Monday, November 21, 2022 – The strength of competitive weightlifing for Indigenous female athletes

Competitive weight lifting is about more than just strength. Stepping away from the rack with a weight you know you’ve never managed before also takes mental preparedness and technique. It’s a spot dominated by men, but the number of female lifters is growing. A First Nations woman just became the first Indigenous female lifter in Canada to earn a pro card. Monday on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce talks with Indigenous female powerlifters Angela Houle (member of the Whitefish Lake First Nation); Aboriginal artist Zoe Raymond (Yindjibarndi and Pinikura); and Monica Chaffin (Diné), hospice nurse and TikTok extraordinaire, about what draws them to the sport and what keeps them going.

Tuesday, November 22, 2022 – Tracking missing people one name at a time

Federal law enforcement officials in New Mexico developed a list of roughly 200 names to help track and raise awareness of Indigenous people who go missing. Since it started in July, they have both added and taken off names using information from the public, partner law enforcement agencies, and community advocates. Agency officials say it’s one tool in helping battle the disproportionate, pervasive issue of missing Indigenous people. Tuesday on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce spoke with Amber Kanazbah Crotty (Diné), Navajo Nation Council Delegate and a member of the Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women & Relatives Task Force; Beata Tsosie Pena (citizen of Santa Clara Pueblo), organizational director for Breath of My Heart Birthplace and task force member; Lynn Trujillo (Sandia Pueblo), secretary for the New Mexico Indian Affairs Department; and Frank Fisher, public affairs specialist for the FBI in New Mexico.

Wednesday, November 23, 2022 – The Native American Music Awards

The Native American Music Awards are back. The event is live from original territory of the Seneca Nation. Lifetime Achievement Recipient Rodney Grant hosts the live event to celebrate the best among veteran and up-and-coming Indigenous artists. Wednesday on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce speaks with Edward Koban (Mohawk), NAMA music director; Strong Buffalo (Sisseton-Wahpeton Dakota), NAMA winner of the Best Duo/Group award for Buffalo Weavers; Jacob Faithful (Frog Lake Cree First Nation), head singer of the Young Spirit; Rex Lyons (member of the Onondaga Nation), founding member of the Ripcords; and Brett Maybee (Seneca Nation), producer and host of Gaënö’.

Thursday, November 24, 2022 – The enduring artistry of Buffy Sainte-Marie

Buffy Sainte-Marie’s singing career began at a time when the country’s knowledge and awareness of Indigenous people was limited. Growing up as an adoptee, she admits limited knowledge of her own heritage. But by educating herself, connecting with like-minded people, and honing her talent, Sainte-Marie became a trailblazer and an artist who’s gift remains current and laudable. Thursday on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce talks with her about the early years of singing, the foundation it provided for her current work, and the PBS documentary that paints a portrait of her many talents. Please note: This is a pre-recorded conversation, so we won’t be taking calls.

Friday, November 25, 2022 – The buying season from a Native retailer’s perspective

Business experts are mostly optimistic about the retail business outlook for the last part of this year. It all depends on the bite that things like inflation, gas prices, and other factors will take out of the time that is traditionally the busiest of the year. Friday on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce takes the holiday season temperature with Native retailers about how they’re planning for the coming weeks.

 

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Monday, November 14, 2022 – Saving and healing forests

A new study by North Carolina State University finds the number of acres destroyed by wildfire in the United States in the past two years is double the number just 30 years ago.  Their researchers point to warmer-than-average surface temperatures and shifting precipitation patterns, which they predict will only get worse. Those trends mean forestry officials have to work both to prevent the most destructive fires and restore areas that burned. Traditional tribal ecological knowledge can inform that work and some non-tribal officials are taking notice. Today on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce speaks with Daniel Denipah (Ohkay Owingeh), forestry director for Santa Clara Pueblo; Valentin Lopez (Amah Mutsun Tribal Band), Chairman of the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band; and Tommy Cabe (Eastern Band of Cherokee), forest resource specialist for Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

Tuesday, November 15, 2022 – Candid conversations on Native podcasts

Among the deluge of podcasts, Native producers are tackling subjects ranging from mental health and sobriety, issues within their own tribes, and language revitalization. Today on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce samples some podcasts that are reaching their audiences through the spoken word with Paige Willett (Citizen Potawatomi Nation tribal member), host and producer of the Hownikan Podcast; Majerle Lister (Diné ), PhD student at the University of Arizona and host of the Wósdéé Podcast; Ralph Sara (Yup’ik and Sami), host of The Anonymous Eskimo Podcast; Dr. X̱’unei Lance Twitchell (Lingít, Haida, Yup’ik, and Sami), host of the podcast Tongue Unbroken.

Wednesday, November 16, 2022 – A promising trend: sports teams honor tribes

At a time when some holdout sports teams ignore calls to end problematic mascots and imagery, some teams are turning to Native American designers for appropriate designs. The NBA’s Phoenix Suns are debuting new uniforms, jersey logos and center court design created in collaboration with a Navajo artist that honors the state’s tribes and cultural references to tribes elsewhere. Today on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce meets the Native artists behind the team’s graphics with Shawn Martinez (Navajo), senior director of live presentation for the Phoenix Suns and the Phoenix Mercury; artist and designer Jeremy Donavan Arviso (Diné, Hopi, Pima and Tohono O’odham); and Patrick Hunter (Ojibwe), two-spirit woodland artist and graphic designer.

Thursday, November 17, 2022 – The future of the Crazy Horse Memorial

Whitney Rencountre (CrowCreek Hunkpati Dakota) is the new head of the Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation. He takes over from the heirs of the sculptor of the rock carving of Tasunka Witko that was started before World War Two. The carving has grown to include the Indian Museum of North America, the Native American Educational and Cultural Center, and the Indian University of North America, the latter of which Rencountre served as associate director since 2021. Today on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce talks to Rencountre about the goals for the iconic monument as well as enrollment manager Dianne Amiotte-Seidel (Oglala Lakota), and Andrew Dunehoo, director of museums and cultural affairs, from The Indian Museum of North America of the Crazy Horse Memorial.

Friday, November 18, 2022 – Tall Paul’s Story of Jim Thorpe

Everything changed for Anishinaabe hip-hop artist Tall Paul when he first heard about iconic Sac and Fox athlete Jim Thorpe. The more he learned the more strength he drew from the story of Thorpe’s against-the-odds achievements. Tall Paul took that story and embarked on a journey—both literally and artistically. That journey culminates in the album, “The Story of Jim Thorpe”. Friday on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce hears from Tall Paul about the touchstones and inspirations for the new album.

 

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Monday, November 7, 2022 – Hunting season: traditions and complications

Many Native hunters have mastered big game hunting, providing for themselves and their families. Some go on to guide other hunters. But there remain a number of ongoing barriers, ranging from climate change to sovereign rights challenges. Today on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce gets a snapshot of what this year’s elk, caribou, and moose season is like in selected places and how tribes are working to solve hurdles to traditional practices with Bobby Mercier (Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde member), cultural advisor for CTGR and artist; Ricko DeWilde (Athabascan), hunter and fisherman; and Gary Roybal (San Ildefonso Pueblo), outdoorsman, avid hunter, and fishing and hunting guide for the Santa Fe Guiding Company.

Tuesday, November 8, 2022 – Honoring Native veterans

This Veterans Day, officials are formally dedicating the National Native American Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C. It’s been years in the making and the design is like no other veterans monument, welcoming members of the public since 2020. Today on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce learns about the progress in awareness and recognition for the population that has the highest per capita participation in military service with artist and veteran Harvey Pratt (Cheyenne and Arapaho); Alexandra Harris, senior editor at the National Museum of the American Indian and co-author of Why We Serve: Native Americans in the United States Armed Forces; and Candy Grimes, Adjudication Services Section Chief for the Bureau of Land Management.

Wednesday, November 9, 2022 – Midterm Elections: the morning after

The stakes are high for Native voters and election night delivered with some big surprises, a few lingering mysteries, and no indication of which party will dominate Capitol Hill. Today on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce analyzes the races across the country where Native candidates are on the ballot and issues important to Native people are on the line with Jourdan Bennett-Begaye (Diné), editor at ICT; Angela Willeford (member of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community), intergovernmental relations project manager for the tribe; Allen Wright (Choctaw), president and founder of the Hustings Group; Michelle Sparck (Qissunamuit/Tribe of Chevak), director of strategic initiatives at Get Out the Native Vote; and Rhonda McBride, the new news director of our flagship station in Anchorage – KNBA.

Thursday, November 10 2022 – The fate of ICWA

Each side presented their oral arguments Wednesday to the U.S. Supreme Court for the most serious challenge to the Indian Child Welfare Act in recent memory. The decision in Haaland v. Brackeen will be a major force in the future of ICWA and the scope of tribal sovereignty. Today on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce analyzes the legal debate from a Native perspective with Matthew Fletcher (Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians), law professor at the University of Michigan Law School and author of the Turtle Talk blog; independent journalist Suzette Brewer (citizen of the Cherokee Nation); and Dr. Sarah Kastelic (Alutiiq), director of the National Indian Child Welfare Association.

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Monday, October 31, 2022 – Spooky time stories

Halloween cries out like a banshee for scary stories and there are many traditional and modern Native narratives that fit the bill. Monday on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce heard some favorite stories for the season and checked in on folks whose experiences gave us goosebumps with storyteller Leeora White (Seneca); Lopaka Kapanui (Kanaka Maoli), storyteller, author, and founder of the ghost tour “Mysteries of Hawaii“; Nancy Fields (Lumbee), director and curator at The Museum of the Southeast American Indian; and Ishmael Hope (Tlingit and Inupiaq), poet, storyteller, and Indigenous scholar.

 

Tuesday, November 1, 2022 – Indigenous people in Mexico working for equity and awareness

Indigenous people in Mexico are much more likely to face poverty, human rights abuses, and discrimination than the rest of the country’s population. The UN Special Rapporteur on Indigenous Peoples Rights has repeatedly called out Mexico’s government for a “serious pattern” of abuses against Indigenous people that includes the murder or disappearance of Indigenous environmental or human rights activists. Unlike in the United States, Mexico’s government does not official recognize or support the country’s Indigenous populations. Tuesday on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce met those fighting for Indigenous rights in Mexico with Odilia Romero (Zapotec), co-founder and executive director of Comunidades Indigenas en Liderazgo (CIELO); Alan Dillingham (Choctaw), assistant professor of history at Arizona State University and author of Oaxaca Resurgent; Arcenio Lopez (Ñuu Savi), executive director of the Mixteco Indígena Community Organizing Project; and Dr. Shannon Speed (Chickasaw), director of the American Indian Studies Center (AISC) and professor of gender Studies and anthropology at UCLA.

 

Wednesday, November 2, 2022 – Tribal Leadership: citizenship and identity

Citizenship is one of the keystones of sovereignty for every tribe. And it’s absolute: you’re either a tribal citizen through lineal descendancy, blood quantum, or another agreed-up measurement, or you’re not. But Native identity sometimes extends beyond citizenship and there’s little agreement about those boundaries. Wednesday on Native America Calling, at a time of increasing scrutiny of those who claim—and build careers on—Native identity, Shawn Spruce gets the perspectives from tribal leaders on what makes identity and why it’s so important to get it right with Cathy Chavers, chairwoman of the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa Indians and the president of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe; Dr. Aaron Payment, former chairman of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians; Nathan McCowan (Tlingit and Haida), president and CEO of St. George Tanaq Corporation; Patt Iron Cloud AKA “GrandmaPatt”, councilwoman for the Fort Peck Tribes; and Harold “Buster” Hatcher, chief of the Waccamaw Indian People.

 

Thursday, November 3, 2022 – Oklahoma—are you OK?

Tribes in Oklahoma are actively working to unseat the incumbent governor—who is a Cherokee citizen—because they say he is the most anti-Native American state leader in recent memory. A judge recently dissolved the Osage Nation reservation, saying Congress probably would have gotten around to disestablishment at some point anyway. And tribes are fighting the state’s new anti-Critical Race Theory law, saying it hampers students learning about the state’s long history of Native American oppression. Thursday on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce checks in on the unique relationship tribes have with the state of Oklahoma.

 

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Monday, October 24, 2022 – Alaska’s unprecedented snow crab population collapse

Alaska’s snow crab season is cancelled for the first time ever after a mass die-off all but wiped out the crustaceans in the Bering Sea. Officials estimate the snow crab population plummeted by at least 11 billion in a relatively short time. Many experts theorize warming waters are the main culprit. The harvest is crucial for local economies. Today on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce hears about the immediate implications and concerns about the future of crab harvests with Mike Litzow, marine biologist and director of the Kodiak Lab for the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration Fisheries; Phillip Zavadil, city manager of St. Paul Island, AK; and Dennis Robinson (Qawalangin Tribe), president of the Qawalangin Tribe of Unalaska.

Tuesday, October 25, 2022 – Media literacy: election edition

There is no break in election campaigns anymore. Party operatives work long hours year round to find ways to bring voters to their side—or at least away from their opponents’ side. Even so, as the Midterm Election nears, information is moving at light speed and so much of it is exaggerated, misleading, and even false. Today on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce provides tools the average citizen can use to make informed election decisions with Jason Begay (Navajo), associate professor at The University of Montana School of Journalism; Angela Willeford (Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community member), intergovernmental relations project manager at Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community; Adrian Jawort (Northern Cheyenne), transgender two-spirit journalist, fiction writer, fact checker, and research and Political Director Indigenous Transilience in Montana; and Dr. Torivio A Fodder (Taos Pueblo), manager of the Indigenous Governance Program at the University of Arizona.

Wednesday, October 26, 2022 – Ancestors’ remains in private hands

The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act dictates remains from federal lands or in institutions receiving federal funds be returned to their tribal descendants. But what of remains from private lands or in museums that don’t take government funds? It was once common practice for archaeologists—both professional and amateur—to plunder burial sites. Some unscrupulous outlets still have ancestors’ remains on public display. Today on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce gets a rundown of places that enjoy NAGPRA’s loopholes with Shannon O’Loughlin (Choctaw), attorney and the executive director of the Association on American Indian Affairs; Kenny Bowekaty (Zuni), tour guide and archaeologist for the Pueblo of Zuni; and Bryon Schroeder, director of the Center for Big Bend Studies at Sul Ross State University.

Thursday, October 27, 2022 – The strength of tribal Courts

Tribal courts are asserting their ability to mete out justice and work toward healing. Many tribal courts are being recognized for restorative justice and for providing a means to address wrongs that go unresolved in other courts. Thursday on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce spoke with Matthew Fletcher (Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians), law professor at the University of Michigan Law School and author of the “Turtle Talk” blog, and Matt Johnson (enrolled in the Cayuse, Umatilla, and Walla Walla; the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation), court director of the Umatilla Tribal Court.

Friday, October 28, 2022 – The Menu: Indian tacos, trick-or-treats, and Itality

Trick-or-treating and costume parties are back on this year after pandemic fits and starts. That means lots of candy and chocolate. Friday on Native America Calling, in our regular feature The Menu, our resident foodie Andi Murphy took a look at the Indigenous origins of chocolate with Julio Saqui (Mayan), founder and owner of Che’il Mayan Chocolate; checks out Itality, a new plant-based Native restaurant in Albuquerque, NM with founder and owner Tina Archuleta (Jemez Pueblo); and chats with Monie Horsechief (Pawnee and Cherokee), owner of Horsechief Catering and this year’s National Indian Taco champion.

Monday, October 17, 2022 – Native in the Spotlight: Madeline Sayet

Traditional Mohegan stories and William Shakespeare don’t automatically come to mind as complimentary influences. But Madeline Sayet (Mohegan) draws on these and other creative forces for her one-woman show “Where We Belong”. It premiered at Shakespeare’s Globe theater in London and is now headed to New York City’s Public Theater. Sayet is an accomplished writer, playwright, actress, and Monday on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce catches up with her current show and her creative spirit, as part of our ongoing series Native in the Spotlight.

Tuesday, October 18, 2022 – Reaching for the college sports roster

Getting signed to a college sports team is a dream for many Native athletes. It appeals to the competitive spirit and can be a major higher education financial boost. But it comes with responsibilities, pressures, and the possibility for injury. Today on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce explores what it takes to reach and sustain NCAA status with Bennae Calac (Pauma Band of Luiseno Indians), co-founder, president, and executive director of the 7G Foundation; Zach Blankenship (Cherokee and Navajo), freshman at Oklahoma State University; and Amil Mitchell (Nez Perce), shooting guard for LeMoyne-Owen College.  

Wednesday, October 19, 2022 – Tribal leadership: what it takes

Tribal leaders make major decisions about finances, public safety, and societal well being. They need vision, dedication, and a thick skin. Wednesday on Native America Calling, in the latest conversation of our tribal leadership series, Shawn Spruce talks with tribal president Kevin Killer (Oglala Sioux), Chairman Jordan Dresser (Northern Arapaho), and Tribal Chief Mike Williams Sr. (Yupiit Nation) about what drives them to be in a position of authority and how they prepare for inevitable criticisms.

Thursday, October 20, 2022 – Land donations add to tribal land holdings

The family of private land-owners just donated a valuable piece of land in California to the state-recognized Gabrielino Tongva tribe. It will be a place of ceremonial gatherings and conservation. Another California tribe, the Esselen, also regained ownership of more than 1,000 acres of land for conservation. Land donations by both private individuals and government entities are putting pieces of ancestral land back into tribal hands. Thursday on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce talked more about the importance of donations toward restoring culturally-important land with Cris Stainbrook (Lakota), president of the Indian Land Tenure Foundation; Hillary Renick (enrolled member of the Sherwood Valley Band of Pomo Indians and descendant of the Hopland Shanel, Noyo River, and Ft. McDermitt Paiute-Shoshone communities), co-founder of the California Indian Land Institute; and David Weeden (Wampanoag), tribal council member and tribal historic preservation officer for the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, chairman of the Mashpee Board of Selectmen, and a Cape Cod Commission member.

Friday, October 21, 2022 – Inuit teens must save the world from aliens in “Slash/Back”

Four Inuit teenage girls face off against murderous aliens that inhabit the bodies of people and animals in the film “Slash/Back”. The girls must save the world using mainly makeshift weapons, but first they will have to save their small Arctic community. The film is filled with First Nations talent both in front of and behind the camera. Today on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce speaks with director and co-writer Nyla Innuksuk (Inuk) and lead actor Tasiana Shirley (Inuk) about the film coming to theaters, and on-demand and digital platforms.

 

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Monday, October 10, 2022 – Celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day

The day to honor Indigenous people is catching on in schools, cities, and states. Organizers in Phoenix, AZ are putting on an all-day festival that includes food trucks, a vendor market, skateboard competitions, music, and Indigenous film screenings. New York State might be getting resistance to the idea of officially renaming the holiday, but its largest city is celebrating its eighth, two-day Indigenous festival. And Bethel, AK scheduled a march and potluck. Monday on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce checked in on Indigenous Peoples Day celebrations around the country with Martha Atmaun Glore (Cup’ik), office manager at the Kuskokwim Campus at the University of Alaska Fairbanks; Jir Anderson (Cochiti Pueblo), lead singer for the Jir Project and founder of Native Guitars Tour; Candace Hamana (Hopi), owner of Badger PR and the founder of Indigenous Peoples Public Relations Association; and Ray Bacasegua (Yaqui/Yoeme), director of AIM Northern Nevada and the executive grand council for AIM.

Tuesday, October 11, 2022 – Waiting for recognition

A number of tribes remain on the waiting list for federal recognition. Some want to legally secure their sovereign rights and access to trust land status, while others hope to gain federal emergency assistance or the power to take on civil lawsuits against corporate polluters. Tuesday on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce heard from some tribes on the cusp of federal recognition about what it could mean for them with Professor Kerri Malloy (Yurok/Karuk), assistant professor at San Jose University; Rachel Cushman (Chinook Indian Nation), secretary and treasurer for the Chinook Indian Nation; and Patty Ferguson-Bohnee (Pointe-au-Chien), director of the Indian legal program and clinical professor of Law at Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University.

Wednesday, October 12, 2022 – Native food for Native students

A new Dept. of Interior pilot program aims to put Indigenous food hubs at a handful of Bureau of Indian Education schools and BIA-operated detention centers. It follows a similar program to distribute traditional food on Indian Reservations. It’s part of an effort to make sure Native people who receive help from the U.S. government have access to healthy, local food produced by tribal food vendors. Wednesday on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce talked about how this new pilot program will work and what it means for Native food sovereignty with Wizipan Garriott (Rosebud Sioux), Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs; Foster Cournoyer-Hogan (Ihanktonwan Dakota/enrolled Siċaŋġu Lakota), Lakota foods coordinator for Wakanyeja Tokeyahci Wounspe Oti, the Lakota Immersion School; and Bradley Harrington (Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe), culture and language revitalization advocate.

Thursday, October 13, 2022 – Native ballot outlook

Native candidates have a lot at stake coming up in the midterm elections. After redistricting, some incumbents find themselves in tight races, while others are expected to sail into office. Thursday on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce zeroed in on a few Native candidates, both newcomers and veterans, and looked at how a win or loss impacts the larger picture with O.J. Semans Sr. (Rosebud Sioux), co-executive director for Four Directions Vote, and Jordan James Harvill (Cherokee/Choctaw), National Program Director for Advance Native Political Leadership.

Friday, October 14, 2022 – Spirit Rangers

A new Netflix show for preschoolers features all Native writers and a storyline which centers around California’s Cowlitz tribe and culture. The voice cast is largely Native and includes heavy-hitting veterans Wes Studi and Tantoo Cardinal. Friday on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce speaks with showrunner and creator Karissa Valencia (Santa Ynez Chumash) as well as “Spirit Rangers” singer-songwriter Raye Zaragoza (Akimel O’odham descent) about bringing Native awareness to young viewers around the world.

Monday, October 3, 2022 – Back to the office

If you haven’t been summoned back to the office after the pandemic disruption, you likely will soon. The threat from COVID-19 has receded. President Joe Biden declared the pandemic “over”, even though scientists like Dr. Anthony Fauci say the reality is much more nuanced than that. Tribal offices, casinos, and businesses have a wide range of policies to address the ongoing health of their employees and patrons. Monday on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce finds out what’s changed and what still needs to when working face-to-face with Tamara Henderson (Laguna Pueblo), chief operating officer for the Native American Youth and Family Center (NAYA); Montoya Whiteman (Cheyenne and Arapaho), senior director of marketing for the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES); Rick Waters (Kiowa and Cherokee), executive director for the Denver Indian Center; and Lynnette Toya (Jemez Pueblo), senior human resources generalist for Amerind.

Tuesday, October 4, 2022 – Protecting peyote

Practitioners in the Native American Church (or as we like to call it, the other NAC) officially won the right to use peyote as a religious right in 1994. Now they are working to secure environmental protections for the plant that is losing habitat to development, land use policies, and climate change. Among other things, NAC representatives call for setting aside land where peyote grows. Tuesday on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce looks at the practice and the politics of peyote with Jon Brady (Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara), president of the Native American Church of North America; Dr. Martin Terry, board member for the Cactus Conservation Institute and professor emeritus of Sul Ross University; elder Steven Benally (Diné), founding member of the Indigenous Peyote Conservation Initiative (IPCI) and co-organizer of the Annual Spiritual Pilgrimage; and Sandor Iron Rope (Oglala Lakota Oyate from the Pine Ridge agency), founding IPCI board member.

Wednesday, October 5, 2022 – Getting tribes disaster ready

Hurricane Ian caused catastrophic damage, but most tribal members and communities weathered the storm, although they still require federal assistance. Wednesday on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce gets an update on recovery efforts and looks at how other tribes are preparing for impending disasters with Jake Heflin (Osage and Cherokee), president and CEO of Tribal Emergency Management Association (iTEMA); Adam Weintraub, communications director for the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency; and Monse Torres, radio producer and activist.

Thursday, October 6, 2022 – Tribal leaders of the pandemic

The COVID pandemic challenged every tribal leader to keep their citizens safe. Any plans they may have had for economic advancements or structural reforms were quickly replaced with life-and-death decisions about public health, business shut-downs, and conflicting priorities with surrounding government leaders. Thursday on Native America Calling, in the first of a series of discussions with tribal leaders, Shawn Spruce hears how the pandemic changed things for the foreseeable future with former White Mountain Apache Tribal chairwoman Gwendena Lee-Gatewood; Navajo Nation president Jonathan Nez; and Donald Dardar, second chairperson for the Pointe-au-Chien Indian Tribe.

Friday, October 7, 2022 – New on the Native Bookshelf

Chelsea Hicks (Osage) includes her tribal language throughout the short stories assembled in A Calm and Normal Heart. She is winning praise for her debut collection described as both dark and humorous. The new detective novel Dance of the Returned by Devon Mihesuah (Choctaw) puts tribal tradition into a suspenseful contemporary light. Friday on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce hears from both authors as they discuss works for our Native Bookshelf.

 

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Monday, September 26, 2022 – Sharing management of sacred and important lands

The Biden Administration says it wants to work with tribes to co-manage federal land that is also sacred or culturally important. Tribal leaders are talking with officials in the Interior and Agriculture departments about what that might look like. Today on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce speaks with Dr. Suzan Shown Harjo (Cheyenne and Hodulgee Muscogee), advisor for the “Sacred Places Project” from the Native American Rights Fund, founding trustee of the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, president of the Morningstar Institute, and the recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom; Oglala Lakota Tribe President Kevin Killer (Oglala Lakota); and head councilman Joe Garcia (Ohkay Owingeh), advisor for the Sacred Places Project from the Native American Rights Fund. 

Tuesday, September 27, 2022 – Native student success depends on teachers

Post-pandemic burn out, persistently low pay, and a disparaging political climate are helping fuel a high number of teacher vacancies. Some school districts have an easier time recruiting teachers from other countries than finding candidates from within their own borders. Tuesday on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce looks at how rising class sizes, decreased attention on cultural connections, and the shifting political pressures mean Native students are at an increasing disadvantage with Jerad Koepp (Wukchumni), a Native Student Program Specialist and 2022 Washington state Teacher of the Year; Joe Carrier (Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa), American Indian education program coordinator for Detroit Lakes Public Schools; and Dr. Casie Wise, senior program director for the National Indian Education Association.

Wednesday, September 28, 2022 – Tribes respond to Biden’s clean energy challenge

Some tribes are already finding economic opportunities with clean energy. Now the Biden Administration is appealing directly to tribes to add wind, solar, and other clean alternatives to help boost their budgets. Today on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce finds out why more tribes are willing to take a chance on these burgeoning technologies with Daniel Wiggins Jr. (Bad River Band citizen), Air Quality Technician with the Bad River Band Natural Resources Department; Liliana Napoleon (Native Hawaiian and a Cherokee descendant), program director for Ho’ahu Energy Cooperative; Robert Blake (tribal citizen of the Red Lake Nation), owner of Solar Bear, executive director for Native Sun Community Power Development, and chief executive officer for Indigenized Energy Initiative; Tanksi Clairmont (Sisseton Wahpeton Dakota tribal member and Sicangu Lakota). managing director of the Tribal Solar Accelerator Fund; and Dr. Suzanne Singer (Diné), co-founder of Native Renewables.

Thursday, September 29, 2022 – Suiting up for football season 

Native athletes helped kick off football’s popularity in the early days and there are a number of talented Native NFL players. The sport attracts a large Native following despite problematic mascots, tomahawk chops, and headdresses. The season is still young, rivalries are heating up, and fans have their sights set for a post-season appearance. Today on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce huddles with Marlin Fryberg (member of the Tulalip Tribes), 7G Foundation northwestern states region board member; Levi Horn (Northern Cheyenne), former Chicago Bear and current drug and alcohol counselor; Eric Brock, athletic director for Santa Fe Indian School; and Joseph Claunch (Puyallup), dean of students and head football coach at Hózhó Academy.

Friday, September 30, 2022 – The Menu: reality TV and new eats

The new Hulu show “Chefs vs. Wild” dropped this week and it pits a handful of chefs, some of whom are Indigenous, against each other in cooking challenges in the wilderness. On Canadian TV, Mohawk chef Tawnya Brant will compete on “Next Level Chef Canada.” And a new Spokane restaurant called Indigenous Eats serves up customers’ choices of ingredients on top of a large fluffy frybread. Today on Native America Calling, our resident foodie Andi Murphy cooks up another helping of the Native culinary world on our regular feature “The Menu” with Jenny Slagle (Yakama and Northern Arapaho), owner of Indigenous Eats, and Valerie Segrest (Muckleshoot), co-host and judge for “Chefs vs. Wild” and co-founder of Tahoma Peak Solutions.

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Monday, September 19, 2022 – Osage disestablishment

Just as courts are working through jurisdictional boundaries for the other tribes in Oklahoma, a district court judge determined the Osage Nation reservation does not exist. The judge asserts Congress disestablished the Osage reservation. Lawyers for the tribe and the criminal defendant in question promise to take the issue to a federal appeals court. It’s part of the ongoing legal push-and-pull in Oklahoma over criminal jurisdiction that has far-reaching implications. Today on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce speaks with Billy Keene (Osage), Osage Nation Congress member; Elizabeth Homer (Osage), attorney and associate justice on the Osage Nation Supreme Court; and Matthew Fletcher (Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians), law professor at the University of Michigan Law School and author of the “Turtle Talk” blog.

Tuesday, September 20, 2022 – New music sampler

Tuesday on Native America Calling, as summer wanes, Andi Murphy welcomes the beginning of autumn with a look at some brand-new music from established Indigenous musicians and newer acts that get us excited like rapper Nataanii Means (Oglala Lakota, Diné and Omaha) with his new album “GROWTH”; singer-songwriter Wayne Garner (citizen of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma) with his new album “School for Savages”; and vocalist Nico Williams (Cherokee) and guitarist Kyle Williams (Ponca, Otoe, and Ioway) from Medicine Horse, who have dropped a few songs from their upcoming debut album.

Wednesday, September 21, 2022 – The Dust Bowl and Native displacement

The story of the Dust Bowl often focuses on the plight of European settlers whose agricultural promise descended into absolute ruin during decades of drought. But the nation’s most infamous climate disaster also precipitated the needless forced slaughter of masses of Native America livestock and subsequent land and water use policies to the detriment of many tribes. Wednesday on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce reflects on the Dust Bowl’s legacy for Native Americans.

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