Native America Calling

Hundreds of low-income Native families who depend on the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations are enduring delays and other system management problems. The heads of the agency that oversees the program are having to answer tough questions from lawmakers. In an unrelated dispute, those same lawmakers are squabbling over costs of a tribally run food distribution pilot program. It’s one of the reasons they can’t come to agreement on the current Farm Bill that has major implications for Indian Country. Also, adding an Indigenous ingredient to an ice cream recipe is a good way to experience a sweet and cold side of traditional flavor. That’s what First Nations chef Zach Keeshig did with sweet grass. That’s all on The Menu on Native America Calling, our special feature on Indigenous food hosted by Andi Murphy.

Syphilis is relatively easy to treat. But that fact hasn’t stopped an unremitting increase in the disease that is hitting Native Americans hardest. Public health officials say American Indian and Alaska Native people currently suffer the highest syphilis infection rates of any group in the country – and the highest recorded since the cure was discovered in 1941. The Indian Health Service warns cases of congenital syphilis have resulted in stillbirths or infant deaths shortly after birth. Medical officials have a series of detection and treatment recommendations. We’ll revisit the problem of syphilis infections and discuss the strategies for solving it.

With a basis in resistance to institutional authority, anarchy appeals to some politically minded Native Americans. Historically, Indigenous anarchists played a significant role in the Mexican Revolution. Although the term is often used in popular culture to be synonymous with chaos, modern Native anarchists also incorporate the development of collaborations and trade to benefit the collective good. We’ll talk with Indigenous people who adhere to an anarchist philosophy about how it guides their lives and their views on the upcoming elections.

The acrobatic dance style known as "Breaking" started almost a half century ago with the hip-hop culture on the streets of the Bronx. Among its most enduring features is the influence of powwow fancy dance steps. Breaking’s debut at the Paris Olympics propelled awareness of the current skill and athleticism that goes into it. We’ll talk with noted Native b-boys and b-girls about the origins and future of breaking.

This week, Indigenous leaders, climate, activists, and community members from more than 80 different nations around the world are convening in Rapid City, S.D. The 12th World Wilderness Congress will be looking at concerns and solutions to issues facing forest health, biodiversity, and wildlife. We’ll talk with elders actively addressing these issues. Also, we’ll hear updates from the group Apache Stronghold as they make their way across the country raising awareness of a copper mining project on Oak Flat in Arizona before stopping in Washington D.C. The group will turn to the U.S. Supreme Court for protections of the sacred site.

Native America Calling was at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Ill. Host Shawn Spruce along with National Native News anchor Antonia Gonzales and Native Vote 2024 contributor Shaun Griswold from Source NM brought you special live coverage during Thursday night's acceptance speech by Vice President Kamala Harris. Listen to the full broadcast or watch it on YouTube.

Hugo Morales (Mixtec) rose from his Indigenous family farming roots in Oaxaca, Mexico to found Radio Bilingue, the largest Latino radio network in the United States. The network continues to offer a diverse array of programming in English, Spanish, Mixtec, and Triqui languages. Morales earned money while going to school by picking fruit in California. Among his many accomplishments and honors, he ultimately earned a law degree from Harvard University. He continues his strong commitment to educate others. We'll hear from Morales about his journey and where he's going next. Plus, we'll hear closing coverage of the 2024 Democratic National Convention with Native Vote 2024 contributor Shaun Griswold from Source NM.

Vice President Kamala Harris will wrap up the Democratic National Convention, a climax to the four-day political spectacle to launch the vice president into the home stretch toward the November election. A presidential candidate for barely a month, Harris makes her best case to lead the nation for the next four years. If voters choose Harris, what could her administration mean for Native Americans? We'll examine her record on the Indian Child Welfare Act, sovereignty, consultation, and honoring treaties. We'll draw from her work as a U.S. senator, California attorney general, and vice president when it comes to issues important to Native Americans.

Even if Vice President Kamala Harris wins the White House, her agenda is dependent on what happens in Congressional elections. Since entering the race a few short weeks ago, Harris’ favorability has risen in polls—and once wary Democratic candidates are starting to see her as a strength. We’ll discuss what’s at stake for Native issues when it comes to other national elections and whether Harris has momentum enough to make a difference in races other than her own.

Beyond building momentum for the presidential candidates, there is some work to do at the Democratic National Convention (DNC). Native delegates have a voice in developing the platform that Democrats look to as the blueprint to effect policy. How much of what the policy direction relates to issues important to Native Americans? We'll zero in on how sovereignty, ICWA, the trust responsibility, and consultation intersect with the mainstream push by Democrats and how that shows up in official party positions.