Monday, April 2, 2018 — Soothing seasonal allergies
The trees are budding, flowers are blooming and in some places the pollen count already has allergy sufferers staying inside. More than 50 million people experience allergies each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There are many kinds of allergies, like seasonal allergies and animal allergies, and a wide range of symptoms including itchy eyes, congestion and anaphylactic shock. In this program, we’ll break down the causes and treatments for allergies while exploring some traditional remedies.

Tuesday, April 3, 2018 — Through the Generations: Summer camps
For the past 29 years, the Keex’ Kwaan Culture Camp in Kake, Alaska has helped link the community’s Native youth to their elders and culture. In Albuquerque, N.M., the Traditional Teachings Camp from the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center invites urban youth to learn about Pueblo culture through cultural activities and gardening. In the next in our series, Through the Generations, we’ll take a look at several tribally-run summer camps that focus on linking Native youth, elders and land traditions. Is there a cool camp that takes place in your Native community?

Wednesday, April 4, 2018 – Tackling a dropout crisis on Tohono O’odham Nation
Less than half of students graduated from Tohono O’odham Nation high schools a decade ago. It was a wake-up call for the superintendent at the time, Alberto Siqueiros. He set the school on a plan to improve graduation rates, test scores and overall performance. He cleaned house, removing half the district’s staff and raising teacher salaries. Today one high school in the school district sees 87-percent of their students graduate. We’ll talk with him and others about the successes and challenges of this transformation.

Thursday, April 5, 2018 – Remembering James Luna
Artist James Luna (Luiseño/ Ipai/Mexican) famously put his own body on display as a museum artifact in 1987. Later, he divided his face in two with his work, “Half Indian/Half Mexican,” a photo commentary on “the absurdity of being of measurability mixed blood ancestry.” In 2014 he reimagined Ishi, the last of the Yahi tribe, with photography. Last month the Native art world mourned when Luna unexpectedly walked on at the age of 68. We’ll remember his art and life with family and friends.

Friday, April 6, 2018 – The crackdown on public protests
Since the violent clashes between Dakota Access Pipeline protesters and law enforcement officers, states have passed dozens of laws restricting public protests and increasing penalties for convictions. Most recently, the Wyoming legislature passed a bill that would fine organizations as much as $1 million if they are found supporting protests that impede ‘critical infrastructure.’ The governor vetoed the measure. The First Amendment does not give permission to break laws, but protests and civil disobedience have a vaunted role throughout U.S. history for steering public discourse. Have modern protests crossed the line? Or is it the official reaction from lawmakers that’s going too far?

Monday, March 26, 2018 – ‘I’ll publish it myself’: Native zines
In the age when people publish instantly on Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, and their own blogs, it might be difficult to see where zines—low-tech, photocopied, self-published magazines—have a place. But they’re still around. You might find them laying around at your local coffee shop or alternative bookstore. The zine publisher might print one out and mail it to you. Kayla Shaggy’s (Diné and Anishinaabe) zine, “Monstrous,” is filled with drawings of monsters. She says the format offers “the freedom to do what you want.” Self-publishing something that people can hold in their hands is part of the reason for doing it. We’ll talk with Native zine makers about why self-publishing a few copies with limited reach is their favorite way to get their creative work out.

Tuesday, March 27, 2018 – Traditional influence, classical composition
When Chickasaw classical composer, Jerod Tate creates music he’s always “feeling ethos, romance and deep feelings about Indian people,” he said. In some of his newest works, Tate tells traditional stories through large orchestrated oratorios. Another composer, Wolastoqiyik Jeremy Dutcher, based in Canada, is honoring his people’s language by composing music around old wax cylinder recordings from 1910. These two Indigenous artists will join us to talk about telling stories through classical music.

Wednesday, March 28, 2018 – Johnson-O’Malley: More than school supplies
When Oglala Lakota educator Robert Cook’s son came to him asking for violin to play in the school orchestra, he told him the family didn’t have the money for the instrument. But Johnson-O’Malley Program in their tribe was able to provide the funds for the instrument, creating a lifelong musician. Since 1934 the JOM has provided funding for American Indian and Alaska Native students in public school. The money provides school supplies, cultural activities and other enrichment for Native students. The Trump administration’s latest budget proposal includes eliminating the JOM program. We’ll talk about the program and efforts to save the funding.

Thursday, March 29, 2018 – Book of the Month: “That’s What They Used to Say” by Donald Fixico
In certain Native communities, what gets passed on orally to future generations can be a wealth of Indigenous knowledge. But how much value do we place on this process in modern times? This month our featured author Donald Fixico (Shawnee/Sac and Fox/Mvskoke Creek/Seminole) explores what accessing this type of information sharing does for tribal communities. He hones in on his own experience and explains the role storytellers play in forming Native identity. “That’s What They Used to Say: Reflections on American Indian Oral Traditions” is our March Book of the Month.

Friday, March 30, 2018 – March in the News
Indian Country Today is back with veteran journalist Mark Trahant (Shoshone/Bannock) will be the editor. We’ll talk with him about what new innovations and directions the revived ICT will incorporate. We’ll also talk with other journalists covering the recent important issues in Native America. It’s our regular news round up.

Monday, March 19, 2018 – Protecting personal sacred items
The Transportation Security Administration is requiring cultural sensitivity training for agents at selected airports. That comes after the TSA settled a lawsuit with the Native American Church over agents mishandling sacred items. The lawsuit articulates the persistent problem of non-Native people undermining Native culture and belief by reaching out to touch Native regalia, eagle feathers, hair or sacred items without permission. In this case the traveler asked the agent to avoid desecrating the items.

Tuesday, March 20, 2018 – Strategies for safe schools
The shooting at a Parkland, Florida high school sparked a new level of discussion about school safety and gun policy. It culminated most recently with a nationwide walkout by thousands of students protesting the inability to effectively address gun violence. The discussion rarely gets much past arming teachers on one side and banning certain guns on the other. Native school administrators and teachers are continually looking for ways to protect their students.

Wednesday, March 21, 2018 – Help for unsheltered relatives
Warming shelters for the homeless in Rapid City are well intentioned but ultimately “do more harm than good” says Police Chief Karl Jegeris. He says the shelters are partly to blame for the recent deaths of Connie Red Nest and Ernie Evans. Officials believe they died of exposure in sub-zero temperatures. Rapid City is just one place working against the odds to try and help people—many of them Native Americans—who don’t have a safe harbor from weather, violence, and their own addictions. Shelters struggle with the balance between keeping people alive while not enabling drug and alcohol abuse.

Thursday, March 22, 2018 – The artist’s hustle
Art for the sake of art is great, but for many artists, at some point bills need to be paid. That moment when real cash money is exchanged for hard work can be exhilarating. But there are a lot of questions about getting to that point and how to keep it going. What is a fair price to ask for your art work? Do you charge by the hour or by the inch? And what do you do when customers think you are asking too much?

Friday, March 23, 2018 –Music Maker: DDAT
A blend of funk, jazz and Indigenous hip-hop soul is what happens when DDAT steps on the stage. In their self-titled album DDAT is showing what happens when two music genres dance together. The group is comprised of Navajo MC Def-I and the Delbert Anderson Trio who has ties to the Navajo Nation. The rapid pace of rhyme and lyrics is what the group calls a pure fusion fire of tracks.

Monday, March 12, 2018 – Sherman Alexie: talent, celebrity, and harassment
Three women are on the record with allegations of sexual harassment and inappropriate conduct against writer Sherman Alexie (Coeur d’Alene). More allegations could surface. Alexie issued a preemptive response to the allegations with a statement admitting “there are women telling the truth about my behavior” but also stating he has “no recollection of…threatening anybody or their careers.” It’s bringing up larger questions about sexual assault or harassment in Native America. What do the allegations against Alexie mean for his legacy? How do fans reconcile his alleged conduct with his body of work?

Tuesday, March 13, 2018 — The disproportionate Indigenous prison rate in Canada
Compared to the United States, Canada incarcerates a small number of people. But who Canada locks up is alarming. A report in the Canadian news magazine MacLean’s found that while incarceration rates are falling overall, they are surging for Indigenous people. The increase is more than double for Indigenous women over the last decade. The article finds Indigenous people are ten times more likely to be locked up than non-Indigenous people. Critics point to racism and a criminal justice system that still doesn’t recognize Indigenous experiences and culture.

Wednesday, March 14, 2018 — State championship madness!
Basketball madness is upon us and many high school teams from Native communities are vying for state championships. High school basketball is one of the main events for Native athletes and fans. The competition brings out some serious talent from players and an entertaining Friday night for enthusiastic crowds. We’ll talk with some coaches about their seasons and how basketball plays a vital role in their communities.

Thursday, March 15, 2018 – Native Radio in the Spotlight: KSUT Tribal Radio
KSUT is one of the pioneers of Native radio. The Southern Ute Tribe’s station started in 1976 in Ignacio, Colo. Most of the programming back then was in the Ute language. It has grown over the years and is now a go-to place for Native programing, music and cultural affairs. A new documentary, “Tribal Radio,” is also helping to tell their story. We throw the spotlight on this tribal radio station to hear how they’re making a difference.

Friday, March 16, 2018 – Native twentysomethings changing the world
A group of Indigenous twentysomethings gathered last summer to answer two questions: What does healing mean to your generation? How does your generation heal? Organizers scheduled a two hours conversation. It ended spanning seven hours and left the participants with a mission to create change. They issued themselves a momentous challenge to end intergenerational trauma with their generation. We talk with members of the Indigenous 20-Something Project about how they plan to achieve this task.

Monday, March 5, 2018 – Teaching difficult topics
A book on Canadian residential schools was too traumatic for a third grader according to one mother who complained to the CBC. The book, I am Not a Number, tells a story of a Jenny Kay Dupuis’ grandmother, a residential school survivor. The school apologized for sending the book home, but the incident brings up a good question: when is it appropriate to introduce difficult topics like boarding schools, genocide and forced removal of Native people? We’ll talk with educational experts about how and when these topics can make their way into the classroom.

Tuesday, March 6, 2018 — Native DJs behind the decks
DJs do more than just press play. The art of DJing is knowing what sounds good together. They have to keep time, know their music, and sense the mood of the crowd. Native DJs fuse their own Indigenous deep tracks in with modern beats. We’ll talk with a few DJs about what drives them and what drives the beats.

Wednesday, March 7, 2018 – Life decisions
Advance directives or living wills deal with the painful discussions about the end of life and resorting to artificial life support. But one health organization in Alaska is taking a different approach to the subject. They are starting with a simple question ‘how do you want to live’? In classes and conversations, health professionals are guiding people through the process of creating a legal document that let’s loved ones know their wishes in case of accident or major health issue. They tackle difficult decisions like whether you want to machines to help you breathe and who you entrust to carry out your wishes. We’ll speak with experts about the importance of having these vital conversations ahead of time.

Thursday, March 8, 2018 — Sacred Journeys: a Native artist collaboration
Two-time Grammy award winner, Robert Mirabal (Taos Pueblo) and renowned ballet dancer and instructor Jock Soto (Navajo) are teaming up for a live production honoring Native culture and history in New Mexico. The stage production is a combination of dance, music and spoken word. They’ll join us in Studio 49 to talk about their collaboration and their decades of influential work.

Friday, March 9, 2018 –Native women on the ballot
Four Native women are throwing their hats into the ring for the chance to become the first Native woman elected to the U.S. Congress. In addition there are two Native women running for governor and one for lieutenant governor. What’s behind the surge in Native female candidates? We’ll get insights from some of these women about what prompted them to run for office and what issues are important to them.