Simon and Julie joined John to talk about Native American Heritage Month — a month that exists because Indigenous leaders spent more than a century fighting for recognition. From Dr. Arthur C. Parker (Seneca) in the early 1900s to Red Fox James (Blackfeet) riding state to state in 1915, the movement grew until Congress and President George H. W. Bush made November the first official Heritage Month in 1990. Every president upheld it… until Trump, who called it “radical and wasteful”.

They talk about what this month means, what allies should and shouldn’t do, and why leaders like California Governor Gavin Newsom are urging the country to embrace Indigenous values as a way forward. They also take calls from listeners.

Simon Moya-Smith is an Oglala Lakota and Chicano journalist. He’s a contributing writer at NBC News and TheNation.com. He’s the author of the forthcoming book, ‘Your Spirit Animal is a Jackass,’ and he is an Adjunct Professor of Indigenous Studies at the University of Colorado Denver.

Bluesky: @SimonMoyaSmith.bsky.social

Julie Francella is a mental health professional with over 30 years of experience in handling complex trauma with Indigenous youth and families. She is an enrolled member of the Ojibway of Batchewana First Nation Reserve, and teaches Indigenous Studies at Durham College, focusing on the impacts of colonization on First Nations people.

Bluesky: @JulieFrancella.bsky.social

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