Edgar Blatchford (Iñupiaq and Yup’ik), former journalist and professor, has served as Alaska’s economic development commissioner for the Frank Murkowski Administration. He was also the mayor of Seward, Alaska. He’s a college educator and oversaw a news publishing network. He’s an outspoken advocate for reforming Alaska Native corporations. We’ll hear from Blatchford about his ideas for improving the world around him.
Commemorating Gary Fife
Gary Fife (Muscogee), “the Voice of Mvskoke”, spent more than a half century working to change the way the journalists cover Indigenous peoples – and was still hosting radio shows and writing a weekly column when he died Sunday at the age of 73.
Fife devoted the last years of his life to his tribe in Oklahoma and the news organization Mvskoke Media, which is owned by the tribe. He was also the first host of National Native News.
Listen to Native America Calling’s commemoration of Gary Fife with guests Angel Ellis (citizen of the Muscogee Nation), director of Mvskoke Media, treasurer for the Indigenous Journalists Association, and Oklahoma Media Center board member; and Sterling Cosper (citizen of the Muscogee Nation), Mvskoke Media editorial board president and Indigenous Journalists Association membership manager.
Through The Decades
Wednesday, July 27, 2022 — Through The Decades: 1990s
The U.S. Congress passed both the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act and the Indian Arts And Crafts Act in 1990—two pieces of legislation with significant power to protect culture. On the international front, the Zapatista Army of National Liberation in Mexico rose up in an effort to reclaim their land and resist globalization. Dances With Wolves captured audiences’ attention with a Native cast and a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for Graham Greene, while a new generation of Native writers and directors made their voices heard. Today on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce remembers the Native ’90s, as part of our series Through The Decades. Shannon Keller O’Loughlin (Choctaw), executive director of the Association on American Indian Affairs, and Vincent Schilling (Akwesasne Mohawk), editor of NativeViewPoint.com and certified Rotten Tomatoes critic.
Wednesday, July 20, 2022 – Through the Decades: 1980s
The 1980s saw the rise of gaming on Native nations, a momentum that brought about the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act in 1988 with revenue quickly hitting $100 million. Wilma Mankiller became the first female Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation and Ben Nighthorse Campbell started his long and historic career as an elected leader. Today on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce has the next installment of our new series Through the Decades with Dr. James Riding In (Pawnee), a retired professor and founding member of the American Indian Studies program at Arizona State University focusing on repatriation, sacred sites protection, and Pawnee history and culture; Larry Nesper, Emeritus Professor of Anthropology and American Indian Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and author of the book The Walleye War: The Struggle for Ojibwe Spearfishing and Treaty Rights; and America Meredith (Cherokee), writer, visual artist, independent curator, and publishing editor of “First American Art Magazine”.
Wednesday, July 13, 2022 – Through the Decades: the 1970s
Watergate, Vietnam, and disco are some of the major highlights that define the 1970s. For Native people, it’s the decade of the Wounded Knee occupation, Self-determination, the federal Boldt decision, and Redbone’s “Come and Get Your Love”. Today on Native America Calling, as we continue our trip through the decades, Shawn Spruce looks at some of the highs and lows of the ‘70s through a Native lens with Dr. David Wilkins (Lumbee), professor at the University of Richmond; Dr. LaNada War Jack (Shoshone-Bannock), writer, activist, and the chair of Indians of All Tribes in San Francisco, CA; Vincent Schilling (Akwesasne Mohawk), editor of NativeViewPoint.com and certified Rotten Tomatoes critic; and Pat Vegas (Mexican/Yaqui/Shoshone descent), singer, songwriter, producer, and bass player for the band Redbone.
Wednesday, July 6, 2022 — Through the Decades: The 1960s
The 1960s were the genesis of Native American activism. Urban Native communities, formed by the American Indian Urban Relocation program of the 1950s, were tough and deplorable places to live. The American Indian Movement formed as a result and by 1968, the Indian Civil Rights Act was passed. This decade is also marked by the arrival of the color TV, an explosion of (rock) music, and a new style of Native art. In the first episode in our new series “Through the Decades”, Shawn Spruce remembers the politics, significant events, and pop culture that helped shape Native America with Donovin Sprague (Cheyenne River), author, historian, and professor of history at Sheridan College; actress Dawn Little Sky (Standing Rock and Cheyenne River); Dr. Jonathan Tomhave (MHA Nation), lecturer at the University of Washington; America Meredith (Cherokee Nation), publishing editor of First American Art Magazine, art writer, visual artist, and independent curator; and Deanna Aquiar (Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo), director of programs and development for the National Indian Youth Council.
Past Shows
Friday, May 17, 2024 – After 30 years, a new challenge to car license sovereignty
This time every year for the past 30 years the Sac and Fox Nation takes a day to celebrate a momentous U. S. Supreme Court decision affirming the tribe’s right to issue vehicle license plates to its citizens. The tribal tags are an important expression of sovereignty and it generates revenue for education and other programs. Dozens of tribes in and outside of Oklahoma now extend their authority to motor vehicle tags. But Oklahoma tribes say that authority is under fire like never before. Tribal citizens are having to defend what tribal officials say is an increase in targeted stops and fines by non-tribal law enforcement. We’ll talk about celebrating a victory for sovereignty and the constant effort required to keep it.
GUESTS
Gregory H. Bigler (Euchee, enrolled in the Muscogee Nation), author, tribal judge in Oklahoma, and attorney
Matthew Fletcher (Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians), law professor at the University of Michigan Law School and author of the Turtle Talk blog
Audrey Rose Lee (Sac & Fox Nation), second chief of the Sac & Fox Nation
Robert Gifford (Cherokee Nation), Native American law attorney and tribal court judge
Thursday, May 16, 2024 – The graduation milestone
The graduating class of 2024 is taking one of the biggest steps in their academic careers. What’s next? We know that almost three quarters of Native students graduate high school. And college graduates reached an achievement only 1 in 5 Native people attain by age 25. We devote this show to the Native academic stars reaching a major educational milestone.
GUESTS
Dr. Waylon Decoteau (enrolled Standing Rock Sioux; Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians), Doctor of medicine from University of North Dakota
Megan Corn, (enrolled Chickasaw Nation; Cherokee and Choctaw)University of North Dakota
Jaime Herrell (enrolled Cherokee Nation; European), recent graduate of the Institute of American Indian Arts
Jaylon Romine (enrolled Muscogee Creek; Kiowa, and Chickasaw), recent graduate of Haskell Indian Nations University
Break 1 Music: Keep Rising (song) House of Shem (artist) Keep Rising (album)
Break 2 Music: 2 Hour Parking (song) Cris Derksen (artist) The Cusp (album)
Wednesday, May 15, 2024 – The imbalance of parole and probation
There are many more people on parole and probation — almost double — compared to those incarcerated behind bars. And just as Native Americans are overrepresented in jails and prisons, they make up a disproportionate number of those on supervised release. Criminal justice advocates point to policies and practices that set up hurdles that trip up Native Americans on probation and parole more than other populations. We’ll explore the problems and find out how some correction systems are responding to minimize discrepancies.
Tuesday, May 14, 2024 – Drive to dismantle college inclusion adds another barrier for Native students
Following August’s U.S. Supreme Court decision ending affirmative action, several states are rushing to rid their higher education institutions of recruitment and inclusion programs that benefit Native students. On top of that, the botched update to the FAFSA process has many families confused about their ability to pay for college in the coming academic year. Native Americans already have among the lowest college enrollment rates. Higher education advocates worry the confluence of factors might erase any recent educational attainment gains.
Monday, May 13, 2024 – Illinois’ first Native reservation
A tribe once targeted for termination has established the first reservation in the state of Illinois. The U.S. Department of Interior transferred 130 acres of Northern Illinois land to the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation. The action comes 175 years after the federal government illegally sold the tribe’s Illinois land — ten times the current trust land size — when the chief was out of the state visiting family. We’ll hear about the new land transaction and other recent notable land achievements.
Friday, May 10, 2024 – Charting the future of Native jazz
A big band made up of Native musicians is headlining a jazz festival at the Kennedy Center in the nation’s capital this weekend. The Julia Keefe Indigenous Big Band is billed as the only all-Native jazz band in the world. It’s made up of 16 of the music disciplined genre’s most notable and talented Native musicians, including co-director Delbert Anderson (Diné), Mali Obomsawin (Odanak Abenaki), and Ed Littlefield (Tlingit).
Thursday, May 9, 2024 – Miss Indian World Kassie John
Twenty-five year old Diné multimedia artist Kassie John is the newest cultural ambassador to wear the Miss Indian World crown. She is the first Navajo Miss Indian World in a decade. John hopes to inspire young people to tap into their own artistic talent to bring Indigenous stories to others. She’s a business owner and comes from a family with many strong ties to the powwow community. We’ll hear from her and some previous Miss Indian World winners about the power of Native royalty.
Wednesday, May 8, 2024 – Is the sky the limit for tribal sovereignty?
Tribes can enact laws and take actions that relate to tribal land. But the ability for tribes to dictate what happens in the skies over that land is less clear. The Federal Aviation Administration is the main authority controlling the use of airspace. But the growing proliferation of drones and small personal aircraft is prompting researchers and some tribes to explore how to assert jurisdiction to what happens overhead. We’ll discuss some of the current limits and possibilities for exerting sovereign influence over tribal airspace.
Tuesday, May 7, 2024 – The economic strength — and responsibilities — of tribal wealth
Gaming revenue hit a record $40.9 billion in the most recent report by the National Indian Gaming Commission. Gaming’s economic reliability over the years along with other tribal enterprises give some tribes multi-billion dollar annual incomes. The U.S. Census Bureau reports Native-owned businesses employ more than 243,000. We’ll hear about the unique opportunities and challenges that come with tribal wealth.