Native America Calling

Modern traditional practitioners are the culmination of generations of people who acquired and passed on their skills, knowledge, and technology. That knowledge includes innovative ways to find water in arid places, stay warm in cold climates, navigate surroundings without a compass or a map, and to use the land in a way that doesn’t deplete it. A new documentary on the PBS science series "NOVA" talks to some of the Indigenous people who are the receivers of that knowledge and how they’re instilling it in the next generations. "Knowledge Keepers", produced by Vision Maker Media, shows the innovations that come with knowledge accumulated over millennia, and how that can guide the future for everyone. We’ll talk with the filmmakers and producers ahead of the episode’s premiere on PBS.

Alaska tribes just took over ownership from the federal government of the Alaska Native Medical Center in Anchorage, making way for growth that officials have been advocating for years. The new owners, the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, were among the first Native organizations to assume health care sovereignty in 1998, but officials say underinvestment in the facility by the federal Indian Health Service was blocking much-needed expansion of both services and capacity. Although it’s in Anchorage, the center serves as a hub of health care for Alaska Native patients from all across the state, counting almost 172,000 specialty cases and 56,000 emergency room visits a year. Under the new arrangement, the SouthCentral Foundation will oversee primary care. We’ll talk about the legacy and new future prospects for healthcare sovereignty in Alaska.

Musician Kole Galbraith (Peoria Tribe) has spent nearly a decade perfecting his unique blend of electronic and acoustic instrumentation and field recordings to create his signature drone-doom sound. Galbraith’s musical roots are grounded in metal, noise, free jazz, and musique concrète. He is earning praises from audiences from the Pacific Northwest to Eastern Europe for his honed sound that finds the beauty in dark and abrasive tones.

Composer and violinist Laura Ortman (White Mountain Apache) calls her approach to music “sculpting sound.” She often composes for visual art exhibitions and multimedia performances. Like Galbraith, Ortman blends field recordings with her own masterful violin playing, which Vogue has described as “transcendent” and “eccentric.” Her music has taken her to stages throughout Europe and led to collaborations with acclaimed Diné ballet dancer Jock Soto, Diné Pulitzer Prize–winning composer Raven Chacon, and many others. She joins us to talk about her live performances, honoring her Apache heritage, and her unique approach to composing.

Julian Lang is an elder, artist, and dedicated language teacher. He has spent decades talking with elders and poring over documents — including deciphering cryptic field notes from an anthropological linguist a century ago — to help rebuild the structure of his Karuk language. Now, a master-apprenticeship program he helped found is being recognized by linguists as a successful example of language revitalization. Similarly, Jesse Little Doe Baird, a Mashpee Wampanoag language advocate, dedicated years to building a language program that is earning praise for its effectiveness. Her work included analyzing a 1663 Bible in the Wampanoag language. We’ll hear from them and others about building these programs from the ground up.

A new report by the Native American Rights Fund finds rejections increased for both ballots and voter registration forms sent by mail from places with high Native populations from 2020 to 2024. NARF’s analysis also documents generations of efforts to suppress or hinder Native voters. The report comes as both Congress and the courts are turning back several President Donald Trump’s most significant attempts to alter how people vote or how their votes should be counted. But Native voting advocates remain vigilant for ways the federal government may seek to interfere with the midterm elections in November.

A diverse team of mainly Alaska Native talent spent nearly nine years building the operatic version of a historic battle in the early 1800s. “Ḵutulagaaw: The Tlingit-Russian Battles”, a combination of music, writing, anthropology, and culture, is now on stage in Juneau, offering audiences a Tlingit perspective that is frequently dismissed in historical accounts. The presentation in the high art of opera adds a uniquely dramatic setting to a conflict that forever defined commerce, colonization and Tlingit autonomy in Alaska. We’ll hear from some of the talent behind the opera as well as the events from more than 200 years ago that inspired it.

A proposed overhaul of the federal process that protects cultural heritage sites and resources is fueling considerable pushback from tribes. They are concerned about how recommended changes to the National Historic Preservation Act might diminish tribal input on matters such as development projects in known sensitive areas. Critics say the changes have the potential to permanently destroy any remaining cultural treasures in the path of commercial development. At the same time, historians and others are worried about the pending closure of two federal archive facilities containing documents from the Indian Boarding School Era. Archivists worry there is no clear answer about what happens to these records if the facilities shut down.

And we’ll discuss the possible damage from border wall construction at Big Bend National Park in Texas. The Mescalero Apache Tribe is among those that spent years developing a framework to avoid irreparable damage to important spiritual and cultural sites. Current construction efforts are not following that framework.

For those who witnessed the attacks in New York and Washington, D.C., the terrorist attacks remain a vivid memory 25 years later. It’s even burned into the minds of those who watched the tragedy unfold on television. At the same time, up to 30% of Americans were born after the historic event and have no first-hand knowledge. We’ll remember 9/11 though the eyes of those who were close enough to see it, or were among those who put their lives on the line to help clean up the damage to help the nation heal.

The risks of fighting wildfires hit home this summer as 13 firefighters, including two Native Americans, died on the job. The profession is facing burnout, overwork, and higher risk as the number of wildfires steadily increases and the number of federal firefighters drops following budget cuts by the Trump administration. We’ll hear about what wildland firefighters are currently up against and what the hopes are for more staff and training as the threat of wildfires across the country shows no signs to slowing down. We’ll also hear from friends and family members of fallen firefighters, including those from a historically tragic fire 40 years ago.

The Carrizo/Comecrudo Tribe of Texas and its leader Juan Mancias have established themselves as leaders in environmental causes including the DAPL pipeline protests and another oil and gas pipeline in Texas. Mancias is recognized by the U.N. and has worked hand-in-hand with several established environmental organizations. Along the way, the tribe has brought in more than $5 million in philanthropic and other funds. But an investigation by the online outlet Grist finds the tribe’s status, including what its leaders point to as founding documents are suspect. Publicly available geneological documents contradict Mancias’ own tribal lineage claims. Along the way, Grist exposes a flawed system in which funders and government entities eager to support Indigenous organizers have no way to adequately discern between legitimate tribes and those with questionable origins. We’ll find out about the growth of the Carrizo/Comecrudo Tribe and some of the concerns that have surfaced.