Native America Calling

Montana—home to 12 federally recognized tribes—is the latest battleground over damaging rhetoric by public officials. One legislator floated a resolution calling on Congress to abolish reservations. The text was reportedly drafted by a businessman heading up what he calls “The States Rights Coalition”. Another official publicly questioned why Native Americans should be allowed to vote. He told a reporter that view is “the consensus opinion among conservatives” in the state. Today on Native America Calling, we'll look at the continuing verbal, legal, and legislative affronts to tribal sovereignty based on outdated, stereotypical, and uninformed perspectives to which tribal officials are forced to respond with Ta’jin Perez (Totanac), deputy director for Western Native Voice; State Sen. Shane Morigeau (D-MT 48th/member of the Confederated Tribes of Salish and Kootenai Tribes); and State Sen. Susan Webber (D-MT 8th/member of the Blackfeet Nation).

The Battle of Hayes Pond in 1958 wasn’t much of a battle. But it was a major victory in the effort to stop the momentum of the Ku Klux Klan in the South. Today on Native America Calling, on the 65th anniversary of the night members of the Lumbee tribe showed up in force to stop a KKK rally in Robeson County, we’ll revisit the event and how it continues to be a source of strength and pride for a tribe as it struggles for federal recognition with Dr. Lawrence Locklear (Lumbee), director of the Office of Student Inclusion and Diversity and adjunct associate professor in the Department of American Indian Studies at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke; Dr. Ryan Emanuel (Lumbee), associate professor at Duke University; Chelsea Barnes (Lumbee), attorney and senior associate at Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough; and Tammy Maynor (Lumbee), Director of Governmental Affairs for the Lumbee Tribe.

Today on Native America Calling, Jana Schmieding (Mniconjou and Sicangu Lakota) joins us for an hour-long conversation about her life and career as part of our feature Native in the Spotlight. Got a question you're dying to ask her? Or maybe you just want to tell her how awesome she is. You can reach her on 1-800-99-NATIVE.

Native educators have a keen eye for guiding how schools teach students about Native history and culture. Does that experience also help when teaching Native students about other races and cultures? We’re well aware that colonial educational influences steered generations of students wrong when it comes to understanding Native people. Today on Native America Calling, we'll find out what Native educators do to avoid the same mistakes with Jerad Koepp (Wukchumni), Native student program specialist and 2022 Washington state teacher of the year; Alberta Nells (Diné), art, social studies, and service learning teacher at the STAR School; Nate Taylor (Member of the Red Lake Nation), director of Red Lake’s Waasabiik Ojibwemotaadiwin Immersion Program and founder of Red Lake’s Charter School, Endazhi-Niitaawiging; and Zane Rosette (Chippewa-Cree tribal member), executive director of the Native American Community Academy.

The creators of the new Avatar sequel continue what they see as a science fiction account of colonialism and Indigenous resistance. It’s getting plenty of pushback from Native audiences for some significant missteps. The good news is there are plenty of films, comics, and artwork from Native creators that have a more informed take. Today on Native America Calling, we’ll hear from artist Virgil Ortiz (Cochiti Pueblo); Sadekaronhes Esquivel (Tyendinaga Mohawk), art lead and character designer for “Hill Agency: PURITYdecay”; Michael Sheyahshe (Caddo), artist and founder and technologist at alterNative Media; and Johnnie Jae (Otoe-Missouria and Choctaw), founder of A Tribe Called Geek and co-founding member of the Fan Organizer Coalition.

In a city known for celebrities, a mountain lion’s improbable, decade-long occupation of Los Angeles' Griffith Park earned him a status any movie star would envy. P-22 was euthanized after wildlife officials determined his injuries and illnesses made it impossible for him to continue living in the wild without significant suffering. Now, area tribes say they want a say in what happens to the famous lion’s remains. Today on Native America Calling, we’ll look back on the life of P-22 and get an overview of how some tribes view mountain lions with tribal secretary Kimberly Johnson (Gabrieliño Tongva from the San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians), Alan Salazar (Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians), tribal elder on the elder’s council and traditional storyteller; and Dr. Christina Swindall (Gabrieleño), secretary for the Gabrieleño Band of Mission Indians–Kizh Nation.

The federal government issued translations on official documents to help Alaska Natives following destructive storms there. The trouble is, the text is indecipherable for those it was intended to help. An investigative report found the Iñupiaq and Yup’ik translations from FEMA are essentially unreadable for those familiar with the languages. One appears to be at least partly taken from a World War Two-era publication in the Soviet Union.  Today on Native America Calling, we’ll check in with Tara Sweeney (Inupiaq), Principal and CEO of Tack 71 Strategies and former Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs at the U.S. Department of Interior; Julia Jimmie (Yup'ik), translator and Yup'ik language programming producer; Sam Berlin (Yup'ik), translator and KYUK talk show host; linguist Gary Houlton; and Emily Schwing, freelance reporter based in Alaska.

Federal law already protects artwork legitimately made by Native Americans. But once artwork is sold, the artists typically don’t benefit from any residual appreciation of the work’s value. Some Native-owned galleries and organizations are working to ensure artists get full value for their work. And an effort in Canada aims to pay artists and their heirs resale rights. Today on Native America Calling, we'll hear from Theresie Tungilik (Inuk), arts and traditional economy advisor for Nunavut government; Mathew Nuqingaq (Inuk), jewelry artist and sculptor; Dawn Iehstoseranón:nha Setford Whiteman Francis (Akwesasne Mohawk), president and founder of Indigenous Arts Collective of Canada; and Colleen Echohawk (Pawnee and Athabascan), CEO of Eight Generation.

Social connections and career networking are two of the top reasons college students seek out fraternities and sororities. Greek life supporters also say they offer mentorship, academic support, and life-long friendships. Native fraternities and sororities began in the mid 1990s and also offer a chance for Native students to connect with each other and draw support from shared cultural values. Today on Native America Calling, we'll speak with Mardella Richardson (member of the Lumbee Tribe of NC), national president of Alpha Pi Omega, and Destiny Hutson (Cheyenne and Arapaho), vice president and historian of the Theta Chapter (Northeastern State University) of Alpha Pi Omega, as well as Dr. Corey Still (citizen of the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians), member on the national governance board for Iota Gamma.

Professional wrestling draws fans in with a mix of theatrics, colorful characters, and campy violence. Indigenous wrestlers comprise only a small faction of the wrestling world, but they are making names for themselves. In the process of entertaining their fans, they risk broken bones, concussions, cuts, and bruises in the ring. Today on Native America Calling, we’ll hear from Native wrestlers Kyle Hawk (Hopi Laguna and Lakota), professional wrestler and actor; Eric Bearspaw aka Chief Little Foot (Stony Nakoda), traditional dancer, musician, and professional wrestler; and Victoria Otis aka Princess Victoria (Samish Nation), wrestling booking agent and former professional wrestler.