Native America Calling

Survival Food: North Woods Stories by a Menominee Cook, the posthumous memoir of the late educator, writer, and artist Thomas Pecore Weso, was just released. It gives readers a snapshot of his years growing up on his Wisconsin reservation in the 1960s and 1970s. He threads his memories in with the food that comes from hunted, fished, and gathered sources. Also, Congress has a chance to provide a consistent source of funding for tribes and tribal organizations for managing bison herds. Those are among the topics on The Menu, our regular feature on Indigenous food and food sovereignty hosted by Andi Murphy.

Tribal museums are on the forefront of representing Native culture and information accurately and effectively. They also advocate for best practices when it comes to repatriation and proper display of artifacts. As Tribal Museums Day approaches, we’ll get a rundown of some museums that are making a difference in their communities.

This year’s class of MacArthur Fellows includes three creative leaders from Native America. Dyani White Hawk (Sičáŋǧu Lakota) draws community and family together through contemporary and abstract multidisciplinary art. The Haskell Indian Nations University alumni has showed her work at myriad galleries including The Whitney Biennial in New York City. Patrick Makuakāne (Kanaka Maoli) is the founder and director of Nā Lei Hulu i ka Wēkiu, a hula company and cultural organization. Makuakāne is a kumu hula, a master teacher of hula, who’s work connects and promotes contemporary Hawaiian hula, music, and culture while challenging stereotypes and taking back Hawaiian narratives. And Raven Chacon (Diné), Pulitzer Prize-winning composer, who, as an artist, explores the relationships between people, space, and sound by examining the history and theft of land. We’ll visit with a couple of this year’s MacArthur Fellows and learn more about their work.

In the cold expanse of the Arctic, igloos, those dome-shaped structures made of blocks of snow, offer a cozy shelter in the wintertime. It’s one of many types of traditional winter homes tribes from the north down to the Southwest rely on. We’ll talk with traditional builders who carry on igloo and winter house building.

Tescha Hawley’s (Aaniiih) breast cancer diagnosis started both a harrowing personal journey to fight the disease and the inspiring effort to help others facing similar health obstacles. Hawley organized funds and other resources for people on Fort Belknap Reservation in Montana who faced long drives, overnight hotel stays, and other expenses to access life-saving care. Her work grew into the Day Eagle Hope Project.

The full picture of how the earliest colonists interacted with the Native Americans they encountered is clouded by the myths constructed by those writing history. Linda Coombs (Wampanoag Tribe of Aquinnah) offers the perspective from the tribe that greeted the Pilgrims in Race to the Truth: Colonization and the Wampanoag Story for both young readers and adults. She is an author with extensive experience as a tribal historian. Her book offers insights about, among other things, the first Thanksgiving.

Hopi musician and community leader Clark Tenakhongva pays tribute to Bears Ears Monument on his newly released album, “Hon Muru (Bear’s Ears).” The album features flutes, gentle percussion, and vocals in Hopi that make for a contemplative listen. Thursday on Native America Calling in an encore presentation of our regular feature "Native Playlist", Shawn Spruce talks with Tenakhongva about creating the album and catches up on his recent work on environmental conservation.

Nearly three quarters of the children in South Dakota’s foster care system are Native American. That’s in a state with an overall Native population of 13%. And despite the requirements of federal law, a large portion of those children are placed in non-Native households, potentially severing their connections to family and culture. The lack of Native foster parents is one factor. But so is the lack of staff in tribal foster care programs. A comprehensive report by the Sioux Falls Argus Leader and South Dakota Searchlight offers an in-depth look at the causes and consequences of South Dakota’s foster system disparities.

There is no more basic need than clean drinking water. That’s a need that the Santee Sioux Reservation in Nebraska has been lacking since the Environmental Protection Agency issued a no drink order in 2019. Wells on the reservation are showing levels the mineral manganese as much as 50 times higher than the agency considers safe. A long-term solution could cost upwards of $40 million. There’s no identifiable source of any funding for even a fraction of that amount.

Teams of Native junior and high school students are competing to build the best robots. They have to build their machines from scratch to accomplish tasks competition organizers set each season. Those tasks might be as simple as moving an object to a specific space, but they also might have to get around their opponents who are trying to stop them. Just like in sports, there are competitions on the regional, state, and national levels. We’ll hear from some Native robotics competitors and their coaches who are fired up about robots.