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The word “Navajo” is not famous enough to be considered a trademark. That is the ruling by a federal judge this month in the Navajo Nation’s suit against the clothing retailer Urban Outfitters. Who has the right to make money from names, images, designs and even ideas that originated from Native peoples? Also, when outsiders research Native American customs can they do it without stealing intellectual property? We’ll explore the complex issue of Native trademark infringement and talk about ways tribes can protect their intellectual property.

Guests:

Melody McCoy (Cherokee Nation) – staff attorney for the Native American Rights Fund

Dr. Gavin Clarkson (Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma) –  associate professor of finance and business law at New Mexico State University

Dr. Kalvin White (Diné) – program manager for the office of Diné Science Math and Technology and a member of the Navajo Nation Human Research Review Board

Break Music: Counting Crow Hop (song) Young Spirit (artist) Akameyimoh Baby Boy (album)

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When horses came to Native America, they changed the game for many tribes, who quickly incorporated them into the community and culture. Today, there are faster forms of transportation, but horses still roam in Native communities. Why are horses a big part of Native culture today? What issues affect horses on tribal land?

Guests:

Emil Her Many Horses (Oglala Lakota) – curator at the National Museum of the American Indian

Nakia Williamson (Nez Perce) – director for the Nez Perce Tribe cultural resource program

Ken Real Bird (Apsaalooke’) -horsemen

Break Music: Counting Crow Hop (song) Young Spirit (artist) Akameyimoh Baby Boy (album)

Have you ever considered yourself an Indigenous superhero? Captain Paiute didn’t either until duty called. This month we’ll dive into the adventure of “Captain Paiute: Indigenous Defender of the Southwest” by Theo Tso. The comic book explores the character’s past while presenting readers with an invitation to better understand Native nations. Paiute illustrator and comic creator Theo Tso joins us for the May Book of the Month.

Break Music: Clap Ta Dis (song) Supaman (artist) Crow Hop (album)

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Fishing is about the water, the quality time with your buddies and the thrill of the sport. It’s also about getting into the mind of a simple trout and finding out what he’s willing to bite. It taps into our hunting instincts and using trickery and skill. Sometimes it’s to catch food, other times it’s just for fun. We celebrate one of our favorite pastimes. Tell us about your biggest catch.

Guests:

Richard Underwood (Quinault) – from Lower Quinault Outfitter

LeVon Thomas (Diné) – owner of Wheatfield Lakeside Store

Alexandra “Sasha” Lindgren (Dena’ina) – tribal elder and culture barer

Cissy (Fish/Smoke Dance) (song) Sheldon Sundown (artist) Hand Drum/Smoke N’ Round Dance (album)

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If one person commits suicide, it’s devastating for a family and a group of friends. When suicides come in clusters, it requires a larger community response. The Attawapiskat First Nation of Canada recently declared a state of emergency after 101 people attempted to kill themselves since September. Can a single suicide put others at risk? What can community members and social workers do to prevent groups of suicides?

Guests:

Dr. Richard McKeon – chief of the suicide prevention branch at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

Bill Yoachim – (Snuneymuxw First Nation) executive director Kwumut Lelum Child and Family Service

Tiger Brown Bull (Oglala Lakota) – executive director of the Oglala Sioux Tribe

Also Mentioned On the Show:

National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)

National Suicide Crisis Chat

Break Music: Iskwesis (song) Randall Paskemin (artist) Goodnight, Sweet Dreams, I Love You (album)

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Do you ever notice the smell of cigarette smoke on your clothes when you come home from a night at the casino? Smoking rates have steadily declined since the 1960s. But there are still a lot of places you inhale smoke from someone else’s cigarette. Exposure to secondhand smoke was responsible for more than 7,300 lung cancer deaths over a four year period, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. What can be done to reduce the risks of secondhand smoke exposure? Is the vapor from e-cigarettes less dangerous?

Guests:

Jovian Henio (Mescalero Apache/Diné) – outreach coordinator for Keres Consulting

Rob Carr tobacco (Diné) – prevention specialist for the Oso Vista Ranch Project

Break Music: Sing It Louder (song) Cary Morin (artist) Together (album)

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Fear is a common reaction to something we don’t understand—especially when it’s something as intimate as sexuality. Some people have strong reactions when crossing paths with LGBTQ2 people including gay men and women. At times those reactions can lead to harsh words and even violence. We acknowledge the International Day Against Homophobia by exploring what discrimination against members of the Native American LGBTQ2 community looks like. How does this type of discrimination hurt the citizens of our Nations? Is there a way for all of us to exist together peacefully?

Roger Kuhn (Poarch Band of Creek Indians) – chair of the BAAITS

Charlie Ballard (Sac and Fox, Anishinaabe) – comedian and two-spirit activist

Brian Gilley (Creek, Cherokee, Chickasaw and Choctaw) – professor of anthropology at Indiana University

Break Music: Rumble (song) Derek Miller (artist) Rumble (album)

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Protecting children is a top priority for most families. As communities mourn the recent abduction and murder of young Navajo girl, we’ll take a moment to discuss how we can protect our children from harm. What should parents, grandparents and family members share with children about staying safe? What conversations should we be having with our kids about interacting with strangers or even people within our own circles?

Guests:

Teodora Gonzales – prevention coordinator for the Boys & Girls Club of Central New Mexico

Roy Taylor (Pawnee) consultant for White Eagle Consulting and parent of a Champion for Change student

Jean Samkiunya (Tlingit and Dena’ina) mother of three and parent of a Champion for Change student

Break Music: Leader’s Honor Song (song) Jay Begaye (artist) Night of the Northern Lights (album)

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Does your idea of reading begin and end with text messages on your phone? Year after year, Native American students lag behind other groups when it comes to reading levels. The Literacy Project links higher levels of reading with increased income and lower levels of incarceration. Several programs are working to get more books in the hands of Native Americans. What books are on your summer reading list?

Guests:

Dr. Loriene Roy (Anishinaabe, enrolled in the White Earth Reservation and member of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe) – professor and graduate advisor in the School of Information at the University of Texas at Austin

Deimosa Webber-Bey – library manager at Scholastic

Danielle Burbank (Navajo) – reference and online librarian at San Juan College

Break Music: ABC 123 Song (song) Talibah (artist) Navajo Songs For Children (album)

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The infant mortality rate in Native America is 1.5 times higher than whites, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health. In some areas, like South Dakota, state health statistics show Native babies are three times more likely to die before their first birthday.  If our children are sacred, why is the mortality rate so much higher? Does the issue lie in prenatal health?

Guests: 

Dr. James Jarvis (Mohawk) – professor of clinical pediatrics at the State University of New York in Buffalo

April Winters (Taos Pueblo, Blackfeet and Dakota) – family support specialist for TIWA Babies

Carol Iron Rope Herrera (Oglala Sioux) – Stone Boy Woman Society leader and works for the tribe’s child protection agency

Carolyn Aoyama – senior consultant for Women’s Health and the Maternal and Child Health Lead for the Indian Health Service

Break Music: Crow Hop (song) The St. Labre Indian School Drum Group (artist) The Drum Of St. Labre (album)