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2022 was a strong year for features films, documentaries, shorts, and TV shows produced by Native filmmakers, relied on Native talent, or focused on Native issues. ABC’s “Alaska Daily” takes on the serious real life inequities that lead to high rates of unsolved sexual assaults, disappearances, and deaths for Alaska Native women. And unsung gems like the documentary “Daughter of a Lost Bird” paints a poignant portrait of adoption and identity. Today on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce looks back at some of the films and TV shows you may have seen and some you might have missed from the past year with Vincent Schilling (Akwesasne Mohawk), editor of NativeViewPoint.com and certified Rotten Tomatoes critic; Johnnie Jae (Otoe-Missouria and Choctaw), founder of A Tribe Called Geek and co-founding member of the Fan Organizer Coalition; and Jason Asenap (Comanche and Muscogee), writer, critic, and filmmaker.

Break 1 music: NDN Kars (Remix) (song) A Tribe Called Red & Keith Secola (artist) NDN Kars (Remix) (single)

Break 2 music: Fancy Dance (Song) Yellow Hammer (artist) Yellow Hammer (album)

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The village of Newtok, AK is losing its battle with climate change. The thawing permafrost is giving up as much as 70 feet of land every year that the Newtok residents called home. The effort to move residents is ongoing, but slow. The village is one of nearly a dozen Native communities that will receive federal climate change relocation money. The total allocation is $135 million. Today on Native America Calling, Andi Murphy talks with Bernice John (Yup’ik), president of the Newtok Native Corporation; Sam Fortier, general counsel for the Newtok Native Corporation; Jackie Schaeffer (Inupiaq), director of climate initiatives for the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium; Phillip Carl (Yup’ik), Newtok tribal administrator; and Joseph John (Yup’ik), Newtok council member.

Break 1 music: Qalurru (Dip Netting) (song) Pamyua (artist) Drums of The North: Traditional Yup’ik Songs (album)

Break 2 music: Fancy Dance (Song) Yellow Hammer (artist) Yellow Hammer (album)

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The 45th annual Lakota Nation Invitational (LNI) in Rapid City, SD is underway and hundreds of Native athletes are not letting a little winter storm get in their way. What started as a basketball tournament in 1977 is now a not-to-be-missed five-day event that includes multiple sports including wresting, volleyball, and cheerleading and cultural competitions for hand games, language, and archery. Today on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce talks with Chuck Wilson (Rosebud Sioux), president of the board for LNI; Bryan Brewer (Oglala Lakota from Pine Ridge), founder and director of LNI; Kellee Brewer (Oglala Lakota), coordinator of the Cheerleading championship at LNI; and Corey YellowBoy (Oglala Lakota), coordinator of the Lakota Language Bowl at LNI, about the evolution and importance of this event.

Break 1 music: Remembering the Warrior (song) Porcupine Singers (artist) Alowanpi – Songs Of Honoring – Lakota Classics: Past & Present, Vol. 1 (album)

Break 2 music: Fancy Dance (Song) Yellow Hammer (artist) Yellow Hammer (album)

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The International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity warns Indigenous priorities may not be heard or heeded at the COP15 UN Biodiversity Conference that just got underway in Montreal. They worry the direction of the new set of international conservation goals could set up “the largest land grab in history”. Today on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce takes us inside this major event with Ta’Kaiya Blaney (Tla’Amin First Nation), environmental activist, actor, singer-songwriter, and speaker; Rochelle Diver (Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe), NDN Collective Changemaker and international Indigenous rights consultant; and Thomas Joseph (Hoopa), carbon pricing organizer for the Indigenous Environmental Network.

Break 1 music: Place I Call Home (song) Native Roots (artist) A Place I Call Home (album)

Break 2 music: Fancy Dance (Song) Yellow Hammer (artist) Yellow Hammer (album)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 55:37 — 38.2MB) | Embed

The Colorado Springs shooting and the passage of The Respect for Marriage Act present competing narratives about public acceptance of LGBTQ2 people. Today on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce checks in with Alray Nelson (Diné), lead organizer for Diné Equality and executive director for Navajo Nation Pride; writer, musician, activist, and artist Miko Thomas aka Landa Lakes (Chickasaw); Sergio Ruark (Huaylas Quechua Nation), this year’s Mr. Montana Two-Spirit; and Professor Chris Finley (Colville Confederated Tribes), assistant professor of American and Ethnic Studies at the University of Southern California.

Break 1 music: ‘Cause I Like a Girl (song) Ailani (artist) Heartbroken Bones (album)

Break 2 music: Fancy Dance (Song) Yellow Hammer (artist) Yellow Hammer (album)

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Cedar is an important part of many tribal cultures. The tall evergreens in the Pacific Northwest are carved into totem poles and canoes. The spiny and fragrant leaves can be used to flavor food. It’s also incorporated into ceremony and has some medicinal use. Today on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce talks about the significance of cedar in Native America with Harold Joe (Cowichan First Nation) and Leslie Bland, the directors, producers, and writers of “A Cedar is Life”; Dave Smoke-McCluskey (Mohawk), chef and owner of the Corn Mafia; and Ruben Littlehead (Northern Cheyenne), announcer for the Gathering of Nations Powwow.

Break 1 music: Grandmother’s Song (song) Fawn Wood (artist) Iskwewak (album)

Break 2 music: Destiny (song) Mary Youngblood (artist) Feed the Fire (album)

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Today on Native America Calling, “In Case You Missed It”, Shawn Spruce catches up on some interesting and engaging topics that are important to Native people. Dean Seneca (Seneca), CEO of Seneca Scientific Solutions Plus, has a winter update on COVID-19; Dr. Terri Bissonette (Gnoozhekaaning Anishinaabe), head of school and founder of the American Indian Academy of Denver, talks about the future of the Native-focused charter school; and Robby Goldman (Native Hawaiian), PhD candidate at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a National Science Foundation graduate research fellow, tells us why the simultaneous eruptions of Mauna Loa and Kilauea in Hawaii is a rare, sacred occurrence.

Break 1 music: Kū Kiaʻi Mauna (single song) Kapu System (artist)

Break 2 music: Destiny (song) Mary Youngblood (artist) Feed the Fire (album)

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Even after spending all that time writing your own book, there’s no guarantee an established publisher will pick it up. A growing number of Native writers are turning to self-publishing – and there’s a number of supportive organizations and independent publishers that can help. Today on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce takes us inside the Native self-publishing industry with Jessie Taken Alive-Rencountre (Hunkpapa Lakota); Brian Lush (Yankton Sioux), author of Roger’s War; and comic book artist Kayla Shaggy (Diné/Anishinaabe).

Break 1 music: Victory Song (song) Thunder Hill (artist) Relentless (album)

Break 2 music: Destiny (song) Mary Youngblood (artist) Feed the Fire (album)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 55:24 — 38.0MB) | Embed

The forensic field uses science to help gather evidence for criminal cases and some archeological investigations. Crimes involving Native people and renewed scrutiny of past boarding school practices highlight the importance for Native forensic professionals. Today on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce hears from Native forensic experts about what the profession entails and how they work to solve difficult cases with Dr. Kona Williams (Cree and Mohawk), forensic pathologist and coroner; Ramona Emerson (Diné), writer, filmmaker, retired forensic photographer, and author of the novel Shutter; and Harvey Pratt (Cheyenne and Arapaho), veteran and forensic artist.

Break 1 music: Talking with Grandmothers (song) Fawn Wood (artist) Kikāwiynaw (album)

Break 2 music: Destiny (song) Mary Youngblood (artist) Feed the Fire (album)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 55:40 — 38.2MB) | Embed

For all its faults, Twitter is an effective means for sharing and discussing Native issues, culture, language, and business. But for many #NativeTwitter users, the social media platform is increasingly losing its luster after its takeover by Elon Musk. There are fears that un-muzzling far right and white supremacist voices is making it a hotbed of hate speech against people of color. Is that a good reason to leave? Today on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce reveals the results of our Twitter poll and takes your calls about the platform-in-transition with author Traci Sorell (Cherokee); Dr. Twyla Baker (member of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation), president of Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College; Aylan Couchie (Anishinaabe from the Nipissing First Nation), interdisciplinary artist and writer; and Dr. Emily Haozous (Enrolled Chiricahua Fort Sill Apache), research scientist for the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation.

Break 1 music: The Move (song) DDAT (artist) DDAT (album)

Break 2 music: Destiny (song) Mary Youngblood (artist) Feed the Fire (album)