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Jacob Weasel (Cheyenne River Sioux) goes down in history as the first Native American to summit Mount Everest. It’s a big step in his goal to climb the highest peak on every continent. The rest of the time, he’s an emergency and trauma surgeon at Monument Health Facility in Rapid City, S.D. He also works to mentor young Native Americans, drawing from his own accomplishments to inspire others to follow their dreams.

Break 1 music:  Song of Encouragement (song) Porcupine Singers (artist) Alowanpi – Songs of Honoring – Lakota Classics: Past & Present, Vol. 1 (album)

Break 2 music: Shawnee Stomp Dance (song) Various Artists (artist) Spiritual Songs and Dances of the Native American Indians

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 56:14 — 38.6MB) | Embed

Every weekday in Gualala, Calif., radio listeners can tune into the long-running show “Peggy’s Place” on KGUA to learn about their neighbors and the rest of the world. The show is just one of the many projects spanning the 50-year radio career of its host, Peggy Berryhill. She started with the show “Living on Indian Time” on KPFA in Berkeley, Calif. in 1973. She has since worked at National Public Radio, helped develop Native stations, mentored Native broadcasters, and founded the Native Media Resource Center. She has picked up numerous awards and accolades along the way. We’ll get her take on her notable accomplishments and the future of Native radio.

GUEST

Peggy Berryhill (Muscogee [Creek] Nation), General Manager of KGUA

Break 1 music: Stomp Dance (song) Various Artists (artist) Stomp Dance Songs Of The Muscogee Nation, Volume 1 (album)

Break 2 music: The Spin of the Earth (song) Keith Secola (artist) Portals (album)

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Denise Lajimodiere (Turtle Mountain Ojibwe) is approaching her fifth decade in education as an elementary school teacher, principal, and college professor. She is among the founders of the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition. A vote by North Dakota’s legislature has just named Lajimodiere the state’s first Native American poet laureate.

Break 1 music: Track 08 (song) Red Lake Singers (artist) Old Times (album)

Break 2 music: Buffalo (song) Algin Scabby Robe (artist) Along The Way: Round Dance Songs (album)

Spring Comes Slow to North Country
by Denise Lajimodiere

The prairie chicken dances
the sun toward
its northernmost summer home,
a slow dance,
pale April light filtered
through bare birch limbs
offers little heat,
the bleak wind brittle as mica.

The ice locked lake begins to moan
a low rumbling, the sound
of thunder coming,
ice vibrates like a drum head,
sings so loud it wakes me up.

Spring comes slow
to north country. Ice rain stings
our faces, winter weary bodies crave
sun’s warmth. First thunder wakes
the sleeping earth, sap begins to flow,
calls the snakes, loons wail,
geese return, how I mourned
their leaving seven months ago.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 55:42 — 38.3MB) | Embed

Kelli Mosteller (Citizen Potawatomi Nation)  is the executive director of Harvard University’s Native American Program. It’s a key role for Native representation at a prestigious and high-profile higher education institution. She also served as the director of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation Cultural Heritage Center, as was the tribe’s historic preservation officer. For over a decade she has been working on repatriating remains under the Native American Graves Protection Act (NAGPRA). She was also just named to the National Museum and Library Services Board, which does advisory work with museums, libraries and information services throughout the country. Shawn Spruce speaks with Mosteller about her work with Harvard and her tribe on our regular feature Native in the Spotlight.   

Break 1 music: Sisters (song) The Halluci-Nation (artist) Nation II Nation (album)

Break 2 music: Pimatisiwin (Life) (song) Young Spirit (artist) Save Me A Lead (album)

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Julian Brave NoiseCat (Canim Lake Band Tsq’escen) is a writer, filmmaker, and former champion powwow traditional dancer currently working on his first novel. His columns in publications like the New York Times, the Washington Post, and The New Yorker highlighting underreported stories contributed to his winning the American Mosaic Journalism Prize in 2022. He is currently the visiting fellow at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy’s Center for Racial Justice. NoiseCat previously worked as a progressive policy analyst and political strategist. Friday on Native America Calling, we learn more about NoiseCat’s life and career in our regular feature, Native in the Spotlight.

Break 1 music: 5TH WORLD ORDER instrumental (song) Randy Boogie (artist) THE BLESSINGWAY BOOGIE (Deluxe Edition) (album)

Break 2 music: Creation Story (song) John-Carlos Perea (artist) Creation Story (album)

@nativevoiceone Journalist Julian Brave Noisecat on growing up urban and #Native: “Oakland was #woke ♬ original sound – Native Voice One

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Today on Native America Calling, Jana Schmieding (Mniconjou and Sicangu Lakota) joins us for an hour-long conversation about her life and career as part of our feature Native in the Spotlight. Got a question you’re dying to ask her? Or maybe you just want to tell her how awesome she is. You can reach her on 1-800-99-NATIVE.

Break 1 music:  New Orleans Rag (song) Lakota John (artist) The Winds of Time: Ragtime,Piedmont Blues, Folk and Native Americana (album)

Break 2 music: Mistahi Mewasin (Really Delighted) (song) Young Spirit (artist) Akameyimoh Baby Boy (album)

FUN FACT:

Jana previously hosted the podcast Woman of Size including a conversation with our own senior producer and “Toasted Sister” podcast host Andi Murphy.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 55:55 — 38.4MB) | Embed

From designing theme park rides for Disney and Universal Studios to overseeing construction of important tribal buildings in Montana and elsewhere, the architectural design career of Major Robinson (Northern Cheyenne) has a lot of diverse breadth. Along the way he’s been a cultural advisor for the Federal Reserve and an Indian Affairs Coordinator for the state. Today on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce gets Robinson’s perspective on his life and some ideas on why Native concepts are important for architecture and design.

Break 1 music: Indigenous Life (song) Fiji (artist) Indigenous Life (album)

Break 2 music: Navajos Tacos and Native Movies (song) Eli Secody (artist) Rhythm of a Songmaker (album)

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Traditional Mohegan stories and William Shakespeare don’t automatically come to mind as complimentary influences. But Madeline Sayet (Mohegan) draws on these and other creative forces for her one-woman show “Where We Belong”. It premiered at Shakespeare’s Globe theater in London and is now headed to New York City’s Public Theater. Sayet is an accomplished writer, playwright, and actress. Today on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce catches up with her current show and her creative spirit, as part of our ongoing series Native in the Spotlight.

Break 1 music: Pomok naka Poktoinskwes (song) Jeremy Dutcher (artist) Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa (album)

Break 2 music: Enaemaekisaeh (song) Wayne Silas Jr (artist) Infinite Passion (album)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 55:54 — 25.6MB) | Embed

L.A. Williams is a prominent Navajo language sports announcer, calling everything from high school games to the Super Bowl along with a few rodeos, WNBA seasons, and the 2002 Winter Olympics. Now she’s calling Phoenix Suns games in Navajo. Today on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce speaks with the trailblazing broadcaster as part of our ongoing feature Native in the Spotlight.

 

Break 1 music: We Are Going to Dance Well (song) Todi Neesh Zhee (artist) Epiphany – Diné Nishłi (album)

Break 2 music: Tataria (song) Gabriel Ayala (artist) Shades of Blue (album)