Native America Calling

The standard elements of a healthy, long-term relationship are well documented: communication, trust, honesty, mutual respect, and practicing healthy approaches for inevitable disagreements. But if combining those elements were easy, there wouldn’t be a need for relationship counselors. Native relationship specialists also often have to navigate differing cultural practices and concerns about relationships outside of one’s tribe. We’ll talk about the common stressors on long-term relationships as well as the roles of culture and community in maintaining healthy relationships.

Even after learning her clinical skills at Stanford School of Medicine and becoming a practicing surgeon, Lori Arviso Alvord (Diné) realized she had more to learn about being a healer. She sought out the wisdom of her tribe’s cultural healers to help her understand how to treat the whole person. That guidance remains one of the driving factors in her current surgical practice near the Yakama Nation in Washington. Her groundbreaking story as the first female Navajo surgeon is recounted in her memoir, "The Scalpel and the Silver Bear", and is an inspiration for the generations of prospective Native American medical practitioners.

The wooden boards made by lifelong surfer and cultural practitioner Tom “Pōhaku” Stone (Kanaka Maoli) are heavy and cumbersome compared to the space-age composite boards most modern surfers prefer, but they are a connection to his father, a master board maker, and the generations of Kanaka Maoli surfers before him. Stone is among a growing number of Native Hawaiians nurturing the cultural significance of the sport at a time when many others are focused on technique, expensive gear, and image. Surfing’s rise in popularity means pressure away from the spiritual and healing elements that are so important to Hawaiian culture. We’ll talk with Native surfers about the origins of surfing and how that can map a more meaningful path for the sport’s future.

Backlash over privacy concerns continues to grow across the country against the use of law enforcement surveillance cameras. The automatic license plate readers, led by private security company Flock Safety, are proliferating as officials look to maximize public safety and traffic violation enforcement. The Navajo Nation is now installing hundreds of Flock cameras to support public safety on its 27,000-square-mile reservation that is notoriously difficult to patrol. Navajo leaders say the cameras will both curb traffic infractions and aid criminal investigations. But as the use of cameras grows, so does criticism by the public. Several cities are now cancelling contracts to use the cameras. Some Navajo Nation citizens say the trade-off is too great. We'll hear what these cameras could mean for tribes hoping to boost public safety.

We'll also hear from University of Arizona professor Stephanie Russo Carroll, a leading authority on Indigenous data sovereignty and policy. Carroll is developing frameworks for how tribal data should be protected. Recently she helped develop a policy that regulates how the public health data of tribes in Arizona is collected, shared, and used on the state level.

Tohono O'odham Chairman Verlon M. Jose vows to continue fighting after a federal judge turned down the tribe’s efforts to stop construction of the U.S.-Mexico border wall in Arizona. Jose says O’odham’s heritage, cultural sites, and natural environment are too important to allow unimpeded destruction at the hands of construction crews. At the same time, the Trump administration halted wall construction in Big Bend National Park in Texas after a group filed a lawsuit on religious grounds on behalf of a Native conservation group. We’ll hear about efforts to halt or slow construction that is going forward without regard for environmental, cultural or spiritual protections.

We’ll also get an update on the lack of progress in filling the vacancy at the top of the National Indian Gaming Commission. President Donald Trump has yet to name a new chairman to the regulatory agency. The position has been vacant since January. Without a chairman, casinos cannot move ahead with several basic operations, potentially costing them millions of dollars.

Claire Valdez (Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo) is a member of the New York Assembly running for a seat in Congress. She’s also a proud Democratic Socialist, a progressive wing of the party gaining ground in the success of elected leaders like New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT). U.S. Senate candidate and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan (White Earth Ojibwe/D-MN) is considered a progressive Democrat and won the backing of Sen. Sanders and Rep. Ocasio-Cortez in her decisive primary win in Minnesota. We'll speak with Native Democratic organizers about how the pressure to move to the left is being received by Native voters and also whether it is a viable long-term strategy.

Elisabeth Pierite (Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana) was a teenager when Hurricane Katrina tore through New Orleans in August 2005. Her family’s home was destroyed and they relocated a few hours north to Marksville, La., the hub of the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana. Miles away, then-principal chief of the United Houma Nation, Brenda Dardar Robichaux, was thrust into the role of helping her community that she says was abandoned by disaster response and recovery efforts. Hurricane Katrina bested local, state, and national emergency response abilities and also exposed racial and socioeconomic inequalities. It also brought to light a gap in how disaster resources are allocated to tribes. We’ll talk with Louisiana tribal leaders and citizens about surviving the 2005 disaster, what it took to rebuild, and what they reflect on 20 years later.

Chugach Sugpiaq jeweler Denise Wallace says she tells stories through her pieces. This year, she’s presenting an elaborate belt she made with her family, featuring ornate, detailed figures, each holding significant meaning, along with intricate designs crafted from ivory, silver, and gold. Wallace has long been a fixture at the Santa Fe Indian Market, now in its 104th year, as nearly a thousand talented Native artists set up to showcase their work. Also among the longtime artists is professional painter Merlin Little Thunder, known for detailed portraits and landscapes that often depict traditional Cheyenne life. For our series of arts interviews, we’ll speak with these artists along with last year’s Best of Show winner Regina Free and event organizers.

We'll also get an update on the Artist Act that was just signed into federal law. The act prevents states from banning Alaska Native crafts made from materials like walrus ivory and baleen.

More than 350 Indigenous artists will gather as the Pathways Indigenous Arts Festival marks its sixth year at the Pueblo of Pojoaque. It continues to grow its draw and reputation on what is a busy time for Native arts in northern New Mexico. In addition to individual booths for artists across disciplines, the event includes a substantial Native-centered film and media celebration and live musical performances from a number of notable Native acts including Gary Farmer and the Troublemakers. We will broadcast live from the event, speaking with organizers and artists such as Chad Yellowjohn, a 2019 graduate of the Institute of American Indian Arts, whose artwork centers on a philosophy of “optimistic activism”, featuring vibrant, colorful depictions of Indigenous people and Indigenized pop-culture characters.

Researcher and writer, Thomas Michael Swensen (Tangirnaq Native Village), takes music fans to the fascinating intersection of punk music and Native America in his new book, Where Next, Columbus?: A Native Punk Mixtape. He explores some of the unlikely places where this intersection appears, from Alaska to the Southwest to the Black Hills of South Dakota. He thoroughly dissects Native punk music, zines, videos and art installations, examining recurring themes of individualism versus collectivism, DIY culture, and sovereignty. We’ll speak with Swensen about the new book and listen to some of his favorite Native punk songs he found during his research.

A new album, Live From ’81–’85,collects live recordings from the legendary ’80s New Wave band, Romeo Void, from the height of their popularity and creative power. Fronted by singer Debora Iyall (Cowlitz), the group is known for edgy, pointed lyrics and standout saxophone solos. Songs like A Girl in Trouble (Is a Temporary Thing), and Never Say Never, which was named one the 200 Best Songs of the 1980s by Rolling Stone, have been featured in movie soundtracks and the Billboard Top 40. Iyall remains active in the arts and performs as part of a new creative project. We’ll speak with her about music, art, and activism.