Monday, September 14 2020 – Native Lens: amplifying Native stories
Storytelling has always been an important tradition for Indigenous people. And modern personal technology provides a means to share that tradition more broadly. A collaborative effort by KSUT Tribal Radio and Rocky Mountain PBS aims to amplify Native voices by collecting personal stories from Native people of all ages and backgrounds. Each storyteller is encouraged to talk about what they think is important. The results—individually produced short videos, audio recordings, and even photographs—will be compiled in the project called “Native Lens.” We’ll talk about the power of stories and the way they help others understand Native people and issues.
Tuesday, September 15, 2020 –Oklahoma after McGirt
Dozens of Oklahoma tribal members convicted of crimes in state court are asking for a second look at their cases in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark McGirt vs. Oklahoma decision in July. But the decision that reaffirmed Muskogee Reservation status has implications well beyond criminal convictions. Tribes and state officials are now working to map out how the decision affects key areas like taxes, Indian child welfare and public safety. We’ll get an update on what potential changes tribal leaders and scholars see in the wake of this major victory for tribal sovereignty and jurisdiction.
Wednesday, September 16, 2020 – What does COVID-19 testing tell us?
There is no national COVID-19 testing strategy and so procedures and results vary from place to place. Recently, the nation’s top public health agency, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, faced backlash after recommending against testing people who don’t show symptoms, even though there’s evidence asymptomatic people can spread the disease. As many tribes struggle to get control over the coronavirus, consistent testing is among the most effective tools they have. We’ll check in on how COVID-19 testing has changed since the start of the pandemic, and how testing informs efforts to prevent more infections.
Thursday, September 18, 2020 – The toxic legacy of abandoned mines
The Trump Administration promises new efforts to clean up mineral mining sites that continue to contaminate water, soil and air decades after the companies that started them pulled out. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced it’s opening up offices to focus on tracking and cleaning up the environmental threats from abandoned mines in several Western states. There are more than 500 abandoned uranium mines on the Navajo Nation alone. Tribal leaders and environmental advocates are cautiously optimistic, praising any progress toward addressing the lingering threat of former gold, mercury, uranium and molybdenum mines. But critics remain skeptical about the commitment for taking on such an expansive and expensive operation.
Friday, September 19, 2020 – Indigenous characters, artists take center stage in new Marvel anthology
The comic book giant, Marvel, is releasing a new anthology dedicated to Indigenous superheroes, all produced by Indigenous artists and writers. In addition to giving new story lines to names like Echo and Dani Moonstar, the project in the Marvel Voices series intends to correct some of the mistakes of previous non-Native led efforts that relied on offensive stereotypes and inauthentic character development. Jeffrey Veregge (Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe) curates the new volume set to coincide with Native American History Month. Veregge and others from the project will talk about the growing momentum for authentic Native comic book characters.
