Monday, January 9, 2023 – The benefits (and drawbacks) of college fraternities and sororities

Social connections and career networking are two of the top reasons college students seek out fraternities and sororities. Greek life supporters also say they offer mentorship, academic support, and life-long friendships. Native fraternities and sororities began in the mid 1990s and also offer a chance for Native students to connect with each other and draw support from shared cultural values. Monday on Native America Calling, we spoke with Mardella Richardson (member of the Lumbee Tribe of NC), national president of Alpha Pi Omega; Dr. Corey Still (citizen of the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians), member on the national governance board for Iota Gamma; and Destiny Hutson (Cheyenne and Arapaho), vice president and historian of the Theta Chapter (Northeastern State University) of Alpha Pi Omega.

Tuesday, January 10, 2023 – A fair value for Native artists

Federal law already protects artwork legitimately made by Native Americans. But once artwork is sold, the artists typically don’t benefit from any residual appreciation of the work’s value. Some Native-owned galleries and organizations are working to ensure artists get full value for their work. And an effort in Canada aims to pay artists and their heirs resale rights. Tuesday on Native America Calling, we heard from Theresie Tungilik (Inuk), arts and traditional economy advisor for Nunavut government; Mathew Nuqingaq (Inuk), jewelry artist and sculptor; Dawn Iehstoseranón:nha Setford Whiteman Francis (Akwesasne Mohawk), president and founder of Indigenous Arts Collective of Canada; and Colleen Echohawk (Pawnee and Athabascan), CEO of Eight Generation.

Wednesday, January 11, 2023 – When language translations go wrong

The federal government issued translations on official documents to help Alaska Natives following destructive storms there. The trouble is, the text is indecipherable for those it was intended to help. An investigative report found the Iñupiaq and Yup’ik translations from FEMA are essentially unreadable for those familiar with the languages. One appears to be at least partly taken from a World War Two-era publication in the Soviet Union. Wednesday on Native America Calling, we checked in with Tara Sweeney (Inupiaq), Principal and CEO of Tack 71 Strategies and former Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs at the U.S. Department of Interior; Julia Jimmie (Yup’ik), translator and Yup’ik language programming producer; Sam Berlin (Yup’ik), translator and KYUK talk show host; linguist Gary Houlton; and Emily Schwing, freelance reporter based in Alaska.

Thursday, January 12, 2023 – P-22: How tribes want to honor the famous mountain lion

In a city known for celebrities, a mountain lion’s improbable, decade-long occupation of Los Angeles’ Griffith Park earned him a status any movie star would envy. P-22 was euthanized after wildlife officials determined his injuries and illnesses made it impossible for him to continue living in the wild without significant suffering. Now, area tribes say they want a say in what happens to the famous lion’s remains. Thursday on Native America Calling, we looked back on the life of P-22 and got an overview of how some tribes view mountain lions with tribal secretary Kimberly Johnson (Gabrieliño Tongva from the San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians), Alan Salazar (Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians), tribal elder on the elder’s council and traditional storyteller; and Dr. Christina Swindall (Gabrieleño), secretary for the Gabrieleño Band of Mission Indians–Kizh Nation.

Friday, January 13, 2023 – Native fictional future perspective

The creators of the new Avatar sequel continue what they see as a science fiction account of colonialism and Indigenous resistance. It’s getting plenty of pushback from Native audiences for some significant missteps. The good news is there are plenty of films, comics, and artwork from Native creators that have a more informed take. Today on Native America Calling, we’ll hear from artist Virgil Ortiz (Cochiti Pueblo); Sadekaronhes Esquivel (Tyendinaga Mohawk), art lead and character designer for “Hill Agency: PURITYdecay”; Michael Sheyahshe (Caddo), artist and founder and technologist at alterNative Media; and Johnnie Jae (Otoe-Missouria and Choctaw), founder of A Tribe Called Geek and co-founding member of the Fan Organizer Coalition.

 

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Monday, January 2, 2023 – Stickball: culture and athleticism

Stickball is the older, rougher cousin of lacrosse, developed many centuries ago as both a game and a training exercise. The U.S. government once deemed stickball one of the cultural connections they needed to eliminate in the effort to assimilate Native children through missionary-run boarding schools. The game survived that assault and keeps gaining momentum, played by local clubs and in competitive national tournaments. Monday on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce learned about the origins and growing future for the nation’s oldest team sport with Mike Slee (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians), stickball player for the Walelu Cherokee Indian Ball team and the director of operations for the Museum of the Cherokee Indian; Miranda Long Stamper (Creek and a citizen of the Eastern Band of Cherokee), teacher, coach and stickball player; announcer and player Jeremy Bell (Mississippi Band of Choctaw member); Dr. Scott Ketchum (Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma), Chickasaw Nation endowed chair in Native American Studies for East Central University; and Casey Bigpond (Mississippi Band of Choctaw member), cultural revitalization specialist for the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians.

Tuesday, January 3, 2023 – Keeping your cool in 2023

A new year offers a sense of promise. But that promise this year comes with the backdrop of lingering division that infects our personal and professional relationships. Heated political discourse is at the top of the list and permeates everything from how we protect our own health to how we approach international security. Tuesday on Native America Calling, we spoke with Theda New Breast (Blackfeet), master trainer and facilitator for the Native Wellness Institute and board member of the Sovereign Bodies Institute; James Anderson (Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe), motivational speaker and success trainer; and D.J. Eagle Bear Vanas (Odawa Nation), motivational storyteller, bestselling author, and owner of Native Discovery Inc., about bridging divisions and avoiding the traps that drive wedges between us.

Wednesday, January 4, 2023 – Indigenous languages and the migrant border crisis

Thousands of migrants, many of whom are seeking asylum as they escape violence, extreme poverty, and oppression, are stopped at the U.S. border. The lack of resources available to them is a serious life-and-death concern. Adding to the many other hurdles is a language disconnect for Indigenous migrants. Wednesday on Native America Calling, we got an update on the crisis at the US-Mexican border and how it affects Indigenous people from Mexico and Central and South America with Odilia Romero (Zapotec), co-founder and executive director of Comunidades Indigenas en Liderazgo (CIELO); Javier Garcia (San Martín Peras from Juxtlahuaca in Oaxaca), interpreters program coordinator for the Mixteco/Indigena Community Organizing Project; and attorney Allegra Love.

Thursday, January 5, 2023 – Unequal discipline for Native students

An investigative report in New Mexico finds Native students are expelled at a far greater rate than their white counterparts. The report focuses on the public school district on the edge of the Navajo Nation with the highest percentage of Native students in the country. Thursday on Native America Calling, we’ll hear from Bryant Furlow, a New Mexico In-Depth reporter and member of ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network who pursued the story, as well as Native education experts about what the data means for students.

If you have information that could help Bryant Furlow’s reporting, reach out via @bryantfurlow.

Friday, January 6, 2023 – Inside the ring: Native pro wrestling

Professional wrestling draws fans in with a mix of theatrics, colorful characters, and campy violence. Indigenous wrestlers comprise only a small faction of the wrestling world, but they are making names for themselves. In the process of entertaining their fans, they risk broken bones, concussions, cuts, and bruises in the ring. Friday on Native America Calling, we’ll hear from Native wrestlers about their love of the pastime and how they’ve forged careers in the industry.

 

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