Native America Calling

An old bit by comedian Ralphie May surfaced just before his scheduled appearance in Bemidji Minnesota on the cusp of the Red Lake Reservation. It was an R-rated rant using the worst Native American stereotypes. The venue in Bemidji cancelled May's appearance . He has since cancelled three subsequent appearances in Minnesota, South Dakota and North Dakota. He insists it was all a joke taken out of context. The person who first exposed May's rant, Adrianne Chalepah, at first wondered herself whether she just didn't get the joke. But the backlash against May confirmed her concerns. ""It’s like we’re in an abusive relationship and we keep getting verbally abused and we keep taking it and taking it. And we’re not taking it anymore, " Chalepah said. Can you picture a situation where May's comments would be funny?

The fatal police shooting of a Navajo woman in Winslow, Arizona is raising questions again about interactions with police. Officials say she threatened the officer with scissors when stopped during a shoplifting investigation. Loreal Tsingine’s family and friends are left wondering what kind of threat the 27 year old woman posed that warranted her death. Tribal leaders and others want an official inquiry to hold the police accountable for what many members of the public see as an overreaction. How are police trained to react in such situations?

This week in Honduras, friends are supporters are taking time to celebrate the life of slain Indigenous activist Berta Cáceres. More than a month after her shooting death, the government has offered few details about their death. Human rights groups around the world condemn the attack and urge the Honduran government to act to protect other activists. We’ll talk about Caceres’ life and death and the plight of those speaking up for Indigenous people in Latin America.

Your dreams can leave you scratching your head in the morning. Why do we dream about things like being attacked by a purple owl or giant fettuccini noodles floating in the air? The hosts of the NV1 radio show, Seers from the First People, believe dreams might offer clues about your life or future even if they’re unreal or weird. They join us to give their thoughts on listeners’ dreams. Have you ever been curious about what your dreams mean?

In Louisiana, the Isle de Jean Charles Band of Biloxi-Chitimacha-Choctaw got $45 million in federal money to move their entire community. The rising level of the ocean has swallowed up most of their land. In Alaska, 31 Alaska Native villages also face threats from rising water and land erosion. What does it take to move an entire village? What kind of support do these tribes and their communities need to deal with this kind of forced removal? When a tribe moves, do they lose more than their land?

Tribes have the power to determine their own membership. But with great power comes a great controversy in the form of disenrollment. A new group is speaking out against the practice of eliminating members. They say it is literally tearing tribes apart. One California tribe, Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, amended their own constitution to outlaw the practice. Tribes that are disenrolling members say it is a matter of correcting tribal records. How is it that some tribes reject the idea while others see it as the path to their future?

Adhering to gender roles doesn’t necessarily have to mean unequal treatment in Indian Country. The word ‘feminism’ sometimes elicits strong reactions, depending on who’s listening. Some Native American women know exactly where they fit in, even if they will never be able to hold tribal office. Others struggle with the complexity of tribal traditions that make them feel cut off from full participation. Where do Indigenous women fit into the feminist cause? Join us for a conversation with two leading Native feminists about what indigenous feminism means for our Native Nations.

“One day at a time.” In the world of addiction recovery, that’s the well-known phrase repeated as a type of mantra that aims to give hope in small, obtainable steps. But what happens that first day of recovery? People decide to finally stop abusing drugs and alcohol in a variety of ways. Are there any common threads to making that decision? Can loved ones help you decide that you’ve finally reached your Day One.

Smart phones have radically transformed our lives. Information is at our fingertips whenever we want, as long as we have a signal. Applications, or apps, give us convenient answers to questions like “where am I going” and even, “what should I do right now so I’m not bored.” We’ll take a look at a number of apps specifically designed to make Indigenous lives better. How about a dating app that matches you with your perfect blood quantum soul mate? Or what about an app that gives you the exact distance to the nearest Indian taco? What app do you need in your life?

Music is a major part of our Native communities and culture. Singing songs to our little ones provide a vital connection to language and culture. We take time to discuss the importance of singing to babies and children. What were you taught growing up about sharing songs with young ones? Do you have memories of your parents and loved ones sing to you? What role do these songs play later in our lives?

Follow this conversation with the hashtag: #NativeSongs4Baby