Native America Calling

Thursday, May 27, 2021 – Book of the Month: “His Hands Upon Me” by Katherine Gottlieb

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Resilience and strong faith are two of the cornerstones supporting the dynamic memoir, “His Hands Upon Me” by Katherine Gottlieb, an Alaska Native leader and health and family advocate. She is a member of the Old Harbor Village. She is also a 2004 MacArthur Fellow. She credits her achievements in life to hard work and dedication and coming to terms with a challenging early life. Our May Book of the Month is a story of breaking the silence on abuse and pushing forward.

 

Break 1 music: Strong Native Women (song) Karina Møller (artist) Simplify (album)

Break 2 music: Native Funk (song) Burning Sky (artist) A Native American Odyssey Inuit to Inca (album)

Wednesday, May 26, 2021 – Update on mining clashes

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Members of a Nevada tribe are at odds with a lithium mine proposal that was fast-tracked by the Trump Administration. They’re concerned about damage to environmental and cultural treasures. A federal judge dealt a legal setback for backers of a different mine proposal in Michigan. It’s the second blow in recent months for the Back Forty Mine proposal that is opposed by the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin and other tribes. And a Minnesota Supreme Court decision blocks a key part of the PolyMet copper-nickel mine proposal in Minnesota. We’ll hear the status of these and other projects.

Guests:

Gunner Peters (Menominee) – Chairman of The Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin

Daranda Hinkey – Ft. McDermitt Tribal member

Paula Maccabee – advocacy director and counsel for Water Legacy

 

Break 1 music: Wa: Ne’i – Basket Dance (song) Earl Ray (artist) Traditional Songs Of The Salt River Pima (album)

Break 2 music: Native Funk (song) Burning Sky (artist) A Native American Odyssey Inuit to Inca (album)

Tuesday, May 25, 2021 – Sovereignty through cryptocurrency

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Investing in cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin offer the possibility of high financial rewards. But they also come with high risks. Some tribes are considering adding cryptocurrencies to their portfolios to stake out a place in the volatile market. At least two Native entrepreneurs have developed their own cryptocurrencies—Mazacoin and N8Vcoin. They are among the at least 4,000 cryptocurrencies Investopedia says are currently traded publicly. We’ll get a primer on cryptocurrency and hear about why or why not they are a worthy financial risk.

Guests:

Payu Harris (Northern Cheyenne/Lakota) – founder of Mazacoin

Blake Trueblood (Choctaw Nation) – attorney and frequent commentator on Bitcoin and Blockchain technology

Randy Williams (Tlingit/Otoe-Missouria) – president of NativeCoin

Robert Cornish – attorney focusing on assisting innovators in emerging areas of the financial markets

 

Break 1 music: The Jump (Ladies Dance) (song) Sheldon Sundown (artist) Hand Drum/Smoke N’ Round Dance (album)

Break 2 music: Native Funk (song) Burning Sky (artist) A Native American Odyssey Inuit to Inca (album)

Monday, May 24, 2021 – Small businesses hoping for economic turnaround

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The COVID-19 pandemic forced Native small businesses to change tactics and cobble together various loans and government assistance in order to survive. Arts and crafts merchants and food vendors that made it through are cautiously optimistic that the vaccine will help bring back tourism and the in-person events they rely on. We’ll hear from some vendors about their experience through the pandemic and whether things are looking up as safety restrictions loosen.

Guests:

Dr. Franklin Sage (Diné) – director for the Diné Policy Institute

Paula Johnson (Cree from Maskwacis) – small business owner, owner and designer of A Cree Woman Design

Thomas Brady (Navajo) – arts and crafts vendor

Kerrie Hurd – district director for the U.S. Small Business Administration Seattle district

 

Break 1 music: The General (song) Bear Creek (artist) Through Thick and Thin (album)

Break 2 music: Native Funk (song) Burning Sky (artist) A Native American Odyssey Inuit to Inca (album)

Friday, May 21, 2021 – Stray dog rescues

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Stray or feral dogs are a fixture in many Native communities. They often have to fend for themselves and suffer injuries and mistreatment. With no one responsible for spay and neutering, their populations can get out of hand. But groups like Save Rez Dogs in Canada and Crownpoint Animal House in New Mexico are dedicated to the health and wellbeing of these animals and encouraging positive animal management through community education and advocacy.

Guests:

Awanook Kingbird-Bratvold (Red Lake Band of Ojibwe) – founder of Awesiinyag Are Loved by The Anishinaabeg of Red Lake  Nation

Cindy Dayish (Navajo) – co-founder of Crowntown Animal House

Craig Edes (Gitxan from Gitanmaax First Nation) – co-founder of Save Rez Dogs

 

Break 2 music: Bring The Water (song) Digging Roots (artist) We Are (album)

Thursday, May 20, 2021 – Music Maker: Russell Wallace

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We turn our musical gaze to the work of Lil’wat artist Russell Wallace. His new album, “Unceded Tongues” is a mix of pop, jazz and blues that’s sure to wake up the senses. It includes tracks that explore the beauty of the St’át’imc language. Much of the album is a tribute to the gifts his ancestors passed on to him, including the words of his mother. We’ll hear how he is blending contemporary sounds with the resilience of his culture.

Break 1 music: I Rise (feat. Murray Porter & Sandy Scofield) Russell Wallace (artist) Unceded Tongues (album)

Break 2 music: Bring the Water (song) Digging Roots (artist) We Are (album)

Wednesday, May 19, 2021 – Native in the spotlight: Dr. Pearl Kiyawn Brower

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Dr. Pearl Kiyawn Brower (Inupiat) is an education leader in Alaska. She served as president of Iḷisaġvik College, the only tribal college in the state, for more than seven years. She took the job when her child was just six weeks old. In all, she served the college as an administrator for 12 years. She was also in the running to be the chancellor of the University of Alaska Anchorage. We’ll learn about Brower’s educational journey and her vision to help Native students succeed.

 

Break 1 music: Cauyaqa Nauwa (Where’s My Drum) (song) Pamyua (artist) Drums Of The North: Traditional Yup’ik Songs (album)

Break 2 music: Bring The Water (song) Digging Roots (artist) We Are (album)

Tuesday, May 18, 2021 – Billions to the rescue

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Tribal efforts to fight COVID-19, bolstering the Indian Health Service response and tribal housing programs are among the biggest beneficiaries of the federal $31.2 billion coronavirus relief package approved in March. It is the largest chunk of federal money ever distributed to tribal programs. Authors of the bill hope to avoid the confusion from the last relief package over whether for-profit Alaska Native Corporations are eligible. We’ll talk with tribal leaders and others about how this round of relief funding could offset pandemic health and economic setbacks.

Guests:

EJ John (Navajo Nation) – research and policy analysist at American Indian Policy Institute at Arizona State University

Eric Henson (Chickasaw) – executive vice president at Compass Lexecon and a research affiliate for the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development

Jonathan Nez (Diné) – Navajo Nation president

 

Break 1 music: Makȟóčhe Kiŋ Theȟíla II (song) Alex Firethunder (artist) Love for the Land (album)

Break 2 music: Bring The Water (song) Digging Roots (artist) We Are (album)

Monday, May 17, 2021 – Hope for clean water infrastructure

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President Joe Biden proposes $111 billion to help solve persistent drinking water access problems, including for tribes. The Water & Tribes Initiative found the Navajo Nation and other tribes in the Colorado River Basin are up to 67 times more likely to lack running water compared to other Americans. Researchers recommend sustainable and comprehensive water projects with assistance from the federal agencies to address the long-standing problem. Biden’s plan offers hope but there’s no guarantee it will get through Congress.

Guests:

Bidtah Becker (Navajo) – attorney at Navajo Tribal Utility Authority and co-lead of the Water & Tribes Initiatives in the Colorado River Basin’s universal access to clean water effort

Heather Tanana (Navajo) – research professor and Stegner Center fellow at the University of Utah Law School

Jackie Schaeffer (Inupiaq from Kotzebue) – community development manager for community environment and health with Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium

 

Break 1 music: Traditional Side Step Song (song) Little Otter (artist) Side Step Songs (album)

Break 2 music: Bring The Water (song) Digging Roots (artist) We Are (album)

Friday, May 14, 2021 – Has the pandemic forever changed dating?

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Vaccinations, social distance meet-ups, and masks are some of the new required topics for pre-date conversations. Experts recommend having a ‘COVID talk’ with potential partners to make sure each person has the same pandemic comfort level. It’s a new level of awkward—and potentially politically-charged—negotiation in an already tricky social ritual. We’ll hear from singles and dating experts about how to date safely in the pandemic.

Guests:

Allison Renville (Dakota/ Hunkpapa Lakota from the Lake Traverse Reservation) – activist and political consultant

Corinne Rice Grey Cloud (Mohawk/Lakota) – Corinne Rice Grey Cloud CEO Rice Consulting

Greg Grey Cloud (Crow Creek Sioux Tribe) – Co-Founder Wica Agli Native Men against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault

Pauly Denetclaw (Diné) – micro influencer known as The Other Native

 

Break 1 music: Native Puppy Love (Javier Estrada Remix) [feat. Javier Estrada] (song) A Tribe Called Red (artist) Pre Continental Colonization Trap – EP (album)

Break 2 music: ShtaataaHop! (Crow Hop) (song) Bryden Gwiss (artist) The Forgotten T.R.U.T.H. (The.Real.Un.Told.History)

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