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An old bit by comedian Ralphie May surfaced just before his scheduled appearance in Bemidji Minnesota on the cusp of the Red Lake Reservation. It was an R-rated rant using the worst Native American stereotypes. The venue in Bemidji cancelled May’s appearance . He has since cancelled three subsequent appearances in Minnesota, South Dakota and North Dakota. He insists it was all a joke taken out of context. The person who first exposed May’s rant, Adrianne Chalepah, at first wondered herself whether she just didn’t get the joke. But the backlash against May confirmed her concerns. “”It’s like we’re in an abusive relationship and we keep getting verbally abused and we keep taking it and taking it. And we’re not taking it anymore, ” Chalepah said. Can you picture a situation where May’s comments would be funny?

Here’s Ralphie May’s videotaped apology:

[Read more…]

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This week in Honduras, friends are supporters are taking time to celebrate the life of slain Indigenous activist Berta Cáceres. More than a month after her shooting death, the government has offered few details about their death. Human rights groups around the world condemn the attack and urge the Honduran government to act to protect other activists. We’ll talk about Caceres’ life and death and the plight of those speaking up for Indigenous people in Latin America.

Guests:

Silvio Carrillo – freelance journalist and nephew of Berta Cáceres

Dr. Dana Frank- professor of history at the University of California Santa Cruz

Jenni Monet (Laguna Pueblo) -Independent Journalist

Break Bed: Dat One (song) The Delbert Anderson Trio (artist) MANITOU (album)

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The fatal police shooting of a Navajo woman in Winslow, Arizona is raising questions again about interactions with police. Officials say she threatened the officer with scissors when stopped during a shoplifting investigation. Loreal Tsingine’s family and friends are left wondering what kind of threat the 27 year old woman posed that warranted her death. Tribal leaders and others want an official inquiry to hold the police accountable for what many members of the public see as an overreaction. How are police trained to react in such situations?

Guests:

Charly Edsitty (Navajo) -NBC 12 News Multi-media Journalist covering Phoenix & northern Arizona

Eileen Luna-Firebaugh (Choctaw and Cherokee) -Associate Professor of American Indian Law and Policy at the University of Arizona

Break Music:  Spring To Come (song) DiggingRoots (artist) We Are (album)

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Your dreams can leave you scratching your head in the morning. Why do we dream about things like being attacked by a purple owl or giant fettuccini noodles floating in the air? The hosts of the NV1 radio show, Seers from the First People, believe dreams might offer clues about your life or future even if they’re unreal or weird. They join us to give their thoughts on listeners’ dreams. Have you ever been curious about what your dreams mean?

Guests:

Dr. Dave Kemppainen (Keweenaw Bay Band of Chippewa) – co-host of Seers from the First People and substance abuse and mental health counselor

Elmer Atlookan (Ojibwe) – co-host of Seers from the First People and a spiritual advisor

Break Music: The Gift of Life (song) Randy Wood (artist) The Gift of Life (album)

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In Louisiana, the Isle de Jean Charles Band of Biloxi-Chitimacha-Choctaw got $45 million in federal money to move their entire community. The rising level of the ocean has swallowed up most of their land. In Alaska, 31 Alaska Native villages also face threats from rising water and land erosion. What does it take to move an entire village? What kind of support do these tribes and their communities need to deal with this kind of forced removal? When a tribe moves, do they lose more than their land?

Guests:

Chantel Comardelle (Isle de Jean Charles Band of Biloxi-Chitimacha Choctaw) – member and former resident

Ann Marie Chischilly (Diné) – Executive director of the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals at Northern Arizona University

Julie Maldonado – director of research for the Livelihoods Knowledge Exchange Network

Break Music: Bird Song (song) Unknown (artist)

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Tribes have the power to determine their own membership. But with great power comes a great controversy in the form of disenrollment. A new group is speaking out against the practice of eliminating members. They say it is literally tearing tribes apart. One California tribe, Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, amended their own constitution to outlaw the practice. Tribes that are disenrolling members say it is a matter of correcting tribal records. How is it that some tribes reject the idea while others see it as the path to their future?

Guests:

Russell Wilkinson (Chinook Cascade) -general contractor for the Portland Metro area provisionally disenrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde

Greg Sarris (Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria) – Chairman of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria

Phillip Narte (Nooksack) – one the 306 Nooksack members slated for disenrollment

Break Music: The Road (feat. Black Bear) (song) A Tribe Called Red (artist) Nation II Nation (album)

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“One day at a time.” In the world of addiction recovery, that’s the well-known phrase repeated as a type of mantra that aims to give hope in small, obtainable steps. But what happens that first day of recovery?  People decide to finally stop abusing drugs and alcohol in a variety of ways. Are there any common threads to making that decision? Can loved ones help you decide that you’ve finally reached your Day One.

Guests:

Laureen Young (Athabascan) –  licensed marriage and family therapist Dena A Coy Program Clinical Supervisor

Eva Gregg (Inupiaq) – full time college student

Break Music: On The Road Missing Home (Corn Dance). Sheldon Sundown. Hand Drum/Smoke N’ Round Dance

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Adhering to gender roles doesn’t necessarily have to mean unequal treatment in Indian Country. The word ‘feminism’ sometimes elicits strong reactions, depending on who’s listening. Some Native American women know exactly where they fit in, even if they will never be able to hold tribal office. Others struggle with the complexity of tribal traditions that make them feel cut off from full participation. Where do Indigenous women fit into the feminist cause? Join us for a conversation with two leading Native feminists about what indigenous feminism means for our Native Nations.

Guests: 

Dr. Kathryn Shanley (Assiniboine) – Professor of Native American Studies at the University of Montana

Dr. Dory Nason (Leach Lake Band of Ojibwe) – Assistant Professor at University of British Columbia

Ada Pecos Melton (Pueblo of Jemez) –  owner of American Indian Development Associates

Recommended reading from Dr. Dory Nason:

I am Woman: a Native perspective on Sociology and Feminism by Lee Maracle: Excellent essays from Lee on Indigenous women’s activism and feminism

The Sacred Hoop: Recovering the Feminine in American Indian Traditions by Paula Gunn Allen (Laguna Pueblo)

Dancing on Our Turtle’s Back by Leanne Simpson: An Anishinaabe perspective on political resurgence

Indigenous women and Feminism: Politics, Activism, Culture edited by Shari Huhndorf, Cheryl Suzack, Jeanne Perrault, and Jean Barman

A Gathering of Spirit: edited by Beth Brant: In this anthology there is Kate Shanley’s essay “Thoughts on Indian Feminism”

Break Music: Canoe Song (song) Chenoa (artist) Spirit of Salishan (album)

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Music is a major part of our Native communities and culture. Singing songs to our little ones provide a vital connection to language and culture. We take time to discuss the importance of singing to babies and children. What were you taught growing up about sharing songs with young ones? Do you have memories of your parents and loved ones sing to you? What role do these songs play later in our lives?

Follow this conversation with the hashtag: #NativeSongs4Baby

Guest:

Plains Cree Singer songwriter Randall Paskemin
Tuscarora recording artist Pura Fé
Native artist Lyn Risling of the Hoopa Tribe, Karuk and Yurok Nations
Digawolf lead singer Dzǫetsè aka Jesse James (Tlicho First Nation)
Ojibwe author Anton Treuer (Leech Lake Ojibwe) Professor of Ojibwe at Bemidji State University

Discussed on today’s program:

OSHKAABEWIS NATIVE JOURNAL
OSHKAABEWIS NATIVE JOURNAL Volume featuring Ojibwe elder Anna C. Gibbs

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

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Two political parties dominate the U.S. electoral system. Ever since the party system emerged in the 1800s, presidential elections have gone to either Democrats or Republicans. In the final installment of our series on political parties, we take a look at the role third parties play. The main alternatives to the top two are the Green Party, the Libertarian Party and the Constitution Party. None are on the ballot in all 50 states. Can Native voters find what they are looking for in a third party? Can a third party candidate make it to the White House?

Guests:

Dr. Ronald Rappaport – professor of government at William and Mary

Kent Mesplay (Blackfoot descent) – 20 year member of the Green Party and presidential candidate

Phil Fuehrer – state chair for the Independence Party of Minnesota

 

Break Music: Inuk (song) Karina Møller (artist) Simplify (album)