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It’s easy to pack on an extra pound or two as the pandemic throws off your regular schedules and limits the people and places you normally connect with. At the same time, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns carrying extra weight can increase the severity of COVID-19 for those who contract the disease. Staying fit during the pandemic doesn’t necessarily mean a strict exercise regimen. It can be as simple as adding extra movement to your day and mixing in healthier food choices. We’ll talk with health experts about how to get motivated to stay fit during these challenging times.

Guests:

Dallas Arcand Sr. (Alexander First Nation) – Three-time world champion hoop dancer, entrepreneur, artist and D.J. Crazy Cree

Jason Brown (Penobscot) – jewelry and designer and co-owner of Decontie and Brown

 

Break 1 music: Hoka Hey (feat. Jayden Paz & Dancin Dave) [Radio Version] (song) DJ krayzkree (artist) Future Generations (album)

Break 2 music: Chant (song) Mihana (artist) One Little Dream (album)

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Most states are seeing a rise in COVID-19 infections. In response, tribes are reinstating curfews and monitoring borders to keep infections numbers down. In October, the Mississippi Band of Choctaw saw an alarming rise in COVID-19 infection rates and deaths. Numbers compiled by the New York Times showed 10% of tribal members were infected and made up the majority of deaths for the Mississippi county where most tribal members live. We’ll look at what’s behind the increases and check in with tribal community members about what they’re doing to keep their communities safe.

Guests:

Chairman Douglas Yankton Sr. (Spirit Lake Tribe) – chairman of the Spirit Lake Tribe

Chief Cyrus Ben (Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians) – tribal chief of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians

Kaci Wallette (Assiniboine) – registered nurse and councilwoman for the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes

Richard Tuluk (Chevak Traditional Council) – Mayor of the city of Chevak, AK

 

Break 1 music: Turtle Island Reggae (song) Cempoalli 20 & Quese Imc (artist) Osahwuh (album)

Break 2 music: Hunting Chant (song) Art Napoleon (artist) Miyoskamin (Early Springtime) (album)

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A global pandemic, devastating forest fires, record unemployment, a historic recession, racial unrest and a contentious election are all piling up to make for a stressful year. The onslaught of disasters has earned 2020 derogatory labels. And all signs point to a long, drawn-out recovery extending well into 2021. It takes fortitude and a personal strategy of resilience to stay above worrisome headlines. We’ll get insights from motivational speakers about how they are living their best life despite the long list of bad news.

Guests:

D.J. Vanas (Odawa Nation) – motivational storyteller, bestselling author and owner of Native Discovery Inc.

Gabriel Ayala (Yaqui) – musician, motivational speaker and multi-dimensional artist

 

Break 1 music: Learned from the Late Ernest Redbird, Sr. (2) (song) Kenneth Cozad & Group (artist) Songs of Our Old People – Old-Time Round Dance Songs of Oklahoma (album)

Break 2 music: Mehcinut (song) Jeremy Dutcher (artist) Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa (album)

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People who get COVID-19 face many more potential outcomes than either death or full recovery. The Mayo Clinic says many long-term effects of the disease are still unknown but lists a number of potential health problems including permanent lung and heart damage, blood clots and weakened blood vessels. It can even lead to Post Traumatic Stress for people who endured extended intensive care to fight the infection.

Guests:

Deidre Roanhorse (Navajo) – COVID-19 survivor

Dr. Jon Femling – emergency medicine doctor and assistant epidemiologist at the University of New Mexico Hospital

Dr. Laurelle Myhra (Red Lake Band of Ojibwe) – director of behavioral health at the Native American Community Clinic

Lewis Joe (Navajo) – COVID-19 survivor

Clarissa Klain (Navajo) – COVID-19 survivor

 

Break 1 music: Rainbow Gratitude (song) Joy Harjo (artist) Red Dreams, A Trail Beyond Tears (album)

Break 2 music: Mehcinut (song) Jeremy Dutcher (artist) Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa (album)

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The federal government is pouring billions of dollars into the effort to develop a vaccine against the coronavirus. At least four pharmaceutical companies say they are ready to conduct vaccine trials on human volunteers—a needed step before widespread distribution. Scientists emphasize the importance of testing the vaccine in diverse populations. Leaders of at least three tribes, the Navajo Nation, the Lummi Nation and the Nooksack Indian Tribe, agreed to allow vaccine trials involving their citizens. But many of those citizens harbor distrust of scientific experiments because of previous missteps.

Guests:

Carolyn Angus-Hornbuckle (Mohawk) – chief operating officer and director of the National Indian Health Board Health Policy Center

Daniel Tso (Diné) – chairman of the health, education and human services committee of the Navajo Nation Council

Dee Vigil (Pueblo from Nambé) – research program coordinator for the Johns Hopkins Center for American Indian Health

Tosheena Nez (Navajo) – health educator and community connector

 

Break 1 music: 5TH WORLD ORDER instrumental (song) Randy Boogie (artist) THE BLESSINGWAY BOOGIE (Deluxe Edition) (album)

Break 2 music: Badger Boogie (song) Arvel Bird (artist) Animal Totem 2 (album)

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The deadline for all U.S. residents to fill out the 2020 Census is approaching fast. Census officials are scrambling to collect information on Native Americans in time. A last-minute court decision extended the deadline to the end of October. The Trump Administration sought to end Census data collection September 30. Census watchers still worry the coronavirus pandemic and other barriers will make it hard for Native Americans, traditionally one of the most undercounted populations in the Census, to be adequately represented. Billions of dollars and accurate political representation are at stake.

Guests:

Cathy Lacey – director of the U.S. Census Bureau’s Denver region

Sophia Ayala (Kupa from the Pala Indian Reservation) – lead enumerator for her local Native communities

 

Break 1 music: Schemitz ’04 (song) Bear Creek (artist) Right Now (album)

Break 2 music: Badger Boogie (song) Arvel Bird (artist) Animal Totem 2 (album)

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Advocates fear the coronavirus pandemic increases the risk for Native American women experiencing domestic violence. Quarantines and stay-at-home orders might make it difficult for women to get away from abusers. There are few studies that provide evidence but a survey by the United Nations reports increased calls to help lines in several cities around the globe since the start of the pandemic. A limited survey of radiologists in the U.S. shows an increase in injuries attributed to domestic violence in 2020 compared to the previous three years. We explore the factors that could contribute to the domestic violence risk and some possible solutions for those experiencing it.

Guests:

Angel Charley (Laguna Pueblo) – executive director of the Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women

Lori Jump (Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians) – director for the StrongHearts Native Helpline

 

Break 1 music: Say Her Name (song) Spirit Line Collective (artist) Spirit Line: Woven Together For Our Missing & Murdered Indigenous Relatives (album)

Break 2 music: Ah Ha Ha Ha (song) RiverFlowz (artist) RiverFlowz Rural Recordings Atauciq

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There is no national COVID-19 testing strategy and so procedures and results vary from place to place. Recently, the nation’s top public health agency, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, faced backlash after recommending against testing people who don’t show symptoms, even though there’s evidence asymptomatic people can spread the disease. As many tribes struggle to get control over the coronavirus, consistent testing is among the most effective tools they have. We’ll check in on how COVID-19 testing has changed since the start of the pandemic, and how testing informs efforts to prevent more infections.

Guests:

Dean Seneca (Seneca) – CEO of Seneca Scientific Solutions+

Dr. Donna Galbreath (Ahtna Athabascan) – senior medical director of quality assurance at the Southcentral Foundation

Dr. Michael Toedt – chief medical officer for the Indian Health Service

 

Break 1 music: Tapwe Oma (song) Fawn Wood (artist) Iskwewak (album)

Break 2 music: Poundmaker (song) Tchu Tchu (artist) WAR FOR TREATY (album)