too Much to Feel (song) Klee Benally (artist) Respect Existence or Expect Resistance (album)

Break 2 Music: Shi Keyah Hozho (song) Klee Benally (artist) Respect Existence or Expect Resistance (album)

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The aurora borealis is more than just a dazzling natural light show for those lucky enough to see it. The northern lights are also a cultural touchstone handed down over millennia. Some tribes understand the Northern Lights as a message from the ancestors. At the same time, Native astrophysicists are working to view the phenomenon with both modern scientific and traditional knowledge. This is an encore presentation so we won’t be taking live calls from listeners.

GUESTS

Sharon Shorty (Tlingit and Northern Tutchone), storyteller, comedian, and performer

Gabe Tegoseak (Inupiaq)

Dana Nez (Diné), cultural consultant

Break 1 Music: Northern Lights Are Dancing (song) Lisa Muswagon (artist) Buffalo and Rabbits (album)

Break 2 Music: Winter’s Breath (song) Louie Gonnie (artist) Elements (album)

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How much do you know (and remember) about Native people and events from 2023? Now is the chance to test your knowledge of things you might have heard about by listening to Native America Calling over the past year. What name was Buffy Sainte-Marie given at birth? Which justices dissented in the U.S. Supreme Court’s historic decision on ICWA? Name a river in California where dams are being demolished to benefit salmon. Those are the types of trivia questions related to Native issues that callers can answer and have a chance to compete for one of three prizes.

GUESTS

Matthew Fletcher (Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians), law professor at the University of Michigan Law School and author of the Turtle Talk blog

Debra Krol (enrolled member of the Xolon Salinan Tribe), Indigenous Affairs Reporter for The Arizona Republic, reporting on the intersection of climate, commerce, and culture

Vincent Schilling (Akwesasne Mohawk), editor and founder of NativeViewPoint.com and a certified Rotten Tomatoes critic

Break 1 Music: Mamas [feat. Jesse Davis] (song) Def-i (artist) Water Edges (album)

Break 2 Music: Solstice Echo (song) PIQSIQ (artist)

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What changes would you make if you were in position of authority? Now is your chance to say what you would change if you were president, chairman, or even king. Would you ban all gas-powered cars? Would you own up to all the promises from past treaties with tribes? Would you require all schools to teach at least one Indigenous language? We’ll get ideas from our audience and a few invited guests on what they would do if they had the power to change things.

GUESTS

Yanenowi Logan (Seneca Nation of Indians), co-chair of the National Congress of American Indians Youth Commission and a member of the Haudenosaunee Environmental Youth Council 

Luella Brien (Apsaalooke), founder of Four Points Media

Isiah Yazzie (Diné), comedian and host of Pick Up New Mexico  

Johnnie Jae (Otoe-Missouria and Choctaw), founder of A Tribe Called Geek and co-founding member of the Fan Organizer Coalition

Break 1 Music: President’s Got Me All Night Long (song) Hataałii (artist)

Break 2 Music: Solstice Echo (song) PIQSIQ (artist)

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Jerry Chris Elliott-High Eagle (Cherokee, Osage) joined NASA as a young engineer before astronauts ever made it to the moon. Eventually, among other things, he was a member of the team that devised real-time solutions to bring the crew of the hobbled Apollo 13 safely back to Earth, an accomplishment that earned him a Presidential Medal of Freedom. He’s a musician, writer, inventor, and social justice advocate. He was instrumental in establishing the first national Native American Awareness Week and was a founder of the science education organization, the American Indian Science and Engineering Society. We’ll hear from Elliott-High Eagle about what it takes to succeed in the face of adversity.

Break 1 Music: Eagle (song) J.C. High Eagle (artist)

Break 2 Music: Solstice Echo (song) PIQSIQ (artist)

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The increase in unprecedented damage from wildfires knows no boundaries and International Indigenous fire management experts see global participation as a solution. At the heart of their work is recognition that climate change is a major contributing factor.  They’re bringing traditional fire knowledge to a new generation who are inheriting some of the worst conditions for destructive wildfires in history. We’ll talk with some of those gathered for this year’s Indigenous Peoples Burning Workshop, in this encore episode of Native America Calling (no calls, please).

GUESTS

Charity Battise (Alabama Coushatta), student at the University of Oklahoma  

Ryan Reed (Karuk, Hupa, and Yurok), Indigenous fire practitioner

Victor Steffensen (Tagalaka descendent), lead fire practitioner of the Firesticks Indigenous Alliance

Break 1 Music: Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy (song) PIQSIQ (artist)

Break 2 Music: 12 Days of Christmas (song) Carol Adams (artist) Heartbeat of the Holiday Season (album)

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What music from 2023 is on repeat in your Native playlist? We’ll get recommendations from Native artists and others with their ears to the ground about this year’s new releases from veteran artists and up-and-comers, spanning genres, tribes, and styles.

GUESTS

DEF-I (Diné), hip-hop artist and MC

Larry K (Ho-Chunk), producer of Indigenous in Music

Robert Ortiz (Taos Pueblo), DJ of REZ-olution Radio Hour on KSUT Tribal Radio

Break 1 Music: Solstice Echo (song) PIQSIQ (artist)

Break 2 Music: Parallel (song) Red-209 (artist)