Monday September 5, 2022 — Native creation and use of color

From the rich colors used in Navajo weaving to all the colors of the rainbow beaded into medallions and regalia, Indigenous hues carry meaning, stories, and emotion. Some colors specific to tribes represent the available animals, plants, and minerals used to make them. This Labor Day on Native America Calling in a special encore presentation, Shawn Spruce talks with Native artists about traditional and contemporary meanings, sources, and uses of color: Anong Beam (M’Chigeeng), founder of Beam Paints; Michael Sheyahshe (Caddo), founder and technologist at alterNative Media; Zefren Anderson (Diné), experimental archaeological weaver and silversmith.

Tuesday, September 6, 2022 – Addressing the nation’s mental health crisis

As the nation’s mental health crisis worsens, Native American youth are those at highest risk. Native Americans and Alaska Natives have the highest suicide rate of any other group. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention list suicide as the second leading cause of death for Native people between the ages of 10 and 34. National experts warn mental health has reached emergency crisis levels. The good news is there are increasing numbers of tools and methods to fight the problem. Tuesday on Native America Calling, as part of National Suicide Prevention Week, Shawn Spruce looks at the factors contributing to the problem and what is available to turn it around with Cheyenne Kippenberger (Seminole), communications coordinator for the Center for Native American Youth at the Aspen Institute; Dr. Mark Standing Eagle Baez (Mohawk, Pawnee, Coahuiltecan and Mexican descent), assistant professor of Counseling and Clinical Psychology at Bemidji State University; and behavioral health consultant Ray Daw (Diné).

Wednesday, September 7, 2022 – America’s clean water divide

The failed water treatment system in Jackson, Miss. disproportionately affects that state’s Black residents. The crisis there is a reminder of the dozens of failed drinking water systems for tribes across the country. Wednesday on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce examines the lingering problem of failing to provide the most basic utility for all of America’s residents with State Rep. Ronnie Crudup Jr. (D-MS), executive director for New Horizon Ministries Incorporated; Dr. Carrie Nuva Joseph (Hopi), director of the department of natural resources for the Hopi tribe; Clayton Dumont Jr. (Klamath), chairman of the Klamath Tribes; Iqaluit Mayor Kenny Bell; and Dr. Tommy Rock (Diné), environmental scientist and postdoctoral researcher fellow at Princeton University.

Thursday, September 8, 2022 – Sweat equity: building your own home

A number of Native DIY-ers are taking on what is traditionally the largest expense of their lives: their own home. By putting the work in, homeowners are reducing their mortgages – or eliminating it altogether. One initiative also has home owner/builders share their experience with others just getting started. Thursday on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce speaks with those who are sweating it out like Carmirae Holguin (Diné), co-founder and executive director of the Nááts’íilid Initiative; Moises Gonzales (Genízero), associate dean at the University of New Mexico’s School of Architecture and Planning; and Bettina Sandoval (Pueblo), who is in the process of building her own home.

Friday, September 9, 2022 – This year’s top Native Hip Hop artists

TheRA11N, Pooky G, She Rōz, and Sten Joddi are some of the artists who won big this year at the annual International Indigenous Hip Hop Awards. Friday on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce gets to know some of the artists – and hear their perspectives of the awards and the direction of Native Hip Hop

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Monday, August 29, 2022 – Native in the Spotlight: L.A. Williams

L.A. Williams has been the high school sports play-by-play voice for decades on the Navajo Nation. She has also brought pro rodeo, women’s professional basketball, and the NFL Super Bowl to listeners. Now she is also the Navajo language announcer for Phoenix Suns NBA games. Monday on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce speaks with the trailblazing broadcaster.

Tuesday, August 30, 2022 – The cultural and environmental importance of volcanoes

The volcanic eruptions near Tonga, Japan, and Ecuador are all making headlines and remind us of the role they play in Indigenous culture. Native Hawaiians have a direct spiritual connection to the explosive giants while many tribes in the continental U.S. have their own stories and links. Tuesday on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce learns more about these mystical mountains.

Wednesday, August 31, 2022 – College student debt relief

Just in time for the mid-term elections, President Joe Biden announced his executive action to extend the current student loan payment pause until January and forgive up to $20,000 of debt. It’s a compromise between the full forgiveness pushed for years by progressive Democrats and the inflationary concerns of moderate Democrats and conservative Republicans. Wednesday on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce gets an assessment for what’s in the student loan forgiveness plan, who qualifies, and what it might do for current and future Native college students.

Thursday, September 1, 2022 – New challenges for Native voters

The Native American Rights Fund and other organizations filed a legal challenge against the state for discounting ballots in a way that disproportionately affects Alaska Native voters. The Mississippi Supreme Court upheld voter restrictions in the state constitution originally instituted by white supremacists specifically to limit participation by people of color. Thursday on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce gets a rundown of the evolving landscape of voter restrictions that affect Native Americans.

Friday, September 2, 2022

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