Host: Shawn Spruce
Monday, December 5, 2022 – Leave Twitter? Or stay and fight?
For all its faults, Twitter is an effective means for sharing and discussing Native issues, culture, language, and business. But for many #NativeTwitter users, the social media platform is increasingly losing its luster after its takeover by Elon Musk. There are fears that un-muzzling far right and white supremacist voices is making it a hotbed of hate speech against people of color. Is that a good reason to leave? Monday on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce revealed the results of our Twitter poll and took your calls about the platform-in-transition with author Traci Sorell (Cherokee); Dr. Twyla Baker (member of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation), president of Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College; Aylan Couchie (Anishinaabe from the Nipissing First Nation), interdisciplinary artist and writer; and Dr. Emily Haozous (Enrolled Chiricahua Fort Sill Apache), research scientist for the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation.
Tuesday, December 6, 2022 – Native forensics: the science of justice
The forensic field uses science to help gather evidence for criminal cases and some archeological investigations. Crimes involving Native people and renewed scrutiny of past boarding school practices highlight the importance for Native forensic professionals. Tuesday on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce heard from Native forensic experts about what the profession entails and how they work to solve difficult cases with Dr. Kona Williams (Cree and Mohawk), forensic pathologist and coroner; Ramona Emerson (Diné), writer, filmmaker, retired forensic photographer, and author of the novel Shutter; and Harvey Pratt (Cheyenne and Arapaho), veteran and forensic artist.
Wednesday, December 7, 2022 – Publishing on your own
Even after spending all that time writing your own book, there’s no guarantee an established publisher will pick it up. A growing number of Native writers are turning to self-publishing – and there’s a number of supportive organizations and independent publishers that can help. Wednesday on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce took us inside the Native self-publishing industry with Jessie Taken Alive-Rencountre (Hunkpapa Lakota); Brian Lush (Yankton Sioux), author of Roger’s War; and comic book artist Kayla Shaggy (Diné/Anishinaabe).
Thursday, December 8, 2022—ICYMI: Native issues that matter
Thursday on Native America Calling, “In Case You Missed It”, Shawn Spruce catches up on some interesting and engaging topics that are important to Native people. Dean Seneca (Seneca), CEO of Seneca Scientific Solutions Plus, has a winter update on COVID-19; Dr. Terri Bissonette (Gnoozhekaaning Anishinaabe), head of school and founder of the American Indian Academy of Denver, talks about the future of the Native-focused charter school; and Robby Goldman (Native Hawaiian), PhD candidate at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a National Science Foundation graduate research fellow, tells us why the simultaneous eruptions of Mauna Loa and Kilauea in Hawaii is a rare, sacred occurrence.
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