Native America Calling

Alaska sets aside a day each year to honor William Henry Seward, Secretary of State under President Abraham Lincoln. Among other things he’s known for negotiating the U.S. Government’s purchase of Alaska in 1867, ushering in subsequent American colonialism in the 49th state, including the Klondike Gold Rush and other resource exploitation that largely ignored the original inhabitants.

When the Exxon Valdez supertanker broke open on March 24, 1989, the resulting oil spill coated 1,300 miles of shoreline in Alaska’s Prince William Sound and killed thousands of fish, birds, and wildlife. The environmental disaster is associated with the distressing images of water birds, otters, and other animals fighting for their lives through a thick coat of crude oil. The spill destroyed subsistence and commercial fishing for Alaska Native fishers, and created ecological contamination that is still recovering. We’ll look at the lasting harm from the spill 35 years later, and what’s changed to prevent future disasters.

Four states and six tribes in the Colorado River Basin are working on an agreement on water usage into the future. The agreement could be finalized as early as April. It comes as a flurry of agreements — and lack of agreement — involving other states and tribes is competing for a comprehensive water sharing agreement in time for an imposed 2026 deadline. We’ll hear differing perspectives from tribal representatives about the evolving conversations about the vital and diminishing resource.

The Fort Yukon (Alaska) Lady Eagles capped off a winning streak to capture the first state championship in the school’s history. Their coach said it’s like “winning the Super Bowl”.  The Navajo Prep (New Mexico) boys team, also the Eagles, won their first state championship, joined by a championship win by the school’s girls team. It’s basketball tournament time and we’re talking free throws, three-pointers, and trophies.

In the most compelling way, Whiskey Tender, the memoir by Deborah Jackson Taffa (Kwatsaán and Laguna Pueblo), is both an intimate personal story and Native American history lesson. It reveals her own epiphany over what she and her ancestors are pressured to sacrifice in striving for the American Dream. Her account is both poignant and humorous. Best-selling author Tommy Orange calls Taffa’s story a “drink you didn’t know you were thirsty for.”

If the rates were equal among races, at least a thousand more Native Americans would have received life-saving liver transplants over a four-year period. An investigation by the Washington Post and The Markup shows Native Americans have the highest rate of death from liver disease, but the lowest representation on the waitlist for transplants. We’ll discuss the discrepancies and what’s being done to connect Native Americans with transplants.

A bill just introduced in Canada would outlaw what most of the developed world has considered a human rights violation for decades. The law would prohibit sterilizing women without their consent. An Indigenous woman testified in front of lawmakers that she was sterilized without any prior discussion. Her mother was also sterilized without consent decades prior. The discussion comes as women from the U.S., Canada, and around the world confront past abuses of medical professionals who said they were working in the best interests of Indigenous woman.

Bishop Paiute Chairwoman Meryl Picard is still in her second year in office and confronting the pressures of pit mining on traditional Paiute land. Chairman Andrew Alejandre of the Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians was a voice for California’s new Feather Alert MMIP notification system. They are among the 40 accomplished Native Americans being celebrated this week by the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development. We’ll hear what’s on the minds of some of this year’s class.

Making the most of doing business on a global scale means understanding the competitive advantages tribes bring to the table. Tribes’ unique sovereignty status and tax exemptions appeal to a number of international business ventures. And markets overseas offer the potential for a bigger and broader customer base. The key is knowing the right fit. Wednesday on a special edition of Native America Calling live from #RES2024, we’ll hear from expert international business leaders about the right time to reach out to markets beyond the usual borders.

Small businesses owners put their dreams and financial futures on the line when they open their doors for the first time. In the process of improving their own skills and financial standing, they become building blocks for their tribes, providing jobs and circulating revenue within the community. The Navajo Nation just secured nearly $89 million toward promoting and supporting small business. We’re at the Reservation Economic Summit in Las Vegas to hear what that support goes for, and discuss other insights about the trends for Native small businesses.