Monday, February 8, 2021 – A new direction on borders and immigration
President Joe Biden signed executive orders within days of taking office reversing some of the previous administration’s immigration policies. The new president called to reunite immigrant families and protect asylum seekers and he proposed legislation to give legal status to about 11 million immigrants who are currently living in the U.S. without documentation. Biden also halted border wall construction and diverted the funds elsewhere. Displaced Indigenous people are part of the migrant groups that come to the U.S. from Mexico and Central and South America. What does a new presidential administration mean for future immigration policy and the treatment of Indigenous people who cross the border?
Tuesday, February 9, 2021 – The year of living with the pandemic
It’s been a year since the first case of COVID-19 arrived in the United States. The first weeks were marked with uncertainty and fear as public health experts and policy makers could only guess what the full effect would be. Now we know Native nations have been disproportionately affected, both by the human toll and economic losses. The Indian Health Service alone reports nearly 180,000 positive coronavirus tests and that’s likely a fraction of the total number of Native COVID-10 cases. We’ll hear about what lessons have been learned in the past year and get updates from communities continuing to cope with the ongoing pandemic.
Wednesday, February 10, 2021 – Exposing false Native heritage
After a CBC investigation called her claimed Indigenous heritage into question, Canadian filmmaker Michelle Latimer resigned as director of the CBC-TV series “Trickster,” a show she co-created. The National Film Board also dropped its intention to distribute her film “Inconvenient Indian” and pulled it from a Sundance Film Festival screening. It’s the latest in a continuing series of prominent people who initially benefitted from their Indigenous identity but were forced to backtrack when those claims couldn’t be documented. We’ll hear about the latest incident and an effort to expose those who improperly cash in on Native heritage.
Thursday, February 11, 2021 – Music Maker: Bryden Gwiss
There are many vibrant examples of culture blending by Native artists. Traditional powwow singer and song maker Bryden Gwiss (Ojibway, Odawa, Potawatomi, Delare, Mik Maq and Oneida) uses what he’s learned—and taught—on the Powwow Trail to create a new sound. It both highlights the energy of the traditional dance circle and takes it to a new circle rich in hip-hop, electronic and dubstep sounds. The 2017 Juno Award nominee is our January Music Maker and he’ll be sharing compositions from his second album, “The Forgotten T.R.U.T.H ( The.Real.Un.Told.History).”
Friday, February 12, 2021 – More than what they carry
Bandolier bags come from Woodlands tribes like the Ojibwe, and can include glass seed beads, spot stitching and woven straps. Pipe bags are often from Plains tribes and serve as holders for sacred ceremonial pipes. In the Pacific Northwest octopus or finger bags have intricately decorated ‘fingers’ hanging from the bottom of the bag. We’ll explore the utility and decoration of Native bags. We’ll also hear from bag makers about their craft and passion for the things they carry.
