Native America Calling

Those satirical pictures and GIFs known as memes bombard us on social media. Some incorporate well known images like Grumpy Cat, the Most Interesting Man in the World, and Kermit the Frog. Others, like ‘Skoden” are geared specifically at a Native audience. Usually, memes have a brief life on the internet, but allow us to smirk or even belly laugh about current events. Powwows, moccasins, frybread, IHS, the BIA—nothing is off limits with Native memes. We’ll talk about some of the more popular memes and discuss what makes them go viral.

Those satirical pictures and GIFs known as memes bombard us on social media. Some incorporate well known images like Grumpy Cat, the Most Interesting Man in the World, and Kermit the Frog. Others, like ‘Skoden” are geared specifically at a Native audience. Usually, memes have a brief life on the internet, but allow us to smirk or even belly laugh about current events. Powwows, moccasins, frybread, IHS, the BIA—nothing is off limits with Native memes. We’ll talk about some of the more popular memes and discuss what makes them go viral.

Those satirical pictures and GIFs known as memes bombard us on social media. Some incorporate well known images like Grumpy Cat, the Most Interesting Man in the World, and Kermit the Frog. Others, like ‘Skoden” are geared specifically at a Native audience. Usually, memes have a brief life on the internet, but allow us to smirk or even belly laugh about current events. Powwows, moccasins, frybread, IHS, the BIA—nothing is off limits with Native memes. We’ll talk about some of the more popular memes and discuss what makes them go viral.

Videos from cell phones and police body cams are helping heighten awareness of the seemingly racially-tinged motivations of people who call police on people of color. Recent high-profile incidents police calls for African Americans barbecuing in a public park, waiting for friends at Starbucks, golfing too slow, and even entering their own apartments, and Native Americans attending a college campus tour. In February, police escorted Robert Robedeaux (Pawnee, Ponca, Otoe) out of a Hibbett Sports store in Oklahoma after the manager reported “a suspicious person” trying on clothes. The conversations highlight the questions people might ask themselves before calling police.

Videos from cell phones and police body cams are helping heighten awareness of the seemingly racially-tinged motivations of people who call police on people of color. Recent high-profile incidents police calls for African Americans barbecuing in a public park, waiting for friends at Starbucks, golfing too slow, and even entering their own apartments, and Native Americans attending a college campus tour. In February, police escorted Robert Robedeaux (Pawnee, Ponca, Otoe) out of a Hibbett Sports store in Oklahoma after the manager reported “a suspicious person” trying on clothes. The conversations highlight the questions people might ask themselves before calling police.

Videos from cell phones and police body cams are helping heighten awareness of the seemingly racially-tinged motivations of people who call police on people of color. Recent high-profile incidents police calls for African Americans barbecuing in a public park, waiting for friends at Starbucks, golfing too slow, and even entering their own apartments, and Native Americans attending a college campus tour. In February, police escorted Robert Robedeaux (Pawnee, Ponca, Otoe) out of a Hibbett Sports store in Oklahoma after the manager reported “a suspicious person” trying on clothes. The conversations highlight the questions people might ask themselves before calling police.

A past felony conviction played a big part in Renae Gray’s job search. It took 15 months of looking to finally get hired. Her strategy was to be upfront about her criminal past during interviews because she knew employers would find out anyway. Over and over, she watched as the expression and demeanor of her interviewers changed when she came clean. They stopped smiling, stopped taking notes. Applying for a job is already a daunting task. It’s that much harder for people with criminal records or a spotty work history. We’ll take a look at how the hiring process can work for and against those with criminal records and blemishes on their resume.

A past felony conviction played a big part in Renae Gray’s job search. It took 15 months of looking to finally get hired. Her strategy was to be upfront about her criminal past during interviews because she knew employers would find out anyway. Over and over, she watched as the expression and demeanor of her interviewers changed when she came clean. They stopped smiling, stopped taking notes. Applying for a job is already a daunting task. It’s that much harder for people with criminal records or a spotty work history. We’ll take a look at how the hiring process can work for and against those with criminal records and blemishes on their resume.

A past felony conviction played a big part in Renae Gray’s job search. It took 15 months of looking to finally get hired. Her strategy was to be upfront about her criminal past during interviews because she knew employers would find out anyway. Over and over, she watched as the expression and demeanor of her interviewers changed when she came clean. They stopped smiling, stopped taking notes. Applying for a job is already a daunting task. It’s that much harder for people with criminal records or a spotty work history. We’ll take a look at how the hiring process can work for and against those with criminal records and blemishes on their resume.

Moose are important, spiritual animals to many tribes in the northern United States, Canada and Alaska. They are large and impressive animals that weight around 1,800 pounds and stand more than 6 feet at the shoulders. They are traditionally a main source of food for some Indigenous communities. As strong and powerful as they are, moose are not immune to the effects of environmental changes, overhunting, disease and parasites. Such factors have reduced moose herds to a point where some tribes, like Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and Boise Fort Band of Chippewa in Minnesota, have strict limits on moose hunting. We’re acknowledging the role moose play in some tribal nations and learning more about some strategies for their continued survival.