Monday, December 28, 2020 – Remembering those who walked on in 2020
Eddie Benton-Banai (Anishinaabe Ojibwe) was one of the founders of the American Indian Movement. He met his fellow co-founder Clyde Bellecourt (White Earth Ojibwe) in jail in the late 1960s and they and others fought for sovereign land rights and against police brutality. Benton-Banai walked on in November at the age of 89. Maxine Racehorse Edmo (Shoshone-Bannock), a longtime Native education and language revitalization advocate, was appointed to the National Advisory Council on Indian Education by President Jimmy Carter. She walked on in September at the age of 91. Those are two of the many Native Americans who died this year that we will take time to honor.
Tuesday, December 29, 2020 – Book of the Month: Seasons of Alaska
Best Beginnings Alaska published four baby board books to help fill a gap in Alaska children’s literature. They call the project “Seasons of Alaska” and it lines up with their mission of ensuring children have the tools they need to succeed in school and to include books that have an accurate representation of Native life in Alaska. Each book covers one season and highlights the beauty of rural Alaska. They feature the creativity of four Alaska Native authors who teamed up with photographers to celebrate the different seasons. We’ll visit with those who helped bring the pages to life.
Wednesday, December 30, 2020 – Making the best of the worst year
The COVID-19 is a major contributor to making 2020 the deadliest year in U.S. history. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report deaths from COVID-19 putting the nation on track to registering 3 million deaths for the first time. The threat of the disease also devastated the economy and costs millions of people their jobs. Time Magazine officially dubbed 2020 as “The Worst Year Ever.” But if you’re one to look at the glass half full, this year was also filled with a lot of small, positive things for many of us. Quarantines afforded an opportunity to learn new skills, reassess goals, volunteer for a cause or get closer with friends and family. As the “worst year” comes to a close, we’ll take time to focus on some of the hidden blessings.
Thursday, December 31, 2020 – December in the news
The COVID-19 pandemic and a contentious presidential election dominated the news is 2020. But there were many other news stories that exemplified Native issues and people. We’ll look back on some of the top stories of the year and get a glimpse of some of the stories you may have missed. We’ll aslo check up on recent news dominating the headlines.
Friday, January 1, 2021 – Modern and traditional interpretations of ribbon shirts
From powwows to boardrooms, ribbon shirts are a visual symbol of Native pride. They can be subtle or showy, but ribbon shirts almost always have a hint of personal expression and tribal tradition. They are usually made from cotton or linen, often with long sleeves but not always, with colorful ribbons appliqued or sewn into seams as tassels. Like many Native fashion trends, ribbon shirts owe their origins and inspirations to a number of sources. We’ll spend the hour discussing the history and evolution of ribbon shirts. (This is an encore show, so we won’t be taking phone calls).
