Native American Radio Network
Métis children with a man, standing on grass in front of a frame house in Saskatchewan (Photo: BiblioArchives)
Native America Calling: Wednesday, Feburary 17
The Canadian government systematically discriminated against First Nations children by underfunding welfare services for years. That’s the landmark ruling by the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal. What follows such a major revelation? What’s the solution? What parallels can be drawn between Canada and America regarding child welfare issues?
Monday, February 15, 2016 – Best and worst presidents
As the nation ponders the election of the 45th president later this year, we take time on this President’s Day to consider the previous 44 office holders. Who measures up—in hindsight—as the most and least beneficial president for Native America? What makes someone a good president?
Tuesday, February 16, 2016 — Living with an addict
When you love and care for someone struggling with drug or alcohol addiction, how do you deal with the fear, frustration and sadness that comes with it? People caught up in substance abuse often lie, steal, and struggle with repeated relapses. What support is there for family and friends who are watching their loved one spiral out of control?
Wednesday, February 17, 2016 — Canada’s dark legacy with First Nations children
The Canadian government systematically discriminated against First Nations children by underfunding welfare services for years. That’s the landmark ruling by the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal. What follows such a major revelation?
Thursday, February 18, 2016 – Know your party: Democrats
We start taking a deeper look at political affiliation in the U.S. Up first: the Democrats. Founded in 1792, the party was divided on slavery but is credited with pushing through the Civil Rights Act of 1964. What have Democrats accomplished for Native America?
Friday, February 19, 2016 – The Emotional Side of Weight Loss
For people who are overweight, shedding a lot of pounds is a healthy way to go. But it comes with its own burden many people don’t think about. We’ll hear from individuals who have lost a significant amount of weight. They’ll discuss the physical benefits as well as the unexpected emotional side of their process of weight loss.
Sen. Byron Dorgan, former chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, issued a report critical of the Indian Health Service in 2010 (Photo: SCIA)
Native America Calling – Friday, February 12:
Services and conditions at Indian Health Service facilities in the Great Plains area are “simply horrifying and unacceptable,” U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY), chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs said at a hearing last week. Based on a report by U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND), the IHS has continuously administered inadequate care that puts patients at risk. “They have led to multiple patient deaths,” Barasso said.
In this program, we’ll discuss the issues some of these IHS facilities are having and what solutions patients and communities leaders want. Are there issues at your local IHS that you would like to see addressed and fixed?
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Democratic presidential candidates Sen. Bernie Sanders, of Vermont, left, and Hillary Rodham Clinton talk before the CNN Democratic presidential debate Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2015, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
Democrats running for president are starting to make their case to Native American voters.
This is Trahant Reports.
Except for one precinct in Iowa there has not been a lot of reason to court Native voters. Iowa’s Native American population is 1/2 of 1 percent. New Hampshire is 2/10th of one percent. These states do not look like the rest of the country.
But Nevada, where Democrats will caucus on Feb. 20, is even more diverse than the rest of the country.
Brookings Institute scholar William Frey describes Nevada as “the epitome of a state that witnessed an explosion of diversity in recent decades. In 2000 its electorate was 76 percent white, compared with 58 percent now.”
So both Democratic campaigns are in Native communities urging people to participate in their caucus. To win a caucus, you have to get people to go to a meeting; it’s not quite as simple as casting a ballot.
The Clinton campaign has had Native American advisors since last fall when Hillary Clinton addressed members of the National Congress of American Indians via YouTube.
Clinton said:
“Hello NCAI … As Senator I cosponsored legislation to improve health care for American Indians. I worked to improve tribal colleges and other Native institutions. As Secretary of State, I advocated for the U.S. to endorse the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. I did these things because the United States has a sacred trust with Native Americans and we need to do a much better job of keeping that trust. You are our neighbors, our friends, our fellow Americans.You deserve a president who will honor your sovereignty, learn from the past, and fight for your futures. That’s exactly the kind of president I will be.”
The Clinton campaign has three senior Native American policy advisers, Rion Ramierz Jr., Holly Cook Macarro, and Charlie Galbraith.
Now the Sanders campaign has its team in place.
At a recent meeting of the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians, Nicole Willis was introduced as a special advisor to the Bernie Sanders campaign. Willis is a member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Reservation in Oregon, she has worked for the Obama administration, and was with the Obama campaign.
She said Sanders has already staked out positions. If elected president, Sanders will continue with the annual Tribal Nations Conference started by President Obama, hire a senior Native American advisor on at the White House, and expand the Violence Against Women Act. Sanders has also said he would find additional money for the Generation Indigenous initiative.
Sanders also promised that tribes would have a seat on the table on a broad set of issues. In the first 100 days he said there would be a summit on climate change and tribes would be full participants.
This is Mark Trahant reporting.
Monday, February 8, 2016 – Telemedicine for Native America?
People living in rural areas often struggle to get adequate health care because of the distance and access to medical care. Telemedicine uses a variety of technologies to serve patients in need of medical care. Have you ever connected with your doctor using a computer?
Tuesday, February 9, 2016 — Parent Bereavement
There may be no way to fully get over the death of a child. It’s a whole other world of grieving that lasts a lifetime. What makes the pain bearable? Is there ever complete healing after a child dies? What can friends and loved ones on the outside do to support bereaved parents?
Wednesday, February 10, 2016 – Hoop Dance
Hoop dance is a colorful form of storytelling through dancing with hoops. Dancers can use as many as 50 hoops with intricate moves that combine skill and grace. The Heard Museum will hold the World Championship Hoop Dance Competition. What does it take to be a hoop dance champion?
Thursday, February 11, 2016 — There’s a T-shirt for that
Whether you’re looking for something tacky, funny, beautiful or thought-provoking, there’s a T-shirt for it. Do you have a “F.B.I. Fry Bread Inspector” T-shirt? How about a “Fighting Terrorism Since 1492” T-shirt? What’s your favorite T-shirt?
Friday, February 12, 2016 – Problems with Indian Health Service
Services and conditions at Indian Health Service facilities in the Great Plains area are “simply horrifying and unacceptable,” U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY), chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs said at a hearing last week. We’ll discuss the issues some IHS facilities are having and what solutions patients and communities leaders want.
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C-SPAN’S report from the 2008 Iowa caucuses. The 2016 caucus is Monday, Feb. 1.
The first state to vote in the presidential nomination contest. This is Trahant Reports.
Iowa uses the caucus system to elect its delegates to the Democratic and Republican conventions. People from various towns meet, debate a bit, and then stand with their candidate. Two things to note: Not that many people have the time to participate, usually it’s well below 1 out of five voters. And, second, IOWA IS 92 PERCENT WHITE and the STATE’S AMERICAN INDIAN POPULATION IS one half of one PERCENT.
The media surrounding the Iowa caucuses reduces the story to one theme: Who’s winning and what does that win (or loss) mean for the New Hampshire primary? Lost in the coverage is a thoughtful discussion about issues and policies. So we get political promises that might fit better in cartoons than in governing papers.
But that’s not the whole story.
There are 1,400 enrolled members of the Sac and Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa/Meskwaki Nation located in central Iowa. And in Tama County, the population of American Indians exceeds 6 percent of the population.
The Sac and Fox Tribe Sac and Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa/Meskwaki Nation. Members of the 1,400 tribal community will be among the first to cast their vote for president on Monday night.
There is even a hot issue that ought to surface in a presidential campaign. The Iowa Senate last week enacted a resolution to end state criminal jurisdiction over tribal members, essentially repealing Public Law 280. Tribal members have been supported such a bill for several sessions with the goal of tribal jurisdiction.
This would be a great presidential campaign discussion. We all know the United States goes through dramatic swings when it comes to federal-Indian policy. Congress enacted Public Law 280 when the idea was to break up reservations and assimilate tribal people into the states. That policy, of course, was nonsense. And eventually rejected in favor of the self-determination policies of Presidents Lyndon B. Johnson and Richard Nixon. But here’s the thing: The underlying legislation that promoted assimilation remains the law.
Congress never repealed its termination resolution, nor PL 280, but left them on the books as a legal layer that causes confusion. That’s why the Iowa legislature is enacting a repeal; It’s ahead of the Congress on getting rid of a failed policy.
And then Congress? Well, we shall see. But it would have been a great topic for the Iowa presidential campaign.
The only candidate to campaign on the Sac and Fox settlement was Bernie Sanders. In September he held a rally and answered a few questions about federal-Indian policy. The Des Moines Register quoted him: “.. the U.S government’s relationship to Native Americans has been a disaster from day one. … Everything else being equal, we want decisions being made by the peoples themselves, not dictated by the government.” Hillary Clinton also met with the tribal council, but there was no press and she did not bring any attention to Native issues.
And for the Republicans? The Democrats met at the tribal center for their caucus. The GOP met at the Tama Civic Center. One reason for that might be in 2012 not a single person attended the Republican caucus at the precinct representing the tribal community.
I am Mark Trahant reporting.
Monday, February 1, 2016 — The school-to-prison pipeline for Native youth
More and more studies are exposing educational practices that work against minority students’ success. Civil rights advocates say disparities in school punishment contribute to higher incarceration rates later in life for Native Americans, Blacks and Latinos. They call it the school-to-prison pipeline.
Tuesday, February 2, 2016 – Art fraud
Fake Native American art is typically made with inferior materials and stolen designs. It can be hard for the untrained eye to detect, but it undercuts the livelihoods and legitimacy of true Native American artists. What questions should consumers ask sellers when purchasing jewelry?
Wednesday, February 03, 2016 – February Music Maker: Digawolf
The First Nations band, Digawolf, embraces the diverse cultural landscape of Canada’s Northwest Territories. The band blends tradition with new world alternative rock. Vocalist and lead guitarist Dzǫetsè aka Jesse James Gon from the Tlicho First Nation is our guest.
Thursday, February 4, 2016 — Indigenous at the Sundance Film Festival
Six indigenous film makers debuted works at the Sundance Film Festival that just wrapped up. They include an animated short film, a light-hearted feature about a man and his nephew, and a drama about a rootless woman who makes a life-changing choice.
Friday, February 5, 2016 – Clemency for Leonard Peltier?
The International Leonard Peltier Defense Committee is mounting another campaign to convince President Barack Obama to grant Peltier clemency before he leaves office. Peltier was convicted of murdering two FBI agents in 1977. He was denied parole in 2009. February 6th is the International Day of Solidarity with Leonard Peltier.
The men occupying the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon posted a video showing Native American artifacts in one of the buildings. They offered to meet with members of the Burns Paiute tribe to discuss what to do with the collection.
Native America Calling: January 27, 2016 – January in the News LISTEN
A militia group in Oregon continues its stand-off at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge near Burns Paiute tribal land. President Obama’s State of the Union Address skirts Native American issues, while the National Congress of American Indian’s status report praises progress since the Nixon administration. And the Supreme Court takes a look at Nebraska v. Parker, a case about tribal jurisdiction and liquor sales. These topics and sports are on our monthly news round up.
Guests:
Lori Edmo-Suppah (Shoshone-Bannock) -Editor of Sho-Ban News
Mark Trahant (Shoshone-Bannock) – Journalist
Suzette Brewer (Cherokee) – Investigative Journalist with Indian Country Today Media Network
Brent Cahwee (Pawnee and Euchee) – Co-founder and Editor of ndnsports.com
Break music: Peace & Love (song) Shelley Morningsong (artist) Love Medicine (album)
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An oil pump on Montana’s Fort Peck Reservation.
Indian Country has a complicated relationship with the price of oil. So many of our people (both reservation and urban) drive pickup trucks and the price at the pump becomes a daily worry.
On the other hand more than a dozen tribes and several Alaska Native corporations are oil and gas producers. So a sharp drop in oil prices impacts everything from government services to the number of jobs available locally. In 2012 the Bureau of Indian Affairs said royalties exceeded $900 million “and within two years, royalty income would increase to over $1 billion.” I don’t have the data yet, but that probably happened because the 2014 price of oil topped $93.
Then last year — oil crashed. The average for a barrel was $48.67.
There is another dimension to low oil prices: It could help speed the transition away from carbon-based fuels to our next energy source.
The Paris agreement on climate change sets a target of “well below” a temperature increase of 2 °C, with “net-zero green house gas emissions by 2100.” That means there needs to be a stepped up transition away from fossil fuels.
That raises questions about expensive projects to deliver oil and gas, such as pipelines and railroad cars.
Oil and gas will continue as part of the country’s energy infrastructure.
That’s roughly the same distance as the Keystone XL pipeline project. But because the Dakota Access Project doesn’t cross an international border, the approval process is routine.
Dakota Access Partners, the builder of the project, says it anticipates beginning construction this year and to “be in service by the fourth quarter of 2016.”
The Dakota Access Project would transport oil from North Dakota to Illinois. The goal of Dakota Access Partners is to have the system in operation by the end of 2016 and to move a half million barrels of oil per day. (Source: Dakota Access Partners map.)
There is an environmental case to make for pipelines. Oil that is not transported through a pipeline is shipped by truck or train. One think tank says if all the rail projects were built that would mean more than 100 loaded mile-long trains every week in the Pacific Northwest, often in remote locations where emergency response would be challenging.”
But the wild card in all of this is the price of oil. Many projects were designed when oil was traded at $75 a barrel instead of around $30. Currently there is far more oil supply than demand. So prices could go even lower.
Some oil companies have borrowed a lot of money to increase production and now are unable to pay their loans without selling off major assets. That makes it much tougher to build a pipeline.
So it could be that low oil prices are here at exactly the right moment, a way to ease our transition to a new energy framework. I am Mark Trahant reporting.
Monday, January 25, 2016 — Missing More Than School
Missing school affects more than a student’s attendance record. It can hamper success in school and everything that comes after. Studies show Native American students have the highest rates of school absenteeism. Why are Native kids missing so many days of school?
Tuesday, January 26, 2016 — Traumatic Brain Injuries
Violence, car crashes and other accidents are causing traumatic brain injuries in Native Americans at a higher rate than other groups. Is there a way to slow the trend?
Wednesday, January 27, 2016 – January in the News
A militia group in Oregon continues its stand-off near Burns Paiute tribal land, President Obama’s State of the Union Address, the counterpart from the National Congress of American Indians, and more Native American issues at the U.S. Supreme Court. These topics and sports are on our monthly news round up.
Thursday, January 28, 2016 – Where are all the Native television shows?
Canada is airing an enviable number of TV shows produced by and starring aboriginal talent. The shows aren’t available on regular U.S. television. But the push is on to get U.S. distributors like Comcast to carry Aboriginal Peoples Television Network.
Friday, January 29, 2016 – January Book of the Month: “The Beginning and End of Rape” by Sarah Deer
Native scholar and author Sarah Deer’s new book opens up the dialogue on the effects of sexual violence in Native nations and how tribes can seek redress and make their communities safer. “The Beginning and End of Rape: Confronting Sexual Violence in Native America” is our January Book of the Month.
