Monday, May 21, 2018 – The cultural perspective of Kilauea
The ash plume, flowing lava and what the U.S. Geological Survey calls “ballistic rocks” from the volcano, Kilauea, are all causing disruptions for people and property on Hawaii’s Big Island. At the same time many Native Hawaiians are taking in the volcanic activity as a time to recognize and honor the presence of the fire goddess Pele. We’ll talk to Native Hawaiians, including cultural practitioners, about traditional ways of understanding volcanic activity.

Tuesday, May 22, 2018 – Music Makers: Quantum Tangle
Tiffany Ayalik and Greyson Gritt are Quantum Tangle. Their debut album “Shelter as we go…” uses their Inuit, Anishinaabe and Métis backgrounds to help their sound spiral out. When you jump into their tracks you are introduced to traditional throat singing mixed with blues, folk and electronic dance samplings. The group prides themselves in being able to educate through music against the colonial slashes of the past that still create challenges today. Join us as we visit with these artists about their latest creation.

Wednesday, May 23, 2018 – The Navajo Nation Treaty of 1868
The Navajo Nation is marking the treaty signing 150 years ago by telling their side of the story. It’s a celebration of resiliency, but it’s also a bitter reminder of suffering. Navajo leaders signed the Treaty of 1868 to release the Navajo people from Fort Sumner, a prison camp 400 miles from their homelands. The forced march back is referred to as The Long Walk. We’ll discuss the importance of the treaty and how it shaped the largest reservation in the country.

Thursday, May 24, 2018 – Indigenous Fashion Week Toronto
Ontario’s capital city is bringing together dozens of First Nations fashion designers and artists for the first time for a four-day event (May 31 to June 3) that includes workshops, panel speakers and runway showcases. Artists include Sho Sho Esquiro, Evan Ducharme, Dorothy Grant, Warren Steven Scott and Meghann O’Brien. We’ll hear from some of the designers about their work in the fashion industry and what makes First Nations fashion unique.

Friday May, 25, 2018 – May in the News
Tribes are helping clear the path in the legal fight against prescription opioid addiction. Tribal sovereignty is a tool tribes are turning to in order to combat rates of addiction for tribal members that far outpaces other populations. We’ll hear from the reporter who paints the human portrait of the cases tribes are making against pharmaceutical companies. We’ll also hear about the significance of Idaho gubernatorial candidate Paulette Jordan’s Democratic primary win in Idaho.

Monday, May 14, 2018 – Book of the Month: “Bowwow Powwow” by Brenda J. Child
This book takes us to a special dance arena, a “Bowwow Powwow.” That’s the title of the children’s book by Red Lake Ojibwe author and illustrator Brenda J. Child. She’s called on language expert Gordon Jourdain and artist Jonathan Thunder to help bring the story to young readers while reinforcing the power of language. Much of the story takes place in dreamtime where the powwow arena turns in to a cultural gathering of dogs. The idea for the book stems from a true Ojibwe tradition.

Tuesday, May 15, 2018 – Native in the spotlight: Tracy Rector
Tracy Rector’s (Choctaw/Seminole) films have been seen by audiences at the Cannes Film Festival, ImagineNative, the Toronto International Film Festival, and PBS. Her latest work, Dawnland, follows Maine’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission to address the removal of Native children from their homes. The other films she’s worked on include Teachings of the Tree People, March Point, and Ch’aak’ S’aagi. Rector describes herself as a mixed race urban Indian, filmmaker and activist. We’ll talk with her about her passion for filmmaking, social justice and what is next for her career.

Wednesday, May 16, 2018 – Native dolls
The materials for doll making vary from tribe to tribe depending on geography: corn husks, palmetto leaves, animal skins and tree bark. And the significance of the dolls also vary. Some tribes have dolls that hold spiritual significance. Others are educational tools for children to learn beading or sewing. We’ll talk about the craft and meaning of Native doll making.

Thursday, May 17, 2018 – The real story of “The Rider”
The movie, “The Rider,” is receiving widespread critical acclaim since its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May of 2017. The Atlantic calls it the best film of 2018 so far. It’s based on the real-life story of a rodeo competitor struggling to recover from a traumatic brain injury. The lead actor, Brady Jandreau, plays a fictional version of himself in the film inspired by his own experience with a. The director, Chloé Zhao, first met Jandreau while working on the 2013 film, “Songs My Brother Taught Me,” which, like “The Rider” was filmed on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.

Friday, May 18, 2018 –The artistic expression of Indigenous sexuality
The members of the all-Indigenous burlesque group, Virago Nation, say they’re on “a mission to reclaim Indigenous sexuality from the toxic effects of colonization.” They recently performed at Vancouver’s all Indigenous art and performance event, Talking Stick Festival and they are part of the upcoming Dancing Into the Light – a Women’s Weekend. They’re among a number of artists incorporating Indigenous touches to express sexuality in creative ways.

Monday, May 7, 2018 – Native perspectives behind the lens
Too often, media outlets turn to photos of powwow regalia and headdresses as the default images to portray Native Americans. At other times, public portrayals of Native Americans skew toward desolate living conditions, stripped down cars and the ravages of alcoholism. A new clearinghouse of Indigenous photographers aims to counter cliché, one-dimensional and insensitive portrayals of Native Americans. The Natives Photograph group is making the work of Native photographers available to news and magazine editors while also making the case for the importance of using work by Native photographers.

Tuesday, May 8, 2018 – Fighting back against invasive species
Knotweed, signal crayfish, zebra mussels and emerald ash borer beetles are among the plants and animals moving into tribal communities where they don’t belong. The invasive species are causing serious damage and changes to ecosystems. The emerald ash borer, for instance, kills ash trees that Native people utilize for traditional and economic development uses. Tribes are working to study invasive species in order to try and minimize the destruction.

Wednesday, May 9, 2018 – Welcoming Native students to campus
Colorado State University in Ft. Collins is offering two Akwesasne Mohawk teens a VIP tour to help make up for a troubling incident when the prospective students were on campus last week. A visiting parent called campus security because she said she felt ‘nervous’ about them. Campus police pulled the students out of their scheduled tour and questioned them before letting them go. Is this an isolated incident or are other Native students also getting singled out campuses?  How are some universities finding ways to welcome Native students? We’ll also talk with higher education experts. We’ll also get an update from Lorraine Kahneratokwas Gray about what’s happened since the story about her two sons first surfaced.

Thursday, May 10, 2018 – Martial arts for fitness and fun
Many Native martial arts enthusiasts are putting their own spin on karate, taekowndo and jiu-jitsu. They practice the disciplines for both self-defense and fitness and they’re finding ways to weave in Native elements. On this show we’ll talk with Natives who are using martial arts to stay healthy and create lifelong practices of discipline and healthy behavior. We’ll also explore a few traditional Indigenous fighting styles.

Friday, May 11, 2018 – The Farm Bill is more important than you think
There is a food and nutrition crisis in Indian Country and the pending Farm Bill can go a long way toward solving it. That’s the perspective of the Native Farm Bill Coalition that issued a report last year in hopes of cluing Congress in to the ways tribes need to be woven into the legislation. Commodities, SNAP, forestry, and access to USDA programs are all areas in the Farm Bill tribal agricultural experts are worried about.

Monday, April 30, 2018 – Native in the Spotlight: Terrol Dew Johnson
Terrol Dew Johnson (Tohono O’odham) is known for his basketry in art circles. He’s also known as a food sovereignty advocate. His passions to contribute to a creative and healthy community derive from what he perceives needs to be done. He’s the CEO of TOCA (Tohono O’odham Community Action organization), a contemporary basket weaver and our April Native in the Spotlight.

Tuesday, May 1, 2018 – Laboring for sovereignty
Clashes between labor unions and gaming tribes surfaced once again when the U.S. Senate brought Tribal Labor Sovereignty Act to a vote. It failed. Tribal casinos are not exempt from the National Labor Relations Act, thanks to a 2004 labor board ruling. On this International Workers Day, or Mayday, we’ll talk with both sides about how organized labor fits in with tribal self-determination.

Wednesday, May 2, 2018 – Art and the borders
Art has a way of conveying beauty to an audience. But it can also provide a creative way to tackle important and timely issues. We’ll look at how a handful of Native artists view borders through their work. The 2015 “Repellent Fence” project by the Native artist collective known as “Postcommodity” is a land art piece that stretched for two miles across the U.S.- Mexico border. It started conversations about how borders affect relationships between Indigenous people on both sides of the fence.

Thursday, May 3, 2018 – Women in art
Art made by Native women is a doorway to history and tradition. The legacies they create with each art piece brings more understanding about the resilience Native women bring not only to the family but the entire community. This hour we sit down with several Native women artists to hear their perspectives on what their craft has brought to them and their tribal nations.

Friday, May 4, 2018 – Vocational career readiness
Educators, parents and others often place emphasis on preparing for college. But some students see a more hands-on future for themselves. There are a number of traditional options including auto repair, heating and cooling systems and even housing construction offered at tribal colleges and vocational programs. On this show we’ll talk with different tribal vocational programs about the many fields Native students can consider when picking a career in vocational tech.

Monday, April 23, 2018 – Stitching together the U.S. and Mexico
A documentary called “Through the Repellent Fence” premieres on “America Reframed” on April 24. It tackles the Indigenous view on the timely subject of the U.S.-Mexico border. The documentary focuses on the creation of a two-mile-long art installation across the border meant to figuratively stitch together the two countries. It was made by Native artists Raven Chacon, Cristóbal Martínez and Kade Twist, collectively known as “Postcommodity”.

Tuesday, April 24, 2018 – Music Maker: Lakota John
Lakota John is a blues slide guitar player from the Lumbee and Oglala Lakota Nations. He’s been harnessing his musical abilities since he was a child alongside his family who centered their life around music. In his solo release “The Winds of Time” he gives new life to classic ragtime sounds and rhythmic picking. Help us get into the blues with our April Music Maker Lakota John.

Wednesday, April 25, 2018 – Student support helps graduation chances
The Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe School finds providing the right support for students in the small K-12 school can provide dividends in the way of graduation rates. School administrators say addressing social issues such as drug addiction, poverty and historical trauma can improve the likelihood of a student getting a diploma. The school originally opened in the 70s as an act of tribal self-determination by the tribe. As part of our series in the American Graduate initiative, we learn more about the school’s history and their efforts to create a healthy environment for learning.

Thursday, April 26, 2018 – April in the news
A nine month investigation by High Country News found $1.4 million raised for veterans to travel to the Standing Rock oil pipeline protest is mostly unaccounted for. We’ll talk with the reporter and editor who uncovered the story. We’ll also talk with other journalists about the important issues in Native America on our round-up of the news.

Friday, April 27 – The 35th Gathering of Nations Powwow
It’s time for the popular Gathering of Nations Powwow in Albuquerque. We take the opportunity to get a snapshot of the action in the arena and some of the voices behind the scenes. Thousands of dancers, musicians, vendors, horses, and spectators all stop in for the event, one of the largest powwows in the world.