Monday, January 13, 2020 – Australia’s lesson on fire management
The bush fires in Australia have burned an estimated 20-million acres, claiming at least 24 human lives and countless wild animals. The size and severity of the fires have touched off debates about climate change and forest management. The country is suffering a crippling drought and record high temperatures. Some aboriginal leaders in Australia say traditional controlled burns might have prevented such devastation. We’ll look at what’s happening in Australia and learn more about the benefits of blending traditional fire management with modern day practices.

Tuesday, January 14, 2020 – Hooked on ice fishing
Northern tribes have long ice fishing traditions. But today the sport has also evolved into an economic endeavor for tribes. Anglers bore holes in thick lake ice and drop a baited hook in. Some cut a large rectangle and wait with a fishing spear. We’ll hear from expert ice fishers about their passion and the different methods and secrets for the sport.

Wednesday, January 15, 2020 – MMA: Native fighters in the ring
Mixed Martial Arts has a dedicated Native following, both as a competitive sport and as a fitness regimen. Some Native MMA fighters are making names for themselves as pros, including Nicco Montaño (Diné) and David Michaud (Oglala Lakota). We’ll hear about the appeal of the sport and how fitness enthusiasts find inspiration in the intense mental and physical discipline required to go toe-to-toe with an opponent in the ring.

Thursday, January 16, 2020 – Community Spirit culture keepers
Corine Pearce (Redwood Valley Rancheria Little River Band of Pomo Indians) weaves traditional Pomo baskets and cradleboards. But many of the grasses, ferns and trees she uses to practice her tradition burned in the California fires, so she is replanting and teaching others to ensure a future for her craft. She is among the 2020 Jennifer Easton Community Spirit Awards honorees. We’ll talk with her and others about their work and efforts to pass on the tradition of making art.

Friday, January 17, 2020 – Reindeer and caribou
Reindeer, and their very close cousins, caribou, have physical traits that help them thrive in Arctic and sub-Arctic areas. They include blood vessels that minimize heat loss and hoofs that help them walk on snow. That makes them important sources of sustenance for Inuit, Gwich’in, Sami and other peoples in the same regions. While some people rely on hunting among the herds of wild caribou, others have domesticated the animals. Either way, they have remained a key species for millennia. Climate change, overhunting and habitat loss are among the threats to wild species. We’ll hear more about the importance of reindeer and caribou and their strong cultural relationship to the people they’re connected to.

Monday, January 6, 2020 – Temporary agreement at Mauna Kea standoff
The road to Hawaii’s Mauna Kea is open for the first time since July. Backers of the Thirty Meter Telescope say they’re putting off plans for the $1.6 billion project for at least the next two months. Officials withdrew any law enforcement presence that has been in place since opponents of the project blocked the road prevent construction crews from reaching the top of the sacred mountain. Opponents of the project say they have time now to switch focus to providing a more permanent solution. We’ll get an update on the on-going fight over construction of the new telescope on Mauna Kea.

Tuesday, January 7th, 2020 – Helping homeless Native Americans
Homeless advocates in Minneapolis say the city’s plans to help Native homeless people fall short. Activists recently occupied the location that previously held a homeless encampment of mostly Native people. The original encampment prompted city leaders to try and work toward a solution that includes construction of a temporary shelter. In Seattle, homeless Natives can now find temporary housing in modular trailers. The housing village offers more than just a place to stay. It’s part of a program that includes culturally appropriate services to help residents find permanent homes. In this hour we’ll explore what is being done to address homelessness in Native America and the pervasive challenges that remain.

Wednesday, January 8, 2020 – Native In the Spotlight: Tiffany Midge
Tiffany Midge’s (Hunkpapa Lakota) 2019 collection of personal essays, “Bury My Heart at Chuck E. Cheese’s,” is her own take on identity, politics and colonialism. It adds up to a revealing and often humorous memoir for the award-winning writer of poetry, opinion and humor pieces and social media posts. Her work garnered a fellowship at the University of Kansas and a column in “Indian Country Today” and she served as the poet laureate for Moscow, Idaho. Among the achievements she lists in her bio are a “sparkling personality,” a “member of the Raiders of the Lost Arch Support,” and was “voted least likely to be impaled by Narwals.” Midge is our January Native In the Spotlight.

Thursday, January 9, 2020 – It’s shoe game time!
In the Southwest, the Navajo shoe game is a big draw for storytelling and games in winter. It’s essentially a guessing game but it’s laced with songs, origin stories and some valuable life lessons. In the Great Lakes, males play Makazinitaagewin, or moccasin game. It’s a different kind of guessing game with as much culture, music and community bonding. We’ll hear more about shoe games and how they incorporate and preserve Native culture.

Friday, January 10, 2020 – Where do Native voters stand on impeachment?
Donald Trump is only the third U.S. president to be impeached. Chances are extremely thin he’ll actually be removed from office. But the process, like the president himself, prompts strong opinions among elected leaders and the voting public. We’ll review the impeachment process so far and talk with Native political experts about how it’s being viewed by voters.

Monday, December 30, 2019 – Remembering those who walked on in 2019
We’re taking time to celebrate the lives of some of the Native people we lost this year.
The life of hip hop artist Wake Self, whose given name was Andrew Martinez (Apache) was tragically cut short before his latest album was set to release. We’ll talk with his close friend Def-i about his life and legacy. We’ll also remember other notable people who died, and we’ll take your calls.

Tuesday, December 31, 2019 – Book of the Month: 2020 Salina Bookshelf Calendar
It’s time to turn the page on another year. We’ll help you visualize your new year with the 2020 Salina Bookshelf Calendar. It is not only a look at the months ahead, but also a lesson in the Navajo Nation’s culture and language. It lists the months and days of the year and marks the moon cycles. At the same time it highlights the work of renowned Navajo artists including Baje Whitethorne Sr., Emmett Navakuku, Peterson Yazzie and Corey Begay. We’ll start counting the days of 2020 with our December Book of the Month.

Wednesday, January 1, 2020 – Honoring Ponca Chief Standing Bear
It was a relatively simple act: Ponca Chief Standing Bear left his reservation in 1878 to bury his son on the tribe’s ancestral land in Nebraska. But the journey would lead to a major federal court decision establishing Native Americans as people under the law. The U.S. Government argued “an Indian is neither a person nor a citizen.” The state of Nebraska is honoring Standing Bear as a civil rights leader with a statue in the U.S. Capitol. We’ll review Standing Bear’s legacy and his remarkable accomplishment during a troubling time in history. (This is an encore show from Dec. 11, 2019).

Thursday, January 2, 2020 – Starting the new year with inspiration
Every January is a time for new beginnings and resolutions. We’ll get you off on the right foot with some positive vibes from some inspirational people. Whether it’s studying harder, finding more patience or reaching physical fitness goals, our guests can offer some encouraging words to get you off on the right foot.

Friday, January 3, 2020 – Our animal friends
Are you a dog person or a cat person? Maybe you’re more partial to hedgehogs or iguanas. Our pets earn a special place in our hearts and it’s time to give them some attention. Whether you like goldfish or golden retrievers, our guests will offer insights on why pets are so important in our lives and give advice on how to best take care of the animal members of our households.

Monday, December 23, 2019 – Native holiday music
Musicians find inspiration in love, heartbreak and…the holidays. It’s the time of year when songs about winter, snowmen, sleigh bells and festive lights fill your playlist. Native songs celebrating the season include covers of classic holiday songs with Native instruments and languages. You don’t want to miss out on the throat-singing version of Carol of the Bells.. Native musicians also compose their own originals about Christmas in the Pueblos, winter solstice and dogsled rides. We’re giving the gift of the sweet sounds Native holiday music.

Tuesday, December 24, 2019 – The year in Native pop culture
Baby Yoda and the Woman Yelling at the Cat meme dominated our social media feeds in 2019. The year was also filled with films, music and hashtags that Native audiences relate to. We’re reliving some of the highs and lows of 2019 and putting our finger on the pulse of the coming year in popular culture.

Wednesday, December 25, 2019 – Music Maker in Review
We heard the musical talents from members of the Swinomish, Tlingit, Mohawk, Cree, and Navajo nations among many others in 2019. They told us a lot about their music and their tribal roots. In this special show, we’ll get to sample all of our Music Makers from the past year. We’ll take the hour to recap memorable moments from our visits with the song carriers of our time.

Thursday, December 26, 2019 – What we were reading in 2019
A graphic anthology that includes 150 years of Canadian history from an Indigenous perspective; a collection of poems by Native women focusing on gratitude; and a story about a Cherokee middle-schooler’s enlightening road trip. All of these are books on the American Indians in Children’s Literature “Best of 2019” list. We’ll talk with Debbie Reese (Nambe Pueblo) about her favorite books by Native authors for young people that she curled up with this year. We’ll also check in with Indigenous librarian, Catherine Baty (Big Sandy River Mono Nation), about her favorite Native books she read this year. And author Cynthia Leitich Smith (Muscogee Nation) gives us a preview of “Heartdrum,” a Native-focused imprint of HarperCollins Children’s Books.

Friday, December 27, 2019 – December in the News
The governor of Hawaii is pulling state law enforcement personnel from Mauna Kea. What does this mean for the months-long demonstrations against the Thirty Meter Telescope? Also two Native members of Congress voted to impeach President Donald Trump, two did not. Where does the process go from here? These stories and more in our round-up of important Native news.

Monday, December 16, 2019 – A Sober Christmas Story
The holiday season offers more opportunities to celebrate with family and friends. A poll (by the makers of a hangover recovery product) last year found Americans double their alcohol consumption between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. For people who choose sobriety, this time of year can be a challenge to get through with so many temptations or feelings of alienation from friends who imbibe. In this program, we’ll talk about staying sober through the holidays.

Tuesday, December 17, 2019 – The art of crafts
A powwow or Native community event isn’t complete without the arts and crafts section. Among the jewelers’ and artists’ tables are booths displaying mostly inexpensive art pieces that are hand-sewn, glue-gunned, glittered and painted. These items and the craftspeople who make them don’t always get the spotlight, but their presence is ubiquitous. We’re giving them some well-deserved attention and talking about the art of the craft.

Wednesday, December 18, 2019 – Minnesota’s Native home
An Ojibwe men’s moccasin game, a birch bark box from 1890 and a star quilt made by a Dakota artist are just a few of the items found in Our Home: Native Minnesota, a new permanent exhibit at the Minnesota History Center. In addition to historical artifacts, the exhibit also includes hands-on activities and art from contemporary Ojibwe and Dakota artists. But those who worked on the exhibit will tell you it’s much more than a collection of information about the history and current lives of Native people in Minnesota, it is about resiliency and healing. We’ll talk with the curators about how this exhibit and what inspired it.

Thursday, December 19, 2019 – Gaming standoff in Oklahoma
Oklahoma governor Kevin Stitt (Cherokee Nation) believes a compact signed with 31 tribes in the state expires on January 1st and he wants to renegotiate the fees the tribes pay to the state. Tribes say the compact renews automatically, and have walked out of recent negotiations with the state. It’s most likely headed for the courts. At stake are 76,000 jobs and more than $100,000,000 in revenue that benefits Oklahoma public schools. We’ll talk with experts about how common it is for states to battle with tribes over compact fees.

Friday, December 20, 2019 – Native In the Spotlight: Fawn Sharp
The new president of the National Congress of American Indians brings more than a decade of experience as the president of her tribe, the Quinault Indian Nation. Here are some fast facts about Fawn Sharp: she graduated from college at age 19, she was an administrative law judge for the Washington State Department of Revenue, and last year she was instrumental in getting the Washington State Attorney General’s office to obtain free, prior and informed consent before initiating a project that affects tribes. We’ll learn about what drives Fawn Sharp and her hopes for NCAI.