Corn plays a variety of major roles in Native culture and is a key ingredient in many Native foods. It originated in Mexico and quickly became a staple across the Americas as Indigenous farmers and seed keepers conditioned the plant to live in deserts, grasslands and high mountains. Today, Indigenous strains of corn have a smaller presence, but there are efforts to revitalize traditional corn for the benefit of Native culture, economics and health.

Guests:

Anet Aguilar (Mixteca and Native American from northern Mexico) – corn guardian

Michael Kotutwa Johnson (Hopi) – traditional Hopi dryland farmer, PHD candidate at the University of Arizona in the School of Natural Resources and Environment

Britni Skiles (Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska) – assurance quality control representative for Bow & Arrow Brand and Ute Mountain Ute Farm and Ranch Enterprise

Break 1 Music: On The Road Missing Home (Corn Dance) (song) Sheldon Sundown (artist) Hand Drum/Smoke N’ Round Dance (album)

Break 2 Music: Standing Rock (feat. Nick Ørbæk Jacobsen) (song) Uyarakq (artist) Miseraq (album)

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It’s that time of the year when Christopher Columbus is celebrated with a mandated federal holiday. But the number of cities, counties and even states commemorating Indigenous Peoples Day instead is a testament to the work toward exposing Columbus’ full historical context. Los Angeles, Tacoma, Washington, and Oklahoma City are among the more recent additions to the Indigenous Peoples Day momentum. We’ll open up our own celebration of Indigenous people and hear from folks across the nation about their plans for the day. Email us at comments@nativeamericacalling.com.

Guests:

Joseph Quintana (Kewa Pueblo) – development director for United American Indian Involvement and a member of the Los Angeles City/County Native American Indian Commission

Mitch O’Farrell – Los Angeles city council member representing the 13th district

Dr. Sean Topkok (Iñupiaq/Sámi) – assistant professor in the School of Education at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks

Break 1 Music: The Ripper (song) Northern Cree Singers (artist) Red Rock (album)
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Break 2 Music: Standing Rock (feat. Nick Ørbæk Jacobsen) (song) Uyarakq (artist) Miseraq (album)

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Sihasin is back with their second album “Fight Like a Woman.” Calling on the punk rock style of expression they’re known for they jump into emotional and political issues that weigh heavy on the lives of Native people. They join us live in Studio 49 to share their hopes of empowering Native people and raising awareness through their music.

Break 1 Music: Child of Fire (song) Sihasin (artist) Fight Like A Woman (album)

Break 2 Music: Mahk Jchi (song) Ulali (artist) Heartbeat: Voices of First Nations Women (album)

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Three states are currently challenging the Indian Child Welfare Act. Among other things they say the law giving tribes a say in the adoption of Native children interferes with states’ authority to regulate adoption. It’s the latest trend in the efforts to dismantle the 40-year-old law. Previous challenges came from individuals—all hopeful adoptive parents claiming ICWA gives unconstitutional preference based on race. We’ll explore what these cases could mean for the future of ICWA.

Guests:

David Simmons – government affairs and advocacy director for the National Indian Child Welfare Association

Stephen Pevar – senior staff counsel for the Racial Justice Program at the American Civil Liberties Union

Break 1 Music: Mehcinut (song) Jeremy Dutcher (artist) Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa (album)

Break 2 Music: Mahk Jchi (song) Ulali (artist) Heartbeat: Voices of First Nations Women (album)

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A new exhibit at Epcot’s American Adventure Pavilion gives vacationers a taste of contemporary Native American art. “Creating Tradition: Innovation and Change in American Indian Art” includes 89 pieces of art from current and past Native artists. Pieces include Loren Aragon’s (Acoma Pueblo) “Ancient Resonance” dress, dolls by Glenda McKay (Ingalik-Athabascan) and an 1890’s Chilkat blanket. It’s a collaboration among Disney, the National Museum of the American Indian and the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture. We’ll discuss how the entertainment giant approaches Native culture.

Guests:

Della Warrior (Otoe-Missouria Tribe, Creek) – director of the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture

Tony Chavarria (Santa Clara Pueblo) – curator of ethnology at the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture

Loren Aragon (Acoma Pueblo) – owner and designer of ACONAV

Emil Her Many Horses (Oglala Lakota) – curator at the National Museum of the American Indian

Break 1 Music: Tiny Hands (Reimagined) (song) Quantum Tangle (artist) Shelter as We Go . . . (album)

Break 2 Music: Mahk Jchi (song) Ulali (artist) Heartbeat: Voices of First Nations Women (album)

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Every year for the last 10 years the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development recognizes 40 outstanding Native individuals making a difference in Native America. They are all successful business men and women, tribal leaders, lawyers, politicians and health professionals under 40 years of age. We check in with several of this year’s recipients for inspiration and insight.

Guests:

Lillian Sparks Robinson (Rosebud Sioux Tribe) – CEO and owner of Wopila Consulting LLC, member of board of directors for the National Center of American Indian Enterprise Development, chair of the 40 Under 40 committee

Jordan Marie Daniel [Kul Wicasa Oyate (Lower Brule Sioux Tribe)] – consultant and independent contractor for Native American organizations, co-director of Rise to Resist program

Jacob Wamego (Prairie Band Potawatomie Nation) – president and CEO of Prairie Band LLC

Break 1 Music: Cissy (Fish/Smoke Dance) (song) Sheldon Sundown (artist) Hand Drum/Smoke N’ Round Dance (album)

Break 2 Music: Mahk Jchi (song) Ulali (artist) Heartbeat: Voices of First Nations Women (album)

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Dipping into dreams to explore deep emotions is something Osage poet Elise Paschen is very familiar with. She does it in her book of poetry, “The Nightlife.” Her style of storytelling with verse is our focus for our October Book of the Month spotlight. We visit with her about her third book which links real life and an imaged one.

Break 1 Music: Stadium Pow Wow (feat. Black Bear) (song) A Tribe Called Red (artist) Stadium Pow Wow (feat. Black Bear) (single)

Break 2 Music: Mahk Jchi (song) Ulali (artist) Heartbeat: Voices of First Nations Women (album)

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The Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina has been fighting for federal recognition for decades. That fight is not only waged against federal opposition, but also against other tribes, including the neighboring Eastern Band of Cherokee. The tribe has longstanding ties to their home, but their identity and the right to exercise sovereignty remain in the balance. We’ll look at Lumbee history, identity and what federal recognition would mean for 55,000 citizens.

Guests:

Malinda Maynor Lowery (Lumbee) – associate professor of history at the University of North Carolina, director of The Center for the Study of the American South and author of “The Lumbee Indians: An American Struggle”

Danielle McLean (Lumbee) – legal and compliance officer for the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina

Break 1 Music: Totah (song) The Delbert Anderson Trio (artist) MANITOU (album)

Break 2 Music: Chant (song) Robert Mirabal + ETHEL (artist) The River (album)

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When anxiety goes beyond stress over an important test or speaking in public, it could be a sign of something more serious. Some people are in a constant state of worry even when there are no identifiable causes. There are several different kinds of anxiety disorders, including panic attacks and phobias. If left untreated they can affect a person’s social and work life. We’ll hear about ways to recognize clinical anxiety and explore some treatments.

Guests:

Dr. Shilo Tippett (Wasco/Tlingit) – clinical psychologist at St. Charles Health Care System

Dr. Ashleigh Coser (Muscogee Creek/ Choctaw/ Chickasaw) – post doctorial resident at University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center

Dr. Melissa Lewis (citizen of the Cherokee Nation) – assistant professor University of Missouri

Break 1 Music: Snakes And Ladders (song) Cris Derksen (artist) The Cusp (album)

Break 2 Music: Chant (song) Robert Mirabal + ETHEL (artist) The River (album)

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Moose, bison and deer get a lot of attention in Native America—and rightfully so—because they are staples of Indigenous food and culture. But hanging out in the shadows of large game animals are the small ones; the little ground squirrels, rabbits, beavers and other snack-size animals that sustained Indigenous diets since time immemorial. They’re still making appearances on Native dinner tables, but not as often. In this program, we’re taking a look at small game hunting and eating.

Guests:

Taelor Barton (Cherokee) – chef

Jeff Kowchee (White Mountain Tribe) – BIA grant coordinator at White Mountain, AK and project coordinator and consultant for the SAMHSA suicide prevention program, corporation board member (finance board member), White Mountain Native Corporation

Twila Cassadore (San Carlos Apache Tribe) – indigenous food activist, cultural project assistant for the San Carlos Apache Tribe

Anna Sattler (Yupik) – creator and host of “Anna’s Alaska: Off The Eaten Path”

Break 1 Music: Muskrat Blues (song) Billy Joe Green (artist) Muskrat Blues and Rock & Roll (artist)

Break 2 Music: Chant (song) Robert Mirabal + ETHEL (artist) The River (album)