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The Trump administration is asking a federal court overseeing a lawsuit by tribes and environmental organizations fighting shrinking of Bears Ears National Monument to move the case to Utah district court. The move may put the defendants in a more favorable position, as a recent poll found almost half of Utah residents support shrinking the monument. The Antiquities Act, which is at the heart of the legal cases against the reduction, does not specifically authorize presidents to reduce National Monument boundaries. But Congress can. To cover that base, Utah Congressman John Curtis is proposing legislation that removes the name Bears Ears and creates two separate monuments called Shash Jáa and Indian Creek. We’ll revisit what these moves mean for both sides of the ongoing Bears Ears National Monument debate.

Guests:

Davis Filfred (Navajo) – member of the Navajo Nation 23rd council

Leland Grass (Diné) – founder of Diné for Wild Horses

Break Music: Intertribal (song) High Noon (artist) Generations (album)

 

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It’s our first news show of 2018. It’s been a year since President Donald Trump took office. Amid the near-daily turmoil from his tweets and off-the-cuff remarks, his administration has managed to change policies that significantly affect Indian Country. From national policy to tribal politics, we’ll take time to check in with journalists, newsmakers and others about the important issues of the day. Join us for our regular news round-up.

Guests:

Mark Trahant (Shoshone-Bannock) – journalist

Sarah Sunshine Manning (Shoshone Paiute Tribes) – independent journalist and columnist for Truthdig

Rick Kearns (Taíno) – freelance journalist and professor

Break Music: Ayikis – The Frog Song (song) Asani (artist) Listen (album)

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Buffy Sainte-Marie’s (Cree) music has moved audiences for decades. Her songwriting has consistently taught lessons about strength and the need to speak up. She describes her latest album “Medicine Songs” as a collection of front line songs about unity and resistance. This month we dive into this collection of melodies which include new sounds along with some of her classics that are reinvigorated with lyrics and arrangements that confront current times.

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A number of programs like Niganawenimaanaanig and the IHS American Indians Into Nursing Program aim to recruit Native nurses. Still the U.S. Census’ American Community Survey finds Native Americans make up a tiny fraction of all registered nurses. We’ll hear from some Native nurses about what the profession is like and hear from recruiters who say Native representation is sorely needed in hospitals and clinics.

Guests:

Dr. Misty Wilkie (Turtle Mountain Chippewa) – associate professor at Bemidji State University

Loretta Heuer – professor at North Dakota State University school of Nursing

Rebekah Dunlap (Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa) – RN, BSN, PHN

Debbie Jeanotte (Turtle Mountain Chippewa) – retired registered nurse

Break Music: Sunrise Song (song) Khu.éex’ (artist) They Forgot They Survived (album)

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Stalking is a crime that victims sometimes have difficulty proving. That’s because victims often need to provide a detailed account of a stalker’s actions. Some tribes, including the Fort Peck Assiniboine Sioux, have stalking codes of their own. The Stalking Resource Center defines stalking as “a course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to feel fear.” January is stalking awareness month. It’s a time reflect on the warning signs and causes of stalking. We’ll also explore what additional resources women’s advocates feel are needed.

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Tests on remains found in Alaska have some people rethinking what we knew about ancient Native ancestors. The process leading up to the genetic testing took years of discussions and consultation. We’ll talk with the lead researcher and tribal representatives from the Tanana Chiefs Conference and the Healy Lake Village Council about what they know about the findings and the work to uncover them.

Guests:

Dr. Ben Potter – archeology professor at the University of Alaska Fairbanks

Will Mayo (Native Village of Tanana) – executive director of tribal government and client services Tanana Chiefs Conference

Dr. Kristen Barnett (Unangan) – lecturer in Archeology at Bates College

Break Music: Geese (song) Tumivut (song) Tumivut (album)

They Will Know (song) Audio Pharmacy (artist) State of the Heart (album)

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Beaded medallions are come in all shapes, sizes and colors. Designs include traditional tribal symbols and clan emblems. They’ve branched out to include school colors, sports mascots and even cartoon characters. In this program we celebrate Native America’s favorite beaded ware and try to track down the origins of the craft.

Guests:

Lis Jackson (Navajo, Kiowa, Comanche, Mexican and Irish) – beader

Tahnee Ahtone Harjo Growing Thunder – (Kiowa and Muskogee Creek) – curator of American Indian and textiles collections at the Oklahoma History Center

Nina Sanders (Apsàalooke) – curator for the Ralph T. Coe Center in Santa Fe and writer for Heard Museum

Chase Manhattan (enrolled in the Muskogee Creek tribe, Oglala Lakota, Leech Lake Anishinaabe) – Minnesota’s chief of hip-hop

Break Music: They Will Know (song) Audio Pharmacy (artist) State of the Heart (album)

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Attorney General Jeff Sessions is cracking down on efforts to legalize marijuana use. A new Department of Justice memo rescinds the Obama-era policy that loosened marijuana prosecutions in states. What will this new direction mean for tribes getting into the cannabis business? We’ll talk with experts.

Guests:

Tina Braithwaite (Benton Paiute Tribe) – tribal chairwoman for the Benton Paiute Tribe

Dave Vialpando – executive director of the California Native American Cannabis Association

Garrett L. Davey – attorney for McAllister Garfield P.C.

Break Music: G-Love (song) Dallas Arcand (artist) Modern Day Warrior (album)

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Indian Motorcycles. Apache helicopters. Wigwam Motor Oil. Imagery of and inspired by Native Americans is pervasive in pop culture, advertising, artwork, fashion and film. In many cases throughout history Native images have been used as a mark of identity for the United States. Cigarettes, baking powder, motorcycles, TV character sidekicks, American currency and, of course, sports teams are among the places where the public encounters Native images or words. The National Museum of the American Indian’s new exhibition “Americans” focuses on Native American-themed products and references throughout history in context of how actual Native Americans are treated individually and collectively. We’ll talk with the curators about what the exhibition aims to address.

Guests:

Paul Chaat Smith (Comanche) – associate curator at the Smithsonian Institute National Museum of the American Indian and co-curator of the “Americans” exhibition

Cécile Ganteaume – associate curator at the Smithsonian Institute National Museum of the American Indian and co-curator of the “Americans” exhibition

Gregg Deal (Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe) – independent working artist and activist

Break Music: Remembering The Warrior (song) Porcupine Singers (artist) Alowanpi – Songs Of Honoring – Lakota Classics: Past & Present, Vol. 1 (album)