Monday, October 9, 2017 – Indigenous Peoples Day catching on
Los Angeles is the latest city to acknowledge Indigenous Peoples Day instead of Columbus Day. Salt Lake City will celebrate both in tandem. They join dozens of other locations in recent years that are putting a day on the calendar for Indigenous people. Following pressure from Native American groups, cities and states are also realizing the drawbacks of officially recognizing Christopher Columbus. There is some pushback, including from Italian Americans, who hold up Columbus’ achievements as something that boosts their culture.
Tuesday, October 10, 2017 – Can guns be controlled?
The mass shooting in Las Vegas has citizens in fear and policymakers once again on the defensive. Critics are calling for laws to prevent shootings. Others say restrictions on guns violate the Constitution and do nothing to stop someone from using them inappropriately. For Native Americans and Alaska Natives as a group, guns are more a factor in higher suicide rates than in homicides or mass shooting events. Can any limits on guns make us safer?
Wednesday, October 11, 2017 – Zuni fetishes
Zuni fetishes are carvings that represent animals and hold special ceremonial value. They are carved from a variety of materials including marble, pipestone and travertine. Fetishes have become a thriving part of the Native art market. We’ll talk with a few Zuni carvers about the history and practice of creating fetishes.
Thursday, October 12, 2017 — Climate change in the Southwest
Southern Arizona is seeing higher temperatures for longer periods and more intense storms. Those are among the effects of climate change in a report last summer by the University of Arizona in Tuscon. Another study last summer published in the journal, Science, predicts Mojave County—home to four reservations—would suffer the state’s largest economic loss because of climate change.
Friday, October 13, 2017 – October Music Maker: Indian Agent
Historically, Indian agents were representatives of the U.S. government who interacted with Native Americans. One member of this month’s Music Maker band, Yéil Ya-Tseen aka Nicholas Galanin (Tlingit/Unangax) says the efforts of these individuals to oppress the Native way of life—like not permitting singing and dancing—is what inspired his group to pick up the name, Indian Agent. They’ve taken on this title to flip it on its head and do just the opposite of some of the early agents. Indian Agent uses layers of ghostly voice rhythms that echo through suave electronic beats on their new album “Meditations in the Key of Red.”
