Monday, April 1, 2019 – Culture and matriarchy in business
Native women entrepreneurs often face barriers to success. But attention to cultural values and meaningful networking along with a solid business plan and disciplined attention to detail can make all the difference. As the annual Native Women’s Business Summit gears up, we’ll take time to ask Native businesswomen about their keys to success and how they tackle issues like the wage gap, unequal access to resources and other obstacles.
Tuesday, April 2, 2019 – The future of the Indian Child Welfare Act
The Indian Child Welfare Act has some tough opponents in the courts and in the court of public opinion. ICWA proponents suffered a setback in the Brackeen vs Bernhardt case. Both sides just presented oral arguments in the appeal. We will go live from the annual Protecting Our Children National American Indian Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect to hear first-hand stories from those affected by ICWA. We’ll also get expert analysis about the possible trajectory for the 40-year-old law going forward.
Wednesday, April 3, 2019 – The lighter side of Native poetry
Poems can be an epiphany, a sad good bye to a former lover, or an emotional recollection of strength. They can also offer a hilarious tale of life in Native America. For National Poetry Month, we’ll hear from Native poets like Tiffany Midge (“Bury My Heart at Chuck E. Cheese’s”), Chris La Tray (“One-Sentence Journal”) and others to understand how humor can paint a true picture of Native America.
Thursday, April 4, 2019 – Tribes respond to record floods
The National Guard is helping out after more than two weeks of record flooding left residents of the Pine Ridge Reservation stranded, some without food, water or medicine. At the same time, dozens of residents on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation had to be evacuated—some by helicopter—to escape the threat from rising waters. The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe stacked sand bags to try and protect homes and businesses. We’ll get an update from tribes dealing with the worst flooding in memory.
Friday, April 5, 2019 –Tribal education departments fulfill a need
Tribal education departments offer opportunities most public and private schools can’t: a solid education in a culturally relevant environment. The departments sometimes run schools on reservations and even provide higher education scholarships. State and local education agencies are required to consult with tribes under the Every Student Succeeds Act. We’ll talk with educators about the role tribes play in the education of their citizens and improve education for Native students.
