Monday, August 6, 2018 – Trademarking Native culture
A Chicago-based Hawaiian restaurant chain, Aloha Poke Co., wants an exclusive copyright on restaurants using the words “aloha” and “poke” in their names. They sent a cease and desist notice to several businesses including a small, Hawaiian-owned restaurant in Anchorage. The legal confrontation sparked complaints on social media and elsewhere about a corporation trademarking Native words and names. With so many Native words and images used for everything from state and city names to cars, are there any legal protections?
Tuesday, August 7, 2018 – Protecting Chaco
The Trump Administration abandoned plans for oil and gas leases near Chaco Canyon in New Mexico after objections from tribes and environmental groups. But the U.S. Dept. of Interior is moving ahead with leases of a 98,000 acre stretch of land just outside of the Chaco Culture National Historical Park despite similar opposition. Legislation in Congress to establish a moratorium on mineral extraction until further environmental and cultural review has failed to gain traction. So far, tribes are losing the decades-long fight to limit drilling in one of the area’s most important cultural landscapes.
Wednesday, August 8, 2018 – 150 years of the Fort Laramie Treaty
“The government of the United States desires peace, and its honor is hereby pledged to keep it.” The words hand-written into the Treaty of 1868 indicated the stated intention to bring about peace among the U.S. Government and northern Great Plains tribes. Instead, the document sowed discord that continues today. The treaty created what was then called the Great Sioux Reservation, a geographic boundary you won’t find on any modern map. We’ll talk with historians and experts about the original promise and the legacy of the historic treaty.
Thursday, August 9, 2018 – Crow Fair centennial
The Crow Fair in Montana is one of the largest and longest-running powwows in the country. It draws tens of thousands of dancers and spectators from across Turtle Island to the Apsáalooke Nation. This year marks its 100th anniversary. It all started when a U.S. Government Indian agent decided to bring the western idea of a county fair to the Crow Nation. Among other accomplishments, it features the largest gathering of teepees in the world.
