Native America Calling

Residential fires are steadily declining. Still, an average of seven people die each day from home fires, according to the latest figures from the National Fire Protection Association. And Native Americans are second on FEMA's list of populations with the highest rates of fire fatalities. June is National Safety Month. It’s a good time to review to simple ways to be safer and to go over the basics of fire prevention and planning. Do you test your smoke alarms once a year? Do you know how to put out a grease fire?

Maybe it’s their weird-looking faces, leathery wings and wild flight patterns that creep people out. But the truth is bats are next to harmless. They are very important to the environment as pollinators and voracious predators of pesky insects. And just like a lot of other animals, bats hold a special place in Native culture. Right now some bat populations are threatened. We will talk to experts leading the efforts to help bats survive.

Some activists proudly refer to themselves as 'radicals'. But “radicalized” has become the term to describe how people turn passive discontent with the government into violent action. It’s been used to describe the motivation behind the shooting attack on a nightclub in Orlando, the attempts by men from Minnesota to join the terror group ISIS, and the occupation of a federal wildlife refuge in Oregon by a group of land owners. But what really is radicalization and how do Native American activists react to increasing scrutiny--and consequences--of their actions? It’s normal to have a healthy skepticism towards elected officials or governmental policy, Where do you draw the line?

Grammy winning Taos Pueblo recording artist Robert Mirabal’s new album is full of a lot of movement. As with many of his songs, Robert’s connection to his home community once again provides an array of color and life to a vibrant musical canvas on the new album “The River.” Many of the compositions have melodies that tell a story with distinct musical settings that encourage listeners to break away to an energetic place. We invite you to join us for our June Music Maker where we visit with Robert along with Ralph Farris of the New York City string quartet ETHEL that Robert collaborated with on his latest project.

With Father’s Day just around the corner, we’ll take a moment to single out single fathers. Men’s restrooms contain changing tables, and employers are offering fathers time off for their kids. But is society really set up to help single fathers? How do fathers on their own compensate for the lack of a mom’s touch? We’ll speak with some single fathers raising kids on their own. What special challenges do single fathers face?

From “Gary the Guardian Eagle” to “way too personal internet hand drum dude”, Peter “Tito” Ybarra has the lockdown on eccentric Native characters. In our occasional series, Native in the Spotlight, we’ll speak with Tito about his comedy, characters and future gigs. We’ll find out where he gets his inspiration and what makes something absolutely not funny.

Do you have a plan for when disaster strikes? Many tribal governments have their own emergency management systems. Others piece together plans with city, county and federal agencies. Are you and your Native community prepared for tornadoes, floods and snow storms? In this program, we take a look at the power of Mother Nature and preparing and responding to disaster in Indian Country.

Some tribes don’t open up their language for outsiders to learn. But others have materials and classes readily available for anyone within or outside the tribe. With more and more first language speakers walking on each day, should more emphasis be on letting everyone learn the language? Where do you stand on letting outsiders learn our Native tongues?

More than half of all Native American and Alaska Native women have experienced sexual violence. That is one of the troubling statistics that emerged from a study released last month by the National Institutes of Justice. The study relied on interviews with nearly 2,500 women in 2010. Those women face a journey of physical, emotional and spiritual pain. One that is often filled with humiliation, fear and feelings of isolation. We will talk about what happens after rape, where to get support and how people move towards healing.

Gaming continues to provide an economic opportunity. Casinos are a major economic tool for most of the federally recognized tribes. But it’s anything but a smooth ride. What is the current state of gaming for Native Nations? Does gaming still make economic sense for tribes? We’ll explore that and how some tribes are venturing beyond the boundaries of their tribal lands to build casinos.