Monday, January 14, 2019 – The high cost of heat
Heating bills are projected to be a little higher this winter according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s Winter Fuels Outlook. Expect to pay around 3 percent more if you heat with electricity, 5 percent more for gas and 20 percent more for home heating oil. The main reason for the increase is the higher fuel costs. In states like Alaska, North Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin, where temperatures can drop to -40, heating costs are a major burden and even a safety issue. Tribal programs like the Gwich’in Solar and Energy Efficiency in the Arctic Project and U.S. Government aid, like the Low Income Home Energy

Tuesday, January 15, 2019 – The end of modern-day prohibition
A hundred years before the United States passed a constitutional amendment banning alcohol, Congress banned alcohol sales and production on reservations. The country quickly repealed Prohibition, but the reservation ban remained. That is until President Trump signed the law opening up alcohol manufacturing on Native land in December. For the first time in almost 200 years, tribes can now establish distilleries on reservation land. The Chehalis Tribe already has plans to open a distillery on their reservation in Washington State. Other than the obvious inequity based on race, the main reason to toss the outdated prohibition law is to tap into a growing trend for further economic development.

Wednesday, January 16, 2019 – The Wet’suwet’en stand-off
A tenuous agreement halted a tense, ongoing scuffle between Wet’suwet’en First Nations protesters and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. For now, the hereditary chiefs and members of the Unist’ot’en Camp agree to let workers from TC Energy (formerly TransCanada Corp.) onto unceded territory land in British Columbia slated for gas pipeline construction. The confrontation resulted in 14 arrests after a court ordered the protesters to take down barricades on the main road to the property. The traditional leadership is at odds with the First Nation’s elected chiefs over the pipeline. We’ll get a look at what’s at stake and what’s next in this latest pipeline construction flare-up.

Thursday, January 17, 2019 – Native women take office
The election is over and, after a record year for Native women candidates, it’s time to get down to business. From Congress to state houses to tribal councils, there’s more total Native women representation than at any other time. We’ll hear from some of the new elected leaders about their priorities as they settle into their respective offices. Will increased representation translate to increased action?

Friday, January 18, 2019 – The Indigenous Peoples March
Missing and murdered women, Indian child welfare, oil pipelines, and police abuse are among the many issues marchers hope to address during the first ever Indigenous Peoples March in Washington D.C. Organizers expect as many as 10,000 people from all over the world to raise awareness of human rights and environmental injustices faced by Indigenous people all over the world.

Monday, January 7, 2019 – Notable books for young readers
We carry on a tradition by devoting an hour to looking back at some of the outstanding books for young people published in the last year. Debbie Reese (Nambé Pueblo), founder of American Indians in Children’s Literature blog, will discuss her annual list of standouts. We’ll also hear from Dallas Hunt (Cree), author of “Awâsis and the World Famous Bannock” and Roy Boney (Cherokee), whose essay titled “Tell It In Your Own Way” is published in “We Rise, We Resist, We Raise Our Voices.”

Tuesday, January 8, 2019 – The art and beauty of porcupine quills
Plains tribes used dyed porcupine quills to adorn clothing, dolls and other items (called quillwork) before the introduction of beads. Many Native artists still choose to express themselves with the art form that begins with many hours of meticulous quill harvesting from porcupines—which may or may not still be alive. It also requires involved processing that includes flattening and dyeing the quills. The resulting work is vivid and unique. Join our conversation with some contemporary Native quillworkers about this traditional art form.

Wednesday, January 9, 2019 – The 2018 Farm Bill
The new $867 billion Farm Bill just signed President Donald Trump is getting praise from tribes, Native farmers and advocates. One Native agriculture organization calls the number of Native-related provisions “unprecedented”. It also means access to more USDA programs and some changes for tribal food producers and the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (commodity foods program). The bill also legalizes hemp opening doors to tribes getting into the industry.

Thursday, January 10, 2019 – Jesuits’ abuse of Alaska Native women and girls
The Catholic Church ignored the abuse of Native women and children by Jesuit priests in Alaska. That’s one of the revelations from a 19-month-long investigation by the Center for Investigative Journalism and the Northwest News Network. The reporting also found the church shuffled offending priests around, sometimes to other Alaska Native villages and ultimately offered them a retirement sanctuary in Washington state. We’ll talk with the one of the reporters from the project and a survivor featured in the report.

Friday, January 11, 2019 – Native in the Spotlight: Aaron Yazzie
Aaron Yazzie’s (Navajo) work is literally out of this world. Lately, the NASA mechanical engineer’s main job is designing the machinery gathering information 140 million miles away on the surface of Mars. In November he and his fellow scientists celebrated the end of an anxious six months, waiting for the successful flight and deployment of the unmanned Mars lander, InSight. We’ll hear about his own journey from the Navajo Nation to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Monday, December 31, 2018 – Notable shows from 2018
The Native America Calling staff picks some shows that stand out from the last year. From ‘chicken scratch’ music in Tohono O’odham Nation to unwarranted police checks on Native college students, we’ll relive some of the moments of live radio from 2018 that made an impression. What was your memorable moment?

Tuesday, January 1, 2019 – What does it take to be a ‘genius’?
We’re starting the New Year by striking a balance between art and academics. We talk with two Native women who were named MacArthur Foundation Fellows. The awards are also referred to as “Genius Grants”. Rebecca Sandefur (Chickasaw) is an associate professor in the Department of Sociology and the College of Law at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She is credited with innovative approaches to civil justice for low-income people. Poet Natalie Diaz (Mojave) was a professional basketball player before earning her MFA in poetry. She is language activist and uses her art to highlight the joys and pitfalls of reservation life.

Wednesday, January 2, 2019 – The push to free Tokitae
The Lummi Tribe is hoping 2019 will be the year an orca named Tokitae is freed from captivity. Named ‘Lolita’ by Miami’s Seaquarium, the animal has lived and performed in a man-made tank since 1970. The tribe and a host of animal rights groups are putting pressure on the Seaquarium to return her to her home pod in and around Puget Sound. The push to return the orca is part of a bigger effort to bring attention to the health of the marine ecosystem that is part of the Lummi’s ancestral territory. We’ll talk with Lummi representatives and others about Tokitae and the traditional importance of orcas.

Thursday, January 3, 2019 – Indigenous tea time
Beverages made from plants like green thread, bear root, sassafras and stinging nettles make up a variety of drinks that we might refer to as ‘tea’. Tribes continue to utilize a variety of leaves, roots, berries and other ingredients to create traditional drinks or medicine. We’ll get a . Green thread, bear root, sassafras and stinging nettles (to name a few) all make delicious and healthful drinks. In this program, we’ll explore the different flavors and health benefits of Indigenous tea. What local, Indigenous teas are you steeping?

Friday, January 4, 2019 – The cost of a federal government shutdown
As the partial government shutdown stretches into its third week its effects are starting to surface. Elected leaders’ inability to agree on a funding plan has furloughed thousands of Bureau of Indian Affairs employees and suspended some Indian Health Service operations. The main disagreement is over funding for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, one of President Donald Trump’s priorities. We’ll talk with employees and Native organizations about how the shutdown affects Native America.

Monday, December 24, 2018 – Winter storytelling traditions
Many tribal nations have a winter storytelling traditions. The snow, longer nights and low temperatures lend themselves to sharing cultural lessons. On this show, we’ll hear the Navajo story of the “The White Beetle and the Holy Ones” and the “Creation of Canyon de Chelly”. We’ll also get insights from Native storytellers about their craft and passion.

Tuesday, December 25, 2018 – Music Maker in review
We’re keeping with a tradition, presenting our annual look back at the artists who generously offered their music and inspiration on Native America Calling. Buffy Sainte- Marie, Nataanii Means, Supaman and Sage Bond are just a few of the names that appeared on our airwaves this past year. It’s a prerecorded show, so sit back, relax and listen to this reflection on the year in Native musical artistry.

Wednesday, December 26, 2018 – Native language courses for credit
Some non-tribal colleges offer Native language studies. Students who sign up are often either honing their existing language skills or are committing to reconnect with their mother tongue. For the latter, it’s somewhat tougher to pick up language fluency as a young adult. We’ll discuss the pros and cons of learning Native languages in a college setting.

Thursday, December 27, 2018 – The dangerous smoking trend
Smoking rates among Native Americans increased in the most recent (2016) report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That goes against the declining trend for the rest of the population. At the same time, Native Americans as a group remain the heaviest tobacco smokers and Native women outpace men. Knowing all the health consequences, why are Native Americans bucking the trend toward more healthy habits regarding smoking?
(Photo: Albert Izquierdo via Flickr/CC)

Friday, December 28, 2018 – December in the News
As the year comes to a close the Trump administration got the federal government in another shutdown debate. Also, after promising more efficiency and transparency, Dept. of Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke resigns in a cloud of investigations. We’ll talk about those issues and an update on a troubling incident involving Native students at a New Mexico high school during our new round-up.

Monday, December 17, 2018 – Mental illness and police use of force
A jury cleared a former Omaha police officer this month in a violent and fatal confrontation with a Rosebud Sioux man with mental illness. The incident and resulting trial raises further questions about police interactions with Native Americans and others with mental illness. Omaha’s police chief fired the four officers who repeatedly punched and used a Taser stun gun on Zachery BearHeels, who died from what a medical examiner describes as “excited delirium.” We’ll get an update and explore some of the solutions identified for police interactions with people with mental illness.

Tuesday, December 18, 2018 – A conversation with Gabriel Ayala
Classical guitarist Gabriel Ayala (Pascua Yaqui) is a man of many talents. In addition to being an award winning musician, he is a motivational speaker and recently started his own form of ledger art. He’s busy working on two upcoming recordings and two books. Last year he auditioned for the reality show, America’s Got Talent, but was told his musical ability was too well-established. To top it all off, the Phoenix Indian Center named him “Man of the Year”. We’ll chat with him about his inspirations and plans for 2019.

Wednesday, December 19, 2018 – Coping with anger
Anger is a natural emotion we all occasionally experience. But it can get out of hand for some people without the right coping mechanisms. That can cause lasting divisions with relationships or problems at work. Tribes are turning to anger management programs to try and offset serious societal ills like domestic violence. We’ll discuss effective ways to deal with anger in a health way.

Thursday, December 20, 2018 – Confronting modern day forced sterilization
As many as 100 Native women say medical professionals in Saskatchewan coerced them into surgical sterilizations. If true it’s a troubling resurrection of a despicable practice Native people had hoped was well in the past. The women are now part of a class action lawsuit against the regional health care system and the federal government. The UN Committee Against Torture recommends Canada adopt laws to criminalize the involuntary sterilization of women. We’ll find out the extent of the current allegations along with the historical context of sterilizing Native women.

Friday, December 21, 2018 – Book of the Month: As Long as the Sun Shines
by Janet Rogers
The title for Janet Rogers’ (Mohawk/Tuscarora) newest collection of poems comes from a line in the treaty, known as the Two Row Wampum, between Dutch settlers and the Haudenosaunee in the early 1600s. It envisions a perpetual coexistence between Indigenous people and European immigrants. Rogers is a poet, artist, radio broadcaster and documentary producer who channels her unique Indigenous perspective and recent international travels into an emotional set of writings. She connects her personal experiences with cultural wisdom.