Native America Calling

Kelli Mosteller (Citizen Potawatomi Nation) is the executive director of Harvard University’s Native American Program. Prior to that position, she was the director of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation Cultural Heritage Center, as well as the tribal historic preservation officer. For over a decade she has been working on repatriating remains under the Native American Graves Protection Act (NAGPRA). Recently, it was announced she would also serve on the National Museum and Library Services Board, which does advisory work with museums, libraries, and information services throughout the country. Today on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce speaks with Mosteller about her work with Harvard and her tribe on our regular feature Native in the Spotlight.

In Defense of Sovereignty: Protecting the Oneida Nation’s Inherent to Self-Determination by author Rebecca Webster (Oneida Nation of Wisconsin), assistant professor of American Indian Studies at the University of Minnesota, examines a 20-year jurisdictional dispute between the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin and the town of Hobart. Today on Native America Calling, we talk with Webster on our regular feature Native Bookshelf as well as Kinsale Drake (Diné), poet and founder of NDN Girls Book Club.

Indigenous-owned businesses like The Rez Life, The NTVS, OXDX, and Section 35 help drive casual Native fashion by turning out jackets, shorts, and beanies stitched with Native art and shirts splashed with words and phrases like “Land Back”, “Resilient”, and “Skoden.” Streetwear is casual fashion that draws from the aesthetic elements of sportswear, hip-hop, punk, and skateboard - and mixes in community vibes and coolness. Indigenous fashion shows include the latest in streetwear and Indigenous celebrities like Amber Midthunder and the cast of Reservation Dogs drip Native streetwear and carry with them messages of cultural vibrancy, strength, and resistance everywhere they go. Today on Native America Calling, we speak with Ricko DeWilde (Athabascan), hunter and owner of HYDZ Gear; Justin Louis (member of the Samson Cree Nation), creative director and founder of Section 35; and Sean Rayland-Boubar (Anishinaabe from Sagkeeng First Nation), founder and owner of Red Rebel Armour.

The nation’s only live, call-in radio show devoted to Native issues and from a Native perspective is approaching its 28th year on the air. There have been many changes over the years, but one constant vision: to amplify the Native voices who are most needed when it comes to Native issues. Today on a special edition of Native America Calling, we hear from some of the people who make this program possible that you may not have heard from before and look to the future.

As Muslims prepare for the holy month of Ramadan, a small number of Native Americans are among them. Whether they’ve converted to Islam or it was brought into their culture by marriage, Native people who practice Islam often have to seek out fellow Muslims. Today on Native America Calling, we examine the intersection of Islam and Native culture with Ashley Wolford (Choctaw), community organizer and participant of the Native American and Indigenous Muslim Stories (NAIMS) project; NAIMS participant LaTanya Barlow (Navajo); and Samira Brotherson (African American), founder of Hidaya Women’s Resource and Advocacy Program.

Listen to the full ceremony audio above or watch the video.    Koahnic Broadcast Corp. Press Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 20, 2023 Native America Calling, produced by Koahnic Broadcast Corporation, receives 2021 National Humanities Medal   Anchorage, Alaska – Koahnic Broadcast Corporation is pleased to announce that its daily public affairs show Native […]

The Indian Child Welfare Act is more than a legal argument. The law, now more than 40 years old, is an important element in individual child development, family structure, and the continuation of culture. A decision is pending from the U.S. Supreme Court that could determine the fate of ICWA. Supporters of the law worry the decision could erode the most important legacy it has forged over the decades. Today on Native America Calling, in a special live broadcast from Washington, D.C., Shawn Spruce gets a perspective of ICWA from those who have lived it with Adriann Ricker (enrolled member of the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes), research associate at Johns Hopkins School for Nursing; Mary Annette Pember (Red Cliff Ojibwe), national correspondent for ICT; and Julia Lurie, journalist at Mother Jones.

YVHIKV (Mvskoke) and Hayatheus make up the group T H R O N E and they're out introducing audiences to their latest single "Eels in the Water//Night". Since their debut album "Lionfish," released last year, T H R O N E has been garnering a big following on social media with their soulful and melodic sound. Pete Sands (Diné) & the Drifters keep releasing new singles and even ended up on the popular series "Yellowstone". The band says it embodies the true spirit of the term "Dirt Floor Honky Tonks". Today on Native America Calling, we sample new music with T H R O N E and Pete Sands as well as country artist Jade Turner (member of Misipawistik Cree Nation) and Hataaliinez “Hataałii” Wheeler (Diné) on our regular feature Native Playlist.

Peterson Zah is known as the first president of the Navajo Nation and a leader with foresight and intelligence that ushered in a new era for his people. Zah died at the age of 85 and was laid to rest at his birthplace in Low Mountain, Ariz. after a memorial service and funeral procession. His legacy includes starting a permanent fund that has reached into the multiple billions and advocacy that dramatically boosted the number of Navajo students in higher education. Today on Native America Calling, we honor his life with those who knew him: Stephen Roe Lewis (Gila River), Governor of the Gila River Indian Community; Marley Shebala (Diné and Zuni), investigative journalist; Marcus Denetdale (Citizen of the Navajo Nation), program manager for the Construction in Indian Country program at Arizona State University; Jaynie Parrish (Diné), president and founder of Arizona Native Vote; and Robert Joe (Diné), managing partner with Towerhouse Group and partner Tribal Carbon.

Representatives from the National Congress of American Indian (NCAI) Youth Commission say they are ready to pick up the torch on critical issues like climate change, missing and murdered Indigenous people, tribal consultation, and health disparities. The two co-presidents of the commission expressed their enthusiasm for tackling Native issues during NCAI’s State of Indian Nations Address event. Today on Native America Calling, we hear from NCAI Youth Commission Co-Presidents Yanenowi Logan (Seneca Nation of Indians) and Caleb Dash (Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community) about their coming priorities on behalf of Native people.