Bob Petersen, Author at Native Voice One

Budget Deadline

December 2, 2020 By Bob Petersen

It would be nice to have some quiet time. A few days, or better, a few weeks where the country doesn’t face a major challenge.

Of course in a pandemic that’s not going to happen. And lawmakers in Washington may make things worse.

Really.

This is Trahant Reports.

The deadline is December 11th. That’s when the federal government — once again — will run out of money. Three things could happen. First, Congress could enact a real budget for the year that already began in October. Second, there could be another temporary solution, a Continuing Resolution, in the language of Washington. Or finally the House, the Senate, and President Donald Trump could fail to reach a deal altogether. And if that happens … then once again the federal government will go into shutdown mode.

During a pandemic, no less.

So far the House and the Senate have different spending approaches. And after a deal is reached, then President Donald Trump will have to agree too. That might be complicated in a time when he still claims he won the election … “by a lot.”

This year’s spending bills are thorny because of the election results. Democrats want to spend more money on the priorities of the next administration. And, conversely, Republicans are hoping to protect as many of their policies as possible. Think border wall and immigration.

Congress has a lot on its agenda beyond the immediate budget. There are loud calls for a new pandemic relief bill.

And states and tribes are looking for money to distribute vaccines, a task that’s huge given the size of the country. Imagine reaching 100 million people or more so they can take one or two shots.

More than 125 economists have called on Congress to act soon. They wrote: “The COVID crisis has caused some of the most significant and unequal damage to the U.S. economy in modern history, leaving families and businesses alike struggling to get by. Unless policymakers act quickly to respond to the crisis at the scale necessary, we risk the damage to the economy lasting much longer than necessary, particularly for those at the bottom who have been hit the hardest.”

Tribes, and some states, could also use more time to effectively distribute the already funded

In the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security or CARES Act. That $2.2 trillion stimulus package signed into law in late March, was by all accounts a successful factor in mitigating the economic impact of COVID.

But tribes have asked for more time. Building up an infrastructure, while fighting the pandemic itself, has been particularly challenging for smaller governments. The money is supposed to run out at the end of the year.

So far there doesn’t seem to be a lot of consensus about what to do next. Democrats are eager to pass something significant, while Republicans in the Senate remain cool to anything costly.

Congress returns to work this week and the deadlines are coming fast.

I am Mark Trahant.

Shylah Ray Sunshine in our Spotlight Interview (Neo Soul, R&B)

December 2, 2020 By Bob Petersen

Welcome to Indigenous in Music! This week our guest comes to us from Los Angeles, California, she is a singer, songwriter and entrepreneur. Shylah Ray Sunshine will be stopping by in our spotlight to tell us about her new album “Into the Wild.” You can hear her music and find out all about her on her homepage at shylahraysunshine.com. Shylah is featured in the current issue of the SAY Magazine, visit us on our homepage at Indigenous in Music.com to find out all about her.

Music from Shylah Ray Sunshine, Sandra Sutter, Tracy Bone, Herbie Barnes,
John MeLeod, The Jerry Cans, Joyslam, Centavrvs, Samantha Crain, Linda McKinzie, Mary Bryton, Jace Martin, Khu.eex, Joey Styles, Carsen Gray, Cody Coyote, DJ krayzkree, Black Bear, A Tribe Called Red, QVLN, Stevie Salas, Julian Taylor Band, William C. Wikcemna, Once A Tree, Austen Brauker, Tom Bee, Leah Belle, Twin Flames, Callie Bennett, Pura Fe and much much more.

Indigenous in Music: Spotlight artist The Sober Junkie (Encore)

November 9, 2020 By Bob Petersen

Encore: Welcome to Indigenous in Music! This week our guest comes to us from from Las Vegas, Nevada, Mr. Christopher Michael aka The Sober Junkie is in the house. He’ll be stopping by to tell us about his new album “Sacred Land.” The Sober Junkie is featured in the current issue of the SAY Magazine, visit us on our homepage at Indigenous in Music.com to find out all about him.

Music from The Sober Junkie, Julian Taylor, Los Lonely Boys, Stevie Salas, Irv Lyons Jr, Mike Bern, Artson, Ana Tijoux, nehiyawak, MIOS, Sidestepper, Novalima, QVLN, Joey Stylez, Boogey the Beat, Systema Solar, Aasiva, Annie Humphrey, Natalia Clavier, Shylah Ray Sunshine, Charanga Cakewalk, Michael Paul, 1915, Kinky, The Northstars, Justinsayne N8V, Redbone and much much more.

After Election

November 9, 2020 By Bob Petersen

The election is over. You’d think that would mean a period of quiet. The time for planning so a new government can take office on January 20th at noon. Already there are lists of potential leadership jobs at every agency in government. Some 4,000 political appointees need to be vetted and hired, including those who run the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Indian Health Service.

This is Trahant Reports.

Every story published about the election gets an instant comment from supporters of President Donald Trump: The election is not over, they write. There are legal challenges ahead. The media doesn’t call elections, the courts will.

That packs in a lot of ideas. The news media doesn’t really determine elections, that’s true.

But we do report results. And the math is the math. It’s a system that has worked pretty well for more than a century. Yes, you could use the standard of certification … but most states take 30 days or more after the counting is completed and that could be mid-December. That’s the deadline for the Electoral College to meet and vote.

Waiting is a problem because it means less time to organize a new government. And, at all levels of government once the news media does the math … the transition planning begins. Even in this election, every single congressional race was “called” by the media, often moments after the polls closed. Not a single member objected. But this president is different. The damage he is doing is to the country and to the essential operation of government.

The legal challenges are the political equivalent of a lottery ticket. Yes … he could win. Something that everyone who buys a lottery ticket says too.

President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris celebrated their win Saturday and are beginning a transition anyway. It’s worth noting about this as history: Harris is the first woman, the first daughter of immigrants, the first Black woman. She is shattering the glass ceiling. The Biden team promises more of that, assembling a diverse cabinet, one that could even include a Native American for the first time in history. The possibilities range from a Secretary of the Interior to the United Nations Ambassador.

There is one more message from this election: The United States remains a divided country. More than 70 million people voted for Trump .. and 75 million voted for Biden. The challenge going forward is for the next president, and Congress, to govern with that fact in mind.

I am Mark Trahant.

Encore: Indigenous in Music with Mike Bern (Rock)

October 19, 2020 By Bob Petersen

Encore. Welcome to Indigenous in Music! This week Larry welcomes Tobique First Nations, finest rock musician Mr. Mike Bern. He has been enjoying the success with the release of his current singles, and now brings us the total package titled “Waponahkew.” Mike is featured in the current issue of the SAY Magazine, visit us on our homepage at IndigenousinMusic.com and find our all about Mike and his new album.

Music from Mike Bern, Leela Gilday, Bang Data, Mike Paul, Eagle & Hawk, The Jerry Cans, The Spiritual Warriors, nehiyawak, Eivizzards, Gareth, The Johnnys, Victor Manuelle, Luciano Supervielle, Allen French, Carsen Gray, Cangrejita, Ozomatli, Jonaz, Sober Junkie, Boogey the Beat, Supaman, Esther Pennell, Eivizzards, Darren Geffre, John McLeod, Santana, MIS, Nadjiwan and much much more.

President Votes

October 19, 2020 By Bob Petersen

Both campaigns are reaching out to Indian Country in the final days of the 2020 presidential election.

This is Trahant Reports.

The Trump campaign had an outdoor rally in Arizona last week. It’s a coalition of Native Americans for Trump, and the speaker was Donald Trump Jr. He talked about camping and fly fishing in the region and meeting with Navajo elders.

Those supporters credit the Trump administration with moving forward with the task force on Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives, funding in the Corona Virus Relief Act; funding for public safety, as well as recognition of the several tribes, including Montana’s Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa.

In general the Trump supporters say that the Trump administration is a better bet for economic development.

As Shawn Redd, a Navajo who has run for Congress, told Indian Country Today, Native values fit well within the GOP. “Navajo people are very conservative by nature. They believe in a lot of things that the Republican platform embraces, such as strong family ties, self-reliance and liberty,” he said.

This latest move by the GOP comes late. Democrats, on the other hand, began organizing much earlier in this election.

Earlier this month, former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Kamala Harris met with tribal representatives at the Heard Museum in Phoenix.

A video by Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez asked the vice president to send a message to the Navajo people. “Navajo Nation, stay strong; we need you,” he replied. “We need you, we need you, we need you because you’re going to have a seat at the table if we get elected.”

A seat at the table is very much a part of the Democrats campaign effort. There are multiple public roles, Zoom events, and committee meetings that have included tribal leadership. The campaign released a 15-page plan for tribal nations, that includes, among other proposals, more economic development, health care improvements, and making it easier for tribes to acquire sovereign lands.

The Democrats also call for investment in clean energy in tribal communities with a goal of net zero emissions in thirty years.

The Democrats would also restore the White House Tribal Nations Conference; what was an annual event that has not happened during the Trump administration.

There are seven states, including Arizona, where the Native vote is larger than the margin of victory in the last election. The power of the Native vote in Arizona has been reflected over the years in state races (especially the governor’s office) and now both presidential campaigns see its significance.

Speaking of breaking a record: More than a half a million people have already voted in Arizona — and more than 28 million across the country.

I am Mark Trahant.

Indigenous in Music: Spotlight artist The Sober Junkie

October 15, 2020 By Bob Petersen

Welcome to Indigenous in Music! This week our guest comes to us from from Las Vegas, Nevada, Mr. Christopher Michael aka The Sober Junkie is in the house. He has been enjoying the success with the release of his new singles, and tonight he’ll be stopping by to tell us about his new album “Sacred Land.”

Navajo State

October 15, 2020 By Bob Petersen

Should Congress also consider the Navajo Nation for statehood?

This is Trahant Reports.

Recently Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat from New York, told MSNBC that he’d “love to make” both Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico states. This could happen should Democrats win the election (and especially if there is a sweep of the House, Senate and White House).

The state of Navajo has been an idea that surfaces from time to time. And the idea of an Indigenous state has a rich history in the United States as well as around the world.

Statehood will not fix the problems facing the Navajo Nation but it would do two things: Add representation in Congress and open up funding.

We’re talking about two U.S. Senators and at least one member of the House.

The federal government has a different formula for how to distribute money to states than it does for tribal governments. So much so that federal dollars are the single largest share of every state budget (averaging about a third of all the money coming in). Nearly one out of every five dollars spent by Congress is shipped to states.

Some states do better than others.

New Mexico is at the top of the list. The Brookings Institute estimates the “transfer of payments” between the federal government and that state reach more than $3,500 per person. If that same formula applied to the Navajo Nation, the total funding would be around $600 million per year. (As a comparison the emergency funding in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act was $714 million. But that was a one time funding source (and the most ever spent on Indian Country).

There is no guarantee that a Navajo state would receive that much. But even if the state with the lowest percentage of federal transfers is used as a base number, it would still exceed $340 million a year. (Then so much of federal spending is based on Census data, including poverty levels. So a Navajo state is likely to be on the higher side of that equation).

There is an interesting history here. Congress considered the state of Sequoyah more than a century ago in what is now eastern Oklahoma.

There are also international examples ranging from Nunavut in Canada to Greenland.

There is also a question of representation. The territories of the United States, such as Puerto Rico, Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (have marginal representation in Congress … a House delegate that can serve in committees but not vote). And even that is not equitable: The delegate that represents the Northern Mariana Islands with a constituency of about 55,000 people, less than a third of the population of the Navajo Nation.

A delegate in Congress does not go far enough for former Navajo Attorney General Ethel Branch. She told me that would only be marginally helpful, you need people in Congress that can introduce legislation and carry that to the finish line.

I am Mark Trahant.

2020 VEEP

July 20, 2020 By Bob Petersen

Former vice president and the presumptive Democratic Party nominee Joe Biden says he will announce his running mate before Aug. 1. He has said it will be a woman. And a lot of the speculation says it will be a woman of color.

So why not someone from Indian Country?

This is Trahant Reports.

It’s true that Native Americans are a tiny minority — roughly 2 percent of the population — but Native voters could make a difference in at least six states, four of which Donald Trump won four years ago. (Those four states: Arizona, Wisconsin, North Carolina and Michigan a total of 52 electoral votes.)

There is a story here.

In 2014, a rookie WNBA basketball player, Shoni Schimmel, was on the all-star ballot. She did not even start for her team, the Atlanta Dream, yet she captured the imagination of Indian Country and the voter turnout for that election was amazing. She ended up taking second place, beating far more established WNBA players with name identification. It was a social media election — the ideal landscape for a dedicated Native community.

Normally a WNBA election would not be relevant to a presidential contest. But think about the landscape in 2020. It’s a pandemic election. Most of the campaign will be on social media, where a dedicated community can make a difference.

That’s the “why.” What about the who?

There are three potential running mates that immediately come to mind …

Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, White Earth Nation, is media savvy and the first Native woman to win that office. She has been in the news a lot in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death. “As a Native American woman, it is not lost on me that I work in a system that was created, in many ways, to eliminate and erase me … So I’m not interested in just making policy change here and there,” she told NPR; it’s time for systemic change.

The second Native American who ought to be on any list for vice presidential consideration is Rep. Deb Haaland, Laguna Pueblo. She’s a Democrat from New Mexico. What does she bring? She recently told The Albuquerque Journal, “It’s no secret, I know what it is like to live paycheck-to-paycheck. … I know what it is like to piece together health care. I know what it is like to be on food stamps.”

Both Flanagan and Haaland are experienced campaigners who would immediately contribute to a presidential candidate. The third person on my list has campaigned, but her strength is experience in government. That’s Alaska’s former Lt. Governor Val Davidson, Yupik. She is currently the president of Alaska Pacific University.

What she could bring to the White House is the experience of actually running a large government organization, Alaska’s Department of Health and Human Services. She is an expert in health care (including Native health) and can explain in everyday terms why a government spends X on this and not Y on that.

She could make Medicaid cool again.

I am Mark Trahant.

Indigenous in Music with Marc Nadjiwan in our Spotlight Interview (Rock)Encore

June 29, 2020 By Bob Petersen

Encore: Welcome to Indigenous in Music! This week Larry welcomes back from Thunder Bay Ontario, Mr. Marc Nadjiwan. He is a singer, songwriter and entrepreneur, and has just released his newest album entitled “The Dog Lake Sessions.” Find out more and hear his music on the web at www.merilainenmusic.com.

Music from Nadjiwan, Indian City, Mike Paul, Bluedog, Patrick Therrien, The Spiritual Warriors, Locos Por Juana, Nortec Collective, Martha Redbone, Bomba Estereo, Esther Pennell, Richie Ledreagle, The Northstars, Lil Mike & Funnybone, XAXO, Irv Lyons Jr. Renzo, DJ Krayzkree, Mike Bern, Trent Agecoutay, John McLeod, Conrad Bigknife, Young Medicine, Alan Syliboy & the Thundermakers, Nehiyawak and much much more.