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Some Native American men are part of the cross-dressing tradition known as drag performance. They don heels, bright dresses and sparkly make-up. The gender-bending art form has less of a direct correlation to traditional Native culture, but there are some parallels. We talk to drag queens about their form of expression and the support—or lack of support—in their communities.

Guests:

Miko Thomas (Chickasaw) – AKA “Landa Lakes”, founder Brush Arbor Girls Native drag troupe

Lady Shug (Navajo) – current reigning Miss New Mexico Pride

George Neptune (Passamaquody) – AKA  “Lyzz Bien: Indigenous Diva”,  museum educator at the Abbe Museum and master basket maker

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

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We’ve come a long way from government-controlled boarding schools. Many tribes are now assuming control of their own education systems. But the transition from the federal to tribal control remains complicated and controversial. For example, teachers at Bureau of Indian Education schools on the Navajo Nation worry they might lose money, benefits, or even their jobs. School officials say the plan is not a done deal, but the goal of educational self-determination is paramount.

Guests:

Sue Parton (Kiowa) – president of the Federation of Indian Service Employees Union

Dr. Tommy Lewis (Diné) – superintendent of schools for Navajo Nation Department of Diné Education 

Anne Marie Bledsoe Downes (Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska) – Acting Director of the Bureau of Indian Education and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs

Willeen Benally (Diné) – First grade teacher at Sanostee Day School

Break Music: Happy Sundance (song) Dallas Arcand (artist) Modern Day Warrior (album)

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When Native guitars start to sing the people begin to move. That’s something The Jir Project Band’s lead man Jir Anderson (Cochiti Pueblo) has witnessed over and over on his tours across Native America. This month we welcome him as he presents his third musical release. This time he is calling on the place he calls home to set the scene for his heavy rock and blues sound. “The Pueblo” features his ability to glide over the strings of his guitar to electrify listeners. He’ll be live in studio to tell us more about his band and their compositions. Join us for this trip into Native sound with our July Music Maker Jir Anderson.

Break Music: Lonely Night (song) The Jir Project (artist) The Pueblo (album)

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Dirt roads, rural life, horses, and heartbreak. Those are words that might conjure one aspect of Native American living. They also describe some of the driving themes of country music. The simple lyrics and twangy guitar riffs definitely have their place in the hearts of Native American listeners. We bring together Native musicians rooted in these tunes to find out what it is about trucks, boots, jeans and hard living that makes people want to sing along. How do you connect to country music?

Guests:

Nate Chester (Navajo) -music director for KTNN radio and a member of the Country Music Association

Tracy Bone (Ojibwe) – multi-award winning country recording artist

Wayne Garner  (Cherokee) – singer songwriter

Kimberley Dawn  (Metis Cree) – singer

Break Music: Tender Side (song) Crystal Shawanda (artist) Dawn Of A New Day (album)

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Her voice was a frequent back-up to stars like Eric Clapton, Leon Russel and Stephen Stills. Grammy Award-winning Cherokee singer and songwriter Rita Coolidge also had solo hits like “(Your Love Has Lifted Me) Higher and Higher” and “We’re All Alone.” Now Coolidge is out with a memoir, Delta Lady, that recalls her days with the icons of music. As our July Native in the Spotlight, Coolidge relives her memories as a sought-after singer and muse in the L.A. music scene.

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Fermented fish eggs and sheep’s head are considered delicacies to some tribes. But since burgers and pizza made their way to Native communities, our palates changed and we don’t eat them as often. The more traditional Native food can be hard to find and even hard to stomach for some of us. But they reflect the diversity of our tribal cultures and still occasionally make it to our plates. In this program, we celebrate unique delicacies and the efforts by some people to keep them vital. What’s considered a delicacy in your Native community?

Guests:

Nephi Craig (White Mountain Apache and Navajo) – executive chef at the Sunrise Park Resort Hotel and founder of the Native American Culinary Association

Terrol Johnson (Tohono O’odham) –  artist and food activist, CEO of Tohono O’odham Community Action

 

Also mentioned on this program: Native Foodways Magazine

The Menu Song (song) Arigon Starr (artist) The Red Road – Original Cast Recording (album)

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A “devastating epidemic” is the phrase used by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell to describe opioid abuse. Treatment for addicts continues to evolve. One approach, Medication-assisted Treatment (MAT), uses drugs like methadone or buprenorphine. Another relies on an abstinence-based treatment program. Which approach is the best treatment for opioid addiction? Is it the same for everyone?

Guests:

Dr. Dan Duhigg – addiction psychiatrist and associate professor at the University of New Mexico in the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences.

Don Coyhis (Mohican) – founder of White Bison Inc.

Joe Jenkins (Cherokee) – program sponsor and executive director to the Keetowah Cherokee Treatment Services

 

Break Music: Stadium Pow Wow (feat. Black Bear) (song) A Tribe Called Red (artist) Stadium Pow Wow (feat. Black Bear) (single)

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Fewer than 3,000 police officers patrol more than 56 million acres in Indian Country. That’s the sobering statistic from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. All tolled, tribal law enforcement agencies need to double that number to be on par with other communities. What can be done to recruit and retain more cops?

Guests:

Ed Reina (Salt River Pima Maricopa) – retired tribal chief of police

Laddimer Clifford (Oglala Lakota) – lieutenant for Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety

Bill Denke – chair of the International Association of Chiefs of Police Indian Country law enforcement section

Break Music: Chant (song) Robert Mirabal + ETHEL (artist) The River (album)

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Sex offenders pose a pervasive threat to our sense of security. There are hundreds of registered sex offenders in our Native communities. Many pose little risk and have lived in their communities for decades without incident. Others are considered high risks for reoffending. Officials struggle with the best ways to keep the public safe while also protecting people’s right to privacy. Tribal governments have varying ways of monitoring sex offenders. We’ll get a snapshot of the situation and learn some of the options are for communities and individuals.

Guests:

Marnie Dollinger- senior policy advisor in the Office of Sex Offenders Sentencing, Monitoring Apprehending, Registering and Tracking (SMART)

David Adams (Sioux Saint Marie Chippewa) – tribal liaison for the U.S. Department of Justice and assistant U.S. attorney in New Mexico

Break Music: Snakes And Ladders (song) Cris Derksen (artist) The Cusp (album)