Native America Calling

The debut album from Danny T and the Stealing Thunder Band, is—as they say—heavy on the guitar. “Fantasyland” offers blues and rock melodies filled with relatable lyrics about life and love. The band reflects everyday life including the tangled world of social media. Danny T and the Stealing Thunder Band is the first Music Maker of 2016.

The Glaucoma Research Foundation counts more than 3 million Americans with the disease. Many people don’t know they have it at first because its progression is so slow and subtle at first. That’s why it’s called “the sneak thief of sight.” Glaucoma is a genetic condition that damages the optic nerve. There is no cure, but early detection allows treatments that can help save a person’s vision. January is National Glaucoma Awareness Month—and officials urge Native Americans to get checked for glaucoma.

Child safety, education, and tribal energy are among the priorities the National Congress of American Indians listed for 2015. NCAI President Brian Cladoosby delivers the 2016 State of Indian Nations Address to provide an update on where the issues important to tribes stand. We’ll bring you the full speech and a discussion on some of the highlights. We’ll also look ahead to what people will be talking about in the coming year.

The film, The Revenant, is a gritty survival and revenge story inspired by the real life 19th Century frontiersman Hugh Glass. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy as well as Native actors, Forrest Goodluck (Diné/Mandan/Hidatsa /Tsimshian), Melaw Nakehk’o (Dehcho Dene/Denesuline) , Duane Howard (Nuu-chah-nulth) and Arthur RedCloud (Navajo/Sioux). Several recent movies with Native actors have attracted discussion about their portrayals. Join us as we speak with some of the actors from the film about their experiences filming in extreme climates as well as what they think about the film.

How are Community Health Representatives creating healthier communities? The CHR program started in the 1960s to provide a bridge between medical providers and American Indian and Alaska Native patients. CHRs give rides to appointments, provide healthy lifestyle education, and offer a wide variety of other services. Is there a value to having someone in your corner advocating for your health? Have you worked with a CHR? Is Indian Country healthier now than they would be without CHRs? How is it received in your community?

E-commerce experts say online enterprises offer promise for tribal economic development. People use online services every day. Think about Amazon or Netflix. But there are several hurdles that keep many tribes from cashing in. One of the key problems is the lack of broadband infrastructure. An upcoming conference aims to highlight the need for wiring reservations. We’ll explore the prospects for a high-tech infrastructure to get tribes in the fast lane of e-commerce.

The protesters occupying the federal wildlife headquarters near Burns, Oregon say the militia stand-off is over the federal government’s control over land. We will hear from the Burns Paiute tribe about the place the militia members are using to make their point. We’ll also get a Native perspective on the history of armed showdowns with federal authorities over land use.

Buying and consuming meat has become separated from the source. Packages of beef, pork and chicken are typically processed in large factory-like facilities and wrapped in plastic before we ever see them. In Native America, butchering and eating animals is an important skill passed on by elders. Some tribes have specific prayers, songs and methods during butchering. We’ll discuss butchering methods across Native America. Some tribes are working to revive the fading craft. How do you put meat on the table?

By now we all know we need to pay down our credit card debt to get our financial houses in order. But what are some of the other basics for making the most of our personal finances. How hard it is to make and stick to a monthly budget? When is it time to buy a new car? How does a person overcome a fear of numbers enough to even balance a check book? We will offer simple advice for both beginners and advanced home accountants to help you make 2016 the most profitable year possible.

Winter is an especially harsh season. It exposes the gaps in the safety net set up to catch our most vulnerable residents. While most of us work on paying our heating bills, many of our neighbors don’t have their most basic needs met to be protected against below-zero temperatures. In Gallup, New Mexico, 17 people have died from exposure. Those people are often substance abusers and often Native American. What do cities need to do to eliminate exposure deaths? Which cities have found solutions to keeping the most vulnerable residents from freezing to death?