Monday, September 20, 2021 – ICWA: Federal protections for children under constant legal pressure
The Indian Child Welfare Act has been upheld in dozens of court decisions as a vital federal protection for Native adoptees and foster children. That string of wins ended when a Texas district court judge ruled the more than 40-year-old law unconstitutional. A subsequent federal appeals court agreed that at least parts of ICWA are unconstitutional. Long considered by legal experts as the gold standard of adoption law, ICWA faces its most significant legal challenge. We’ll examine how we got here and who is behind the legal efforts to dismantle ICWA.
Tuesday, September 21, 2021 – Recruiting Native medical professionals
Patients have better outcomes when they don’t have to confront cultural barriers. A 2020 study by Penn Medicine researchers found patients prefer medical professionals of the same race or ethnicity. But Native doctors and nurses are in short supply. We’ll hear about the importance of Native medical professionals and efforts to recruit more of them into the industry.
Wednesday, September 22, 2021 – Music Maker: Klee Benally
Diné musician Klee Benally calls his latest set of creations “performance art intervention.” It’s called “Appropriation” consisting of 13 tracks and is a stance against cultural genocide. It’s set to some very energetic sounds and brought further to life with strong vocals. The former Blackfire guitarist and vocalist writes: “The music and accompanying propaganda was created for collective disruption of the dehumanizing forces attacking Indigenous existence.” We visit with Klee to find out why he’s calling out settler colonial order.
Thursday, September 23, 2021 – Doing right by Native people with disabilities
Native people are over-represented in the number of people with disabilities. The U.S., Census finds almost a quarter of the Native population has a disability. At the same time they are underserved when it comes to treatment because of inadequate funding, staff shortages or bureaucratic barriers. There are efforts to both reduce the number of Native people with disabilities, and find ways to improve the lives of those living with disabilities.
Friday, September 24, 2021 – ‘Nets’: making waves on the basketball court in southeast Alaska
The documentary film ‘Alaska Nets’ follows the quest by a pair of athletes from Alaska’s only reservation. It premiered at the Santa Barbara Film Festival and focuses on the two main concerns in these young mens’ lives: basketball and salmon fishing. We’ll hear about the film and get a glimpse of life on the remote island of Metlakatla.
