Native America Calling

Traditional Native ceremonies present a mixed blessing right now for those who participate. They are a critical part of traditional life, but pose a serious risk for spreading the coronavirus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention acknowledges the role ceremonies and other cultural gatherings serve, but recommends tribal leaders consider cancelling or postponing them until the deadly virus is contained. Some organizers are continuing ceremonies, but with changes to improve safety. We’ll hear about the range of options available for practicing ceremony during a pandemic.

Many Native college students are starting classes thanks to scholarships that pay for tuition, books or other expenses during the school year. The fall semester may be under way, but there are a number of scholarships that are still available, including COVID-19 recovery funds. We’ll hear about money that’s still on the table for Native college students and what some of the key deadlines are coming up. We’ll also learn what effect COVD-19 has on scholarship availability and Native student enrollment.

Groups of Native civilians are helping watch over reservation communities and urban Native neighborhoods. In Minneapolis, the American Indian Movement was instrumental in protecting properties during the unrest following the death of George Floyd. Now, volunteers are patrolling that city’s Little Earth community. In Regina, Canada volunteers with the non-profit White Pony Lodge walk the streets of the predominantly Native North Central neighborhood that experiences high rates of gun violence and Native gang activity.  They pick up trash and used needles. They are ready to administer aid to drug overdose victims. They’re known for giving out fresh-baked bread to people they meet up with. We’ll talk with organizers about their efforts to help make their communities safer.

The U.S. Department of Justice opened six offices around the country dedicated to solving Native missing and murdered cold cases. There are technological advances that help solve older cases, but it remains a difficult task. Over time, witness memories may fade, evidence may get lost or degrade. The FBI counts about 250,000 unsolved homicides in the United States, and less than two-thirds of new cases are successfully closed each year. We’ll hear from cold case experts about what goes into securing justice for Native victims and their families.

Stories we're taking a look at during our news round-up: Politics took the national stage with the national party conventions, but did Native issues? We’ll get a run-down.  Also, the city of Omaha is paying a $550,000 settlement to the family of Zachary Bear Heels. The Lakota and Kiowa man died after Omaha police punched him and shocked him repeatedly with a Taser. And a school district in New Mexico is using some innovative work-arounds to help students learning from home who don’t have adequate internet access.

Preterm birth rates for Native mothers are consistently higher than the national average. More than one in ten Native pregnancies fail to reach full term. Any birth before 37 weeks has statistical risks, but depending on how premature they are, preterm newborns face a myriad of health dangers including serious brain, heart, and gastrointestinal problems. There are a number of prenatal risk factors, some of which mothers have control over to help their babies go to full term. We’ll talk about premature births and what parents of premature babies should expect.

Mni Wiconi – “Water is Life” – is a phrase a phrase that echoed around the planet in the fight against the Dakota Access Pipeline. It united people and gave a renewed unity to the Oceti Sakowin. We reflect on this movement with “Standing with Standing Rock: Voices from the #NoDAPL Movement” which features the words of many people who were moved to take a stance and those who made the struggle to protect water stronger. The book captures this moment in time with poetry and prose, essays, photography and interviews. We visit with one of the book’s editor’s Nick Estes, a citizen of the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe.

The U.S. Department of Interior could put oil and gas leases up for auction in the Arctic Wildlife National Refuge by the end of next year according to Secretary David Bernhardt. The Trump administration recently cleared another hurdle for resource extraction in in the pristine wilderness. Some tribes in the area oppose drilling, saying that it will harm the caribou populations that are critical to their cultural survival. Others support drilling because of the added jobs and other economic benefits.

This year’s Vision Maker Media Film Festival is premiering online. That means audiences will have free access to more than a dozen Indigenous-made films including “Powwow Highway: The Lego Movie” by Jonathan Thunder, “Sweetheart Dancers” a short film about a two-spirit couple by Ben-Alex Dupris, and “Wildfire” a short drama about a runaway teen by Bretten Hannam. We’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at a sampling of films from some of the filmmakers.

It’s been months since businesses, restaurants, entertainment venues and schools closed down because of the pandemic. There are no accurate predictions when they will safely reopen. With no end in sight, it can be difficult to stay optimistic and maintain the stamina needed and find positive alternatives to simple tasks and interactions we all once took for granted. We’d like to hear how you are enduring the COVID-19 pandemic. We’ll also have some advice on how to address pandemic fatigue in a way that is healthy and hopeful.