Hot topic: chile’s Indigenous roots
NAC: July 22 -26
Monday, July 22, 2019 – The fight against hantavirus
New Mexico, Colorado and Arizona lead the nation in the total number of hantavirus cases. But infections show up in more than two-thirds of the continental United States. Every year there are a handful of fatalities from complications of the virus that’s spread by mice. Native Americans are particularly susceptible. The mortality rate reported by the Navajo Nation Epidemiology Center is significantly higher than that of the general population. It’s not a new disease, but the first outbreak wasn’t identified until 1993 in the Four Corners area (New Mexico, Utah, Colorado and Arizona). We’ll get an update on efforts to tackle the spread of hantavirus.
Tuesday, July 23, 2019 – Tribes line up against a new Canadian oil pipeline
The Canadian government says it’s moving forward with the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion from Alberta to the west coast of British Columbia. But the proposed $4.5 billion project faces considerable opposition from a number of tribes and Indigenous groups. Construction would mean a new pipeline next to the existing line from Edmonton, Alberta to Burnaby, British Columbia. It would significantly increase the amount of oil flowing to tanker ships going to Pacific nations. Tribes on the U.S. side of the border express concern over the increased potential for a catastrophic oil spill. A coalition of First Nations is suing over a lack of consultation. But another Indigenous group is working on an investment strategy to benefit tribes along the pipeline route.
Wednesday, July 24, 2019 – Hot topic: chile’s Indigenous roots
As New Mexico and Colorado argue about who has the best green chile, let’s not forget the plant’s Indigenous origins. Scientists believe the plant originated as long as 9,000 years ago in Mexico. Different varieties of chiles swept the Americas and became part of many Indigenous communities. Christopher Columbus took a chile plant to Europe. He and other European traders had a hand in spreading it to Africa and Asia. Now, Native seed savers are working to preserve early versions of the plant. We’ll talk about this fiery pepper’s place in Native America, past and present.
Thursday, July 25, 2019 – July Book of the Month: “Her Captive, Her Love” & “Their Land, Their Love: The Return Home” by Evangeline Parsons Yazzie
Some years ago, Navajo author Evangeline Parsons Yazzie set out to bring readers closer to what it meant to be on what is known as the Navajo Long Walk. She decided to do that through a series of fictional stories that follow the lives of different Navajos and the events and people they encountered on the journey. We present the two final volumes in her four-part series “Her Captive, Her Love” & “Their Land, Their Love: The Return Home.” We invite you to take a look at this part of Native history with our July Book of the Month.
Friday, July 26, 2019 – July in the news
A Navajo man is making a bid for the 2020 presidential race. His platform includes re-writing the constitution. Also authorities continue to clash with protesters in Hawai’i over the pending construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope. We’ll get an update from people who are there. And the Red Press Initiative is looking at press freedom in Indian Country. We’ll find out why. We’ll round up the most recent news.
NAC: July 22 – 26
Monday, July 15, 2019 – Culturally appropriate gift shops
Gift shops are an important source of revenue for cultural centers, museums and other Native-owned destinations. But expectations from the public put buying pressure on gift shops to offer tacky Native-themed items like plastic tomahawks, foreign-made dream catchers and T-shirts with stereotypical graphics. We take a look at Native stereotypes in tourist hotspots and discuss the best practices for profitable enterprises.
Tuesday, July 16, 2019 – The Thirty Meter Telescope moves ahead on Mauna Kea
Officials behind the controversial Thirty Meter Telescope are pushing ahead with construction on Mauna Kea despite continued opposition. Native Hawaiians oppose the $1.4 billion project because they say it desecrates the sacred mountain. The plan was buffeted by legal and political challenges for the past 16 years. The state Supreme Court ruled in the telescope organizers’ favor last October. Protesters successfully delayed the start of construction of the major telescope in 2015. Opponents promise sizable and long-term acts of civil disobedience again. State officials say they are prepared for protests.
Wednesday, July 17, 2019 – Music Maker: Northern Cree
“When It’s Cold” by Northern Cree celebrates the culture-rich sound of round dance.
These songs may ring through many communities in the winter months, but this style of sound has made its way into the powwow circle year-round. We’ll visit with this Grammy Award-nominated drum group and sample their latest offering.
Thursday, July 18, 2019 – Gaming the minority construction contract system
An investigation by the Los Angeles Times found the federal government and 18 states awarded at least $300 million in construction contracts to companies that claim to be owned by Native Americans. The contracts are specifically reserved for minority business owners. But the contractors’ heritage claims are unsubstantiated. The contractors say they are members of Cherokee groups like the Northern Cherokee Nation of the Old Louisiana Territory and the Northern Cherokee Nation which are not federally recognized. The investigation into the business owners awarded the contracts found no Cherokee relatives. We’ll talk about the investigation with one of the reporters and explore who qualifies for minority contracts.
Friday, July 19, 2019 – “Between Two Knees” with the 1491s
“Between Two Knees” is the first play from the Native comedy troupe, the 1491s. It’s at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, Oregon through Oct. 27. It’s a biting comedy that the Seattle Times calls “a loose pastiche of irreverent historical satire.” We’ll hear from the 1491s about using comedy and live theater to open a dialogue about systematic oppression.
Telescope construction, protests square off on Mauna Kea
Economic development and healthier choices
NAC: July 8 – 12
Monday, July 8, 2019 – Help for opioid addiction
All Indian Health Service facilities are drafting action plans for patients to seek medication-assisted treatment for opioid addiction. That’s significant because it could mean more IHS patients would have access to methadone, Subutex and other drugs that are showing some promise in combination with behavioral therapy. IHS Principal Deputy Director Michael D. Weahkee set a December deadline for the plans. We’ll talk with doctors as well as people in addiction recovery about treating opioid addiction with medication.
Tuesday, July 9, 2019 – Public safety emergency in Alaska
Rural villages in Alaska are in a public safety crisis. One in three communities in Alaska have no local law enforcement, according to an investigation by the Anchorage Daily News and ProPublica. In some areas, crime victims—often Alaska Natives—must wait hours or even days for officers to respond. In some cases, residents are forced to apprehend people who pose a threat to the public. U.S. Attorney General William Barr declared an emergency, making $10 million of federal money available to boost rural law enforcement. The same day, Governor Mike Dunleavy vetoed $3 million in spending for Village Public Safety Officer positions. In this hour we’ll look into law enforcement in Alaska and what solutions might help.
Wednesday, July 10, 2019 – Wounded Knee dishonor
There’s a push on to rescind the official honors bestowed on members of the 7th Calvary Regiment for their roles in the Wounded Knee Massacre. Ironically, it was a tweet by President Donald Trump that prompted the latest effort to take back the 20 Medals of Honor given after the infamous 1890 attack that killed hundreds of Lakota men, women and children. We’ll hear from Wounded Knee descendants and other stakeholders about how an accurate portrayal of history informs what the federal government considers an ‘honor’.
Thursday, July 11, 2019 – Powwow basics
Dancers and emcees on the circuit are putting hundreds of miles on their cars traveling from one summer powwow to the next. There are fancy dancers, traditional dancers, jingle dress dancers, fancy shawl dancers, grass dancers and chicken dancers. Each of the dances has its own meaning, steps and regalia. We’ll spend an hour breaking down the powwow scene and find out how competition mixes with tradition in the dance arena.
Friday, July 12, 2019 – Native-owned grocery stores: economic development and community asset
Native entrepreneurs and even some tribes see grocery stores as a double win: they help the local economy and provide healthier food options in places where they aren’t often available. The USDA finds many rural areas of Native America are food deserts—areas without grocery stores or farmers’ markets with fresh produce. We’ll hear from Native grocery store owners about what it takes to make to be profitable on their reservations.
List of a bunch of Native-owned grocery stores:
NAC: June 24 – June 28
Monday, July 1, 2019 – Migrant children caught in the middle
Fort Sill, a military post in Oklahoma used to imprison Apaches in the 1860s, is slated to house hundreds of undocumented children. Fort Sill is notably the place where Chiricahua Apache leader Geronimo died as a prisoner of war. It was also an internment camp for Japanese Americans during World War II. Native American and advocacy groups condemn the treatment of migrant children, some of whom are already being housed away from their families in substandard conditions. They also note the troubling ties between the historical blunders and current detentions. We’ll learn what’s known about migrants and asylum seekers in U.S. custody and the policies and conditions that led us here.
Tuesday, July 2, 2019 – Canada’s modern genocide
It took three years and $92 million. Almost 1,500 family members and survivors testified. Canada’s National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls concluded the disproportionate violence against Native women, girls and the LGBTQ2 population amounts to genocide. The commission that prepared the report offered 231 suggestions to remedy the disparities, including creating a national action plan and task force to address unsolved cases. Members of the commission presented the report to Canada’s prime minister during a solemn ceremony this month. We will look into the final report and determine what lessons other nations might learn from it.
Wednesday, July 3, 2019 – Commercialized smudging
Plants such as sage, sweetgrass, and cedar are important for ceremonies and prayer. They’re also readily available online and even at chain stores, marketed as methods to reduce negative energy or for some vague DIY cleansing ritual. Non-Native people are buying them with little information about what they actually do or how they’re used. Some Native people say some natural medicines are getting harder to find. There’s at least one instance of illegal sage harvesting in California. We’ll discuss the traditional roles and uses of Native medicines and find out if there’s a way to get the message across to those who think such ceremonies are open for anyone.
Thursday, July 4, 2019 – Journey to language revitalization
From a sense of urgency to a desire to connect with your culture, there are many reasons to start learning your tribal language. In this encore show (no live calls) we’ll talk with a few different individuals who are learning or teaching their Native languages. We’ll hear why they chose to make the effort and the challenges they face along the way.
Friday, July 5, 2019 – In step with Native marching bands
Marching bands have a place beyond football halftime shows. Native bands like the Navajo Nation Band and A:Shiwi A:Wan Band are community traditions that appeal to crowds at parades and summer community events. Some Native marching bands also offer a musical outlet for adult musicians, some of whom have participated in their community band for decades. We recognize Native marching bands and their years of providing community entertainment.
Indigenous children caught in the middle
NAC: June 24 – 28
Monday, June 24, 2019 – The continuing failure of U.S. funding promises
Criminal justice, health care, education, housing and economic development are all underfunded by the U.S. government, according to a report released by the United States Human Rights Commission. The main findings in the report, Broken Promises: Continuing Federal Funding Shortfall for Native Americans, won’t come as a surprise for most people in Indian Country. In fact, the report’s authors note it is an update to a previous effort in 2003, and they say little has changed in terms of the federal government’s inability to uphold its funding promises for Indian Country. We’ll get analysis of the report and hear from a U.S. Human Rights Commissioner about where to go from here.
Tuesday, June 25, 2019 – The U.S. Supreme Court and Oklahoma reservation land
The Supreme Court is set to decide the fundamentals of a murder case that has implications for jurisdiction in Oklahoma. The basic question revolves around which court should decide the case of a Muscogee man accused of murdering another Muscogee man on traditional Muscogee reservation land. But the decision means a definitive federal legal ruling on the contention the Muscogee Nation and other Oklahoma tribes have held all along: Oklahoma reservation boundaries were never disestablished as the state maintains. We’ll break down the legal case and discuss what changes—and what doesn’t—because of the Supreme Court’s ruling.
Wednesday, June 26, 2019 – Native in the Spotlight: Joy Harjo
The Library of Congress just named Mvskoke poet, author, and musician Joy Harjo the 23rd Poet Laureate of the United States. She is the first Native poet to hold the position. “I share this honor with ancestors and teachers who inspired in me a love of poetry, who taught that words are powerful and can make change when understanding appears impossible, and how time and timelessness can live together within a poem.” We’ll spend the hour with Joy Harjo, our June Native in the Spotlight.
Thursday, June 27, 2019 –Music Maker: Murray Porter
Murray Porter is a Juno Award winning artist and we’ll visit with him about his newest album “STAND UP.” It’s charged with what the Mohawk musician calls a “velvet growl.” But it also has exhilarating blues beats sprinkled with fruitful piano rhythms. The songs take on heavy issues like Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, suicide and the right to clean water. He’s packed some love stingers into the mix too.
Friday, June 28, 2019 – June in the news
A high school class in Yellow Springs, Ohio cancelled a planned debate on whether Native mascots are offensive after a Native parent spoke out. We’ll hear from the parent who told the school the debate is over and the argument is only about how much harm such a discussion causes. We’ll also catch up with the U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Robert Wilkie, about new rules designed to improve access and streamline services for Native veterans. Those stories and more are on our news roundup.
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