Monday, December 23, 2019 – Native holiday music
Musicians find inspiration in love, heartbreak and…the holidays. It’s the time of year when songs about winter, snowmen, sleigh bells and festive lights fill your playlist. Native songs celebrating the season include covers of classic holiday songs with Native instruments and languages. You don’t want to miss out on the throat-singing version of Carol of the Bells.. Native musicians also compose their own originals about Christmas in the Pueblos, winter solstice and dogsled rides. We’re giving the gift of the sweet sounds Native holiday music.
Tuesday, December 24, 2019 – The year in Native pop culture
Baby Yoda and the Woman Yelling at the Cat meme dominated our social media feeds in 2019. The year was also filled with films, music and hashtags that Native audiences relate to. We’re reliving some of the highs and lows of 2019 and putting our finger on the pulse of the coming year in popular culture.
Wednesday, December 25, 2019 – Music Maker in Review
We heard the musical talents from members of the Swinomish, Tlingit, Mohawk, Cree, and Navajo nations among many others in 2019. They told us a lot about their music and their tribal roots. In this special show, we’ll get to sample all of our Music Makers from the past year. We’ll take the hour to recap memorable moments from our visits with the song carriers of our time.
Thursday, December 26, 2019 – What we were reading in 2019
A graphic anthology that includes 150 years of Canadian history from an Indigenous perspective; a collection of poems by Native women focusing on gratitude; and a story about a Cherokee middle-schooler’s enlightening road trip. All of these are books on the American Indians in Children’s Literature “Best of 2019” list. We’ll talk with Debbie Reese (Nambe Pueblo) about her favorite books by Native authors for young people that she curled up with this year. We’ll also check in with Indigenous librarian, Catherine Baty (Big Sandy River Mono Nation), about her favorite Native books she read this year. And author Cynthia Leitich Smith (Muscogee Nation) gives us a preview of “Heartdrum,” a Native-focused imprint of HarperCollins Children’s Books.
Friday, December 27, 2019 – December in the News
The governor of Hawaii is pulling state law enforcement personnel from Mauna Kea. What does this mean for the months-long demonstrations against the Thirty Meter Telescope? Also two Native members of Congress voted to impeach President Donald Trump, two did not. Where does the process go from here? These stories and more in our round-up of important Native news.
