Monday, May 27, 2019 – Remembering artist and musician T.C. Cannon
For Memorial Day we revive a special remembrance of Caddo/Kiowa artist T.C. Cannon. A new exhibition of his paintings, works on paper, poetry and music is now at the National Museum of the American Indian. It reflects the influences on his work, including his upbringing in Oklahoma and his service during the Vietnam War. This remembrance features friends, members of his family, and others who were inspired by his work.

Tuesday, May 28, 2019 – Detecting Hepatitis C earlier saves lives
Millions more Native Americans should be getting tested for Hepatitis C. That’s according to new recommendations by the Indian Health Service. IHS greatly expanded its recommendation for the age groups at risk of the potentially fatal infection. Previously, IHS deferred to the recommendation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that those born before 1965 get tested. The new recommendations reflect growing concern that Hepatitis C mortality rates for Native Americans are twice the national average. We’ll talk with health professionals who say catching infections earlier gives a better chance of treating and even curing the disease.

Wednesday, May 29, 2019 – Mental Health First Aid
People often take courses on how to help someone with a serious injury or health emergency. Responding appropriately to a mental health crisis can be just as valuable. Mental health professionals now offer training called mental health first aid. The program teaches people how to recognize signs of mental distress whether it’s brought on by anxiety, mental illness or substance use. It gives people tools for responding to someone in crisis. We’ll hear more about the training and how it’s helping people in Native America.

Thursday, May 30, 2019 – Congratulations Class of 2019!
It’s the time of year students sit through long graduation ceremonies with notable speeches to pick up their diplomas. But graduation day marks years of hard work and dedication.As graduates prepare for the next chapter in their lives, we take the opportunity to celebrate their achievements. We’ll hear from educators, graduating seniors and their parents to help us honor the Native Class of 2019.

Friday, May 31, 2019 – May in the news
The Supreme Court affirmed treaty rights in the case of a Crow tribal member charged with hunting without a license in Big Horn National Forrest in Wyoming. The court ruled the 1868 Fort Laramie Treaty granted rights to hunt in traditional territory. We’ll talk with a legal expert about what the ruling could mean for other cases. Also we’ll talk with U.S. Representative Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ) about his priorities as chair of the House Committee on Natural Resources. And we’ll check in with ongoing efforts to include Indigenous people in California’s public school curriculum.

Monday, May 20, 2019 – Artwork to heal
Art classes in high schools are often seen as extras and are among the first to be cut during tight budget times. But programs for Native youth utilize various expressions of art as a way to confront serious problems like depression, anxiety, substance abuse and traumatic stress. Art therapy is aimed at healing historical and inter-generational trauma. It’s more than expressive painting and sculpture. Some programs are backed by sophisticated strategies for bringing traumatized young people to a solid emotional setting for growth and healing. We’ll hear about how art therapy is making a difference for Native young people.

Tuesday, May 21, 2019 – Passion for language
Some people come to learn and teach their Native language with a sense of urgency as fluent speakers dwindle. Others simply have a desire to connect with their culture. There are many ways people are inspired to devote time and effort to revitalize language. We’ll hear examples of how individuals chose to connect with their languages and what rewards and challenges they face along the way.

Wednesday, May 22, 2019 – Music Maker: Maoli
The Native Hawaiian band Maoli is a favorite among music lovers not only in Hawaii but nationwide. Their sixth album “With Love” blends a strong reggae beat with jazz and blues. The band has been growing its sound for more than a decade and is on tour introducing their smooth harmonies to more audiences.

Thursday, May 23, 2019 – Tribes and Trump’s trade war with China
When the trade war with China first started heating up, a tribally-owned seafood company in Washington State scaled back harvests fearing negative effects on their international trade. Now, the president is upping the ante with additional tariffs, sending new worries across agriculture, technology and food industries. In addition, the trade war threatens to raise the price on consumer goods that Native people use on a daily basis. We’ll take a look tribal international trade and get a Native perspective on the current trade war with China.

Friday, May 24, 2019 – Native game wardens: on patrol for wildlife
Game wardens are responsible for issuing and enforcing fishing and hunting licenses. But their duties go far beyond that. Federal conservation officers are also watching out for fraudulent Native arts and crafts. Federal officers work closely with tribal game and fish officials to protect wildlife from poachers and polluters. We explore the roles of tribal and federal game and fish protectors.

Monday, May 13, 2019 – Book of the Month: “There There” by Tommy Orange
Tommy Orange is giving readers a view into contemporary Native life in his book “There There.” This enrolled member of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma is being hailed for his storytelling abilities. The novel was a finalist for the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for fiction. His book takes readers into the lives of several characters in Oakland, California. They both find and lose themselves in the urban setting, wrangling the tangles of life and defining their Native American identity. We visit with Tommy Orange and our May Book of the Month.

Tuesday, May 14, 2019 – Peer counseling: being a good relative to each other
Compassion, empathy, and what practitioners call ‘assertive communication’ are among the ways young people connect with each other through peer counseling. It involves learning a set of skills to recognize when people around you might need emotional help. The practice is producing results in Pine Ridge’s Little Wound School in South Dakota. We’ll hear from guidance counselors and others about what peer counseling is and how Native youth are using it to help each other.

Wednesday, May 15, 2019 – Gaps in consultation
The government is falling short on consultation with tribes on major infrastructure projects. That’s according to a recent U.S. Government Accountability Office report. Some complaints from tribes include dismissing tribal input, a lack of respect for government-to-government relationships and consultation invitations coming too late in the process. Federal agencies have complaints of their own, including a lack of accurate tribal contact information and poor coordination when multiple federal agencies are involved. We’ll get a run-down of what’s in the report and talk about recommendations for improvement.

Thursday, May 16, 2019 – Tribes and tornado season
About one thousand tornadoes touch down in the United States every year and they can be deadly. One person was killed and 25 others injured in April when a tornado struck a culture festival at Caddo Mounds Historical Site in Texas. The Kiowa tell of a being resembling a horse that whips around its lizard tail to create tornadoes. The Kiowa’s Silver Horn Calendar, which dates back to the early 19th Century, includes a drawing of the Storm-Maker Red Horse during a particularly bad tornado season in 1905 the calendar calls Great Cyclone Summer. We’ll focus on tribes’ connections to tornadoes as well as the latest in preparing for them.

Friday, May 17, 2019 – “I’m your No. 1 Fan!”
Fans, and their wallets, are the lifeblood of creative and talented performers and they come in all shapes and sizes. They are parents sitting in the bleachers at a basketball game, they’re friends who were there at the first gig in an empty bar and they are online sharing kudos about an author’s new book. What are you a fan of?

Monday, May 6, 2019 – The drive to solve the MMIW problem
The four Native American members of Congress just introduced a bill to create an advisory committee on missing and murdered Indigenous women. Some states like New Mexico and Wyoming assembled task forces to address the issue. Washington State is requiring the State Patrol to establish “best practices” for investigating missing Native Americans. Will more task forces, research reports and policy guidelines help solve the ongoing problem that disproportionately harms Native women? We’ll hear about some of the latest efforts and hear from experts about what the most promising approaches are.

Tuesday, May 7, 2019 – Caring for relatives with dementia
People with dementia frequently can’t perform many of the basic functions of life, including feeding, cleaning and dressing themselves. Those tasks often fall to relatives, who must also cope with the confusion, anxiety and hostility that can accompany the disease. A 2016 study published in the Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association found Native Americans have among the highest rates of dementia. We’ll discuss the latest thinking on the best ways to care for loved ones with dementia. We’ll also get advice for those taking on the role of caregivers.

Wednesday, May 8, 2019 – Resources for crime victims
The U.S. Department of Justice is in the process of distributing about $100 million to tribal victim support programs. The money comes from federal criminal fines, fees and special assessments and goes toward victim advocacy, crisis intervention, staff training and individual counseling. The idea is to help reduce suffering and build stronger communities for a population that, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, suffers violent crime at higher rates than others. We’ll get a glimpse of what tribal victims support programs offer and what difference they aim to make in their communities.

Thursday, May 9, 2019 – Revising tribal governments’ building blocks
Taking on the task of changing a tribal constitution can be long and sometimes contentious. The Oglala Sioux Tribe is currently struggling to determine how best to include member input in their constitutional reform effort which includes 50 proposed amendments. The White Earth Nation worked on constitutional reform for years with little progress. The process divided the tribe and prompted the tribal chairwoman to resign. We’ll get updates on some current reform efforts and hear about what to expect if your tribe decides to update its constitution.

Friday, May 10, 2019 – What does it take to be a Native mom?
Becoming a mother means sacrificing time, money and personal comfort to care for another human being. Moms also help pass on cultural knowledge and language to future generations. They also share a special kind of never-ending love that might eventually extend to grandchildren and great-grandchildren. As we head into Mother’s Day we’ll hear from moms about what they think their job description entails and how that’s sometimes different than what they expected.