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A pack of feral dogs mauled a three year old boy to death on the Navajo Nation last month. Kayden Colter Begay was visiting his grandparents at the time. His family expressed outrage at the Navajo Nation’s lack of animal control. Chapter officials say they don’t have resources for adequate enforcement. What more can be done about pets-turned-feral in Native America? Where does responsible pet ownership come into play?

Guests:

Diana Webster (White Earth Band of Ojibwe) – president and CEO of the Native America Humane Society

Rory Haaland (White Earth Nation) – community service officer for the Leech Lake Tribal Police

Stacey Daw (Navajo) – senior animal control officer for the Navajo Nation Animal Control Program

Elaine Fleming – chair of the arts and humanities department at Leech Lake Tribal College and an animal advocate

 Break Music: Clark Tenakhongva (artist) Rolling Thunder (song) Su’Vu’Yo’Yungw (album)

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We turn to the Hopi Nation to hear the latest from Clark Tenakhongva. His album “Su’Vu’Yo’Yungw” is a mix of music that pays tribute to his tribal Nation and resonates with many others. His path as a veteran, community leader, rancher and farmer also influence his music. We’ll hear more about the album and Tenakhongva’s creative process on our August Music Maker.

Break Music: I Came to Entertain (song) Clark Tenkahongva (artist) Su Vu Yo Yungw (album)

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Within the last week, prosecutors declined to file any charges against a Winslow, Arizona police officer who shot and killed a Navajo woman in March. Officer Austin Shipley shot Loreal Tsingine five times during a conflict that arose from a shoplifting complaint from a local convenience store. The developments revived ongoing concerns in the Navajo Nation border town and in other Native communities about racial bias and police relations. Are any solutions being discussed in any Native Nations that appear viable? What’s next for Tsingine’s family?

Coverage of the protest in Winslow, Ariz. Friday July 29, 2016 by National Native News

Guests:

David John – relative of Loreal Tsingine

Melanie Yazzie (Navajo) – PHD candidate in American studies at UNM and co-founder of the Red Nation

Lehi Jessop – highway patrol officer

LeMoine LaPointe (Sicangu Lakota) – facilitator with the Barbara Schneider Foundation and coordinator for Indigenizing Crisis Intervention Teams in Indian Country project

Break Music: Wim Ah I Wem, Tiwa (song) Gregg Analla Gregg Analla (single)

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Several high profile police shootings have the country once again discussing where social justice and safety collide. Where does Native America fit into this discussion? Also the political conventions are coming to an end and we are formally in the presidential election home stretch. We’ll discuss the highs and lows of both conventions and what Native American voters might be taking away from the rhetoric. We’ll discuss the news that is important to Native America.

Guests:

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

What’s at stake for Indian Country?

Michelle McCalope – freelance journalist

Jennifer Canfield (Dena’ina)  – The Meaning of Names

Full interview with Cherri Foytlyn (Diné/Cherokee) -state director for Bold Louisiana and a volunteer for Bridge the Gulf:

 

Today’s Show:

Break Music: El Danzante (song) Xavier Quijas Yxayotl (artist) Aztec Dances (album)

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A recent look at selected groceries purchased in different places found prices anywhere from a few cents to more than a dollar more in Native community stores. The First Nations Development Institute released the working paper on the cost of things like bread, milk and eggs. In addition, a study published by the National Institutes of Health suggests living in food deserts—like some rural reservations—contributes increases food costs. What do you notice about food prices where you live? How does the price of food affect your health?

Guests:

Denisa Livingston (Navajo) – community health advocate

A-Dae Romero-Briones (Cochiti and Kiowa) – associate director of research and policy for First Nations Development Institute

Break Music: Tha Mash Up (song) Wayne Silas, Jr. (artist) Infinite Passion (album)

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After a long day, it’s tough to figure out what to do for dinner. A grilled chicken breast with a red leaf lettuce salad is the healthy option. But a burger and a diet coke from the drive-thru is a lot easier. Exactly how many Indian tacos are we allowed to eat in a month’s time? It’s particularly difficult to know what to eat with so many competing messages about health circling our atmosphere. Should we eat a low-fat diet with lots of complex carbohydrates? Or is a low-carb, high protein diet better? We’ll speak with a nutritionist about the right eating choices for you. Send your nutrition questions to comments@nativeamericacalling.com

Guests:

Kelli Begay (Kickapoo, Seminole and Muscogee Creek) – nutrition consultant for the Indian Health Service division of diabetes

Melissa Chlupach – regional healthcare dietitian for NANA Management Services

Break Music: Double Up (song) Stoney Creek (artist) PowWow Trail Blazin: Recorded Live At ’07 Crow Fair (album)

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Author and poet Sherman Alexie (Coeur d’Alene) gears his latest book toward young readers. “Thunder Boy Jr” is a colorful story about a boy who shares the same name as his father. But he wants a name that’s all his own, one that celebrates something cool that he’s done. Have you ever wished for a name different from the one you were given at birth? We’ll hear from Alexie about his character’s search for a new name and how it connects with Alexie’s literary path on the July Book of the Month show.

Break Music: All My Relations (song) Spirit Nation (artist) Winter Moons (album)

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It’s a proud moment to see your kid dressed in traditional regalia dancing in the powwow arena for the first time. Many powwows have a “Tiny Tots” category where the young ones can dance for fun. Many times everyone gets a prize. We’ll speak with parents about introducing their kids to the powwow. Who introduced the importance of dancing to you? What is the best way to get your kids to care about the powwow?

Guests:

Courtney Tsotigh-Yarholar (Kiowa) – career development specialist for the University of Central Oklahoma

Cortney Yarholar (Pawnee, Otoe, Sac and Fox and Muscogee Creek) -program manager for the office of juvenile justice delinquency prevention tribal youth training and technical assistance center

Willow Abrahamson (Shoshone Bannock/Colville/Coeur D’alene/Salish/Spokane) – champion jingle dress dancer

Break Music: Ask Your Mom for Fifty Cents (World) (song) Black Lodge Singers (artist) Kids’ Pow-Wow Songs (album)

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If you see young people wandering around parks and street corners staring at their smartphones more than usual, don’t be alarmed. They’re playing the video game Pokémon Go, which is apparently all the rage right now. Video games are usually criticized for turning kids into couch potatoes, so the Pokémon Go app is earning some praise for getting them outside. What other programs and methods inspire people to go outdoors? Native people have always had a profound relationship with the natural world. We’ll talk about some ideas that aim to help re-establish that connection.

Guests:

Rafael Tapia (Pasqua Yaqui) – vice president of programs for Partnership with Native Americans

Ben Soce (Diné) – experiential and outdoor educator with National Indian Youth Leadership Project Six Directions Indigenous School; Governing Council Chair

Tammy Eagle Hunter (Lakota) -youth programs director Cheyenne River Youth Project

Break Music: My Cheii’s Wisdom (song) Talibah (artist) Navajo Songs For Children (album)

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A recent court ruling could open a new chapter in how Alaska Native tribes make decisions about their land. The decision in the case filed by Alaska Native entities in 2006 allows them to put some lands into trust the same way tribes in the lower 48 states can. It closes a question remaining from the 1971 Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act that terminated aboriginal land claims. It’s a complicated and important topic with winners and loser on both sides. We’ll break down what it means and what happens next for communities that have waited decades for the right to control the land they own.

Guests:

Julie Roberts-Hyslop – vice-chair of the Native Village of Tanana and Vice President of the Tanana Chiefs Conference

Craig Jacobson – partner at the law firm Hobbs, Straus, Dean and Walker

Break Music: Lindas Nortenitas (song) Southern Scratch (artist) How Sweet The Sound (album)