Native America Calling

Native people are over-represented in the number of people with disabilities. The U.S. Census finds almost a quarter of the Native population has a disability. At the same time they are underserved when it comes to treatment because of inadequate funding, staff shortages or bureaucratic barriers. There are efforts to both reduce the number of […]

Diné musician Klee Benally calls his latest set of creations “performance art intervention.” It’s called “Appropriation” consisting of 13 tracks and is a stance against cultural genocide. It’s set to some very energetic sounds and brought further to life with strong vocals. The former Blackfire guitarist and vocalist writes: “The music and accompanying propaganda was created for collective disruption of the dehumanizing forces attacking Indigenous existence.” We visit with Klee to find out why he’s calling out settler colonial order.

Diné musician Klee Benally calls his latest set of creations “performance art intervention.” It’s called “Appropriation” consisting of 13 tracks and is a stance against cultural genocide. It’s set to some very energetic sounds and brought further to life with strong vocals. The former Blackfire guitarist and vocalist writes: “The music and accompanying propaganda was […]

Patients have better outcomes when they don’t have to confront cultural barriers. A 2020 study by Penn Medicine researchers found patients prefer medical professionals of the same race or ethnicity. But Native doctors and nurses are in short supply. We’ll hear about the importance of Native medical professionals and efforts to recruit more of them into the industry.

Patients have better outcomes when they don’t have to confront cultural barriers. A 2020 study by Penn Medicine researchers found patients prefer medical professionals of the same race or ethnicity. But Native doctors and nurses are in short supply. We’ll hear about the importance of Native medical professionals and efforts to recruit more of them […]

The Indian Child Welfare Act has been upheld in dozens of court decisions as a vital federal protection for Native adoptees and foster children. That string of wins ended when a Texas district court judge ruled the more than 40-year-old law unconstitutional. A subsequent federal appeals court agreed that at least parts of ICWA are unconstitutional. Long considered by legal experts as the gold standard of adoption law, ICWA faces its most significant legal challenge. We’ll examine how we got here and who is behind the legal efforts to dismantle ICWA.

The Indian Child Welfare Act has been upheld in dozens of court decisions as a vital federal protection for Native adoptees and foster children. That string of wins ended when a Texas district court judge ruled the more than 40-year-old law unconstitutional. A subsequent federal appeals court agreed that at least parts of ICWA are […]

After years of start-and-stop planning and construction, the First Americans Museum of Oklahoma is opening to the public. The 175,000 square foot facility and grounds in Oklahoma City house theaters, art galleries, multimedia narratives, restaurants and space for powwows and concerts. It honors the state’s 39 tribes, and incorporates state-of-the-art technology to provide an accurate and appropriate portrayal of Native culture to the public.

After years of start-and-stop planning and construction, the First Americans Museum of Oklahoma is opening to the public. The 175,000 square foot facility and grounds in Oklahoma City house theaters, art galleries, multimedia narratives, restaurants and space for powwows and concerts. It honors the state’s 39 tribes, and incorporates state-of-the-art technology to provide an accurate […]

September 16th is a national holiday in Mexico, but it doesn’t mark the day the country achieved independence from Spain. It commemorates the day a revered priest rallied his townspeople with his Cry of Independence. The country’s Indigenous people were instrumental in the battles that followed, as they fought to get out from under Spain’s oppressive caste system. We’ll get the history and explore the role of Indigenous Mexicans in this important commemoration.