Monday, September 16, 2019 – Should Trudeau get another chance?
The Canadian federal election has officially begun. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has until October 21st to convince Canadian citizens that he and his Liberal Party are the best for the job. Pipelines, climate change, immigration and an ethics scandal are all front and center issues during this election. Last time around, in 2015, voting on reservations jumped 14 points to 61 percent, partly on Trudeau’s promises for Indigenous-friendly reforms. We’ll discuss the political parties vying for a spot in the election, and how First Nations, Inuit and Métis fit into the picture.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019 – Helping a loved one through addiction
When an addict’s behavior has ravaged through a family, there comes a time when family members might choose to demand treatment. Personal interventions can include friends, family members, and mental health professionals working to convince the addict to enter treatment. But is intervention right for everyone? In Native America treatment may not be readily available. We’ll talk with recovering addicts and experts about how friends and family can use interventions to get help for the ones they love.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019 – Managing sea lion populations
Sea lions continue to feast on spawning salmon lined up at dams in the Pacific Northwest. Tribes of the lower Columbia River and elsewhere say sea lions, a protected species, are putting a strain on already vulnerable salmon populations. Scaring the animals and relocating them has not worked. NOAA is currently seeking public comment on a plan to remove and kill California and Steller sea lions at two dams along the Columbia River.

Thursday, September 19, 2019 – The National Museum of the American Indian at 15
The Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian in Washington DC is marking its 15th year. The landmark museum was initiated 30 years ago by an act of Congress, which also included the creation of the National Museum of the American Indian in New York. We’ll talk with the director of NMAI in DC, Kevin Gover (Pawnee) about the museum’s 15 years of cultural celebrations, education and exhibits. We’ll also visit with Suzan Harjo (Cheyenne and Hodulgee Muscogee), Presidential Medal of Freedom awardee and a founding trustee of the museum.

Friday, September 20, 2019 – Indigenous cosmetics: highlighting Native beauty
The cosmetics and beauty industry is a $532 billion global business. Over the years it’s changed to include smaller, boutique makeup companies that sell directly to customers. We’ll take a look at gearing products to Native consumers how some Native cosmetic entrepreneurs and makeup artists carve out a space for themselves.

Monday, September 9, 2019 – Indigenous fashion: Using the runway to create dialogue
It’s a given that the fashion runway is about making statements with fabric and design. The catwalk is also being used to tell Indigenous stories and bring awareness to issues that test the strength of our Native nations. We’ll hear from Native designers about the role fashion can play in conveying emotions that come with issues ranging from stolen relatives to colonization to a resurgence of culture.

Tuesday, September 10, 2019 – Star People and stories in the stars
At least 2 million people are signed onto Facebook event page for storming the top secret Nevada military site, Area 51, on Sept. 20. It started as a joke by organizers saying they wanted to find evidence for alien conspiracy theories. We’re taking the opportunity to learn more about the roles Star People and Star Beings play in Native culture and origin stories.

Wednesday, September 11, 2019 – The decision to change genders
A Shoshone-Bannock citizen could be the first prison inmate to have gender confirmation surgery through a court order. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with a lower court judge, ruling that by denying Adree Edmo the surgery while in custody, the Idaho Department of Corrections is violating her constitutional rights. Edmo argues having the surgery is life-saving. She had previously attempted suicide. One 2015 study from the National Center for Transgender Equality found more than half of the Native transgender people included in a larger, national survey said they attempted suicide. We’ll explore the legal implications for the federal court decision and expand the discussion to the factors that go into a person’s decision to have sex reassignment surgery.

Thursday, September 12, 2019 – Brazil’s far-right president fans the flames
Information from Brazil’s National Space Research Institute shows the number of fires in the Amazon tropical rainforest are nearly double what they were last year. There’s no consensus on the cause of the increase, but Indigenous tribes and environmental groups say it’s because the policies under President Jair Bolsonaro encourage land grabs and deforestation by farmers, ranchers and mining companies. Tribal leaders say it’s another example of Bolsonaro’s well-documented hostility toward Indigenous people that poses their most serious existential threat in at least a half century.

Friday, September 13, 2019 – Keep going: motivation to learn your language
Some people have a knack for learning language. Others struggle to keep track of nouns, verbs and syntax. Either way, adult tribal language learners have a big task. Just getting started might seem daunting. And following through and frequent practice are key. We’ll get tips for getting started, keeping going, and passing along your Native language.

Monday, September 2, 2019 — The long path of international repatriation (encore)
Pleas from tribes, elected leaders and the Association on American Indian Affairs were not enough to stop an auction house in France from going ahead with a sale of cultural items earlier this summer. It’s one in a string of auctions by the Paris auction house that chooses to ignore admonitions against the harm they’re causing. The Yaqui Nation has been working for almost two decades to repatriate a sacred Maaso Kova that the tribe says was never meant to be out of the tribe’s possession or on public display. We’ll get an update on some repatriation efforts and what’s being done to influence international traders in cultural items.

Tuesday, September 3, 2019 – Indigenous influence on architecture
Native architects draw from their tribal traditions and collective knowledge for the modern discipline of creating permanent structures. Among the influences for Native architects is using natural building materials and designs that emphasize interaction with the land and each other. From the multi-level pueblo dwellings in the Southwest to the log frame longhouses in the Northwest, tribes have a long history of architecturally significant contributions. And more Native architects are entering the field, adding an important voice that extends Native design, communication and functionality along with individual creativity.

Wednesday, September 4, 2019 – The importance of sleep
There’s a reasonable chance you’re not getting enough sleep. A number of surveys find anywhere from a third to 45% of Americans don’t get the amount of sleep recommended by experts. And the lack of sleep is linked to serious health problems like diabetes, heart disease, depression and obesity according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. One 2017 study of sleep health among Native Americans found a link between poor sleep and anxiety, mood disorders and alcohol dependence. Sleep experts will share their knowledge about the importance of sleep health and ways to get a more substantial night’s sleep.

Thursday, September 5, 2019 – Legislating tribal health
Many tribes organize wellness events and develop programs to educate people about healthy choices and food options. For the most part, involvement is voluntary. Some tribes go a step further to try and improve the health of their citizens. The Navajo Nation president banned throwing candy at the popular Navajo Nation Fair parade. It sparked a public discussion about the best ways to create healthful changes. The Navajo Nation is also known for adding a tax on soda and junk food. What do you think is the best way to go about improving health and wellness in an entire tribal community?

Friday, September 6, 2019 – Music Maker: Spirit Line CD
A chorus of resilient voices have united through song and spoken word to push back against the pervasive issue of gender and sexual violence that challenges our communities. The compilation CD “Spirit Line: Woven Together for Our Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives,” features artistic compositions from different Indigenous nations. We’ll visit with those behind the project to find out how they hope their artistic expressions will create more awareness on the issue of our stolen relatives.

Monday, August 26, 2019 – Native in the Spotlight: Crystal Echo Hawk
It takes constant vigilance and relevant information to battle the barrage of toxic and biased stereotypes. Mainstream media, elected leaders and even school curricula are all prone to perpetuating damaging portrayals of Native people. Fortunately, Crystal Echo Hawk (Pawnee) is a tireless and thoughtful warrior. Her non-profit IllumiNative is focused on changing the narrative about Native Americans through research, media training and education. She is behind the most comprehensive public opinion research project about Native Americans. We’ll talk with Echo Hawk about her path from college in England to her work with Zapatistas and her passion for reclaiming Native truth.

Tuesday, August 27, 2019 – Traditional tattoos
When Marjorie Tahbone (Inupiaq) got permission from her grandmother to get a traditional chin tattoo, she had nowhere to go besides a non-Native tattoo shop in town. The experience ignited her passion to learn traditional Inupiaq tattooing and the culture and traditions behind it. At the first Ancestral Ink symposium, Indigenous tattoo masters and apprentices from tribes in Alaska, California, Canada, New Zealand and Hawaii spoke about reconnecting with the traditional significance of permanently embellishing a person’s skin.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019 – Decolonizing maps
The boundaries of reservations, treaty land and traditional Native territory are all represented by two-dimensional lines on paper. Few, if any, of those lines were ever drawn by Native mapmakers. But Indigenous people have always charted their surroundings in textile designs, drawings, carvings and even in songs. And Indigenous cartographers are finding new ways to map their environment that include interactive digital displays and geospatial technologies. These maps tap into conversations of history, culture, relationships and colonization. We’ll hear from some Indigenous people about both the traditional and new ways of getting a sense of place.

Thursday, August 29, 2019 – Book of the Month: “Apple in the Middle” by Dawn Quigley
Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwe author Dawn Quigley’s debut novel, “Apple in the Middle” follows the identity exploration of a mixed race youth, Apple Starkington, who finds out what it means to be between two cultures. A major life turn causes Apple to return to the world of her Native relatives to confront stereotypes. It also propels her to figure out just where she fits into her Native roots. Find out more on our August Book of the Month with Native author Dawn Quigley.

Friday, August 30, 2019 – Protecting your inventions and ideas
You have a unique invention or business idea. Now what? Good ideas and inventions have the potential to change people’s lives and become a thriving venture for their creators. But turning a concept into an ongoing enterprise requires a number of behind-the-scenes steps. One of those is ensuring the original invention is legally protected. We’ll help navigate the legal side of inventions and map out what it takes to see an idea through to fruition.

Monday, August 19, 2019 –The long journey to protect the Nikwasi Mound
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians are gearing up for a celebration in North Carolina this weekend to honor the return of a sacred mound. It’s been a long journey for the Nikwasi Mound that was once the center of a Cherokee town, but is now surrounded by two busy roads. The mound languished under city ownership and was nearly bulldozed. Now, after years of discussions, the city is transferring control of the land to a non-profit run by tribal members. It’s the last of three mounds to be returned. We’ll hear about the mound’s unique history and the years-long effort to get it returned and protected.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019 – Radio’s enduring connection
It’s National Radio Day and we’re celebrating by highlighting a small sample of the radio stations that maintain an important place in their communities. Native language, music and news are just part of the line-up that goes out over the air every day—all at no cost to listeners. We’ll talk with some of the dedicated people who keep broadcast radio going. They range from low-power stations that have a listening area of a few blocks, to established stations heard miles away. In an age of internet streams, podcasts and digital television, radio continues to serve an important purpose.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019 – Native bush pilots
Some Alaskan villages have no over-land roads so they rely heavily on air transportation. The small aircraft that fly people and supplies in and out of Alaska communities and wilderness are commonly known as bush planes. We’ll talk with Native bush pilots about their passion for flying, what it takes to become a pilot, and hear their stories of memorable flights in Alaska’s renowned and sometimes unforgiving landscape.

Thursday, August 22, 2019 – Highlights from the presidential candidate forum on Native issues
Native issues are front and center at the Frank LaMere Native American Presidential Forum in Sioux City, Iowa. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Sen. Bernie Sanders, former HUD secretary Julián Castro and Mark Charles (Diné) are among the candidates scheduled to face a panel of Native questioners and give their views on Native-specific issues. In other debates, candidates rarely express their perspective on topics like the Trust Responsibility, treaty obligations, and tribal consultation. It’s an unprecedented opportunity to hear what the candidates offer the substantial Native American voting population. We’ll have some of the highlights from the forum and hear perspective about the event.

Friday, August 23, 2019 – Ready for another semester?
As college students get settled into their dorms they’re no doubt pondering all they need to do to have a successful and fulfilling experience at school. Getting to class, taking notes, making time for homework and keeping on top of assignments always presents a challenge. We’ll have some tips on what to expect in the coming weeks and what some of the longer-term deadlines new college students should put in their calendars now.