Monday, September 7, 2020 – Building the next generation of Native leaders
(Pre-recorded show) Since 2007, the Leadership Institute has invited Native American high school and college students in New Mexico to its Summer Policy Academy out of the Santa Fe Indian School. The students team up with professionals in different fields including law and cultural revitalization. The Academy encourages the students to draw from the richness of their culture to build strong leadership skills. The goal is to get them thinking critically about how public policy affects their communities and bring about positive changes. We’ll hear from the organizers of this unique opportunity about utilizing the gifts handed down from past generations to fortify a resilient future.
Tuesday, September 8, 2020 – Native in the Spotlight: Marcie Rendon
The dead speak to Renee “Cash” Black Bear in her dreams. They help her solve gruesome murders in the Upper Midwest. She is the protagonist in Marcie Rendon’s (White Earth Anishinaabe) Cash Blackbear Mysteries Series who brings Native knowledge to a crowded genre that so often gets it wrong. In addition to writing mysteries and short stories, Rendon is a playwright, poet and educator. She is a champion of other Native artists. She was just awarded the McKnight Foundation’s Distinguished Artist Award. We’ll talk with her about how she created Cash and the many other characters and plot lines she’s developed.
Wednesday, September 9, 2020 – Returning to traditional fire management
Another series of destructive fires in California prompt new questions about how best to prevent and prepare for wildfires. Many of the state’s tribes have cultural fire management practices that go back centuries, and include minimizing wildfire risks through controlled burns, something California officials once banned. We’ll take a look at wildfires in California and elsewhere through a Native lens and hear from tribes that are on the ground about what it takes to heal with fire rather than just fight it.
Thursday, September 10, 2020 – Understanding colon cancer
The death of Chadwick Boseman sparks a new national discussion about colon cancer. It also highlights racial disparities for what doctors say is among the most preventable and curable cancers. Boseman, the actor known for the lead role in the film, Black Panther, was only 43 when he died of the disease. Native American colon cancer rates are about the same as other minority groups, which are generally higher than the population as a whole. We’ll get reminders on prevention, treatment and warning signs.
Friday, September 11, 2020 – Native candidates making strides at the polls
The four Native Americans currently in Congress are poised for re-election in November. And there are dozens of other new Native candidates to keep an eye on all over the country. One, Christina Haswood (Diné), won her primary race and is the presumptive winner since she has no challengers for the Kansas House of Representatives seat. If elected, the 26-year-old will be the youngest sitting legislator in the state. She’s one of four Native candidates in Kansas following the primaries. In Wyoming, Lynnette Grey Bull (Northern Arapaho/Hunkpapa Lakota) won the Democratic primary for the only congressional district in the state. Local media report she is the only Native woman to ever run for federal office in Wyoming. We’ll take a look at some notable Native candidates heading to November.
