Monday, November 26, 2018 – Where the real buffalo roam
Bison were hunted almost to extinction in the 1800s, then cattle ranches displaced nearly all of what was left. Now, tribes are among those working to restore bison herds with a genetic connection to the original wild, roaming herds. There are both cultural and economic benefits. But raising healthy animals with pure genetic ties takes skill, science and stamina.
Tuesday, November 27, 2018 – Book of the Month: The Sea of Grass by Walter Echo-Hawk
The “Sea of Grass” is a fictional account of real people and events. Walter Echo-Hawk (Pawnee) tells the history of the Pawnee Nation through the voices of ten generations of the Echo-Hawk family. It’s an account of the spirit, heroism and family connections as well as the wars, diseases, and broken treaties that all shaped the tribe’s fortunes on their Central Plains homeland. The author is a respected Native American rights attorney and served as a Supreme Court justice for the Pawnee Nation. He’s also penned two books on the intersection of Native rights and U.S. law.
Wednesday, November 28, 2018 – Fighting forest fires’ increasing toll
The news about the fires in California keeps getting worse. The state’s governor says the increased frequency and growing intensity of wildfires ‘are the new abnormal.’ The human, environmental and economic costs keep rising. And California isn’t alone. Are there answers for slowing the troubling trend? We’ll talk with tribal forest managers about active efforts to reduce forest fires and ways to help individual property owners reduce the threat.
Thursday, November 29, 2018 – Justice for missing and murdered Indigenous women remains elusive
A new analysis finds more than 500 cases of missing or murdered women and girls in the United States since 1943. The authors of the study from the Urban Indian Health Institute say that is likely far lower than the real number. They point to poor record-keeping, bad information- sharing between local and tribal law enforcement agencies, and institutional racism as the main barriers to getting the full picture. Any legislation at the federal level to help remedy the situation remains stalled. We’ll hear recommendations from the researchers and get updates from women’s advocates about this ongoing issue.
Friday, November 30, 2018 – November in the News
Arizona’s governor fired the state’s parks director after complaints she oversaw the destruction of important Native American sites to build trails and cabins. A New Mexico high school teacher was suspended after she cut a Native student’s hair and made an insensitive comment as part of a “Halloween stunt”. International human rights organizations are weighing in on allegations of modern day forced sterilizations for First Nations women. We’ll check in on these issues and others that come from Native America in our regular news roundup.
