Monday, September 9, 2019 – Indigenous fashion: Using the runway to create dialogue
It’s a given that the fashion runway is about making statements with fabric and design. The catwalk is also being used to tell Indigenous stories and bring awareness to issues that test the strength of our Native nations. We’ll hear from Native designers about the role fashion can play in conveying emotions that come with issues ranging from stolen relatives to colonization to a resurgence of culture.
Tuesday, September 10, 2019 – Star People and stories in the stars
At least 2 million people are signed onto Facebook event page for storming the top secret Nevada military site, Area 51, on Sept. 20. It started as a joke by organizers saying they wanted to find evidence for alien conspiracy theories. We’re taking the opportunity to learn more about the roles Star People and Star Beings play in Native culture and origin stories.
Wednesday, September 11, 2019 – The decision to change genders
A Shoshone-Bannock citizen could be the first prison inmate to have gender confirmation surgery through a court order. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with a lower court judge, ruling that by denying Adree Edmo the surgery while in custody, the Idaho Department of Corrections is violating her constitutional rights. Edmo argues having the surgery is life-saving. She had previously attempted suicide. One 2015 study from the National Center for Transgender Equality found more than half of the Native transgender people included in a larger, national survey said they attempted suicide. We’ll explore the legal implications for the federal court decision and expand the discussion to the factors that go into a person’s decision to have sex reassignment surgery.
Thursday, September 12, 2019 – Brazil’s far-right president fans the flames
Information from Brazil’s National Space Research Institute shows the number of fires in the Amazon tropical rainforest are nearly double what they were last year. There’s no consensus on the cause of the increase, but Indigenous tribes and environmental groups say it’s because the policies under President Jair Bolsonaro encourage land grabs and deforestation by farmers, ranchers and mining companies. Tribal leaders say it’s another example of Bolsonaro’s well-documented hostility toward Indigenous people that poses their most serious existential threat in at least a half century.
Friday, September 13, 2019 – Keep going: motivation to learn your language
Some people have a knack for learning language. Others struggle to keep track of nouns, verbs and syntax. Either way, adult tribal language learners have a big task. Just getting started might seem daunting. And following through and frequent practice are key. We’ll get tips for getting started, keeping going, and passing along your Native language.
