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The panel that oversees health recommendations for the U.S. is lowering the age that adults should get colon cancer screenings. In May, the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force reduced the recommended screening age from 50 to 45. Native American colon cancer rates are higher than the population as a whole. We’ll talk with experts about the types of colon cancer screenings available and who should consider talking to their doctor about them.

Guests:

Alexandra Rosson (Inupiaq) – senior case manager for family medicine at the Tanana Chiefs Conference

Brian Burt – physician assistant in the Department of Surgery of Phoenix Indian Medical Center

Dr. Alisa Alexander (Vuntut Gwichin) – a family physician at the Chief Andrew Isaac Health Center and the Senior Medical Officer at Tanana Chiefs Conference

 

Break 1 music: Cree Sunrise (song) Art Napoleon (Travelling Sun) (artist) Miyoskamin (Early Springtime) (album)

Break 2 music: Way of Life (song) Lakota Thunder (artist) Way of Life (album)

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How many apples grow on a tree? All of them.
Bad puns, one-liners to nowhere, and corny punchlines. Dad jokes are infamous for being real groaners. Most dads aren’t comedians, but that doesn’t stop them from dispensing their own brand of humor. Many dads also consider themselves creative pranksters. For Father’s Day we’ll zero in on the special humor that only Native dads know about. Do you have a funny story about your funny dad?

Guests:

Darren Brown (Cochiti Pueblo/Choctaw) – senior content producer for Cheyenne and Arapaho TV

Ernie Tsosie III (Navajo) – actor and comedian

Mike Jetty (Spirit Lake Dakota Nation) – Indian education specialist with the Montana Office of Public Instruction

Break 1 music: Ask Dad (song) Floyd Wayne Silas III (artist) True – Round Dance Songs (album)

Break 2 music: We Yaa Naa (song) A Navajo Woman Sings (artist) We’ll Be in Your Mountains, We’ll Be in Your Songs (album)

 

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Are workshops about racial discrimination discriminatory? Elected leaders across the country are proposing laws and classroom changes that aim to weaken instruction about America’s racist past. Instead, they say they want more emphasis on subjects that paint the country in a more favorable, patriotic light. It’s part of the backlash against what is sometimes called “Critical Race Theory,” which some Native scholars point to as a vital piece of fully understanding the ongoing legacy of colonialism.

Guests:

Dr. Melanie Yazzie (Navajo) – co-founder of The Red Nation and assistant professor of Native American Studies at the University of New Mexico

Dr. Brenda Child (Red Lake Ojibwe) – Northrop Professor of American Studies at the University of Minnesota

Dr. Jeanette Haynes Writer (Cherokee Nation) – professor of Curriculum and Instruction at the College of Education at New Mexico State University

 

Break 1 music: Animal Song (song) Art Napoleon (artist) Mocikan (album)

Break 2 music: We Yaa Naa (song) A Navajo Woman Sings (artist) We’ll Be In Your Mountains, We’ll Be In Your Songs (album)

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Modeling is seen as glamorous work. But there are frequent complaints that its commitment to diversity is barely skin deep. Indigenous models are making names for themselves and are insisting on better representation in an industry doesn’t always present beauty accurately or sensitively. In addition to exemplifying physical beauty, they are raising their voices against stereotypes and toxic environments that discourage diverse voices. We’ll talk with Indigenous models about what it means to represent Indigenous people and culture on the runway.

Guests:

Jamie Okuma (Shoshone-Bannock, Luiseño and Wailaki) – artist

Patrick Shannon (Haida) – co-founder of Supernaturals Modelling, film director and social entrepreneur

Peshawn Bread (Comanche) – filmmaker, model

 

Break 1 music: Echoes (song) The Jerry Cans (artist) Echoes (album)

Break 2 music: We Yaa Naa (song) A Navajo Woman Sings (artist) We’ll Be In Your Mountains, We’ll Be In Your Songs (album)

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Native deaths from COVID-19 are already disproportionately higher than the rest of the population. But the numbers from official sources like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are likely much higher than what is being reported. That’s the conclusion of a reporting project by a group of media organizations that make up the Indigenous Investigative Collective. The reporting finds barriers to compiling accurate information on Native Americans because of medical privacy laws and the patchwork of tribal, state and federal services Native patients rely on. We’ll discuss the project and learn how the lack of good information is hurting the response to the pandemic.

Guests:

Christine Trudeau (Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation) – contributing editor at the Indigenous Affairs Desk at High Country News and managing editor for COVID-19 project with the Indigenous Investigative Collective

Dr. Kyle Whyte (Citizen Potawatomi Nation) – Professor of Environment and Sustainability and the George Willis Pack Professor in the School for Environment and Sustainability at the University of Michigan

Jourdan Bennett-Begaye (Diné) – managing editor at Indian Country Today

Sunnie Clahchischiligi (Navajo Nation) – investigative reporter for Searchlight New Mexico

 

Break 1 music: My World (song) Elk Soldier (artist) The Elk Way (album)

Break 2 music: We Yaa Naa (song) A Navajo Woman Sings (artist) We’ll Be In Your Mountains, We’ll Be In Your Songs (album)

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Many people see the 17-year emergence of Brood X cicadas in the Northeast and Midwest as disruption, like when the bugs in swarms large enough to be seen on weather radar grounded the White House press corps plane. Some Native observers, however, see a feast. Insects are a source of protein many tribes traditionally utilized. We’ll get some Native entomology and talk about the culinary bounty of cicada season and the role they and other insects play in Indigenous diets.

Guests:

Sean Sherman (Oglala Lakota) – founder of The Sioux Chef and NATIFS, North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems

Dr. Wyatt Hoback – associate professor of entomology at Oklahoma State University

 

Break 1 music: Idawadadi (Let Us Speak Our Voice) (song) Dawn Avery (artist) Our Fire Native American Contemporary Songs (album)

Break 2 music: We Yaa Naa (song) A Navajo Woman Sings (artist) We’ll Be In Your Mountains, We’ll Be In Your Songs (album)

 

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Some experts believe now is a good time to start a business. Spending online increased by almost 40% in the first quarter of 2021. If you’ve been thinking about starting a business, this is the show for you. Carmen Davis (Makah Nation) and Gary Davis (Cherokee Nation), the founders and publishers of Native Business Magazine, will offer advice for budding businesses, whether it’s a roadside food stand or a financial consulting firm. If you’d like to pitch your business idea and get feedback, send an email to comments@nativeamericacalling.com.

Guests:

Addie Lucero (Taos Pueblo/Yaqui) – owner of Dancing Butterfly Naturals

Carmen Davis (Makah/Chippewa-Cree/Yakama) – founder, publisher and executive editor of Native Business Magazine, president of Davis Strategy Group and owner of the Native Style clothing brand

Gary Davis (Cherokee Nation) – founder and publisher of Native Business Magazine, film and television actor and rap artist “Litefoot”

Shawn Spruce (Laguna Pueblo) – programs consultant for First Nations Development Institute and co-host of the podcast Natives on a Budget

 

Break 1 music: Indigenous Life (song) Fiji (artist) Indigenous Life (album)

Break 2 music: This Land (song) Keith Secola (artist) Native Americana – A Coup Stick (album)

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When chef Lois Ellen Frank talks to groups about why she doesn’t eat dairy she jokes about the difficulty her ancestors must have had trying to milk wild animals. She and Walter Whitewater (Diné) have teamed up with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine to create the food program called Native Power Plate which focuses on fruits, grains, beans and vegetables. They believe their eating plan will help Native Americans address diabetes and other health-related issues. We’ll talk with them about how to include more traditional foods into what we put on our plates every day.

Guests:

Dr. Lois Ellen Frank – owner at Red Mesa Cuisine LLC and the author of Taco Table

Walter Whitewater (Diné) – chef of Red Mesa Cuisine LLC

 

Break 1 music: Intertribal (World) (song) Young Grey Horse (artist) Thunder Across the Plainz – Pow-Wow Songs Recorded Live in Lapwai (album)

Break 2 music: This Land (song) Keith Secola (artist) Native Americana – A Coup Stick (album)

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Native health officials say information is key to improving men’s health. A survey by the American Academy of Family Physicians found 55 percent of men had not seen their physician within the previous year. Routine screening detects developing problems that frequently affect men, including diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol and prostate cancer. Men are also more likely to engage in unhealthy habits like smoking. We’ll get reminders on the importance for men to pay attention to their health and address potential problems early.

Guests:

Dr. Anthony Fleg – physician with the University of New Mexico and co-founder of Native Health Initiative

Loren Anthony (Diné) – community warrior

 

Break 1 music: Itchick (Tim Yellowtail’s Song) (song) Supaman (artist) Illuminatives (album)

Break 2 music: This Land (song) Keith Secola (artist) Native Americana – A Coup Stick (album)

 

 

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Coming out as LGBTQ or Two-Spirit is often an important milestone. It means coming to terms with one’s own sexuality or gender identity and sharing it with family and other important people in one’s life. It can be both difficult and liberating. Some are greeted with love, acceptance and support. Others face rejection. As part of Pride Month, we’re talking about what it means to come out as an Indigenous LGBTQ or Two-Spirit person.

Guests:

Lady Shug (Diné) – appeared on the Emmy-nominated HBO show “We’re Here”

Manny Loley (Diné) – storyteller

Mattee Jim (Diné) – trans advocate

Ryan Dennison (Diné) – artist, musician and community organizer

 

Break 1 music: Aroha – Love (song) Mika (artist) Mika Versus Fashion (album)

Break 2 music: This Land (song) Keith Secola (artist) Native Americana – A Coup Stick (album)