Monday, May 3, 2021 – How governments can help solve the missing and murdered crisis
U.S. Department of Interior Secretary Debra Haaland created a new unit to seek justice for missing and murdered Indigenous people. The initiative includes the influx of $5 million to review unsolved cases and coordinate work among other agencies and organizations. Oklahoma just instituted a law that requires coordination among state and federal officials on cases involving missing and murdered Native people. These are among the efforts elected leaders have instituted to try and address the problem. We’ll get a view of what’s showing promise in combating the epidemic taking a toll on Indigenous people in the United States.

Tuesday, May 4, 2021 – Expanding the missing and murdered focus
Many advocates focus on solving the problem of missing and murdered women and girls because they are vulnerable to the prevalent violence and neglect that contributes to the problem. But the missing and murdered efforts are expanding to include other groups. A 2016 study funded by the National Institute of Justice found significantly more Indigenous men are missing than women. Native gay and trans men and women are targets of persecution and exploitation, increasing their chances of falling victim to violence. We’ll take a look at some of the groups and individuals who aren’t as prominent in the effort to raise awareness of missing and murdered Indigenous people.

Wednesday, May 5, 2021 – Those left behind
Each missing and murdered Indigenous person retains a connection to family members, loved ones, and friends. Their absence leaves an empty space in their communities and a lifetime of pain and trauma. Unanswered questions surrounding a missing person or unresolved crime just compound the misery. In this hour, family members of missing and murdered people remember their loved ones and discuss the legacy they are forced to carry.

Thursday, May 6, 2021 – The threat to Indigenous people in Canada and Mexico
Indigenous people all over the world are disproportionately represented among those who are missing or murdered. Canada released a national inquiry into missing and murdered women and others in 2019, calling for major reforms among governments, businesses, advocacy organizations and social service providers. The country likely will not meet the deadline this June for an action plan, but lawmakers just allocated more than $2.2 billion to help Indigenous women. In Mexico, the murder of women is becoming one of the country’s top criminal issues. Lack of funding, corruption and poverty all fuel a growing crisis where few of the murders, especially of Indigenous women, are investigated, much less prosecuted. We’ll take time to look at the Missing and Murdered issue in our neighboring countries.

Friday, May 7, 2021 – Sharing awareness through art and culture
Red dresses hanging in forests and government meeting spaces; Red hand prints on people’s faces and shirts; photo portraits of grieving family members. They are among the artistic expressions that raise awareness of missing and murdered Native people to the general public. The issue is a touchstone for creative individuals. We’ll talk with artists about what draws them to the issue and what effect they hope to have.

Monday, April 26, 2021 – Falling for ‘Rutherford Falls’
A new comedy on NBC’s streaming service, Peacock TV, proves border towns can be funny. The setting is a town near the fictional Minishonka reservation. The two main characters, Nathan Rutherford, played by Ed Helms, and Regan Wells played by Jana Schmieding (Mniconjou and Sicangu Lakota) are best friends who are trying to get their communities excited about history and culture. Half of the writers are Native, as are the showrunner and main character. Sierra Teller Ornelas (Navajo) is the first Native American to run a TV comedy. We’ll talk with Teller Ornelas, Schmieding and writer/actor Bobby Wilson (Sisseton Wahpeton Dakota) about this history-making TV series.

Tuesday, April 27, 2021 – Racing against the pandemic
The pandemic is a serious threat to people of all Native nations. But it posed an added danger when Yuchi elder Maxine Wildcat Barnett got sick with COVID-19. She is the last fluent speaker of the Yuchi language. Fortunately she recovered. But it puts into perspective the importance of Native language revitalization programs. Some language instruction turned to online classes and social media to keep up momentum during the pandemic. The Cherokee Nation is among those that prioritized fluent language speakers for the vaccine. We’ll check in with Native language program organizers about how they refuse to let the global pandemic slow the progress of language revitalization.

Wednesday, April 28, 2021 – Book of the Month: “Copper Yearning”
by Kimberly Blaeser
White Earth Ojibwe poet Kimberly Blaeser is helping us celebrate National Poetry Month by sharing her book “Copper Yearning.” It’s full of poems that speak about Native people’s place in the world. That includes the connection to sacred places and lands and waterways that are challenged. Other poetic gems give the details of Native life center stage, down to the ribbon and jingles on a dancer’s dress. Join us for our April Book of the Month and our visit with Kimberly Blaeser.

Thursday, April 29, 2021 – “Super Indian” returns
Hubert Logan, Wampum Baggs, Blud Kwan’Tum and the other characters created by Arigon Starr (Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma) are coming back to life in an audio podcast. It’s full circle for the Super Indian cast that started as radio theater in 2006 distributed by Native Voice One. Starr then developed the idea into a graphic novel. Now the enterprising writer, artist and musician revives the Super Indian story with three installments of a streaming audio podcast. We’ll catch up with Starr as she re-introduces the “Super Indian” team.

Friday, April 30, 2021 – April in the news
The fate of hundreds of millions of dollars in federal coronavirus relief money is now in the hands of the United States Supreme Court. The High Court heard arguments over whether Congress intended to include for-profit Alaska Native Corporations in aid intended for tribes. The arguments hinge on the language of one particularly confusing sentence in the legislation. Also federal health officials are considering resuming the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine after complications surfaced. We’ll talk with a medical professional about the latest. And #NativeNerd Vincent Schilling (Akwesasne Mohawk) will round out the hour with the latest in pop culture including his new favorite show, “Rutherford Falls”.

Monday, April 19, 2021 – Will the Biden Administration act on DAPL?
Tribal leaders and climate activists are at odds with the Biden Administration after a missed opportunity to shut off the flow of oil in the Dakota Access Pipeline. Since the end of the DAPL-supporting Trump Administration, opponents of the pipeline saw a recent federal court hearing as a key chance for Biden to set a new course for the future of the project. Instead, the U.S. Department of Justice neglected to weigh in one way or the other. Biden has already nixed the controversial Keystone XL pipeline expansion and temporarily halted new oil and gas leases on federal land. What does the next four years hold for the direction of the controversial DAPL project?

Tuesday, April 20, 2021 – Holding police accountable
Just north of the courtroom where a police officer is on trial in the death of George Floyd, another officer shot and killed Daunte Wright, an unarmed black man. The Brooklyn Center Police Department acknowledges the shooting was accidental, and charged the officer with manslaughter. Such incidents are gaining higher scrutiny and continue to raise alarm among people of color. At least one analysis of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data finds Native Americans die at the hands of police three times the rate of their white counterparts. We’ll look at what is changing and what still needs to change to prevent the high rates of deaths of Native people and other people of color.

Wednesday, April 21, 2021 – COVID-19 south of the border
Mexico and some Central and South American countries are struggling with the COVID-19 pandemic much more than most of the rest of the world. Mexico’s Health Department estimates the death toll could be as high as 330,000 people in a country with a population a 126 million. Global health organizations blame the country’s lack of investment in testing, treatment and education when it comes to the virus. Making matters worse is a disjointed vaccination effort. Some Indigenous populations are also refusing vaccinations because of mistrust and misinformation. We’ll get perspective on how the pandemic is affecting Indigenous peoples south of the U.S. border.

Thursday, April 22, 2021 – Grieving ecological loss
Native people are traditionally closely associated with the land. Ecological destruction and the loss of land from the effects of climate change can affect Native people’s sense of identity. A pair of researchers gathered stories from Inuit people who suffered grief for the loss of ice and animals they rely on. Tribes continue fights on many fronts to stop further loss of land important to them to mineral extraction, development or flawed government management. On Earth Day we’ll zero in on the link between the land and identity and mental well-being.

Friday, April 23, 2021 – Cultural traditions of spear fishing
Ojibwe fishermen launch their boats in shallow water in the Great Lakes at dusk. They shine flashlights into the water looking for the iridescent shimmer of walleye eyes. In an age-old tradition, they take their catch with a spear. The tradition and tribes’ right to spearfish is affirmed in past treaties and legal decisions. Still, Native fishers face occasional confrontations by uninformed non-Native fishermen. We’ll hear about the cultural significance of spearfishing as well as some history of past political tensions of subsistence fishing.

Monday, April 12, 2021 – Mixed decision for the Indian Child Welfare Act
A federal appeals court struck down some previsions of the Indian Child Welfare Act while upholding others in a complex and sometimes divided 325 page ruling. ICWA advocates express concern about far-reaching implications of the decision by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. At the same time, they find some things to cheer. Those working against ICWA are calling it a partial victory. At issue is the long-standing ability of tribes to keep Native children in Native families. We’ll learn more about the most recent decision and what it means for the future of ICWA.

Tuesday, April 13, 2021 – Elevated alcohol sales concerns health and safety experts
The research firm NielsenIQ noted alcohol sales dipped some in March after a significant surge since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. But sales remain much higher than they were before the pandemic. On top of that, in a study by Iowa State University, women reported drinking more and more often during the pandemic. We’ll look into what’s behind the statistics, and concerns about what they mean for issues like drunk driving and alcohol related health problems that already affect Native Americans disproportionately.

Wednesday, April 14, 2021 – Music Maker: Joy Harjo
With a mix of spoken word and jazzy soul sounds, Muscogee Creek Nation musician Joy Harjo might make listeners want to dance to her new album “I Pray for My Enemies”. But her creations are also meant to make people think and feel. Harjo, the nation’s first Native American Poet Laureate, features words in her Muscogee language layered with graceful jazz. And listeners are treated to her inviting saxophone sounds. Our April Music Maker is a celebration of the music and poetry of Joy Harjo.

Thursday, April 15, 2021 – Correcting the record with inclusion and accuracy
There are plenty of warnings about the accuracy of information on publicly-edited online sources like Wikipedia, but those are one of the first places people go to research a topic. The National Museum of the American Indian is hosting a Wikipedia Edit-a-thon. They want to add entries to the public online encyclopedia, specifically on Native women. Organizers maintain entries are often inaccurate, one-sided or missing. We’ll talk about the state of accurate representation and inclusion in online educational and research resources.

Monday, April 5, 2021 – Getting past fears over the COVID-19 vaccine
Many tribes are leading the effort to vaccinate residents against COVID-19. The Navajo Nation boasts a vaccination rate exceeding 50 percent of its citizens. At the same time, some tribal vaccination efforts are operating below capacity because their citizens remain wary. Even after watching their relatives and neighbors die of the virus at nearly twice the rate of their white counterparts, some Native Americans are leery of the vaccine. We’ll look into the source of vaccination misgivings and hear what health officials are doing to overcome them.

Tuesday, April 6, 2021 – Small-scale Native gardening
It’s that time of year when people are planning and planting gardens with traditional vegetables. But many Native people don’t have the space or time for elaborate cultivated plots. Given the surge of interest in gardening since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, several organizations are offering guidance on small gardens in containers, pots, and on patios and even window sills.

Wednesday, April 7, 2021 – Equitable health care during the pandemic and beyond
Native Americans are suffering a disproportionate toll from COVID-19. That’s in addition to long-standing health disparities when it comes to diabetes, heart disease, addiction and many other health threats. Some Native health organizations are taking on the huge task of closing the health equity gap and ensuring Native people encounter no disadvantages when it comes to access. For World Health Day, we’ll take a look at how historical health disparities inform current and future efforts to achieve health equity.

Thursday, April 8, 2021 – The Native tourism outlook
The pandemic has taken a toll on one of Native America’s leading economic development sources. But that doesn’t mean cultural tourism and gaming are finished. The American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association lists a number of destinations and experiences that remain viable despite the lingering worries about COVID-19. And despite the slow pace of reopened businesses and public spaces, AIANTA and tribal tourism officials are also looking ahead with optimism about the prospects for 2021.

Friday, April 9, 2021 – Another pandemic powwow season
For the second year in a row the Denver March Powwow was cancelled because of the pandemic. The Gathering of Nations will hold a virtual powwow this month. Still, some arenas are open for in-person powwows. Dancers and spectators gathered in February for the Thunder on the Beach powwow in Florida. And the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe is scheduled to resume the Schemitzun powwow this August. We’ll take the hour to discuss how organizers are responding to the pent-up demand for live, in-person powwows and what the 2021 powwow season looks like.