Monday, November 15, 2021 – Teaching Well: Pueblo wisdom curriculum
Pueblo educators have just updated a K-12 curriculum and teacher training regimen for New Mexico schools designed from a Native viewpoint. It offers guidance on Pueblo history and culture with a basis in Pueblo core values including respect, compassion, balance and service. The original idea stemmed from the state’s celebration of 100 years of statehood, which also didn’t fully incorporate Pueblo historical contributions and wisdom.

Tuesday, November 16, 2021 – Structural inequities cost additional Native lives during the pandemic
Many Native nations suffered disproportionate harm from the COVID-19 pandemic. New research suggests state and federal policy decisions and long standing structural inequities increased the magnitude of the pandemic for Native people and unnecessarily cost additional lives. We’ll talk with the researchers about the study and hear from tribal leaders and health officials about what they are experiencing.

Wednesday, November 17, 2021 – Book of the Month: “Gaa-Pi-Izhiwebak”
The Aanjibimaadizing, a program of the Mille Lacs Band, is committed to keeping Indigenous language thriving. To help this mission along they launched a project to bring their language to the pages of a multi-book series. We are putting the spotlight on the latest book in the collection “Gaa-Pi-Izhiwebak.” It features stories that stem from cultural teachings, histories and memories that a group of tribal elders hold dear. We’ll hear from those involved in the project including the book’s illustrator who had the charge of rendering elders’ stories into colorful images.

Thursday, November 18, 2021 – The COP26 Indigenous outlook
The organizers of the COP26 summit in Glasgow, Scotland faced criticism that attendees heard little from the very groups that are most affected by climate change around the globe. Indigenous people, youth and women clamored to have their voices included in the climate discussions. We’ll hear from those who were there to assess the benefits and missteps of the recently-concluded event.

Friday, November 19, 2021 – Cultural Connection: turkeys
Navajo, Hopi, Shawnee and Creek tribes are among the many Native nations that have turkey clans. Southwest tribes domesticated the bird long before settlers arrived and the animal is a character in many tribal stories. At a time of the year when the bird plays a big role on the dinner table, we’ll look at the significance of turkeys from a Native perspective.

Monday, November 8, 2021 – Huy: helping Indigenous prison inmates
A program in Washington State works to protect the legal rights of Native inmates in prison. Huy works to maintain access to Native ceremonies and traditional medicine. But they also help expand educational, vocational and economic opportunities. The program is designed to improve inmates’ chances for success once the re-enter society.

Tuesday, November 9, 2021 – Native New York
So many school students and members of the public are subjected to myths and misinformation about the tribes in what is now New York. Three separate exhibitions are currently offering Native-informed perspectives on the current and historical role tribes play in the region. Native New York at the Native American Museum of the American Indian New York takes visitors to 12 present-day New York City destinations that have ties to the Haudenosaunee, Lenape, Mohawk and other tribes. It includes a curriculum for 4-6 graders that teachers can access for accurate and respectful classroom lessons.

Thursday, November 11, 2021 – Stories by veterans
The stories by Native American veterans offer lasting messages of both courage and healing. The Citizen Potawatomi Nation is among the tribes working to preserve their veterans’ stories. The Tribal Heritage Project is recording the memories of their citizens who served in the U.S. Military. We’ll discuss the importance of the project from both sides of the camera lens and hear some of the stories that will forever be part of the Nation’s legacy.

Friday, November 12, 2021 – Triumph, heartbreak and bareback horse relay racing
The documentary film, “Pure Grit,” follows a young champion as she competes in the exhilarating and dangerous sport of horse relay racing. It’s more than a movie about competition; With visuals of both breakneck action and quiet, kitchen table confessions, it delves into the personal successes and setbacks of rider Sharmaine Weed and her family on the Wind River Reservation.

 

Monday, November 1, 2021 – The legacy of the Santa Fe Trail
The start of the Santa Fe Trail turns 200 this year. For most of that time the narrative of the influential route that took scores of settlers and U.S. Army soldiers across established Native land has been told from a non-Native perspective. Although it’s mainly a story of displacement and violence, the full history is richer and more nuanced. We’ll hear the Native side of the history and legacy of the Santa Fe Trail.

Tuesday, November 2, 2021 – The shame of the Braves
After a three game stretch in Atlanta during Major League Baseball’s premiere event, audiences worldwide will have witnessed multiple examples of the objectionable ‘tomahawk chop’ and a chant borne from ill-informed Native stereotypes. As Atlanta and Houston battle for the World Series title, we revisit the ongoing efforts to by professional sports teams to hang on to names and images that denigrate Native people and culture.

Wednesday, November 3, 2021 – Financial fallout of divorce
Divorce takes a major emotional toll. It also usually brings a significant financial burden as well. Couples that have combined resources and bank accounts now have to fairly divide up assets and face the reality of going it alone again. There are also lawyer’s fees, child support and other considerations. Native couples also might face residency restrictions on tribal land once they’re no longer married. We’ll find out about ways Native couples can face the realities of divorce without making a difficult process harder.

Thursday, November 4, 2021 – Catholic reconciliation in Canada?
Pope Francis is scheduled to meet with an Indigenous delegation when he visits Canada in December. His trip is billed as part “of the long-standing pastoral process of reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.” It comes after the discovery of hundreds of potential unmarked grave sites on the grounds of former residential schools operated by the church. The schools housed mainly Indigenous children who were forced to attend. We’ll explore the significance of the visit and what it might accomplish.

Friday, November 5, 2021 – Woodstock remembered
A group of young Native artists received VIP treatment leading up to what became the storied event starting on August 15, 1969. They were excited to offer their work to a new East Coast audience and take in the impressive line-up of musical acts. But they were in for a big surprise as the adventure on Max Yasgur’s farm in New York took on a life of its own and became a historic gathering. We’ll get remembrances from those who were there and what the experience means to them now.

Monday, October 25, 2021—Native consultants and liaisons
When businesses or media productions take on Native themes, images or storylines, they turn to Native consultants to avoid stereotypes or offensive messages. It takes a broad knowledge of Native cultures and often requires standing up to executives with entrenched ideas. We’ll hear from Native consultants about what the job is like and the growing importance to have Native voices in the corporate and media world. (Original air date: Oct. 19, 2021)

Tuesday, October 26, 2021 – Effective solutions to ending stereotypical displays
A viral video of a California teacher resorting to objectionable Native stereotypes in the classroom begs the question: what will it take to get the message across? Some pockets of the population remain blind to mandatory diversity training and public education campaigns designed to end culturally insensitive comments and actions.

Wednesday, October 27, 2021 – Book of the Month: “The Indigenous Paleolithic of the Western Hemisphere” by Paulette Steeves
One Indigenous author is challenging common notions of when the Indigenous story began in the Western Hemisphere. Paulette Steeves (Métis-Cree) presents the non-fiction book, “The Indigenous Paleolithic of the Western Hemisphere.” Her work not only challenges the politics behind American anthropology, but also gives credit to oral traditions and Indigenous knowledge as keys to understanding what was taking place thousands of years ago on the lands that tribes today call home.

Thursday, October 28, 2021 – Don’t forget about your feet!
Injuries, some disorders and ill-fitting shoes can throw off what is essentially your body’s foundation: your feet. Foot care doesn’t typically come to mind unless something causes you pain. But it’s important for everyday functions like exercising and work activities. Diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure all play a role in maintaining the health of your feet and are all health issues that disproportionately affect Native Americans. We’ll talk with health experts about the importance of good foot care and hygiene.

Friday, October 29, 2021 — The dark arts: Native artists and horror
In Native America, we love a good scary story. Some creatives take that love to a whole other level and center their work around things that go bump in the night. ACONAV fashion designer Loren Aragon, for instance, is obsessed with the acid-mouthed Xenomorphs from “Alien.” And, a new Indigenous anthology of werewolves by Native artists is in the works. Leading up to Halloween weekend, we’re taking a haunted tour with Native artists through their odd, unsettling and downright scary works of multimedia storytelling.

Monday, October 18, 2021 — They/them? Understanding nonbinary gender identities
In many Native American cultures, there’s an understanding and respect for those who identify with a gender that is neither male nor female. Only recently have the terms “nonbinary,” “them” and “they,” entered the mainstream lexicon in reference to gender. “Nonbinary” is a catch-all term meaning not strictly male or female. That includes many—but not all—of those who call themselves “Two-Spirit.” We’ll learn more about nonbinary identities how some advocates want to change the way nonbinary Native people are treated in healthcare settings.

Tuesday, October 19, 2021—Native consultants and liaisons
When businesses or media productions take on Native themes, images or storylines, they turn to Native consultants to avoid stereotypes or offensive messages. It takes a broad knowledge of Native cultures and often requires standing up to executives with entrenched ideas. We’ll hear from Native consultants about what the job is like and the growing importance to have Native voices in the corporate and media world.

Thursday, October 21, 2021 – Questions about federal pandemic relief distribution
The more than $200 billion in federal pandemic aid to tribes provided welcome financial relief at a critical time. But a new analysis points out what the study’s authors say is vastly inequitable distribution of that money. Scholars with the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development say flaws in the formula established to distribute the money are the main culprit and both the Biden and Trump administrations chose to ignore recommendations by tribes and others to make the allocations more equitable.

Friday, October 22, 2021 — Checking in with The Sioux Chef
Chef Shawn Sherman is celebrating the successful launch of his full-service Minneapolis restaurant Owamni, and the publication of a new Native cookbook “The Good Berry Cookbook: Harvesting and Cooking Wild Rice.” We’ll also discuss the growing strength of the Indigenous sovereignty movement and those meat pies featured in the HULU show “Reservation Dogs.”