Native America Calling

Dia de los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead, comes from the Aztec celebration of loved ones who’ve walked on. It’s now a Mexican holiday with customs and traditions that are catching on in the United States. But the American version is often more about sugar skull imagery and less about the original intent. We’ll get some reminders about what the holiday is really about and some tips on avoiding cultural appropriation.

It’s the time of year when Native people brace for the commercial costumes that others don at Halloween parties. They’re scary in a different way. Scantily-clad Native “princesses” and Indian “maidens” in buckskin bikinis and cheap headdresses are among the classics that remain popular. NBC host Megyn Kelly is under fire for publicly wondering what’s wrong with “blackface” costumes. Uproar by fans of the TV series “Handmaid’s Tale” got one company to pull a version of the show’s signature red, hooded robes. But for Native Americans, it’s another year of head-shaking over inappropriate costumes.

It’s the time of year when Native people brace for the commercial costumes that others don at Halloween parties. They’re scary in a different way. Scantily-clad Native “princesses” and Indian “maidens” in buckskin bikinis and cheap headdresses are among the classics that remain popular. NBC host Megyn Kelly is under fire for publicly wondering what’s wrong with “blackface” costumes. Uproar by fans of the TV series “Handmaid’s Tale” got one company to pull a version of the show’s signature red, hooded robes. But for Native Americans, it’s another year of head-shaking over inappropriate costumes.

It’s the time of year when Native people brace for the commercial costumes that others don at Halloween parties. They’re scary in a different way. Scantily-clad Native “princesses” and Indian “maidens” in buckskin bikinis and cheap headdresses are among the classics that remain popular. NBC host Megyn Kelly is under fire for publicly wondering what’s wrong with “blackface” costumes. Uproar by fans of the TV series “Handmaid’s Tale” got one company to pull a version of the show’s signature red, hooded robes. But for Native Americans, it’s another year of head-shaking over inappropriate costumes.

European fur traders first brought fiddle music to Alaska more than 150 years ago by way of the Hudson Bay Company. Now it’s grown into a style of music all itself, with additional influences from miners and Alaska Natives. Next week, the Athabascan Fiddle Festival commemorates its 36th year in Fairbanks. We’ll learn more about the music’s unique history, what we can expect at this year’s festival and hear some of the event’s notable fiddlers.

European fur traders first brought fiddle music to Alaska more than 150 years ago by way of the Hudson Bay Company. Now it’s grown into a style of music all itself, with additional influences from miners and Alaska Natives. Next week, the Athabascan Fiddle Festival commemorates its 36th year in Fairbanks. We’ll learn more about the music’s unique history, what we can expect at this year’s festival and hear some of the event’s notable fiddlers.

European fur traders first brought fiddle music to Alaska more than 150 years ago by way of the Hudson Bay Company. Now it’s grown into a style of music all itself, with additional influences from miners and Alaska Natives. Next week, the Athabascan Fiddle Festival commemorates its 36th year in Fairbanks. We’ll learn more about the music’s unique history, what we can expect at this year’s festival and hear some of the event’s notable fiddlers.

A New Jersey auction house pulled several cultural Native American items from an upcoming sale. The Association on American Indian Affairs requested they be removed from the auction block, although it’s unclear where the items came from or if they are, in fact, sacred. It’s the latest incident in a long line of recent struggles between tribes and auction houses over sacred and culturally important items being offered to the highest bidder. We’ll get an update on this auction and some others planned in the coming weeks. We’ll also hear from those who keep an eye on the issue about any progress on protecting tribal patrimony.

A New Jersey auction house pulled several cultural Native American items from an upcoming sale. The Association on American Indian Affairs requested they be removed from the auction block, although it’s unclear where the items came from or if they are, in fact, sacred. It’s the latest incident in a long line of recent struggles between tribes and auction houses over sacred and culturally important items being offered to the highest bidder. We’ll get an update on this auction and some others planned in the coming weeks. We’ll also hear from those who keep an eye on the issue about any progress on protecting tribal patrimony.

A New Jersey auction house pulled several cultural Native American items from an upcoming sale. The Association on American Indian Affairs requested they be removed from the auction block, although it’s unclear where the items came from or if they are, in fact, sacred. It’s the latest incident in a long line of recent struggles between tribes and auction houses over sacred and culturally important items being offered to the highest bidder. We’ll get an update on this auction and some others planned in the coming weeks. We’ll also hear from those who keep an eye on the issue about any progress on protecting tribal patrimony.