Monday, September 27, 2021 – ANCSA at 50: Its history and legacy
This year marks the 50th Anniversary of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. It was an innovative approach to land stewardship and capitalism mixed with Native values. It has set the stage for Alaska Native governance and identity in the state ever since. We’ll get a glimpse of the strengths and drawbacks of ANCSA at 50, both intended and unintended, and how this unprecedented legislation continues to unfold and shape the lives of its shareholders and descendants.

Tuesday, September 28, 2021 – ANCSA at 50: Evolving Alaska Native identity
Land is at the core of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. The valuable resources that come with the land were a primary catalyst for the groundbreaking legislation passed 50 years ago. ANCSA also permanently merged Alaska Native identity with corporate entities, requiring a new vision for cultural progress and responsibility.

Wednesday, September 29, 2021 – Book of the Month: Wahani Puzzles
Puzzles stimulate the brain and provide entertainment. And they can reveal a person’s creativity and ability to solve problems. Today they are also being used to celebrate Native art and culture thanks to Wahani Puzzles. September’s Book of the Month is an Indigenous creative effort that showcases work by Native artists Cara Romero, Dyani White Hawk and Kevin Pourier in a jigsaw puzzle collection. It’s the brainchild of Singer Horse Capture (A’aninin). We visit with her about this unique tool for showing the diversity and beauty of our Native nations.

Thursday, September 30, 2021 – Preston Singletary and multidisciplinary collaboration
Preston Singletary (Tlingit) has a new album coming out with his band Khu.éex. He also has a traveling exhibition of his glass artwork, heading next to the National Museum of the American Indian. And his design for a public work of art was chosen to be installed outside Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena. Singletary is one of several multidisciplinary artists who draw inspiration and support from their culture and each other to keep their creativity thriving.

Friday, October 1, 2021 — Indigenous culinary innovation
Corn was originally cultivated by Indigenous people in what is now Mexico. That led to another important Indigenous innovation whose origin dates back about 3,000 years: nixtamalization. It’s the process of soaking corn in an alkaline solution with hardwood ash or limestone to break down its natural barrier, releasing niacin, an integral part of human nutrition. It’s also turned corn into a culinary staple leading to commonly used foods like corn tortillas and hominy. We’ll talk about the origins and science that made its way into the historical and contemporary culinary traditions.

Monday, September 20, 2021 – ICWA: Federal protections for children under constant legal pressure
The Indian Child Welfare Act has been upheld in dozens of court decisions as a vital federal protection for Native adoptees and foster children. That string of wins ended when a Texas district court judge ruled the more than 40-year-old law unconstitutional. A subsequent federal appeals court agreed that at least parts of ICWA are unconstitutional. Long considered by legal experts as the gold standard of adoption law, ICWA faces its most significant legal challenge. We’ll examine how we got here and who is behind the legal efforts to dismantle ICWA.

Tuesday, September 21, 2021 – Recruiting Native medical professionals
Patients have better outcomes when they don’t have to confront cultural barriers. A 2020 study by Penn Medicine researchers found patients prefer medical professionals of the same race or ethnicity. But Native doctors and nurses are in short supply. We’ll hear about the importance of Native medical professionals and efforts to recruit more of them into the industry.

Wednesday, September 22, 2021 – Music Maker: Klee Benally
Diné musician Klee Benally calls his latest set of creations “performance art intervention.” It’s called “Appropriation” consisting of 13 tracks and is a stance against cultural genocide. It’s set to some very energetic sounds and brought further to life with strong vocals. The former Blackfire guitarist and vocalist writes: “The music and accompanying propaganda was created for collective disruption of the dehumanizing forces attacking Indigenous existence.” We visit with Klee to find out why he’s calling out settler colonial order.

Thursday, September 23, 2021 – Doing right by Native people with disabilities
Native people are over-represented in the number of people with disabilities. The U.S., Census finds almost a quarter of the Native population has a disability. At the same time they are underserved when it comes to treatment because of inadequate funding, staff shortages or bureaucratic barriers. There are efforts to both reduce the number of Native people with disabilities, and find ways to improve the lives of those living with disabilities.

Friday, September 24, 2021 – ‘Nets’: making waves on the basketball court in southeast Alaska
The documentary film ‘Alaska Nets’ follows the quest by a pair of athletes from Alaska’s only reservation. It premiered at the Santa Barbara Film Festival and focuses on the two main concerns in these young mens’ lives: basketball and salmon fishing. We’ll hear about the film and get a glimpse of life on the remote island of Metlakatla.

Monday, September 13, 2021 – Water shortages for tribes along the Colorado River
Low water levels are forcing federal officials to cut the Colorado River’s water supply for the first time in history. In addition to supplying water to several major cities, it’s a source of drinking water and an agricultural resource for more than 30 tribes. Those tribes also have spiritual connections to the Colorado. We’ll talk with tribes about how they are coping with two decades of extreme drought and how they’re preparing for a drier future.

Tuesday, September 14, 2021 – Honoring the work of Native journalists
The nation’s premier Native journalist’s organization is marking the best of their craft from the past year. The honors by the Native American Journalists Association include Navajo Times CEO and publisher Tom Arviso and the staff of Haskell Indian Nations University student newspaper, among many others. We’ll review some of the recent major achievements in Native journalism.

Wednesday, September 15, 2021 – Rethinking Native pageant royalty
Summer pageants and fairs offer a chance for young Native women to represent their nations as royalty. They carry a title and a platform to educate and inform others about important issues and their culture. At the same time, the ‘Indian Princess’ label brings with it a number of problematic stereotypes that don’t fully reflect Native women’s strength, beauty and intelligence. We’ll talk about redefining pageants and the ways Native women exemplify poise, strength and use the platform to shine a positive light on their communities and inspire others to pursue their goals and dreams.

Thursday, September 16, 2021 – The Indigenous connection to Mexican Independence Day
September 16th is a national holiday in Mexico, but it doesn’t mark the day the country achieved independence from Spain. It commemorates the day a revered priest rallied his townspeople with his Cry of Independence. The country’s Indigenous people were instrumental in the battles that followed, as they fought to get out from under Spain’s oppressive caste system. We’ll get the history and explore the role of Indigenous Mexicans in this important commemoration.

Friday, September 17, 2021 – The First Americans Museum debuts
After years of start-and-stop planning and construction, the First Americans Museum of Oklahoma is opening to the public. The 175,000 square foot facility and grounds in Oklahoma City house theaters, art galleries, multimedia narratives, restaurants and space for powwows and concerts. It honors the state’s 39 tribes, and incorporates state-of-the-art technology to provide an accurate and appropriate portrayal of Native culture to the public.

Monday, September 6, 2021 – Innovative ideas for addressing Native homelessness
Homelessness is an unfortunate reality for a disproportionate number of Native Americans, especially in urban areas. Some tribes are having some success with ‘tiny homes’ as one solution. The Menominee tribe recently completed tiny home village on their reservation in Wisconsin. The Puyallup Tribe is planning a similar project in Tacoma. The homes with a small footprint and lower costs than conventional sized dwellings, but they are not always welcomed by surrounding neighborhoods. (This is an encore show so we won’t be taking live listener phone calls)

Tuesday, September 7, 2021 – Ready when disaster strikes
Tribes in Louisiana are assessing damage, checking in with citizens and cleaning up their communities in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida. The Category 4 hurricane that swept through Gulf Coast states also cut power to millions of people. In the Southwest, flash flooding turned fatal on the Hopi reservation. When disaster strikes, tribes have to be ready to mobilize response teams, work with surrounding jurisdictions, render aid to community members and help the rebuilding process. We’ll check in with tribal emergency management experts about current disaster zones and how far emergency preparedness can go at home and in the community.

Wednesday, September 8, 2021 – Indigenous fashion showcase
This year’s fashion show at Santa Fe Indian Market was a reminder of just how hot Indigenous fashion is. The show put on by the Southwest Association for Indian Arts featured Anishinaabe florals, bold formline prints, layers of ribbon and custom Native jewelry. We’ll celebrate Indigenous fashion with designers and take a look at how international partnerships are shaping up for more glamorous shows and collections.

Thursday, September 9, 2021 – The Delta variant, COVID-19 booster vaccines and reinstating safety measures
In a state with a vaccination rate of just 44 percent, the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma reports a tribal employee rate of more than 70 percent. More than 90 percent of eligible tribal members in Virginia have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. In states with low vaccination rates and high COVID resurgence numbers, many tribes are far outpacing their non-tribal neighbors and adhering to safety guidelines. We’ll hear from health experts and tribal leaders about the messages that are connecting with tribal citizens.

Friday, September 10, 2021 – “Exposure” art exhibit voices nuclear frustrations
Indigenous artists from North America and beyond document their relationships with nuclear testing and uranium contamination in their homelands in “Exposure: Native Art and Political Ecology,” an exhibit at the IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico. We’ll speak with curators and artists about the exhibit that combines frustration with the power of artistic expression.