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The landmark Indian Reorganization Act was meant to move tribes away from the governmental policies of forced assimilation towards self-determination. It ended allotment, renewed tribes’ control over their own assets, and encouraged tribes to establish constitutions. John Collier authored the law as Commissioner of the Indian Bureau, which eventually became the Bureau of Indian Affairs. His ideas, like reversing the federal government’s assimilationist policies, were considered radical in 1935. Some historians also believe he romanticized Native American culture, and considered it superior to his own. We’ll discuss Collier’s influence and recognize the Indian Reorganization Act’s ongoing effect as it turns 85.

Guests:

Dr. David Wilkins (Lumbee Nation) – professor of Native Studies at the University of Richmond

Cris Stainbrook (Oglala Lakota) – President of the Indian Land Tenure Foundation

Break 1 Music:  Yo-Ho-Ho-Eo (song) Jim Boyd (artist) Going To The Stick Games (album)

Break 2 Music: High Above The Eagle Soars (song) Blackstone (artist) On The Oregon Trail (album)

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The biennial gathering of amateur senior athletes is setting aside a day to celebrate the many Native American athletes who participate. Participants compete in 20 events from swimming to shuffleboard. The National Senior Games originated as an effort to promote a healthy lifestyle for elders over 50. This year’s games are in Albuquerque New Mexico. We’ll be live at the games with a discussion centered around active and healthy elders.

Guests:

Larry Curley  (Navajo)- executive director for the National Indian Council on Aging.

Marc Riker – Chief Executive Officer for the National Senior Games Association.

Simeon Gipson (Cherokee/Choctaw) – athlete from Tahlequah Oklahoma.

Break 1 Music:  Yo-Ho-Ho-Eo (song) Jim Boyd (artist) Going To The Stick Games (album)

Break 2 Music: High Above The Eagle Soars (song) Blackstone (artist) On The Oregon Trail (album)

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Sivan Alyra Rose (San Carlos Apache) is the first Native woman to play a lead role in a Netflix series. She portrays a young Navajo woman who is experiencing visions after she receives a heart transplant in the supernatural thriller, “Chambers“. The series also stars Uma Thurman and Tony Goldwyn. We’ll hear from Rose about the series and her life as an artist, model and actress. We’ll also speak cast members and the executive story editor.

Guests:

Sivan Alyra Rose (San Carlos Apache) – artist, model and actress

Marcus LaVoi  (Chippewa) – actor, Big Frank Yazzie on Chambers 

Jason Gavin (Blackfeet) – executive story editor for Chambers

Griffin Powell-Arcand (Cree/Métis) – TJ Locklear on Chambers

Break 1 Music: Yo-Ho-Ho-Eo (song) Jim Boyd (artist) Going To The Stick Games (album)

Break 2 Music: High Above The Eagle Soars (song) Blackstone (artist) On The Oregon Trail (album)

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In Arizona, June is the traditional time Saguaro cactus fruits are ripe. It is also the Tohono O’odham New Year. For traditional harvests, the fruit is knocked down with sticks, called kuipad, made from dried Saguaro ribs. The fruit can be eaten fresh or made into juice, syrup, jam or a fermented ceremonial wine among other things. We’ll hear about the traditional importance of Saguaro cactus fruit for Native people in the Sonoran Desert.

Guests:

Tanisha Tucker (Tohono O’odham) – Saguaro Bahidaj harvester

Terrol Dew Johnson (Tohono O’odham) – CEO of TOCA (Tohono O’odham Community Action) and contemporary basket weaver

Yvette Ventura (Tohono O’odham) – youth coordinator the Schuk Toak district

Break 1 Music: Learned from the Late Ralph Kotay (song) Kenneth Cozad & Group (artist) Songs of Our Old People – Old-Time Round Dance Songs of Oklahoma (album)

Break 2 Music: High Above The Eagle Soars (song) Blackstone (artist) On The Oregon Trail (album)

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The U.S. House of Representatives approved a “fix” for the controversial U.S. Supreme Court ruling on placing land into trust. The proposal is now stalled in the Senate. For the past 10 years, elected leaders on both sides of the aisle have called it a bad ruling and have been working on a legislative solution. The Carcieri v. Salazar decision from 2009 means the Interior Department can place land into trust only for tribes recognized by the federal government before 1934. There are some exceptions. In 2011, Assistant Secretary–Indian Affairs Larry Echo Hawk called it a “Carcieri crisis” and warned that the ruling affects jobs, economic development and public safety. We’ll get an update on the status of a legislative “fix” and hear about the ongoing effects of the decision on tribes.

Guests:

Colette Routel – director of the Indian Law Program at the Mitchell Hamline School of Law

Lorén Spears (Narragansett Indian Tribe) – executive director of the Tomaquag Museum

Lance Gumbs (Shinnecock Indian Nation) – vice-chairman of the Shinnecock Indian Nation

Steve Emery (Cheyenne River Sioux) – proprietor of the Emery Law Firm and a member of the South Dakota Bar

Break 2 Music: High Above The Eagle Soars (song) Blackstone (artist) On The Oregon Trail (album)

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Do you ever get looked down on for not speaking your Native language fluently? Or do you feel pressure to achieve more than your peers so they don’t label you an ‘Affirmative Action’ hire? You might fit into what psychologists describe as impostor syndrome. It’s the feeling that you don’t belong or that you don’t deserve success. There are a number of ways to cope with it and we’ll hear some of the strategies.

Guests:

Jillene Joseph (A’aninin) – executive director of the Native Wellness Institute

Dr. Symphony Oxendine (Cherokee/Choctaw) – assistant professor at University of North Carolina at Wilmington

Dr. Shandin Pete (Salish/Navajo) – instructor in the hydrology department at Salish Kootenai College

Break 1 Music: Awita Noosisim (song) Violet Naytowhow (artist) Wind Of The North (album)

Break 2 Music: High Above The Eagle Soars (song) Blackstone (artist) On The Oregon Trail (album)

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E-cigarettes might be a better alternative for adult commercial tobacco smokers. At the same time, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns e-cigarettes are not safe for pregnant women and potentially pose serious health threats, especially for teens. Scientists are still learning about the long term health effects of vaping nicotine. We’ll talk with tobacco prevention experts about things to consider before taking up the e-cigarettes habit.

Break 1 Music: Smoke Dance One (feat. Frazer Sundown) (song) DJ Shub (artist) PowWowStep – EP (album)

Break 2 Music: Happy Birthday (song) Devin Whirlwind Soldier (artist) Northern Lights, Vol. 3 (album)

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Coffee is not Indigenous to North America, but more than 60 percent of Americans drink a cup of coffee every day, according to the National Coffee Association USA’s 2019 National Coffee Data Trends report. It’s also found a place in Native American pantries and is now a cherished and necessary part of Native life. Coffee cafes, roasters and wholesalers are all reliable economic development opportunities for Native entrepreneurs.

Guests:

Kelvin Long (Diné) – founder and owner of Yeego Coffee

Mark Marsolais-Nahwegahbow (Ojibwe, a band member of White Fish River First Nations) – founder of Birch Bark Coffee Company

Tudor Montague (Ft. Yuma Quechan Nation) – founder of Spirit Mountain Roasting Company

Loretta Guzman (Shoshone and bannock) – owner Bison Coffee House

Break 1 Music: Coffee (song) James Bilagody (artist) Near Midnight (album)

Break 2 Music: Happy Birthday (song) Devin Whirlwind Soldier (artist) Northern Lights, Vol. 3 (album)

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There’s a number of interpretations for the hunch-backed, flute playing figure known as Kokopelli. It’s variously described as a fertility deity, a male trader going from village to village with a sack of goods, or even an insect. Depictions of Kokopelli appeared on pottery and rock art in the Four Corners area. In the last 30 years, Kokopelli has been adopted as a commercial symbol on everything from skateboards and café signs to t-shirts and roadside tourist stops. We’ll hear from historians and tribal cultural experts on what’s known about Kokopelli and how it has become a modern symbol for Southwest Indigenous culture.

Guests:

Jon Ghahate (Pueblo of Laguna and Zuni) – museum cultural educator at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center

Dr. Greg Cajete (Santa Clara Pueblo) – professor in the college of education, former director of Native American Studies at the University of New Mexico

Daryn Melvin (Hopi) – staff assistant to the vice chairman of the Hopi Tribe

Break 1 Music: Kokopelli Blues (song) Keith Secola (artist) Native Americana – A Coup Stick (album)

Break 2 Music: Happy Birthday (song) Devin Whirlwind Soldier (artist) Northern Lights, Vol. 3 (album)