Native America Calling

This year is the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the federal law that promised equal access to voting regardless of race or religion. The document was a milestone in the movement championed by Martin Luther King, Jr. Among the actions that prompted the legislation was a series of violent confrontations between protestors and officials intent on preventing their progress, including law enforcement officers’ attack on hundreds of marchers on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala. Many civil rights advocates say the country is now dismantling the progress that King devoted his life to that has helped Native Americans and so many others. GUESTS Dr. Sandy Grande (Quechua), professor of political science and Native American and Indigenous Studies at the University of Connecticut Nick Tilsen (Oglala Lakota), founder and CEO of the NDN Collective Wenona Singel (Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians) Caroline LaPorte (Little River Band of Ottawa Indians descendant), staff attorney with the Indian Law Resource Center and associate judge for the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians   Break 1 Music: Leadership Song [Naaí’áanii Biyiin] (song) Radmilla Cody (artist) K’é Hasin (album) Break 2 Music: Elle Danse [Boogat Remix] (song) Mimi O’Bonsawin (artist)

Dakota Louis’ (Northern Cheyenne) family bull riding roots go back five generations. His father was a two-time champion at the Indian Finals Rodeo. Now, Louis is a top competitor at the same rodeo and other events around the country. He hopes to pass down his skills and inspiration to a younger generation on the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana where he grew up. On the Qualla Boundary in North Carolina, Jade Blankenship (Colville Tribes/Eastern Band of Cherokee) opened a spa and boutique with her sister. Together they are sharing their business knowledge with budding Native entrepreneurs. They are among the names on this year’s 40 under 40 list by the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development. We’ll hear from some of the Native people on a variety of career paths recognized for their contributions to their communities. GUESTS Dakota Louis (Northern Cheyenne, Cree, and Blackfeet), professional bull rider Jade Blankenship (Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, Spokane and Eastern Band of Cherokee), co-owner of Indigenous Boutique and Spa and founder of UWENA Corey Hinton (Passamaquoddy), attorney at Drummond Woodsum Michael Charles (Diné), assistant professor in the department of Biological and Environmental Engineering at Cornell University   Break 1 Music: Rodeo Song [Skip Dance Song] (song) Sweethearts of Navajoland (artist) From the Heart of Diné Nation Traditional Songs of the Navajo (album) Break 2 Music: Vipismal – The Hummingbird Song (song) Earl Ray (artist) Traditional Songs Of The Salt River Pima (album)

The U.S. capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has prompted questions about what comes next. No one is more concerned about the answer to that question than Venezuela’s Wayúu people and the other Indigenous tribes that make up as much as 3% of the population. They are no fans of Maduro, enduring the same oppressive tactics as other residents, contributing to disproportionate socio-economic hurdles. They are also suffering at the hands of both legal and illegal mining operations. What will President Donald Trump’s stated interests in gas and mineral development mean going forward? GUESTS Alicia Moncada (Wayúu), director of advocacy and communications for Cultural Survival Carlos Roa, journalist and editor for IQ Latino and a member and spokesperson with Asociación de Periodistas Venezolanos en el Extranjero / Association of Venezuelan Journalists Abroad (APEVEX) Alejandro Velasco, professor of Latin American history at New York University Laura Botero, PhD student at the University of Texas at Austin   Break 1 Music: Money Cannot Be Eaten (song) Rosary Spence (artist) Maskawisiwin (album) Break 2 Music: Vipismal – The Hummingbird Song (song) Earl Ray (artist) Traditional Songs Of The Salt River Pima (album)

A recent decision by the U.S. Treasury Department is a major win for tribes. For the first time, tribes are on the same level as states when it comes to determining how tribal services are taxed. Advocates call the decision “historic” and say it is a significant breakthrough in tribal sovereignty. Not only will it allow tribes to keep hundreds of millions of dollars more per year, it removes the tax filing hassle for small contractors who work with tribes. We’ll hear about the decade-long push to change what is called the General Welfare Exclusion and what it means for tribal economic development. GUESTS Lynn Malerba (Mohegan), chief of the Mohegan Tribe and former U.S. Treasurer Hershel Gorham (Cheyenne and Arapaho), lieutenant governor of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes OJ Semans Sr. (Rosebud Sioux), executive director of the Coalition of Large Tribes (COLT) Scott Skaro (Standing Rock Sioux), board member of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators and the financial aid director for United Tribes Technical College   Break 1 Music: C.R.E.A.M. [Instrumental] (song) Wu-Tang Clan (artist) Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers [Instrumentals] (album) Break 2 Music: Vipismal – The Hummingbird Song (song) Earl Ray (artist) Traditional Songs Of The Salt River Pima (album)

Organizers in Chicago just broke ground on a 45-unit affordable housing project specifically for Native Americans that is scheduled to open this year. The Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians just cut the ribbon in October for 40 new affordable housing units in Salem, Oreg. And Oakland, Calif. is working on 76 new homes for low-income Native Americans attached to a Native health facility. The surge in projects specifically geared toward urban Native Americans is meant to offset barriers that disproportionately affect their ability to keep a roof over their heads. We’ll hear about the factors fueling the surge in new affordable housing projects in various cities. GUESTS Shelly Tucciarelli (Oneida Nation of Wisconsin), executive director of Visionary Ventures NFP Corp. and vice president of the Chicago American Indian Community Collaborative Sky Waters (Osage), community development director at the Native American Youth and Family Center Anthony Guzman (Northern Ute), chief cultural officer at the Native American Health Center Bryan Singer (Crow), entrepreneur development specialist for the Montana Department of Commerce Indian Country Economic Development programs and member of the Mountain Shadow Association board   Break 1 Music: Journey Home (song) Susan Aglukark (artist) The Crossing (album) Break 2 Music: Vipismal – The Hummingbird Song (song) Earl Ray (artist) Traditional Songs Of The Salt River Pima (album)

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents are accused of forcefully dragging a Native American man from car and detaining him during the increasing tensions in Minneapolis, Minn. More than 2,000 ICE agents and other federal officers descended on the city in what the Trump administration insists is an immigration enforcement action. At least five Native Americans have been detained, several others have had confrontations with ICE agents. The crackdown is roundly condemned by local and state community leaders. We’ll talk to some of those caught up in the action and what more might be in store elsewhere. We’ll also hear from the leader of Virginia’s Rappahannock Tribe about their opposition to a plan by county officials to use 9,000,000 gallons of water from the tribe’s namesake river for a proposed data center, a plan that tribal leaders say was drafted without proper consultation. GUESTS Little Crow Bellecourt (Bad River), executive director of Indigenous Protector Movement Shawntia Sosa-Clara (Red Lake Nation descendant), aunt to Jose Ramirez Amelia Schafer (Brothertown Indian Nation descendant), North Central Bureau correspondent for ICT News Chief Anne Richardson (Rappahannock)   Break 1 Music: 500 Years O’ Blues (song) Digging Roots (artist) Seeds (album) Break 2 Music: Vipismal – The Hummingbird Song (song) Earl Ray (artist) Traditional Songs Of The Salt River Pima (album)

The celebrations of the country’s independence are not the same for Native Americans. As a year of events, re-enactments, seminars, and commemorative coin creation gets under way to mark 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence, many Native Americans are asking where they stand in the historical narrative. Some states have developed dialogues with tribes as they plan out the year’s events. Some tribes have a more direct connection to the resulting Revolutionary War than others. We’ll get an idea what Native citizens are anticipating as the country collectively honors what it calls “the Founding Fathers”. GUESTS Darren Bonaparte (Akwesasne Mohawk), director of the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe’s tribal historic preservation office Andrei Jacobs (Orutsararmuit Native Council), former director of Tribal Partnerships for America250, freelance consultant, and content creator Robert Lilligren (White Earth Ojibwe Nation), chair of the Metropolitan Urban Indian Directors of Minneapolis and president and CEO of the Native American Community Development Institute   Break 1 Music: Water by Jim Pepper [Arranged by Jhoely Garay] (song) Julia Keefe Indigenous Big Band (artist) Live at Joe’s Pub, NYC on January 13th, 2024 (performance) Break 2 Music: Put Your Feathers On (song) Blue Moon Marquee & Northern Cree (artist) Get Your Feathers Ready (Album)

The U.S. Postal Service just implemented a seemingly minor rule that is worrying Native American voting rights advocates. They and others say it is among a number of changes that add to the barriers Native voters face getting their ballots counted come this November. The new rule changes when mail, including mail-in ballots, are postmarked, shortening the time frame for when the ballots are deemed valid. It applies most directly to voters in states with large Native populations, including California, Arizona, and New Mexico along with nearly a dozen others. We’ll talk with Native voting rights advocates about this rule change and other challenges to the Native voting access in 2026. GUESTS Jacqueline de León (Isleta Pueblo), senior staff attorney for the Native American Rights Fund OJ Semans Sr. (Rosebud Sioux), co-executive director of Four Directions Vote Jonnette Paddy (Navajo), communications associate for Indigenous Voices of Nevada Michelle Sparck (Qissunamiut Tribe of Chevak), director of Get Out the Native Vote   Break 1 Music:  Get Up Stand Up (song) Bailey Wiley, Che Fu, King Kapisi, Laughton Kora, Maisey Rika & Tiki Taane (artist) Break 2 Music: Put Your Feathers On (song) Blue Moon Marquee & Northern Cree (artist) Get Your Feathers Ready (Album)

Ben Nighthorse Campbell (Northern Cheyenne) is remembered as an effective congressional leader who passionately advocated for Native American issues. He served in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. Among other things, he was instrumental in the political advocacy for establishing the National Museum of the American Indians (NMAI). Harvey Pratt (Cheyenne and Arapaho) was a national voice in support of Native American arts. A large part of his career was as a police sketch artist. He also headed the Indian Arts and Crafts Board for a decade. A former U.S. Marine, he was an advocate for military veterans. His design for a Native American Veterans Memorial was chosen and built on the NMAI campus in 2022. GUESTS Suzan Shown Harjo (Cheyenne and Hodulgee Muscogee), president of the Morning Star Institute and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom Rick West (Cheyenne and Arapaho), founding director and director emeritus of NMAI Shanan Campbell (Northern Cheyenne), founder and CEO of Sorrel Sky Gallery and daughter of Ben Nighthorse Campbell Gina Pratt (Muscogee and Yuchi), wife of Harvey Pratt Nathan Pratt (Cheyenne and Arapaho), artist and son of Harvey Pratt Dee Cordry, former Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation and author of “Children of White Thunder”   Break 1 Music: I Walk with You (song) Joseph Fire Crow (artist) Face the Music (album) Break 2 Music: Put Your Feathers On (song) Blue Moon Marquee & Northern Cree (artist) Get Your Feathers Ready (Album)

Anishinaabe call the cluster of seven stars in the winter sky Bugonagiizhig, or “Hole in the Sky”. Navajos say it is Dilyéhé, or “Sparkling.” And Senecas say it is the Seven Dancers. On conventional Western star maps, the cluster is known as the Pleiades, a name that refers to Greek mythology. Prominent during winter months, these stars bookmark the winter season and are important symbols for many tribes’ origin stories. We’ll hear about those stories and the teachings connected to the Pleiades. GUESTS Michael Waasegiizhig Price (Wikwemikong First Nation), Anishinaabe culture and language keeper Cal Nez (Navajo), fine arts artist and graphic designer, Navajo spiritualist Jamie Jacobs (Tonawanda Seneca), managing curator for the Rock Foundation collections at the Rochester Museum and Science Center   Break 1 Music: Starry Night (song) Dallas Arcand (artist) Modern Day Warrior (album) Break 2 Music: Put Your Feathers On (song) Blue Moon Marquee & Northern Cree (artist) Get Your Feathers Ready (Album)