Monday, October 17, 2022 – Native in the Spotlight: Madeline Sayet

Traditional Mohegan stories and William Shakespeare don’t automatically come to mind as complimentary influences. But Madeline Sayet (Mohegan) draws on these and other creative forces for her one-woman show “Where We Belong”. It premiered at Shakespeare’s Globe theater in London and is now headed to New York City’s Public Theater. Sayet is an accomplished writer, playwright, actress, and Monday on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce catches up with her current show and her creative spirit, as part of our ongoing series Native in the Spotlight.

Tuesday, October 18, 2022 – Reaching for the college sports roster

Getting signed to a college sports team is a dream for many Native athletes. It appeals to the competitive spirit and can be a major higher education financial boost. But it comes with responsibilities, pressures, and the possibility for injury. Today on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce explores what it takes to reach and sustain NCAA status with Bennae Calac (Pauma Band of Luiseno Indians), co-founder, president, and executive director of the 7G Foundation; Zach Blankenship (Cherokee and Navajo), freshman at Oklahoma State University; and Amil Mitchell (Nez Perce), shooting guard for LeMoyne-Owen College.  

Wednesday, October 19, 2022 – Tribal leadership: what it takes

Tribal leaders make major decisions about finances, public safety, and societal well being. They need vision, dedication, and a thick skin. Wednesday on Native America Calling, in the latest conversation of our tribal leadership series, Shawn Spruce talks with tribal president Kevin Killer (Oglala Sioux), Chairman Jordan Dresser (Northern Arapaho), and Tribal Chief Mike Williams Sr. (Yupiit Nation) about what drives them to be in a position of authority and how they prepare for inevitable criticisms.

Thursday, October 20, 2022 – Land donations add to tribal land holdings

The family of private land-owners just donated a valuable piece of land in California to the state-recognized Gabrielino Tongva tribe. It will be a place of ceremonial gatherings and conservation. Another California tribe, the Esselen, also regained ownership of more than 1,000 acres of land for conservation. Land donations by both private individuals and government entities are putting pieces of ancestral land back into tribal hands. Thursday on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce talked more about the importance of donations toward restoring culturally-important land with Cris Stainbrook (Lakota), president of the Indian Land Tenure Foundation; Hillary Renick (enrolled member of the Sherwood Valley Band of Pomo Indians and descendant of the Hopland Shanel, Noyo River, and Ft. McDermitt Paiute-Shoshone communities), co-founder of the California Indian Land Institute; and David Weeden (Wampanoag), tribal council member and tribal historic preservation officer for the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, chairman of the Mashpee Board of Selectmen, and a Cape Cod Commission member.

Friday, October 21, 2022 – Inuit teens must save the world from aliens in “Slash/Back”

Four Inuit teenage girls face off against murderous aliens that inhabit the bodies of people and animals in the film “Slash/Back”. The girls must save the world using mainly makeshift weapons, but first they will have to save their small Arctic community. The film is filled with First Nations talent both in front of and behind the camera. Today on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce speaks with director and co-writer Nyla Innuksuk (Inuk) and lead actor Tasiana Shirley (Inuk) about the film coming to theaters, and on-demand and digital platforms.

 

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Monday, October 10, 2022 – Celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day

The day to honor Indigenous people is catching on in schools, cities, and states. Organizers in Phoenix, AZ are putting on an all-day festival that includes food trucks, a vendor market, skateboard competitions, music, and Indigenous film screenings. New York State might be getting resistance to the idea of officially renaming the holiday, but its largest city is celebrating its eighth, two-day Indigenous festival. And Bethel, AK scheduled a march and potluck. Monday on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce checked in on Indigenous Peoples Day celebrations around the country with Martha Atmaun Glore (Cup’ik), office manager at the Kuskokwim Campus at the University of Alaska Fairbanks; Jir Anderson (Cochiti Pueblo), lead singer for the Jir Project and founder of Native Guitars Tour; Candace Hamana (Hopi), owner of Badger PR and the founder of Indigenous Peoples Public Relations Association; and Ray Bacasegua (Yaqui/Yoeme), director of AIM Northern Nevada and the executive grand council for AIM.

Tuesday, October 11, 2022 – Waiting for recognition

A number of tribes remain on the waiting list for federal recognition. Some want to legally secure their sovereign rights and access to trust land status, while others hope to gain federal emergency assistance or the power to take on civil lawsuits against corporate polluters. Tuesday on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce heard from some tribes on the cusp of federal recognition about what it could mean for them with Professor Kerri Malloy (Yurok/Karuk), assistant professor at San Jose University; Rachel Cushman (Chinook Indian Nation), secretary and treasurer for the Chinook Indian Nation; and Patty Ferguson-Bohnee (Pointe-au-Chien), director of the Indian legal program and clinical professor of Law at Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University.

Wednesday, October 12, 2022 – Native food for Native students

A new Dept. of Interior pilot program aims to put Indigenous food hubs at a handful of Bureau of Indian Education schools and BIA-operated detention centers. It follows a similar program to distribute traditional food on Indian Reservations. It’s part of an effort to make sure Native people who receive help from the U.S. government have access to healthy, local food produced by tribal food vendors. Wednesday on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce talked about how this new pilot program will work and what it means for Native food sovereignty with Wizipan Garriott (Rosebud Sioux), Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs; Foster Cournoyer-Hogan (Ihanktonwan Dakota/enrolled Siċaŋġu Lakota), Lakota foods coordinator for Wakanyeja Tokeyahci Wounspe Oti, the Lakota Immersion School; and Bradley Harrington (Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe), culture and language revitalization advocate.

Thursday, October 13, 2022 – Native ballot outlook

Native candidates have a lot at stake coming up in the midterm elections. After redistricting, some incumbents find themselves in tight races, while others are expected to sail into office. Thursday on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce zeroed in on a few Native candidates, both newcomers and veterans, and looked at how a win or loss impacts the larger picture with O.J. Semans Sr. (Rosebud Sioux), co-executive director for Four Directions Vote, and Jordan James Harvill (Cherokee/Choctaw), National Program Director for Advance Native Political Leadership.

Friday, October 14, 2022 – Spirit Rangers

A new Netflix show for preschoolers features all Native writers and a storyline which centers around California’s Cowlitz tribe and culture. The voice cast is largely Native and includes heavy-hitting veterans Wes Studi and Tantoo Cardinal. Friday on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce speaks with showrunner and creator Karissa Valencia (Santa Ynez Chumash) as well as “Spirit Rangers” singer-songwriter Raye Zaragoza (Akimel O’odham descent) about bringing Native awareness to young viewers around the world.