Native America Calling

Museums are offering unique Native exhibitions this summer as people are feeling more comfortable traveling and attending public events. In New Mexico, the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture is reimagining its permanent exhibit, “Here Now and Always.” And the Albuquerque Museum opened its “Traitor, Survivor, Icon: The Legacy of La Malinche” exhibit, which examines the life and influence of an Indigenous woman caught in the conflict between Spanish and Indigenous people of Mexico. The National Museum of the American Indian is featuring Black-Indigenous artists in the new exhibit “Ancestors Know Who We Are.” Shawn Spruce previews some of the brand-new Native museum exhibits with Anya Montiel (Mexican and Tohono O’odham), curator at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian; Terezita Romo, independent curator and an affiliate faculty at University of California-Davis; Manuelito Wheeler Jr. (Navajo), director of the Navajo Nation Museum; Aaron Roth, historic site staff manager for Bosque Redondo Memorial at Fort Sumner Historic Site; and Tony Chavarria (Santa Clara Pueblo), curator at the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture.

For those who have the desire to operate their own business, but are more worried about the risks that come with any venture, co-ops offer a potential model. From reservation energy utilities to farm stands, co-ops bring both financial and social benefits for Native business. It's an age-old practice that is getting new attention. Today on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce marks the 100th anniversary of the International Day of Cooperatives by looking at the pros and cons of the co-op business model with Pamela Standing (Cherokee), co-executive director of programs and partnership for the Minnesota Indigenous Business Alliance, and Brian Boswell, general manager of the Umpqua Indian Utility Cooperative.

The 1960s were the genesis of Native American activism. Urban Native communities, formed by the American Indian Urban Relocation program of the 1950s, were tough and deplorable places to live. The American Indian Movement formed as a result and by 1968, the Indian Civil Rights Act was passed. This decade is also marked by the arrival of the color TV, an explosion of (rock) music, and a new style of Native art. In the first episode in our new series “Through the Decades”, Shawn Spruce remembers the politics, significant events, and pop culture that helped shape Native America with Donovin Sprague (Cheyenne River), author, historian, and professor of history at Sheridan College; actress Dawn Little Sky (Standing Rock and Cheyenne River); Dr. Jonathan Tomhave (MHA Nation), lecturer at the University of Washington; America Meredith (Cherokee Nation), publishing editor of First American Art Magazine, art writer, visual artist, and independent curator; and Deanna Aquiar (Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo), director of programs and development for the National Indian Youth Council.

Land Back, as a hashtag and a movement, expands beyond our U.S. borders. For Indigenous people, it means taking back positions as stewards of the land and bringing balance to the community. First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Land Back movements and initiatives are very similar to those in the U.S., but with a different history of colonialism, an era of Truth and Reconciliation, and a growing number of land management programming. Today on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce speaks with Qwustenuxun (Cowichan), Quw'utsun chef, award-winning writer, and Indigenous foods educator; dr. linda many guns (Blackfoot), associate vice-president of Indigenization and decolonization at Mount Royal University; and Tiffany Traverse (Secwépemc), Indigenous Land and Seed Steward at Fourth Sister Farm.

Today on Native America Calling, as we head into the three-day weekend, Shawn Spruce takes you to a place that knows how to celebrate with family-friendly cultural authenticity - for a special live broadcast from Cherokee, NC. This year, the Eastern Band of Cherokee marks the 47th year for their annual powwow. The tribe promises an "explosion" of regalia, dancing competitions, food, crafts, and music - and we’ll learn more about the Qualla Boundary and Cherokee history in the Southeast with fancy dancer Eric Bird; Museum of the Cherokee Indian director Shana Bushyhead Condill; Daniel Tramper, Deer Clan Productions owner and powwow organizer; and Frieda Saylor, clinical director of Behavioral Health Services at Cherokee Indian Hospital.

Watch or listen to this full conversation about the second season of “Rutherford Falls”, now out on Peacock, between Alyssa Yáx̱ Ádi Yádi London and key creators and cast members Sierra Teller Ornelas (Navajo), Michael Greyeyes (Cree), Jana Schmieding (Lakota), Dustin Milligan, Jesse Leigh, and Ed Helms.

It’s an exciting time for Native audiences to see Native stories and talent on screen. Today on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce reviews some new series and new seasons of Native shows that are available to stream with Vincent Schilling (Akwesasne Mohawk), editor of NativeViewPoint.com and a certified Rotten Tomatoes critic, and Jody Potts-Joseph (Han Gwich’in), cast member of “Life Below Zero: First Alaskans” (streaming on National Geographic and Disney+), a series about four Alaska Native communities and subsistence hunting. We also discuss “Wildhood” (streaming on Hulu), a road trip with a pair of Mi’kmaq youth to exploring family history and their Indigenous and Two-Spirit identity. Plus, an exclusive conversation about the second season of “Rutherford Falls”, now out on Peacock, between Alyssa Yáx̱ Ádi Yádi London and key creators and cast members Sierra Teller Ornelas (Navajo), Michael Greyeyes (Cree), Jana Schmieding (Lakota), Dustin Milligan, Jesse Leigh, and Ed Helms.

The U.S. Supreme Court has officially overturned Roe v. Wade, a decision that protected the right for women to choose to have an abortion. The decision sparked protests and praise on either side of the political divide. When a conservative Supreme Court can revisit and overturn an important decision like Roe v. Wade, how likely is it they’ll revisit cases like McGirt or those which affect Two-Spirit rights or tribal sovereignty? Wednesday on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce talks with legal experts Matthew Fletcher (Ottawa and Chippewa), law professor at the University of Michigan Law School and author of the “Turtle Talk” blog; Ann Tweedy, professor at the University of South Dakota School of Law; and Melody McCoy (Cherokee), staff attorney for the Native American Rights Fund about how Indian Country is affected by decisions of the Supreme Court—and could be affected by future decisions.

Commercial piloting is an industry that for decades has been largely dominated by men. But a growing number of Native women are trying to break through the glass ceiling. For many Native communities, bush and commercial piloting is an essential service to remote areas. Tuesday on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce hears from commercial pilots Dolena Fox (Yup’ik) and Shadunjen van Kampen (Champagne and Aishihik) as well as Daniella Pettiti (Cree), flight instructor with First Nations Technical Institute.

The James Beard Foundation gave high honors to Owanmi for best new restaurant. The popular Indigenous restaurant in Minneapolis is a product Shawn Sherman and Dana Thompson. It’s one of a growing number of Native-run restaurant and businesses opening across the country. In the Southwest, chef Raymond Naranjo (Santa Clara Pueblo and Odawa) broke out on his own and started a new mobile food business, Manko. Today on Native America Calling's regular feature The Menu, Andi Murphy talks with Raymond; Jacque Seigfried (Shawnee and Cherokee), chef and owner of Nātv; and Camie Goldhammer (Sisseton Wahpeton), founding executive director of Hummingbird Indigenous Family Services, instructor for the Indigenous lactation counselor training, and lactation consultant.