Monday, January 15, 2018 – Less hostile Hollywood
A story about an army captain escorting a dying Cheyenne chief to his homeland opens in movie theaters nationwide this week. The movie Hostiles, stars Christian Bale, Rosamund Pike, and Wes Studi (Cherokee). The National Congress of American Indians praised the film for a “culturally accurate portrayal of Native peoples.” We’ll talk with Native consultants Chris Eyre (Cheyenne/Arapaho) and Dr. Joely Proudfit (Luiseño) who worked to make sure the film wasn’t another stereotype-filled disappointment.

Tuesday, January 16, 2018 – “Americans”: Exhibition explores Native imagery throughout history
Indian Motorcycles. Apache helicopters. Wigwam Motor Oil. Imagery of and inspired by Native Americans is pervasive in pop culture, advertising, artwork, fashion and film. In many cases throughout history Native images have been used as a mark of identity for the United States. Cigarettes, baking powder, motorcycles, TV character sidekicks, American currency and, of course, sports teams are among the places where the public encounters Native images or words. The National Museum of the American Indian’s new exhibition “Americans” focuses on Native American-themed products and references throughout history in context of how actual Native Americans are treated individually and collectively. We’ll talk with the curators about what the exhibition aims to address.

Wednesday, January 17, 2018 – Native in the Spotlight: Nicco Montaño
Nicco Montaño (Diné) became the first UFC women’s flyweight champion with a broken foot. The TV show “Ultimate Fighter: A New World Champion” followed her efforts to train and ultimately win the championship title. On this show we’ll talk with Montaño about her passion for mixed martial arts, the importance of self-defense and how she feels about being the first to wear the women’s flyweight championship belt.

Thursday, January 18, 2018 – Cannabis businesses on notice
Attorney General Jeff Sessions is cracking down on state’s efforts to legalize marijuana use. A new Department of Justice memo rescinds the Obama-era policy that loosened marijuana prosecutions. What will this new direction mean for tribes getting into the cannabis business? We’ll talk with experts.

Friday, January 19, 2018 — Native bling: Medallions
Beaded medallions are come in all shapes, sizes and colors. Designs include traditional tribal symbols and clan emblems. They’ve branched out to include school colors, sports mascots and even cartoon characters. In this program we celebrate Native America’s favorite beaded ware and try to track down the origins of the craft.

Monday, January 8, 2018 — Native American ambassador…Kaya Jones?
The appointment of Kaya Jones as the Native American representative on a diversity panel ignited a firestorm of pushback, especially on social media. In her role she will ostensibly offer advice on reaching Native voters for the National Diversity Coalition for Trump, a private organization working on behalf of the president. Jones claims to have Apache heritage, but no Apache tribe claims her and her lineage is otherwise unconfirmed. We’ll sort out the facts and try to figure out how one journalist ended up in a heated Twitter argument with Cher.

Tuesday, January 9, 2018 – Understanding lupus
Lupus is sometimes called “the great pretender” because the symptoms for the autoimmune disease can look like other illnesses. Rash, fatigue, fever and joint pain are just a few of the outward signs of lupus. One study in 2014 found that American Indians and Alaska Natives have the highest prevalence and incidence of lupus compared to other groups. We’ll talk with an expert and someone living with lupus about the challenges of this sometimes baffling and painful disease.

Wednesday, January 10, 2018 — Try, try again: learning from business failure
The Bureau of Labor Statistics finds about half of all new businesses fail within the first five years. But failure isn’t always the end of the line. In business, those who learn from failure can come back with new successes. In this program, we’ll talk with Native entrepreneurs about when it’s time to fold and what lessons they learned from business failures.

Thursday, January 11, 2018 – The ongoing tragedy of missing Native American women
The family of Ashley Loring HeavyRunner (Blackfeet) are desperate for information about the 24-year-old. She was last seen in June in Browning Montana. Also, family members of Olivia Lone Bear are offering a reward for information after the 34-year-old mother of five went missing from the Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara Nation in October. The two recent cases are a reminder of what advocates say is a serious issue. Canada has made strides in confronting the problem of missing and murdered Indigenous women. But there remain gaps in information and solutions about Native American women.

Friday, January 12, 2018 – Native languages go social
Students at Ayaprun Elitnaurvik, a Yup’ik immersion language school, are sharing a Yup’ik word of the week through animated YouTube videos. It’s one of the ways the school hopes to generate interest in their language as they face the loss of more and more first language speakers. Can social media expand the use of Native languages?

Monday, January 1, 2018 — Bowling in Native America
(Encore show) Whether you bowled a few games as a kid, or you’re still striving for that perfect 300 game, you know the fun bowling alleys offer in the New Year. The sound of bowling pins crashing at the end of the lane is music to a bowling enthusiast’s ears. The sport has a significant Native following. There is a lot of talent heading to Native bowling tournaments year-round. We talk to a few Native bowlers about the sport and why Native leagues are so popular.

Tuesday, January 2, 2018 – Books for young readers
Colors in the Cree language, the Indian Child Welfare Act, and stealing Native bone marrow are a few of the topics covered in books on one list of the best Native books of 2017. Debbie Reese (Nambé Pueblo) spends her time reading and scrutinizing children’s literature that features Native themes and characters for the blog American Indians in Children’s Literature. Reese helps sort out the exceptional books from those that sink into stereotypes or misinformation.

Wednesday, January 3, 2018 – Scholarships abound
It’s never too early to think about applying for scholarships to help pay for college. There are a number of scholarships available specifically for Native students. The Cobell Scholarship, the American Indian College Fund, the American Indian Graduate Center and The American Indian Science and Engineering Society are just a few organizations that help Native students with college tuition costs. We’ve got a few experts who can offer advice for navigating the scholarship field.

Thursday, January 4, 2018 – Remembering those who walked on
Chief Irving Powless Jr., Daha’tgatdohs, Beaver Clan Chief of the Onondaga Nation walked on in November. The Navy veteran, was known for fighting for the treaty rights of his tribe as well as playing lacrosse. He’s one of the notable people we’ll talk about in our annual show to honor those who walked on in 2017.

Friday, January 5, 2018 — Boys With Braids
A Facebook video of a First Nations boy responding to school bullies at school who teased him because of his long hair has been viewed almost 1 million times. Still, eight-year-old Mylon McArthur insisted his mother cut his braids because he wanted to stop the teasing. Boys With Braids organizers encourage men and boys to wear their long hair with pride and aim to educate others about the importance and meaning of Native hair.

 

Monday, December 25, 2017 — Music Maker in review
Tiger Lee, Raye Zaragoza, Tha Yoties, and Radmilla Cody. Those are just a few of the dozen Music Makers we’ve featured on Native America Calling over the past year. We’re picking out our favorite moments and some choice tunes to liven up your holiday. Sit back and turn up the volume as we hear some graceful melodies and driving beats from some notable Native musicians. This is a pre-recorded show so we won’t take live calls, but feel free to reach out to us on our web page NativeAmericaCalling.com, on Facebook or Twitter.

Tuesday, December 26, 2017 — Native in the Spotlight: Pomaika’i Lyman
Pomaika’i Lyman (Kanaka Maoli) draws her musical inspiration from her late grandmother, “Aunty” Genoa Keawe, an iconic Hawaiian musician who performed in Hawaii and across the world. Pomaika’i’s voice and traditional Hawaiian ha’i melodies have been compared to her grandmother’s. We’re shining the spotlight on Pomaika’i to find out what’s next for her singing career and why she feels it’s important to keep the family’s musical legacy going.

Wednesday, December 27, 2017 — Jewelry: a woman’s touch
Native jewelry makers create wearable art that connects to their culture. In many tribes, men are the ones who work the metal and set the stones for earrings, necklaces, and bracelets. But there are now many Native women jewelry craftspeople. Some perfect traditional designs and materials. Others introduce new, modern elements. We’ll talk with several female jewelry makers about what inspires their expression.

Thursday, December 28, 2017 – Beating the odds: a conversation with Nicco Montaño
Nicco Montaño (Navajo) is the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s first women’s flyweight champion. What’s even more impressive is she won the championship bout with a broken foot. Afterwards her hometown of Lukachukai, Ariz. welcomed her with a parade and a potluck lunch in her honor. The TV show, Ultimate Fighter: A New World Champion followed her journey to the championship title. We’ll talk with Montaño about her passion for mixed martial arts and what it takes to win in the sport.

Friday, December 29, 2017 – December News
As we get ready to ring in the New Year, we’ll also catch up on the news from Native America. From national policy to tribal politics, we take time to regularly speak with journalists, newsmakers and others about the important issues of the day. We’ll also share our top 10 Native news stories from 2017. Join us for our regular news round-up.

Monday, December 18, 2017 — The enduring apocalypse theme
The end of the world as we know it is a popular topic for filmmakers, writers and artists. Current real life events are also fueling apocalyptic discussions. In recent years the scientists and others who control the Doomsday Clock moved the perceived threat to its highest level since the mid-80s. Indigenous people have their own prophesies and signs of the end. They also have unique histories of resilience in the face of colonization, disease, war and foreign invasion. We’ll take on the End of Times from a Native perspective.

Tuesday, December 19, 2017 — Shifting gender discussions
“She,” “he,” “zhe” or “they”? Gender fluidity, transgender, cisgender, non-binary, genderqueer? Just keeping up with the preferred words to talk about someone’s gender is increasingly complicated. In Native America those descriptions are sometimes put into one term: “two-spirit.” We’ll talk about how awareness of gender fluidity is changing for Native Americans and everyone else. We are also asking how those with less-defined gender identity are finding ways to fit in.

Wednesday, December 20, 2017 – Pebble Mine: The Alaska Water Wars
Once nearly dead, the proposal to build a massive open-pit copper and gold mine on pristine wetlands in southwest Alaska is gaining new momentum. The Trump Administration is more favorable to the Pebble Mine project and the company pitching it is promising it will be smaller and more environmentally responsible. Some Alaska Natives representing villages closer to the proposed mine site say it offers much-needed jobs. But resistance against the mine remains strong, especially near the commercial fishing hub of Dillingham. Opponents say just building the mine would damage critical salmon spawning habitat and an accident could be disastrous to the billion dollar fishing industry. We’ll talk with representatives from both sides and hear from a reporter who just completed a five-part series weighing the threat to the environment and Indigenous cultures with the promise of economic benefit.

Thursday, December 21, 2017 – Radio’s next act: Native podcasts
Standing Rock, Native media, and even Indigenous food are some of the topics that a rising crop of Native podcasts tackle. The approaches range from serious and analytical to funny and personal. Media experts say audio podcasts can help bring marginalized issues to light by cutting out the gatekeepers between producers and the audience. At its most basic, all it takes to start is a microphone and something to record on. Edison Research finds about 40 percent of the population has listened to a podcast at least once. Are you one of them? What are your favorite podcasts?

Friday, December 22, 2017 — The new Native TV characters
The Netflix show, “Longmire,” has come to an end. The modern Western police drama broached several Native issues including the Violence Against Women Act, tribal jurisdiction and adoption of Native children by non-Native families. We’ll discuss the show’s triumphs and failures and also hear about some other promising projects that Native screenwriters and actors are bringing to the small screen.