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“Standing Rock.” “Water Protectors.” “Water is Life.” They are among the words and phrases that are permanently linked to a moment in time. The memories of those who were there paint a picture of what remains an important series of events for Native people. Some prepared food for others at the camps. some found themselves injured from encounters with police. Still others have yet to learn the outcome of criminal charges against them. We’ll hear some of the firsthand accounts from Standing Rock.

Guests:

Leoyla Cowboy (Diné) – water protector

Jenn Bearcat (Shoshone & Paiute) – spent several months at Standing Rock

Break Music: Standing Rock (feat. Nick Ørbæk J (song) Uyarakq (artist) Miseraq (album)

You can here a sampling of recording recollections about Standing Rock here.

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A converted school bus that helps steer Navajo kids away from sugary drinks. A health advocate fights the food desert, one package of healthy food at a time. Native tradition helps an urban population switch to healthier eating habits. Those are some of the scenarios we learn about in the National Native News series, Health and Wellness: the Indigenous way. Producer Antonia Gonzales worked in conjunction with New Mexico In Focus for this series of reports about what is healthy and what are some of the obstacles for getting there.

 

Break Music: Tha Mash Up (song) Wayne Silas, Jr. (artist) Infinite Passion (album)

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What’s a better way to spend the day after a holiday than to catch up on the news from Native America. From national policy to tribal politics, we take time to regularly speak with journalists, newsmakers and others about the important issues of the day. Join us for our regular news round-up.

Guests:

Graham Lee Brewer (Cherokee Nation) – contributing editor for the tribal affairs desk at High Country News

Debra Utacia Krol (Xolon Salinan Tribe) – independent journalist. You can read her take on the Indigenous Comic Con here.

Dan Huculak (Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa) – WGZS Station Manager

Break Music: Little Earthings (song) The Jir Project Band (artist) Sun Child (album)

 

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We’re going to revisit one of our favorite recent shows from the Indigenous Comic Con. The event at Isleta Resort and Casino was a successful gathering of Native comic book creators, filmmakers, authors, artists and enthusiasts. Our live broadcast from the con touched in with comic book creators about why telling Native stories through action-packed sagas is important.

Break Music: Starwalker (song) Buffy Sainte-Marie (artist) Medicine Songs (album)

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As millions of people get ready to feast on turkey, mashed potatoes, yams and stuffing, there are those in Native America who could care less. In fact, some Native people view the holiday as a reminder of the start of colonization. In this program, we’ll talk to Native people about why they say “no thanks” to Thanksgiving.

Guests:

Annawon Weeden (enrolled Mashpee Wampanoag) – eastern woodland instructor for the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation Cultural Resources Department

Steven Newcomb (Shawnee and Lenape) – co-founder and co-director of the Indigenous Law Institute and the author of “Pagans in the Promised Land: Decoding the Doctrine of Christian Discovery”

Tiokasin Ghosthorse (Cheyenne River Lakota) – radio host First Voices Indigenous Radio

Jessie Little Doe Baird (Mashpee) – vice chairwoman of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe and co-founder of the Wôpanâak Language Reclamation Project

Break Music: Enaemaekisaeh (song) Wayne Silas Jr (artist) Infinite Passion (album)

 

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The Mana Maoli nonprofit is giving youth in Hawaii a chance to experience the world of music through their project Mana Mele. It focuses on academics, business and culture and gives youth exposure to the music industry and all of its facets. We go to the heart of this music and multimedia academy to learn what happens when you put the power of music in the hands of the youth. What doors become unlocked when music becomes the center stage when we are young?

Guests:

Keola Nakanishi (Native Hawaiian/Kanaka Maoli) – Director of Mana Maoli

Kelli Cruz (Native Hawaiian/Kanaka Maoli) – Mana Maoli lead engineer and instructor

Break Music: 7th Generation (song) Mana Maoli (artist) Mana Mele CD Vol 1 (album)

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Caring for a family member with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia, can be a difficult journey. Family members can undergo radical personality changes. They can become confused, depressed and even argumentative. It’s not always clear how to respond. In our Native Nations there is emphasis on the importance of elders, but is there enough information out there about how Natives can navigate this devastating disease? We’ll talk with experts about what caregivers and family members can do take care of family members with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

Guests:

Debra Utacia Krol (Xolon Salinan Tribe) – independent journalist

Nicole Lomay (Navajo) – community outreach representative for Banner Alzheimer’s Institute

Delma Salazar (Gila River Indian Community) – family caregiver for her mother

Break Music: Edge Of The Rez, Part 2 (song) The Blue Stone Project (artist) Blue Stone (album)

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Wild horse populations on tribal lands are flourishing. And that’s a problem. The horses compete with livestock and wildlife for food and other resources. Tribes also complain the horses consume plants that have spiritual and nutritional importance. The animals contribute to soil erosion that also harms rivers and other waterways. Wild horse adoptions are down and slaughtering the animals remains controversial. We’ll explore how tribes confront wild horse management with limited budgets and cultural constraints.

Guests:

Bodie Shaw (The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs) – Northwest deputy regional director of trust services for the Bureau of Indian Affairs

Jason Smith (Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs) – president of the National Horse Coalition & Range Manager for Warm Springs

Moses Brings Plenty (Lakota) – Member of the CANA Foundation, a non-profit wild horse advocacy program

Break Music:  Steamboat Akalii Song (song) Jay Begaye (artist) Horses Are Our Journey (album)

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Before the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) federal museums had no mandate to return the remains of native ancestors or their cultural items. On the 27th anniversary of the law’s enactment, we take a moment to look how it has helped Native Nations. We’ll also consider where the act has come up short. Has NAGPRA helped your tribe bring home those that were kept in museum collections? What’s ahead for those who call on NAGPRA to protect Native culture?

You can watch the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs hearing on the Safeguarding Tribal Objects of Patrimony Act here.

Guests:

Shannon Keller O’Loughlin (Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma) – Executive Director / Association on American Indian Affairs

Melanie O’Brien – With the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service – Manager/National NAGPRA Program

William “Willie” Johnson (Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan) – Curator at Ziibiwing Center of Anishinabe Culture & Lifeways

Break Music: Steamboat Akalii Song (song) Jay Begaye (artist) Horses Are Our Journey (album)

 

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The number of Native Americans living in urban areas has grown substantially in recent decades. Urban and rural life each has its advantages and disadvantages. Access to health care, jobs, culture and family life all play into the decision on where to reside. The official definition of rural and urban can change depending on who you ask. A recent report that attempted to rewrite the definitions had to reexamine their work after people complained. We’ll look at the importance of urban and rural designations and why people choose one over the other.

Guests:

Janeen Comenote (enrolled Quinault) – executive director of the National Urban Indian Family Coalition

Natasha Singh (a Stevens Village tribal member) – General Counsel for the Tanana Chiefs Conference

Break Music: Gold Skies (Neon Natives Remix) (song/single) Neon Natives (artist)