Monday, October 18, 2021 — They/them? Understanding nonbinary gender identities
In many Native American cultures, there’s an understanding and respect for those who identify with a gender that is neither male nor female. Only recently have the terms “nonbinary,” “them” and “they,” entered the mainstream lexicon in reference to gender. “Nonbinary” is a catch-all term meaning not strictly male or female. That includes many—but not all—of those who call themselves “Two-Spirit.” We’ll learn more about nonbinary identities how some advocates want to change the way nonbinary Native people are treated in healthcare settings.

Tuesday, October 19, 2021—Native consultants and liaisons
When businesses or media productions take on Native themes, images or storylines, they turn to Native consultants to avoid stereotypes or offensive messages. It takes a broad knowledge of Native cultures and often requires standing up to executives with entrenched ideas. We’ll hear from Native consultants about what the job is like and the growing importance to have Native voices in the corporate and media world.

Thursday, October 21, 2021 – Questions about federal pandemic relief distribution
The more than $200 billion in federal pandemic aid to tribes provided welcome financial relief at a critical time. But a new analysis points out what the study’s authors say is vastly inequitable distribution of that money. Scholars with the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development say flaws in the formula established to distribute the money are the main culprit and both the Biden and Trump administrations chose to ignore recommendations by tribes and others to make the allocations more equitable.

Friday, October 22, 2021 — Checking in with The Sioux Chef
Chef Shawn Sherman is celebrating the successful launch of his full-service Minneapolis restaurant Owamni, and the publication of a new Native cookbook “The Good Berry Cookbook: Harvesting and Cooking Wild Rice.” We’ll also discuss the growing strength of the Indigenous sovereignty movement and those meat pies featured in the HULU show “Reservation Dogs.”

Monday, October 11, 2021 — Checking on progress for Indigenous issues awareness
The Black Lives Matter social justice movement called attention to just how unbalanced public awareness and recognition is for Native American issues. Native people and allies took to the streets, toppling statues and monuments that civic leaders long ago established to promote a decidedly white, colonialist—sometimes racist—viewpoint. Now elected officials are pondering what to do with statues of Christopher Columbus, Father Junipero Serra, and others. Meanwhile the number of places recognizing Indigenous Peoples Day is growing and getting more organized.

Tuesday, October 12, 2021 – Young people promote healthy living
Some civic-minded young Native people are devoting their energy to promoting healthy living for themselves and those around them. Several groups are hoping to deploy Native youth to help improve statistics for Native Americans who are disproportionately affected by many adverse health problems, from diabetes to obesity.

Wednesday, October 13, 2021 – Music Maker: Ailani
The album “Heartbroken Bones” is Ailani’s gift to the world and it’s full of youthful energy. It pulls in listeners with a clean sound and a voice that soulfully speaks with honesty. This young Santa Clara Pueblo musician uses their music to dialogue about love, identity and human nature through playful indie pop compositions. We’ll hear what led this melodic creative down a musical and artful path and what it means to share stories through sound.

Thursday, October 14, 2021 – Monitoring damaging oil spills
California officials are still tallying the damage from an underwater oil pipeline rupture that leaked nearly 150,000 gallons of oil along a sensitive Pacific Coast area. National Congress of American Indians President Fawn Sharp issued a statement urging the federal government and others to “take this opportunity to engage with Tribal Nations to protect our natural resources and find solutions to prevent these devastating events from happening again.” It’s also a harbinger of the threat confronting tribes that have unsuccessfully fought against pipelines on their ancestral homelands.

Friday, October 15, 2021 – The complex path to home ownership on tribal land
Tribal members hoping to purchase a home on tribal land often face a gauntlet of red tape, delays and complicated legal arrangements. Even if they manage to satisfy all the requirements, they may still be unable to get a mortgage from a standard lender. In addition, some tribal members who benefited from HUD’s Indian Home Loan Guaranteed Program are coming up against constraints.

Monday, October 4, 2021 – New fossil discoveries and Indigenous origins
Newly discovered fossilized human footprints issue another blow to the conventional scientific theory about when humans came to North America. Many tribes have pushed back against the so-called land bridge across the Bering Strait theory because it conflicts with traditional knowledge. The new fossil evidence could add weight to their case. We’ll talk with Indigenous archaeologists about the new scientific revelations and inclusion of Indigenous knowledge in archaeological science.

Tuesday, October 5, 2021 – Keeping Indigenous elders healthy and connected
Elders are already at risk for isolation. The pandemic only worsened the problem as the best way to protect them from the threat of COVID-19 is to keep them separated from other people. But that isolation can increase the risk of serious illnesses like heart disease and stroke and mental health issues like anxiety and depression, according to the CDC. The National Indian Council On Aging launched the Connected Indigenous Elders campaign to keep elders engaged. We’ll hear about the program and what families and communities can do make sure elders are connected and healthy.

Wednesday, October 6, 2021 – Slavery from an Indigenous perspective
The scourge of slavery was an unfortunate reality for Indigenous people in the history of North America. Spanish colonizers set in motion a complicated legacy of slavery throughout the Americas that changed identity, culture and relationships forever. We’ll talk about the history and legacy of Indigenous slavery and get insights from speakers with the National Museum of the American Indian’s symposium, “The Other Slavery: Histories of Indian Bondage from New Spain to the Southwestern United States.”

Thursday, October 7, 2021 – Aquaculture for profit and the planet
Farming kelp provides a nutritious food source as well as habitat for sea creatures further up the food chain. It’s also a potentially profitable venture for some coastal tribes. That’s just one of the plants and animals that show promise for cultivation for economic development. And aquaculture connects to traditional Indigenous methods while also fitting in with efforts to offer long-term employment solutions that are environmentally sustainable.

Friday, October 8, 2021 – The push to protect sacred land in Nevada
Tribes in Nevada are among those turning to the federal government to permanently protect almost 400,000 acres of land with a National Monument designation. The area known as Avi Kwa Ame is sacred or culturally significant to at least 10 tribes. There’s pressure from developers who want to establish wind energy farms that supporters of the protections say would significantly harm the beauty and cultural importance of the landscape.

Monday, September 27, 2021 – ANCSA at 50: Its history and legacy
This year marks the 50th Anniversary of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. It was an innovative approach to land stewardship and capitalism mixed with Native values. It has set the stage for Alaska Native governance and identity in the state ever since. We’ll get a glimpse of the strengths and drawbacks of ANCSA at 50, both intended and unintended, and how this unprecedented legislation continues to unfold and shape the lives of its shareholders and descendants.

Tuesday, September 28, 2021 – ANCSA at 50: Evolving Alaska Native identity
Land is at the core of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. The valuable resources that come with the land were a primary catalyst for the groundbreaking legislation passed 50 years ago. ANCSA also permanently merged Alaska Native identity with corporate entities, requiring a new vision for cultural progress and responsibility.

Wednesday, September 29, 2021 – Book of the Month: Wahani Puzzles
Puzzles stimulate the brain and provide entertainment. And they can reveal a person’s creativity and ability to solve problems. Today they are also being used to celebrate Native art and culture thanks to Wahani Puzzles. September’s Book of the Month is an Indigenous creative effort that showcases work by Native artists Cara Romero, Dyani White Hawk and Kevin Pourier in a jigsaw puzzle collection. It’s the brainchild of Singer Horse Capture (A’aninin). We visit with her about this unique tool for showing the diversity and beauty of our Native nations.

Thursday, September 30, 2021 – Preston Singletary and multidisciplinary collaboration
Preston Singletary (Tlingit) has a new album coming out with his band Khu.éex. He also has a traveling exhibition of his glass artwork, heading next to the National Museum of the American Indian. And his design for a public work of art was chosen to be installed outside Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena. Singletary is one of several multidisciplinary artists who draw inspiration and support from their culture and each other to keep their creativity thriving.

Friday, October 1, 2021 — Indigenous culinary innovation
Corn was originally cultivated by Indigenous people in what is now Mexico. That led to another important Indigenous innovation whose origin dates back about 3,000 years: nixtamalization. It’s the process of soaking corn in an alkaline solution with hardwood ash or limestone to break down its natural barrier, releasing niacin, an integral part of human nutrition. It’s also turned corn into a culinary staple leading to commonly used foods like corn tortillas and hominy. We’ll talk about the origins and science that made its way into the historical and contemporary culinary traditions.

Monday, September 20, 2021 – ICWA: Federal protections for children under constant legal pressure
The Indian Child Welfare Act has been upheld in dozens of court decisions as a vital federal protection for Native adoptees and foster children. That string of wins ended when a Texas district court judge ruled the more than 40-year-old law unconstitutional. A subsequent federal appeals court agreed that at least parts of ICWA are unconstitutional. Long considered by legal experts as the gold standard of adoption law, ICWA faces its most significant legal challenge. We’ll examine how we got here and who is behind the legal efforts to dismantle ICWA.

Tuesday, September 21, 2021 – Recruiting Native medical professionals
Patients have better outcomes when they don’t have to confront cultural barriers. A 2020 study by Penn Medicine researchers found patients prefer medical professionals of the same race or ethnicity. But Native doctors and nurses are in short supply. We’ll hear about the importance of Native medical professionals and efforts to recruit more of them into the industry.

Wednesday, September 22, 2021 – Music Maker: Klee Benally
Diné musician Klee Benally calls his latest set of creations “performance art intervention.” It’s called “Appropriation” consisting of 13 tracks and is a stance against cultural genocide. It’s set to some very energetic sounds and brought further to life with strong vocals. The former Blackfire guitarist and vocalist writes: “The music and accompanying propaganda was created for collective disruption of the dehumanizing forces attacking Indigenous existence.” We visit with Klee to find out why he’s calling out settler colonial order.

Thursday, September 23, 2021 – Doing right by Native people with disabilities
Native people are over-represented in the number of people with disabilities. The U.S., Census finds almost a quarter of the Native population has a disability. At the same time they are underserved when it comes to treatment because of inadequate funding, staff shortages or bureaucratic barriers. There are efforts to both reduce the number of Native people with disabilities, and find ways to improve the lives of those living with disabilities.

Friday, September 24, 2021 – ‘Nets’: making waves on the basketball court in southeast Alaska
The documentary film ‘Alaska Nets’ follows the quest by a pair of athletes from Alaska’s only reservation. It premiered at the Santa Barbara Film Festival and focuses on the two main concerns in these young mens’ lives: basketball and salmon fishing. We’ll hear about the film and get a glimpse of life on the remote island of Metlakatla.