Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 55:58 — 25.6MB) | Embed

Host: Shawn Spruce

There was never a significant Indigenous settlement near Manitou Springs, Colorado. But the Manitou Cliff Dwellings site is drawing 100,000 paying tourists a year with the promise of seeing “ancestral Puebloan ruins that date back 800 to 1000 years”. The structures are really non-Native interpretations of a once-thriving pueblo that organizers built nearly a century ago using materials stolen from their original site. Those original organizers looted and destroyed the pueblo ruins under the guise of protecting them from being looted and destroyed. We hear about the importance of encouraging tourism and other experiences that originate from Native sources.

GUESTS

Break Music: Coming In “Tewa” Song (song) Sidney Poolheco (artist) Heartfelt Songs Other (album)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 55:53 — 25.6MB) | Embed

Host: Shawn Spruce

If the news that the U.S. Supreme Court is about to overturn Roe v. Wade is accurate, states will soon have control over the ability for people to access legal abortions. That will further restrict abortions for many Native folx who already face major obstacles to the procedure. At the same time, many Native individuals hold to the belief that abortions go against tradition and should not be available anywhere. We get a view of what the pending reality for abortion rights means from a Native perspective.

GUESTS

Aila Hoss, assistant professor of law at the University of Tulsa.

Charon Asetoyer (Comanche), executive director and CEO of the Native American Community Board

Nicole Martin (Navajo, Laguna, Chiricahua Apache, Zuni), co-founder and sex educator of Indigenous Women Rising

Break Music: Fight Like a Woman (song) Sihasin (artist) Fight Like a Woman (album)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 56:28 — 25.9MB) | Embed

Host: Shawn Spruce

After decades of planning, the Yurok Tribe was instrumental in releasing two California condors into the skies over the redwoods of Northern California. The tribe’s chairman says it’s part of the ‘sacred responsibility to maintain balance in the natural world’. Other tribes are also working to restore habitat and manage reintroduction of the largest bird in North America.

GUESTS

Tiana Williams (Yurok), Yurok tribe wildlife department director

Robert Mesta (Yaqui), Liberty Wildlife non-eagle feather repository program director

Angela Sondenaa (Confederated Tribes of Silez), precious lands project leader and ecologist for the Nez Perce tribe

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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 56:27 — 25.8MB) | Embed

Host: Shawn Spruce

Sage Mountainflower (Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo, Taos Pueblo, and Navajo) draws from traditional designs for inspiration and applies them to her wearable creations meant to go well past traditional boundaries. Mountainflower is coming off a Blue Ribbon-winning exhibition at the Heard Indian Fair and Market and has a full schedule ahead. Scott Wabano (Cree) is another Indigenous artist who has an eye for the traditional and a passion for the imaginative and visionary. And Manaola Yap (Kanaka Maoli) is a fashion designer based in Hawaii. We speak with the artists about the direction of inventive Indigenous fashion.

Break Music: Yas (feat. Nukathadiva) (song) Uyarakq (artist) Miseraq (album)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 56:27 — 25.8MB) | Embed

Host: Shawn Spruce

Awareness of missing and murdered Indigenous people continues to grow, even in mainstream circles. In Colorado, an effort to establish an office to tackle MMIP cases is making progress in the legislature, but faces some opposition. In California, tribal leaders are pushing for more support to help tribes address the issue. Many other states are working on combating the problem in their own ways. But has that translated to action and policy? We’ll get perspectives on the National Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day.

GUESTS

Rochelle Redbone Arebalo (Apache), chairperson for the MMIW Indian Capital Chapter at Anadarko, OK

Raven Payment (Ojibwe and Mohawk), member of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives taskforce in Colorado

Break music: Youth Prayer Chant (song) Spirit Line Collective (artist) Spirit Line: Woven Together for Our Missing & Murdered Indigenous Relatives (album)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 56:27 — 25.8MB) | Embed

Host: Shawn Spruce

Handmade regalia, eagle feathers, and items handed down through the generations are among the items we keep in our homes and take with us to powwows and other events. Losing them or having them damaged would be a severe blow. Putting any kind of monetary value on them is difficult, but could provide some sense of security if the worst happens. We’ll hear about ways to protect the items we treasure most.

GUESTS

Josephine Webster (Oneida and Navajo), mother and attendee of the Gathering of Nations Powwow

Allen Romero, claims department director at AMERIND Risk

J.D. Colbert (Muskogee Creek and Chickasaw), president and CEO, Holisso Hakv

Break music: Grand Entry III (song) Pipestone (artist) Tribute to The Old Timers – Pow-Wow Songs Recorded Live At Prairie Island (album)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 56:28 — 25.9MB) | Embed

Host: Shawn Spruce

Since the Cherokee Phoenix first started in 1828, Native newspapers have filled a vital role in informing the public and giving a critical Native perspective on issues. Broadcast news, online outlets, and social media have all cut into the reach of printed newspapers. But newspapers still hold a vital connection for many Native people wanting to stay informed. We talk with Native editors about the importance of news on the printed page.

GUESTS

Tyler Thomas (Cherokee), executive editor for Cherokee Phoenix

Duane Beyal (Diné), editor for Navajo Times

Lori Ann Edmo (Shoshone-Bannock), editor for Sho-Ban News

Break music: Intertribal (feat. Northern Cree) (single) K.A.S.P. Intertribal (feat. Northern Cree) (artist)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 56:27 — 25.9MB) | Embed

Host: Shawn Spruce

A prominent Native artist is accused of serious—potentially criminal—conduct with young women he’s crossed paths with. The allegations are mostly playing out on social media. The incidents are a reminder of the near-constant threat people—mostly women—face from unscrupulous men. We get guidance on how individuals can recognize troubling situations as they arise and talk about raising awareness for responsible behavior on a broad scale.

GUESTS

Greg Grey Cloud (Crow Creek Sioux), co-founder of Wica Agli (Native Men Against Domestic Violence)

Janie Pochel (Wuskwi Sipihk), lead advisor of the Chi-Nations Youth Council

(StrongHearts Native Helpline toll free number is 844-762-7NATIVE (1-844-762-8483)

Break music: Say Her Name (song) Spirit Line Collective (artist) Spirit Line: Woven Together For Our Missing & Murdered Indigenous Relatives (album)