Monday, February 22 2021 – Maintaining harmony in the household
While Native traditions favor family bonds, a year cooped up in the house together can strain even the closest relationships. Kids learning from home, parents working from their living room, and few of the welcome distractions like sports and entertainment venues to relieve the monotony are a recipe for family discord. We’ll get reminders about the importance of keeping the harmony and learn strategies for improving relationships in the home.
Tuesday, February 23, 2021— The State of Indian Nations
National Congress of American Indians President Fawn Sharp delivers her second State of Indian Nations address. It is the first time the address, along with the Executive Council Winter Session, will be presented virtually. The COVID-19 pandemic and its disproportionate effect on Native people, federal COVID relief funds distribution, equitable funding for the Indian Health Service, the pending confirmation of Rep. Deb Haaland as Secretary of the Department of Interior, and the Native agenda for the new presidential administration are some of the hot topics important to Indian Country. We’ll have the address and the Congressional response.
Wednesday, February 24, 2021 – Book of the Month: “Even As We Breathe” by Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle
Cherokee author Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle invites readers back to 1942 and the time of World War II. In “Even As We Breathe,” the cultures of her fictional characters collide in the secluded Grove Park Inn in North Carolina. That’s where foreign diplomats held as prisoners of war come face-to-face with Cowney Sequoya and the other rural Cherokees who live there. We’ll hear more about the dynamic storyline from the author in for our February Book of the Month.
Thursday, February 25, 2021 – Deb Haaland’s road ahead
U.S. Secretary of Interior nominee Deb Haaland (Laguna Pueblo) faces questioning from senators during her confirmation hearings. She faces some opposition, but if all goes as expected she will be the first Native American cabinet secretary. Then she has to do the job of overseeing public lands, Indian Country land policy, and balancing conservation with the demands of an energy-hungry nation. We’ll recap the confirmation hearing and discuss what opportunities and pitfalls Haaland faces in the position.
Friday, February 26, 2021 – February in the news
Deb Haaland faces her critics and supporters on her way to heading the U.S. Department of Interior, the Navajo Nation vaccinates nearly a third of their citizens in under a month, and the Biden Administration’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus aid package includes relief for tribes. These are some of the stories we’ll look into on the regular news roundup.
