Native America Calling

Tuesday, July 28, 2020 – Army Corps gives environmental green light to Alaska’s Pebble Mine

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The environmental components of a controversial gold and copper mine in Alaska got a stamp of approval in the Army Corps of Engineers’ Environmental Impact Statement. The Corps contends the mine will not harm commercial fisheries in the Bristol Bay Area. But some tribal groups say the mine puts the health of the largest salmon fishery in the world at risk.  We’ll hear multiple perspectives on this contentious proposal moving forward.

Guests:

Alannah Hurley (Yupik) – executive director of the United Tribes of Bristol Bay

Daniel Cheyette – vice president of Lands and Natural Resources for the Bristol Bay Native Corporation

Tom Collier – CEO of Pebble Partnership

Break 1 music: Unconquered (song) Injunuity (artist) Unconquered (album)

Break 2 music: Blackfoot (song) Algin Scabby Robe (artist) Along The Way: Round Dance Songs (album)

Monday, July 27, 2020 – Salt for flavor and tradition

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Tribes from several regions have salt harvesting traditions. They include processing natural salt from sea water, saline ponds and lakes, and underground deposits. The tribes use the mineral for flavoring and preserving food, and for ceremonial purposes. The Zuni tribe had to fight for almost a century to secure control of a sacred natural salt lake in New Mexico. Then they had to fight to protect it from a coal mine plan that could have drawn water successfully fought off a mining company’s plans that could have harmed a sacred natural salt lake in New Mexico. Native Hawaiian salt processers are currently working to protect their natural salt pans from development and contamination.

Guests:

Dave Smoke-McCluskey (Mohawk) – nomadic chef

Kuʻulei Gaisoa (Native Hawaiian) – vice president of Protect Pa’akai

Moises Gonzales (Genízaro) – association professor at the University New Mexico community and regional planning

 

Break 1 music: Saltwater People (song) Nangu (artist) Red Sunset (album)

Break 2 music: Blackfoot (song) Algin Scabby Robe (artist) Along The Way: Round Dance Songs (album)

Friday, July 24, 2020 – Census gears up to overcome coronavirus setback

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After halting door-to-door visits for nearly five months, the U.S. Census Bureau plans to send out workers for in-person counts again in August. Census officials fear the delay in personal outreach could further hamper the efforts to get an accurate number of Native Americans and other populations that are traditionally hard to count. The Census estimates the self-reporting rate nationwide is more than 62 percent. That number for Native Americans is much lower, with some tribes in the single digits. We’ll get an update on the Census effort and what experts think the best options for accurately counting Native populations.

Guests:

Dr. James Tucker –  vice chair of the National Advisory Committee on Racial, Ethnic and Other Populations for the U.S. Census and pro bono counsel to the Native American Rights Fund

Shelly Diaz (Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe) – Tribal hub coordinator for Minnesota Census Mobilization Partnership

Shadana Sultan (Oglala Lakota) – tribal partnership specialist for the U.S. Census Bureau

Arden Kucate (Zuni) –  Councilman for the Pueblo of Zuni

Ahtza Dawn Chavez (Diné/Kewa Pueblo) – executive director of the NAVA Education Project

 

 

Break 1 music: Heeia (song) Henry Kapono (artist) The Wild Hawaiian (album)

Break 2 music: Eagle Blessing (song) Swinomish Canoe Family (artist)

Thursday, July 23, 2020 – Waiting for the return of He Sápa

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The Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868 explicitly provides the land that encompasses the Black Hills in South Dakota to the tribes that make up the Great Sioux Nation. The U.S. Supreme Court reaffirmed that fact in 1980. The federal government still retains control over the land after seizing it when gold was discovered. Now, more than $1 billion is set aside in a trust to buy the land from the tribes, who say it’s not for sale. The land continues to reap profits for the government and for the companies allowed to extract minerals and other resources. Resistance to President Trump’s recent appearance at Mount Rushmore is only the latest battle over what the Lakota know as He Sápa.

Guests:

Dr. Nick Estes (Lower Brule Sioux) – assistant professor of American Studies at University of New Mexico

Nick Tilsen (Oglala Lakota) – president and CEO of NDN Collective

 

Break 1 music: Makȟóčhe Kiŋ Theȟíla II (song) Alex Firethunder (artist) Love for the Land (album)

Break 2 music: Eagle Blessing (song) Swinomish Canoe Family (artist)

Wednesday, July 22, 2020 – Accessing dental care

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Dentists adhering to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations are prioritizing the most critical dental needs during the pandemic. But a good portion of dental care is prevention, like regular cleanings and check-ups. In some remote areas of Native America, dentists are in short supply. Some programs are training people to step in as dental health aides to fill in gaps in dental care. We’ll hear from experts about what Native people can expect as they work to access dental care.

Guest:

Dr. Daniel Huber (Quinault) – dental consultant for the Phoenix Area Indian Health Service

 

Break 1 music: The River (song) Samantha Crain And The Midnight Shivers (artist) The Confiscation (EP)

Break 2 music: Eagle Blessing (song) Swinomish Canoe Family (artist)

Tuesday, July 21, 2020 – COVID-19 disparities

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In hotspots for COVID-19 around the United States, Native people make up a disproportionate percentage of infections. This is especially true in the Southwest, where Native American residents significantly outnumber other populations who test positive for the coronavirus. In addition, a new report finds young people of color experience social conditions that put them at greater risk if they contract COVID-19. We’ll take a look at some of the factors that contribute to increased Native representation among those who are infected and how some tribes are working to turn it around.

Guests:

Abigail Echo-Hawk (Pawnee) – director of the Urban Indian Health Institute and chief research officer at the Seattle Indian Health Board

Francys Crevier (First Nation Algonquin) – executive director of the National Council of Urban Indian Health

Leonela Nelson (Navajo) – Research Program Supervisor Johns Hopkins Center for American Indian Health

Warren Goklish (Apache) – Contact Tracing & Expanded Testing Coordinator at the Johns Hopkins Center for American Indian Health

 

Break  1 music: The Real People (song) RiverFlowz (artist) RiverFlowz Rural Recordings Atauciq (album)

Break 2 music: Eagle Blessing (song) Swinomish Canoe Family (artist)

Monday, July 20, 2020 – Local sports during a global pandemic

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Colleges and high schools across the country have already cancelled upcoming sports activities because of the coronavirus pandemic. That puts thousands of young Native athletes on the bench and cuts out a key Friday night social event for even more Native sports fans. We’ll talk about what athletic programs are doing to state of Native sports while gyms and schools are closed because of the coronavirus.

Guests:

Bennae Calac (Pauma Band of Luiseno Indians) – co-founder, president and executive director of the 7G Foundation

Brent Cahwee (Pawnee and Euchee) – co-founder and editor of ndnsports.com

GinaMarie Scarpa – co-founder and president and CEO of NABI

 

Break 1 music: Ohdah (song) Digawolf (artist) Great Northern Man (album)

Break 2 music: Eagle Blessing (song) Swinomish Canoe Family (artist)

Friday, July 17, 2020 – New Mexico confronts public education disparities

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Two lawsuits are shining a harsh light on New Mexico’s learning environments for Native American students. The American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico is suing the Albuquerque Public Schools after a allegedly called a Navajo student a “bloody Indian.” Another maintains the state has not made enough progress in correcting inequities for Native students as ordered by a court in a previous lawsuit. We’ll hear about both of these cases and explore what hopes there are for providing an equitable public education for all students.

Guests:

McKenzie Johnson (Navajo) – former Albuquerque Public School student

Preston Sanchez (Jemez and Laguna Pueblo and Diné) – Indigenous Justice Attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico

Regis Pecos (Cochiti Pueblo) – co-director of the Santa Fe Indian School Leadership Institute and former governor of Cochiti Pueblo

 

Break 1 music: Wim Ah I Wem, Tiwa (single) Gregg Analla (artist)

Break 2 music: Cary’s Groove (song) Cary Morin (artist) Dockside Saints (album)

Thursday, July 16, 2020 – Service workers risk health and livelihood

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Waiters, hair dressers, clerks and others who work face-to-face with customers face a lot of uncertainty. Their jobs have been on the line or eliminated since coronavirus restrictions began in March. As some states start reopening, service workers also put themselves at greater risk dealing with the public. At the same time, business owners are confronting significant revenue losses, state health restrictions, and evolving CDC guidelines in order to navigate through the pandemic.

Guests:

Goldie Tom (Navajo) – licensed and certified hair and makeup artist

Ramiro Marquez Jr. (Quechan and Mexican) – co-founder and owner of Red Moon Alehouse

Sherry Rupert (Washoe and Paiute) – CEO of American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association

Zee Eskeets (Navajo) – bartender at Hollow Spirits Distillery and Vintage 423

 

Break 1 music: My Friend (song) Algin Scabby Robe (artist) Along The Way: Round Dance Songs (album)

Break 2 music: Cary’s Groove (song) Cary Morin (artist) Dockside Saints (album)

Wednesday, July 15, 2020 – Native Minneapolis rebuilds

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Minneapolis was the epicenter of a revolt against ongoing oppression of people of color. Sadly the progress toward ending injustice took the life of George Floyd and sparked a rash of fires, property destruction, and looting. Native organizations are among those caught up in the chaos during days of violent protests. Now, they are among those looking for ways to build a brighter future amid the ashes and boarded up windows. We’ll hear from those who are set on turning trauma into opportunity for the Twin Cities urban Native residents.

Guests:

Robert Lilligren (White Earth Ojibwe Nation) – chair of the Metropolitan Urban Indian Directors

Kelly Drummer (Lakota Sioux) – President of MIGIZI

Korina Barry (Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe) – board member of the Division of Indian Work

Lisa Bellanger  (Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe) – executive director of the American Indian Movement

 

Break 1 music: Wačhípi Ektá Oíyokšiče (song) Alex Firethunder (artist) Love for the Land (album)

Break 2 music: Cary’s Groove (song) Cary Morin (artist) Dockside Saints (album)

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