Native America Calling

This month marks 30 years since the Zapatista Army of National Liberation attracted worldwide attention with their rebel uprising in Chiapas, Mexico, demanding, among other things, rights for Indigenous residents. The uprising is credited with spurring several beneficial changes in Mexico. At the same time, support for the rebel group has waned in the decades since. We’ll explore the Zapatista movement’s influence toward awareness of Indigenous rights in the three decades of their existence.

Kansas City’s NFL team either goes to the Super Bowl or plays its final game of the year on Sunday. The team has weathered sustained pressure that has seen other sports teams, like the Cleveland Guardians and the Washington Commanders, change their names and mascots. Activists have gone so far as to publicly appeal to Taylor Swift, girlfriend of Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce, to speak out against the controversial "tomahawk chop" performed by fans. We’ll assess the wins and … lack of wins … in the ongoing awareness campaign for respectful names and mascots.

There’s a driving demand for more renewable energy projects such as wind and solar. In the rush to build, important cultural resources are threatened. The news outlet ProPublica wrote about an instance in Washington state where an archaeological survey paid for by the wind developers failed to list potential cultural sites that were obvious to state regulators. Tribes in Arizona are at odds with a solar project that would put a power transmission line across traditional cultural places. We’ll look at the intersection of sustainable energy and sacred and important sites.

Artists like Fritz Scholder and T.C. Cannon are among the masters who inspired new generations of Native artists to express their stories and images through printmaking. The art form has a long history in Asian and European cultures, but is a relatively new tradition among Native practitioners. We’ll talk with Indigenous artists who find turn to prints as part of their creative process.

As dangerously bitter winter weather takes hold of the country, some efforts to help unsheltered Native Americans face closure. City officials forced an emergency shelter set up in Rapid City, S.D., to shut down. Successful shelters in Seattle and Minneapolis that cater to unsheltered Native residents face pressure by outside forces that intend to develop the sites for other uses. And Anchorage continues a troubling ongoing trend of homeless fatalities. We’ll look into some of the ongoing struggles to help unhoused relatives.

Diabetes drugs known as GLP-1 agonists, like Ozempic, are riding a wave of popularity right now. But the high cost and short supply because of their popularity as a weight loss remedy are putting the drugs out of reach for those who need them. Native Americans struggle with diabetes disproportionately. Now, is there a disparity when it comes to viable treatments?

Author, historian, and Haskell Indian Nations University professor Daniel Wildcat (Yuchi member of the Muscogee Nation of Oklahoma) believes in the power of Indigenous knowledge to counter big problems. His newest book On Indigenuity: Learning the Lessons of Mother Earth combines Western science, tribal knowledge, and his own personal observations as a way to create path away from climate change and other looming environmental threats.

The Upper Mattaponi Tribe has reached a major milestone toward solidifying its federally recognized status. Doors opened this month to Virginia’s first tribal court system, handling civil cases including child custody proceedings and misdemeanor criminal cases. We’ll hear about the milestone and put it in context of the legal system in Virginia. Plus, we'll remember the life and career of longtime journalist Gary Fife (Muscogee), who died this week.

Every January, runners commemorate the tragic day in 1879 when soldiers hunted down and killed Northern Cheyenne men, women, and children who attempted to escape unbearable conditions at Fort Robinson, Neb. The captive Cheyenne were fleeing imprisonment without food, water, or heat on top of pending demands by the U.S. Army they return to confinement in Oklahoma. We’ll explore the history of the event 145 years ago and the work in recent years to promote healing.

An aide to President Richard Nixon once paid Hank Adams a backhanded compliment, saying he could speak both Indian and “American”. As misguided as that praise is, it highlighted one of Adams’ gifts that helped him steer the armed standoff at Wounded Knee to a peaceful conclusion. Adams is probably best known for his dedicated fight for Native fishing rights in the Pacific Northwest that culminated in the Boldt Decision. We’ll remember the civil rights champion with some of the people who knew him best.