The need for Native American and Alaska Native foster parents is great. Finding safe and nurturing homes for Native children who need them is a critical element for a successful future. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports that at any given time around 400,000 children are living in foster care. What makes a good foster parent? Do foster parents need special skills to provide good care for the children they take in?

Guests:

Alecia McConnell (Confederated tribes of the Umatilla) -Foster youth advocate

Kendra Lowden (Potawatomi and Osage) – Foster Care Resource manager for the Chickasaw Nation Child Welfare services

Velma Armijo (Jemez Pueblo) – Foster parent

Tiffany Sewell – Indian Child Welfare Act Administrator for Colorado department of Human Services

Break Music: Sisters (song) Tribe Called Red (artist) Nation II Nation (album)

 

 

 

 

 

 

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From the moment the pregnancy test gives a positive result many parents start worrying about how to have a healthy baby. What are the right foods to eat during pregnancy? How much exercise should you get? And now we can add the Zika virus to the list of potential threats. We’ll speak with experts about the best choices and behaviors to have the healthiest possible pregnancy.

Guests:

Dr. Ellen Mozurkewich – associate professor at University of New Mexico in obstetrics and gynecology

Dr. Alex Thundercloud (Ho-Chunk Nation) – director for the office of clinical and preventive services for the Indian Health Service

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Zika information

Break Music:Nitohta (song) Asani (artist) Listen (album)

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When news broke last week that a Paris auction included several sacred Native American items, including human remains, people were furious. Many—including tribal leaders, organization leaders and government officials expressed their disappointment and dismay. Just one sacred item out of hundreds was spared from the sale at the Eve auction house. How do these important items leave the Native community? How do they end up overseas? Is there a way to stop the unscrupulous trade of sacred Native items?

Guests:

Kurt Riley (Acoma Pueblo) – governor of the Acoma Pueblo

Conroy Chino (Acoma Pueblo) – advisor for the Pueblo of Acoma

Aaron Sims (Acoma Pueblo) – attorney from the Chestnut Law Office, the Acoma Pueblo’s general legal council

D. Bambi Kraus (Tlingit) – president of the National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers

Break Music: For the Light (song) Digging Roots (artist) For the Light (album)

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A new film documents a group of Native American high school girls who defy tradition by playing—and excelling at—lacrosse. “Keepers of the Game” reveals both the obstacles and triumphs of the team and the girls individually. We talk with the director of the documentary about making the film and the reception it’s receiving with audiences and critics. We’ll also explore the history of lacrosse and what it means for girls to take up the sport.

Guests:

Louise Herne (Mohawk) – Mohawk Bear Clan Mother

Tsieboo Herne (Mohawk)  – college student and featured in Keepers of the Game

Judd Ehrlich – director and producer of Keepers of the Game

Break Music: Form a Circle (song) Native Roots (artist) Celebrate (album)

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Every day, nearly 80 people receive organ transplants. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services statistics also show another 22 people die waiting for an organ transplant. Organizations like Donate Life and the American Transplant Foundation urge people to register as organ donors, but there’s still a shortage of donors across the board. Many Native Americans view organ donation as a violation of their cultural and traditional beliefs. In this program we’ll discuss organ transplants. The practice is a proven life-saver, but it also clashes with some cultures. Are you a donor?

Guests:

Shana Harming (Lower Bruel Sioux) -research coordinator for the College of Nursing at South Dakota State University

Dr. Karla Abbott (Cheyenne River Sioux) – assistant professor of nursing at Augustana University

Dr. Ann Marie Bott – Alaska Area IHS oncology pharmacists

Break Music: Friendship Dance (song) Kontiwennenhawi (artist) Tsionathonwisen (album)

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Annie Humphrey is stepping back in the music arena after a break of more than ten years. Her new album “UnCombed Hair” features ten tracks with a poetic look into life and love that she says reflects her life now. Humphrey is from the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe and her songs exemplify the beauty and musical talent coming out of our Native nations. We get reacquainted with her distinctive sound on our May Music Maker edition.

Break Music: Walk On Out (song) Annie Humphrey (artist) UnCombed Hair (album)

Forming glass from sand has ancient roots. But using glass in art is a relatively new medium for Native American artists. Those who work with glass turn traditional images, shapes, and ideas into sculpture that is as beautiful as it is fragile. The works take after traditional baskets, jars, totems and masks. A handful of Native American artists have mastered the process that involves forming molten glass into intricate patterns. We invite you to join us for an encore presentation where we talked to Native artists about the joys and frustrations of working with glass.

Guests:
Ira Lujan (Taos Pueblo) – award winning glass artist
Ed Archie NoiseCat (Shuswap/Stl’atl’imx) – international award winning artist
Angela Babby (Lakota) – enameled stained glass mosaic artist

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Nine out of ten Native Americans are not offended by the Washington D.C. football team name, according to a Washington Post survey. We’ll explore the reaction to the survey and whether it’s a good representation of Native America. Also, we’ll check in on a number of Native Americans running for local and federal office. And we’ll get an update on the status of several Supreme Court cases. Join us as we catch up with the news.

Guests:

Mark Trahant (Shoshone Bannock) –  journalist with TrahantReports.com and Charles R. Johnson Endowed Professor of Journalism at the University of North Dakota

Suzette Brewer (Cherokee) – journalist with Indian Country Today Media Network

also mentioned:

Native News Project 2016

Break Music: Commodity Blues (song) Radmilla & Herman Cody (artist) Shi Kéyah (album)

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Several tribal leaders are close to repatriating the remains of Native children who died at the Carlisle Indian School. In Washington, Kennewick Man is nearly set to go home after two decades of court battles and challenges by scientists. The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) calls for the remains of Native people and ancestors to be brought back home and properly buried. We will discuss current repatriation efforts and asking why it’s important.

Guests:

Russell Eagle Bear (Sičháŋǧu Lakota) – tribal historic preservation officer for the Rosebud Sioux Tribe

Dr. Chip Cowell – senior curator of anthropology at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science

Jackie Cook (Wenatchi) repatriation specialist for the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation

Break Music: Connections (song) R. Carlos Nakai (artist) Reconnections (album)