Monday, November 22, 2021 – Federal boost for language and culture
From the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana’s living history installation to the Red Lake Nation’s charter school, dozens of tribes are devoting emergency federal relief aid to projects to preserve traditional language and culture. The U.S. Government is distributing close to $88 million in American Rescue Plan funding to some 300 arts and cultural institutions, including tribal projects. We’ll hear how plans are coming along for some selected tribes.
Tuesday, November 23, 2021 – What do tribes get out of the massive federal infrastructure bill?
The $1-trillion infrastructure bill just signed by President Biden is an unprecedented infusion of federal funds for thousands of projects across the country. Tribal leaders applauded the action that could go toward beefing up water systems at Warm Springs, Oregon, the Navajo Nation and parts of rural Alaska. Other funds will go toward broadband connections and helping coastal tribes cope with climate change. We’ll get a picture of the opportunities for what many tribes are calling a ‘historic’ opportunity.
Wednesday, November 24, 2021 – The Menu: more new restaurants and food books
Crystal Wahpepah (Kickapoo and Sac and Fox) opened Wahpepah’s Kitchen in Oakland, California, one of the area’s first Native restaurants, after years of catering and teaching diners about the richness of Indigenous food. Felicia Cocotzin Ruiz (Tewa and Chicana) debuts her book “Earth Medicines,” a collection of healthy recipes and ancestral knowledge. Native America Calling’s resident foodie Andi Murphy explores the latest developments in Indigenous food and food sovereignty.
Thursday, November 25, 2021 – Slavery from an Indigenous perspective
The scourge of slavery was an unfortunate reality for Indigenous people in the history of North America. Spanish colonizers set in motion a complicated legacy of slavery throughout the Americas that changed identity, culture and relationships forever. We’ll talk about the history and legacy of Indigenous slavery and get insights from speakers with the National Museum of the American Indian’s symposium, “The Other Slavery: Histories of Indian Bondage from New Spain to the Southwestern United States.” (This is an encore show so we won’t be taking listeners’ calls)
Friday, November 26, 2021 – Effective solutions to ending stereotypical displays
A viral video of a California teacher resorting to objectionable Native stereotypes in the classroom begs the question: what will it take to get the message across? Some pockets of the population remain blind to mandatory diversity training and public education campaigns designed to end culturally insensitive comments and actions. (This is an encore show so we won’t be taking listeners’ calls)
