Monday, February 1, 2021 – The COVID-19 vaccine and protecting elders
The vaccine is already offering a sigh of relief to thousands of people. But many Native people remain wary for a variety of reasons. Health officials are looking for ways to get the message out that the vaccine is safe and effective, especially compared to the alternative. Meanwhile, tribal leaders and others are particularly worried about the toll the disease is taking on elders and what that means for tribal language and culture.
Tuesday, February 2, 2021 – Native in the Spotlight: Kevin Washburn
Kevin Washburn (Chickasaw) took a temporary leave as dean of the University of Iowa College of Law to head the U.S. Department of Interior review team for Joe Biden’s transition into the White House. Washburn served as Interior’s assistant secretary of Indian Affairs for the Obama Administration. He was also an attorney for the U.S. Justice Department and a federal prosecutor. He is an expert on tribal gaming and the intersection of federal Indian law and criminal law. We’ll talk with him about his passion for teaching and his influence on the new administration’s approach to Indian Country.
Wednesday, February 3, 2021 – Making room for stress management
A lot of people are turning to stress relievers to help cope with the ongoing pandemic, economic worries, and political anxiety, all on top of the regular day-to-day pressures. Without proper management, stress can cause symptoms such as changes in appetite, difficulty concentrating, headaches, and even worse health problems. Some people resort to unhealthy remedies to stress like self-medicating with alcohol or drugs. But there are a number of healthy alternatives, including traditional Native methods. We’ll devote some time to talk with experts about techniques that provide results and are easy to incorporate in your daily routine.
Thursday, February 4, 2021 – The Cherokee Syllabary bicentennial
When Cherokee leader Sequoyah introduced a written version of his language 200 years ago, his fellow Cherokees were skeptical. He eventually won them over and now the Cherokee Syllabary evolved to be included on typewriters, printing presses, and even mobile phone apps. This year the Cherokee Nation is celebrating the bicentennial of its written language. We’ll get the history of Sequoyah’s 12-year process to develop the series of symbols and letters that represent the spoken language. We’ll also talk about ways the syllabary is helping keep the language thriving.
Friday, February 5, 2021 – Bread: A Native staple
Every culture has its own version of bread. Among Native cultures, Pueblos in New Mexico have a distinctive loaf, Canadian First Nations in Canada have variations on bannock, and almost everyone is familiar with fry bread. Different tribes have unique approaches to bread even though recipes can be vastly different among bakers within a tribe. Many Native versions of bread are adaptations from recipes and ingredients introduced by outsiders, but the flatbreads and loaves have become a big part of tribal food culture today. We’ll hear about corn and wheat and crusts and crumbs as we celebrate Native bread.
