Native America Calling

The Lummi Tribe is hoping 2019 will be the year an orca named Tokitae is freed from captivity. Named ‘Lolita’ by Miami’s Seaquarium, the animal has lived and performed in a man-made tank since 1970. The tribe and a host of animal rights groups are putting pressure on the Seaquarium to return her to her home pod in and around Puget Sound. The push to return the orca is part of a bigger effort to bring attention to the health of the marine ecosystem that is part of the Lummi’s ancestral territory. We’ll talk with Lummi representatives and others about Tokitae and the traditional importance of orcas.

We’re starting the New Year by striking a balance between art and academics. We talk with two Native women who were named MacArthur Foundation Fellows. The awards are also referred to as “Genius Grants”. Rebecca Sandefur (Chickasaw) is an associate professor in the Department of Sociology and the College of Law at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She is credited with innovative approaches to civil justice for low-income people. Poet Natalie Diaz (Mojave) was a professional basketball player before earning her MFA in poetry. She is language activist and uses her art to highlight the joys and pitfalls of reservation life.

We’re starting the New Year by striking a balance between art and academics. We talk with two Native women who were named MacArthur Foundation Fellows. The awards are also referred to as “Genius Grants”. Rebecca Sandefur (Chickasaw) is an associate professor in the Department of Sociology and the College of Law at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She is credited with innovative approaches to civil justice for low-income people. Poet Natalie Diaz (Mojave) was a professional basketball player before earning her MFA in poetry. She is language activist and uses her art to highlight the joys and pitfalls of reservation life.

The Native America Calling staff picks some shows that stand out from the last year. From ‘chicken scratch’ music in Tohono O’odham Nation to unwarranted police checks on Native college students, we’ll relive some of the moments of live radio from 2018 that made an impression. What was your memorable moment?

The Native America Calling staff picks some shows that stand out from the last year. From ‘chicken scratch’ music in Tohono O’odham Nation to unwarranted police checks on Native college students, we’ll relive some of the moments of live radio from 2018 that made an impression. What was your memorable moment?

As the year comes to a close the Trump administration got the federal government in another shutdown debate. Also, after promising more efficiency and transparency, Dept. of Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke resigns in a cloud of investigations. We’ll talk about those issues and an update on a troubling incident involving Native students at a New Mexico high school during our new round-up.

As the year comes to a close the Trump administration got the federal government in another shutdown debate. Also, after promising more efficiency and transparency, Dept. of Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke resigns in a cloud of investigations. We’ll talk about those issues and an update on a troubling incident involving Native students at a New Mexico high school during our new round-up.

As the year comes to a close the Trump administration got the federal government in another shutdown debate. Also, after promising more efficiency and transparency, Dept. of Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke resigns in a cloud of investigations. We’ll talk about those issues and an update on a troubling incident involving Native students at a New Mexico high school during our new round-up.

Smoking rates among Native Americans increased in the most recent (2016) report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That goes against the declining trend for the rest of the population. At the same time, Native Americans as a group remain the heaviest tobacco smokers and Native women outpace men. Knowing all the health consequences, why are Native Americans bucking the trend toward more healthy habits regarding smoking?

Smoking rates among Native Americans increased in the most recent (2016) report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That goes against the declining trend for the rest of the population. At the same time, Native Americans as a group remain the heaviest tobacco smokers and Native women outpace men. Knowing all the health consequences, why are Native Americans bucking the trend toward more healthy habits regarding smoking?