Fishing is about the water, the quality time with your buddies and the thrill of the sport. It’s also about getting into the mind of a simple trout and finding out what he’s willing to bite. It taps into our hunting instincts and using trickery and skill. Sometimes it’s to catch food, other times it’s just for fun. We celebrate one of our favorite pastimes. Tell us about your biggest catch.
Dakota Access Pipeline
The proposed 1,168-mile Dakota Access Pipeline already has approval from four states and a majority of private landowners in its path. Supporters say it will bring hundreds of jobs and will boost the economy. But tribes and others oppose the plan. They’re worried about the possibility of a catastrophic leak endangering precious water resources. Where’s the line between job-creation and environmental protection? Why do you support or oppose the Dakota Access Pipeline
Frontier of Change: an audio project on climate change in Alaska
Native America Calling: Wednesday, May 4, 2016: Frontier of Change: an audio project on climate change in Alaska (LISTEN)
The producers of “Frontier of Change” gathered stories from Alaska Native people whose lives are being affected by climate change. The project includes interviews, environmental audio and other sounds that bring this important story to life. We’ll hear from the producers about the project and how Indigenous communities are struggling with disappearing land, vanishing wildlife, erosion, and other catastrophes brought on by climate change. Are you seeing the effects of climate change in your Native community? How can storytelling address the issue?
Live from the Gathering of Nations
Native America Calling: Friday, April 29, 2016 – Live from the Gathering of Nations
Thousands of dancers, hundreds of tribes: the annual Gathering of Nations in Albuquerque is among the biggest powwows in North America. We’ll take you inside the Gathering with a special live broadcast. We’ll learn about the history of the event and preview a few of the dozens of great musicians. We’ll get insights on what makes a great competitor and talk with the reigning Miss Indian World. We take a snapshot of the powwow experience at the 2016 Gathering of Nations.
Yellowstone grizzly bears bounce back?
Native America Calling: Yellowstone grizzly bears bounce back? – Monday, April 18, 2016 (LISTEN)
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposes taking grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem off the list of Endangered Species. They say that the bears are a conservation success. Critics say the bears are still endangered and delisting will open up the possibility of trophy hunting outside of Yellowstone National Park. Some tribes, including the Shoshone Bannock Tribes, who retain a seat on the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee, oppose the delisting. How much influence will tribes have in the process of delisting the grizzly bear?
Guests:
Dr. Dave Mattson – lecturer and senior visiting scientist at Yale University and a grizzly bear expert
Ben Nuvamsa (Hopi) – president of the Kiva Institute and member of the GOAL Tribal Coalition
Donovin Sprague (Mnikȟówožu Lakota) – university instructor and author and archivist for Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe
Link to submit a public comment on grizzly bear delisting
Link to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service tribal grizzly bear page
Indigenous activists in Latin America
Trahant Reports – Urban Native Candidates
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It’s tempting to see 2016 as a record year for Native American political candidates. After all there are at least nine people running for the U.S. House of Representatives and now more than eighty candidates campaigning for a variety of state offices.
This is Trahant Reports.
But the problem with calling this a “record year” is that no one has measured the totals before (at least not in any systematic way). So there is not enough data to compare this year with any previous year. It might be a record. It’s probably a record. But I don’t have numbers to back that up.
We just have stories and 2016 is already shaping up to be a great story.
Let’s explore candidates for state legislatures. There are three types of state legislative districts with Native American representation. The first is one where American Indians or Alaska Natives make up the majority of the district, such as on the Navajo Nation in Arizona. The second is a hybrid district where a reservation is included, but most of the voters come from the surrounding community. Washington’s Sen. John McCoy represents a district that includes the Tulalip Tribes as well as Marysville and Everett. The third type of district that’s entirely urban.
If you think about it: Native Americans living in urban areas might be the most underrepresented community. Nearly two-thirds of American Indians and Alaska Natives live in cities, yet most of the political conversations stem from reservation-based candidates.
But in this election cycle there is a lot of action on that front. At least 17 Native American candidates are running from both parties to represent citizens who live in cities.
Just last week LaRenda Morgan, a Cheyenne and Arapaho tribal member, filed her candidacy for House district 93 in Oklahoma. She has been her tribe’s social services director and has lived in Oklahoma City for 23 years. She cited her opposition to state budget cuts as one of the reasons why she is running.
What distinguishes urban candidates is that their pitch has to be to broad, reinforcing ideas about what people share in politics not what divides us.
Oregon’s Tawna Sanchez, a Democrat and Shoshone-Bannnock, campaigning in Portland, says: “I’m running for Oregon House District 43 because we share a common fate. *
A shared fate? Yes, but one that ties that experience to the many challenges facing Native Americans.
So is 2016 a record year? Perhaps. Across the country American Indians and Alaska Natives have had more success running for state legislatures than just about any office. Almost one percent of state legislative seats are held by Native Americans (the actual number is 0.948 percent). If that number seems small, consider this, Native Americans serving in Congress equal about one-third of one percent.
This is Mark Trahant reporting.
Disenrollment
Native America Calling- Wednesday, April 6, 2016: Disenrollment (LISTEN)
Tribes have the power to determine their own membership. But with great power comes a great controversy in the form of disenrollment. A new group is speaking out against the practice of eliminating members. They say it is literally tearing tribes apart. One California tribe, Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, amended their own constitution to outlaw the practice. Tribes that are disenrolling members say it is a matter of correcting tribal records. How is it that some tribes reject the idea while others see it as the path to their future?
Trahant Reports – Chase Iron Eyes Runs In North Dakota Out Of Necessity
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Another Native American candidate for Congress. It looks like a record year.
This is Trahant Reports.
Chase Iron Eyes announce his candidacy for Congress at the North Dakota Democratic Convention last weekend. He was endorsed unanimously and is now the party’s nominee for the state’s only congressional seat.
He told The Forum News Service: “I’m running for Congress out of necessity. I take a look around and I see that our government is broken, and I feel responsible to do my part to try and fix this on behalf of North Dakota.”
Iron Eyes is a member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, a founder of Last Real Indians, and an attorney for the Lakota People’s Law Project.
What’s interesting is the 38-year-old Iron Eyes would be considered by many, a flawed candidate. He has served time in prison for burglary and in many states, he would not be allowed to vote, yet alone run for Congress. But the party’s executive director told The Grand Forks Herald that Iron Eyes told party officials about his criminal record and they saw this as a story of redemption.
At the party convention last weekend Iron Eyes told his story to the party faithful. He said he had been a serious alcoholic and then turned his life around. He eventually graduated from University of Denver law school and had to go through a complex judicial process to prove he was morally fit to practice law.
Then it’s also important to remember that elections are about policy, not just people. And in this race there is a clear distinction. A choice. Iron Eyes is challenging U.S. Rep. Kevin Cramer.
The North Dakota Republican made news a couple of years ago by opposing provisions in the Violence Against Women Act that recognized tribal jurisdiction over non-Indians. In a 2013 post published on Last Real Indians, Melissa Merrick, a Spirit Lake tribal advocate for victims, told about an encounter with the congressman. “Cramer began what turned out to be roughly 20 minutes verbal attacks directed at me and meant for all Native people,” she wrote “Cramer stated that indeed he did vote yes on the Violence Against Women Act, but he did not agree with the Tribal Provisions and that he was sure they would be overturned in the Supreme Court.”
Merrick told Cramer about her story of survival and that Violence Against Women Act would have been a help. But, she wrote, Cramer responded, “Tribal Governments are dysfunctional. Tribal Courts are dysfunctional, and how could a non-Native man get a fair trial on the reservations?”
Another issue that most certainly will be a part of this debate will be energy development in North Dakota. In his interview with the Forum News Service IronEyes said the state needs to do a better job of managing an energy economy, including the environmental impacts. That’s the kind of debate elections are for.
This brings the number of Native Americans running for Congress to nine (and I know of at least one more who will announce next month). I’d say that’s a record, but since no one has ever charted it before there is nothing to measure against.
I am Mark Trahant reporting.
Know Your Party: Third Parties
Native America Calling for Wednesday, March 30: Know Your Party- Third Parties (LISTEN)
Two political parties dominate the U.S. electoral system. Ever since the party system emerged in the 1800s, presidential elections have gone to either Democrats or Republicans. In the final installment of our series on political parties, we take a look at the role third parties play. The main alternatives to the top two are the Green Party, the Libertarian Party and the Constitution Party. None are on the ballot in all 50 states. Can Native voters find what they are looking for in a third party? Can a third party candidate make it to the White House?
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