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During his peak, Elvis Presley’s appeal crossed cultural boundaries. His profound popularity continues to resonate with many Native Americans, including a handful who are Elvis tribute artists and a hilarious Elvis reference in the hit series Dark Winds. On the anniversary of his death in 1977, Shawn Spruce checks in with Elvis fans about what the King of Rock and Roll means to them these many years later and speaks with Gerry “Ojibwe Elvis” Barrett (Saugeen First Nation), musician, stand-up comedian, veteran radio personality, and Elvis tribute artist; Donovin Sprague (Cheyenne River Sioux), professor of history at Sheridan College, musician, and Elvis aficionado; Michael Loman aka NDN Elvis (Choctaw); and in a pre-recorded conversation due to his Australian time zone, Elvis tribute artist Len Connolly (Wiraadjuri).

Break 1 Music: Truck Stop Cheii (song) James Bilagody (artist) Sacred Stage (album)

Break 2 Music: On the Road Missing Home (Corn Dance) (song) Sheldon Sundown (artist) Hand Drum/Smoke N’ Round Dance (album)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 55:29 — 38.1MB) | Embed

With some success, Native Americans have fought hard to have their voices heard in the narratives about them by predominantly non-Native sources. Those gains are under assault by a new surge of efforts to ban books by Native authors and other works that challenge colonial conventional wisdom. Today on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce gets a sampling of books that well-meaning parents, administrators, and policy-makers want to keep off of school reading lists and public spaces with Dr. Debbie Reese (Nambe Pueblo), founder of American Indians in Children’s Literature blog; Kevin Maillard (Seminole), author and professor of Law at Syracuse University; Mandi Harris (Cherokee), a children’s librarian and PhD student in Information Science at the University of Washington; and Lynette Dial (Lumbee), a library supervisor for Hoke County Library.

Break 1 Music: The Last World of Fire and Trash (song) Joy Harjo (artist) Native Joy for Real (album)

Break 2 Music: On the Road Missing Home (Corn Dance) (song) Sheldon Sundown (artist) Hand Drum/Smoke N’ Round Dance (album)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 55:31 — 38.1MB) | Embed

The fragile-looking Monarch butterfly possesses a strength and resilience that allows it to survive a migration that covers thousands of miles through the heart of the country. That resilience is now put to the test, as habitat destruction and climate change have made it necessary to officially list the insect’s status as “endangered”. Tribes are among those helping to protect Monarchs, for both cultural and environmental reasons. Today on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce speaks with Jane Breckinridge (Muscogee Creek Nation and Yuchi), director of the Tribal Environmental Action for Monarchs (TEAM); artist and designer Marlena Myles (Spirit Lake Dakota); Melanie Kirby, extension educator at the Institute for American Indian Arts (IAIA); and Kevin Pourier (Oglala Lakota), a buffalo horn artist.

Break 1 Music: Stomp Dance (song) Various Artists (artist) Stomp Dance Songs of The Muscogee Nation, Volume 1 (album)

Break 2 music: Nitohta (song) Asani (artist) Listen (album)

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A film crew follows an Inuit and Gwich’in hunter as he builds a traditional Inuvialuit log cabin off the grid in the new documentary “Okpik: Little Village in the Arctic”. Those behind the film wanted to highlight an example of creating housing security with traditional methods and values at the forefront. The COVID-19 pandemic brought to light the severity of the housing crisis in Indigenous communities in the Arctic, including Canada and Alaska. Climate change, rural locations, and underfunding of housing programs only exacerbates the problem. Today on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce talks with filmmaker and singer Tiffany Ayalik (Inuit) and Kylik Kisoun Taylor (Inuvialuit), who is featured in the documentary, about the challenges and solutions.

Break 1 Music: Nirliit (song) The Jerry Cans (artist) Innusiq/Life (album)

Break 2 music: Nitohta (song) Asani (artist) Listen (album)

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The newest report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention paint a distressing increase in the number of overdose deaths among Native Americans. It shows Native fatalities rose 39% from 2019 to 2020. That far outpaces the increase for the population as a whole. Also, an investigative report looks into alcohol-related fatalities in the state of New Mexico and finds that, while disproportionately high, the number for Native populations is not the main driving force in the overall problem. Today on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce talks with Heather Benjamin (Ojibwe), Indian Health Board’s opioid intervention and prevention health educator; Dr. Spero Manson (Pembina Chippewa), Centers for American Indian and Alaska Native Health director at the University of Colorado Medical Campus; and independent journalist Ted Alcorn.

Break 1 music: Track 08 (song) Red Lake Singers (artist) Old Times (album)

Break 2 music: Nitohta (song) Asani (artist) Listen (album)

Link to the article featured in the show: https://nmindepth.com/2022/poisonous-myths/

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A group of Native tennis enthusiasts formed their own organization 50 years ago and it’s grown into a collection of competitions, youth tennis camps and regular recreational meet-ups. The North American Indian Tennis Association holds an annual tournament Memorial Day weekend. It’s all aimed toward improving people’s skills and fostering interest among Native players. Today on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce talks with Lee Maytubby (Chickasaw), North American Indian Tennis Association Tournament director; Jessica Redcorn (Osage), United States Tennis Association Player and co-organizer for the North American Indian Tennis Association Tournament; and Tony Mullican (Chickasaw), tennis player and co-organizer for the North American Indian Tennis Association Tournament.

Break 1 music: Happy Sundance (song) Dallas Arcand (artist) Modern Day Warrior (album)

Break 2 music: Nitohta (song) Asani (artist) Listen (album)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 55:58 — 38.4MB) | Embed

 

Move over Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny Glover, Amber Midthunder (Fort Peck Sioux Tribe) is the new hero of the Predator sci-fi franchise. “Prey” is released on Hulu August 5. The story takes place 300 years ago as a female Comanche warrior battles a species of alien that comes to Earth hunting other dangerous species. The film is offered in both English and dubbed Comanche versions.

Today on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce talks with Amber Midthunder; her breakout co-star Dakota Beavers (Pueblo descendant and Mexican); producer Jhane Myers (Comanche and Blackfeet); director Dan Trachtenberg; Sarae Ticeahkie, public relations officer for the Comanche Nation of Oklahoma; Dr. Kate Briner, Comanche language translator for “Prey” and director of the language department for the Comanche Nation of Oklahoma; Vincent Schilling (Akwesasne Mohawk), editor of NativeViewPoint.com and certified Rotten Tomatoes critic; and Dr. Lee Francis about the film in terms of Native representation and its place in the Predator line of films.

Break 1 Music: Wild Band of Comanches – Men’s Fancy (song) Gathering Of Nations Powwow (artist) A Spirit’s Dance (album)

Break 2 music: Someone Drew a Line (song) Vincent Craig (artist) Vol. 1 (album)

 

 

 

 

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For these four students, attending college is more than just their own personal achievement. It’s a way to honor their people and give a part of themselves to their communities. It’s also a way to represent their cultures within a system that often struggles to adequately understand where they come from. Today on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce talks with four students who share their struggles and triumphs working toward their educational dreams in the audio documentary from American Public Media, Standing In Two Worlds: Native American College Diaries: Nevaeh Nez (Hopi and Navajo), graduate student at the University of North Carolina; Reuben Kitto Stately (Red Lake Nation citizen and Santee Sioux), graduate from Augsburg University; Archie Yellow (Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa), Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College student; and Camille Leihulu Slagle (Native Hawaiian), a Stanford University student.

Break 1 music: Sunrise Song (song) Khu.éex’ (artist) They Forgot They Survived (album)

Break 2 music: Someone Drew a Line (song) Vincent Craig (artist) Vol. 1 (album)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 55:36 — 25.5MB) | Embed

The city of Gallup, NM is marking 100 years of celebrating the region’s Indigenous culture with events like a parade and traditional song and dance. The annual celebration Aug. 4-14 has grown to include a rodeo and an arts market and it welcomes representatives from tribes across the globe. Today on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce talks with Melissa Sanchez (Acoma Pueblo and Laguna Pueblo), executive director of the Gallup Intertribal Ceremonial; Amber Ballenger (Diné), current Gallup Intertribal Ceremonial Queen; Stephen Qacung Blanchet (Yup’ik), founding member of Pamyua; and Kyle Tom (Navajo), Gallup Intertribal Ceremonial Association board president, co-coordinator for the rodeo, and an INFR and PRCA rodeo announcer.

Break 1 music: Bubble Gum (song) Pamyua (artist)

Break 2 music: Someone Drew a Line (song) Vincent Craig (artist) Vol. 1 (album)