Native America Calling

A recent court ruling could open a new chapter in how Alaska Native tribes make decisions about their land. The decision in the case filed by Alaska Native entities in 2006 allows them to put some lands into trust the same way tribes in the lower 48 states can. It closes a question remaining from the 1971 Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act that terminated aboriginal land claims. It’s a complicated and important topic with winners and loser on both sides. We’ll break down what it means and what happens next for communities that have waited decades for the right to control the land they own.

Whether you are having the same reoccurring dream about going to school in your underwear, or just floating through the air, our dreams can tell us something about the lives we live. The hosts of the radio show Seers from the First People are back to tell us what our dreams mean and how they might guide the choices we make. If you would like your dream interpreted, send us an email to [email protected]

The Indian Health Service is working to open a dozen new treatment centers to address substance abuse in Indian Country. Among myriad programs and prison, treatment centers—sometimes called rehabilitation centers—offer all-day programming, therapy and place to detox. How does a person know they need to go to a treatment center? What happens there? What are the steps to recovery?

Some tattoos are works of art. Others represent important times in a person’s life. Some tattoos cause lifelong regret. We are taking on these personal and permanent displays of expression. Native tattoo artists talk about how they use ink and another person’s skin to express themselves and the wishes of their clients. Do you have a tattoo? How did you decide which image you wanted to look at for the rest of your life? Does your tribal tattoo actually have meaning?

The changes in average global temperature will have consequences. How and when these things will happen is not clear. The Environmental Protection Agency predicts reductions in crop yield, increases in flood-causing rain, and an increase in wildfires in the future. Young people will bear a heavier burden of climate change. We’ll speak with young Native Americans about their concerns and what they are doing to prepare for the future.

A medical marijuana company is marketing directly to Native Americans. Scottsdale, Arizona-based Ultra Health signed a major sponsorship deal with the popular Gathering of Nations Powwow in Albuquerque. The deal includes putting the Ultra Health company name in the powwow title. Is this the beginning of a new brand of Native American marketing? Are you worried about the association between marijuana and a major powwow?

Bear Butte, South Dakota, or Mató Pahá, is a well-known sacred place to the Lakota. The mountain has spiritual significance to many tribes, and is the setting for ceremony and prayers. That’s in contrast to the new Full Throttle Saloon. The owners bill it as the “World’s Largest Biker Bar” with 15,000 patrons a night during the Sturgis Bike Rally. In August, a group of Native American activists plans to protest the bar because of its proximity to Mató Pahá. We’ll check in with those who know the location the best and learn about how the famous motorcycle rally is encroaching on other important sites.

For a fee, you can fill out an application, swab your cheek and find out if you have Native ancestry. Dozens of online services perform this service for hundreds of curious people. But does the result mean you can finally declare your Cherokee heritage? What do online DNA kits really tell us about Native ancestry? If you actually find out you have Native heritage, what do you do with that information?

Various tribes have tried different strategies to try and recover important and sacred items. Some use the courts. Some negotiate with well-meaning museum curators. Others resort to bidding for them against wealthy collectors at auctions or on eBay. One approach proposed in Congress works to make it harder for unscrupulous sellers with new laws and harsher penalties. What does it take to have these significant items returned? We will hear about some success stories and some heartbreaking near misses.

Some Native American men are part of the cross-dressing tradition known as drag performance. They don heels, bright dresses and sparkly make-up. The gender-bending art form has less of a direct correlation to traditional Native culture, but there are some parallels. We talk to drag queens about their form of expression and the support—or lack of support—in their communities.