Native America Calling - The Electronic Talking Circle

The summer of 1945 saw three nuclear explosions that ushered in a new era of experimentation, development, and fear when it comes to the potential for such a powerful weapon. Native people are among those suffering the most from the consequences of that path. The first test of the atomic bomb at the Trinity site in New Mexico, and the subsequent use of the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, signaled the U.S. Government's new push to develop nuclear weapons, fueled by millions of tons of uranium ore mined near Native land in New Mexico and Arizona. And ongoing nuclear tests exposed thousands of Native people in the Southwest and in Alaska to dangerous levels of radiation. We'll explore the ongoing effects on Native people of nuclear weapons and power development. GUESTS Marissa Naranjo (Santa Clara Pueblo), deputy director of Sovereign Energy and board member for Honor Our Pueblo Existence (HOPE) Loretta Anderson (Laguna Pueblo), co-sponsor of the Southwest Uranium Miners Coalition Post-71 Tina Cordova, co-founder and executive director of the Tularosa Basin Downwinders Consortium

The Shinnecock Nation in New York is in an ongoing legal battle to have their fishing rights recognized. A lawsuit brought forward by a Shinnecock tribal citizen argues the tribe has never ceded their right to fish in any treaty or agreement. The tribe has no treaty with the federal government, but instead with British colonists from the 1600s. This case could possibly affirm the tribe's unended aboriginal claim to fish in the Hamptons. We'll talk with Shinnecock citizens about what's at stake with the case as it moves forward in federal district court. GUESTS Taobi Silva (Shinnecock), fisherman Riley Plumer (Red Lake Nation), attorney Randy King (Shinnecock), former chairman of the Shinnecock Nation Board of Trustees Ashely Dawn Anderson (Cherokee Nation), Tribal Water Institute Fellow at the Native American Rights Fund

Heavy workloads, low pay, and increasing political pressures are among the contributing factors leading to a rise in teacher burnout. A survey by the University of Missouri of 500 public school teachers found 78% of them have considered quitting the profession since the 2020 pandemic. We'll talk with Native educators about what it will take to recruit and retain Native teachers in the face of growing pressures. GUESTS Jerad Koepp (Wukchumni), Native student program specialist for North Thurston Public Schools and 2022 Washington State Teacher of the Year Lynette Stant (Diné), third grade teacher at Salt River Elementary School and 2020 Arizona Teacher of the Year Brad Lopes (Aquinnah Wampanoag), Native American Teacher Retention Initiative program manager and former classroom teacher Josie Green (Oglala Lakota), executive director of Teach for America South Dakota

Traditional culture meets global international economic development at the Bering Straits Native Corporation. The collection of tribes plays a key role in the Port of Nome that is working to develop the nation's first deepwater port in the Arctic. It is among the big — and small — economic development visions for Indigenous people in the Arctic region. We'll hear about those opportunities as well as some concerns about balancing financial and traditional environmental well-being being discussed at the Arctic Encounter Symposium in Anchorage, Alaska. GUESTS Haven Harris (enrolled tribal member of the Nome Eskimo Community), senior vice president of growth and strategy for the Bering Straits Native Corporation Edward Alexander (Gwich'in), co-councilor for Gwich'in Council International Rachel Kallander, founder and CEO of Arctic Encounter Summit Kuno Fencker (Inuit), member of the parliament of Greenland

Canada, Norway, Denmark, and the U.S. are among the handful of countries with land above the Arctic Circle. Each of those has significant Indigenous populations with their own cultures built around the land, sea, and ice that they have always inhabited. We'll hear from some of those Indigenous people who are working across borders to learn from, advocate for, and work with their counterparts in other countries. We're broadcasting live from the Arctic Encounter Summit in Anchorage, Alaska. GUESTS Jackie Qataliña Schaeffer (Iñupiaq), member of the board for the Arctic Encounter Symposium Dr. Heather Sauyaq Jean Gordon (Iñupiaq), Indigenous researcher and Arctic Fulbright Scholar

Muscogee Freedmen are closer to tribal citizenship than ever before. The Muscogee (Creek) Nation Supreme Court ruled the tribe must extend the rights of citizenship to the descendants of slaves who also have Muscogee lineage. We'll hear from Freedman who welcome the ruling, but warn there are likely more hurdles ahead. We'll also talk with an Alaska Native engineer working on building clean water systems for rural villages and inspiring Native girls to consider careers in science along the way. And we'll hear from both U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy and the tribal chairman about Sec. Kennedy's visit to the Nez Perce Reservation in Idaho to tout the Trump administration's commitment to food sovereignty. GUESTS Marilyn Vann (Cherokee Nation), president of the Descendants of Freedmen of the Five Civilized Tribes Association Eli Grayson (Muscogee), radio host, Muscogee Nation Hall of Fame inductee, and a Freedmen descendant Charitie Ropati (Yup'ik and Samoan), climate justice advocate, water engineer, and North America Regional Facilitator at the Youth Climate Justice Fund Shannon Wheeler (Nez Perce), chairman of the Nez Perce Tribal Executive Committee

President Donald Trump is signaling a shift in the ongoing push to deport immigrants as the reality of taking migrant farmworkers out of the fields, disrupting businesses and the country's food supply starts to become apparent. About 40% of the 2.6 million farm workers in the U.S. are estimated to be undocumented. A portion of those are Indigenous people from Mexico and Central American countries. We'll hear about how the Trump administration may be adjusting its stance. A search for words in their language led a husband-and-wife team to 300-year-old texts where French Jesuit missionaries documented Seneca names for traditional foods, cooking, and even recipes. GUESTS Mily Treviño-Sauceda, executive director and co-founder of Alianza Nacional de Campesinas Coreen Thompson (Tonawanda Seneca), cultural educator

After a period of colonial suppression, traditional kapa making is enjoying a sustained resurgence. In recent decades, a growing number of Native Hawaiian artists have mastered the labor-intensive process of harvesting, scraping, and soaking the bark of the wauke plant and embellishing the resulting fabric with colorful traditional designs. A new generation of artists is benefiting from this reclaimed expertise. This is an encore show so we won't be taking listener phone calls

Missoula, Mont. is the setting for the inaugural festival of literature, music, and other arts known as Indigipalooza. Musician and former U.S. poet laureate Joy Harjo (Mvskoke) headlines the list of talent offering their perspectives on the state of Indigenous storytelling. We'll also hear from filmmaker Adam Piron about his curated selection of films screened in New York highlighting Native American urban relocation. And we'll get context for President Donald Trump's demand that sports teams return to their offensive names and mascots.

The Crow Tribe is marking the 200th anniversary of their treaty with the United States. It is a document whose limits have been tested over that time, but still defines the tribe's relationship with the federal government. This year also marks 170 years since the treaty ratifying the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indians' official relationship with the U.S. We'll examine these important historical and legal milestones and how they fit in with the extensive and complicated history of treaties.

Education advocates are launching a multi-year program to develop a game and to teach the Denaakk'e language in schools. That and another language teaching apps come at a time when almost all federal funding for language revitalization is eliminated. We'll also talk with a man about his personal journey learning the Cherokee language, an undertaking that inspired him to learn more about his tribal language's history and importance in maintaining culture. GUESTS Joel Isaak (Dena'ina Athabascan), director of language and culture for the Kenaitze Indian tribe Mariah Pitka (Louden Tribe), executive director for the Doyon Foundation Dr. Benjamin Frey (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians), assistant professor of Cherokee language and culture at the University of North Carolina–Asheville Jamie Jacobs (Tonawanda Seneca), managing curator for the Rock Foundation collections at the Rochester Museum and Science Center

After Congress approved President Donald Trump's clawback of funds distributed through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, tribal stations are frantically searching for money to keep from going dark. Tribes are stepping up in some cases, audiences are responding with increased donations, and the stations are scaling back their operations. In the meantime, higher education officials are worried about a Trump budget plan to cut federal funding to tribal colleges and universities by nearly 90%. Representatives from some of those institutions say they will have to significantly scale back their operations. Others say they will have to close outright. We'll get more detail on both of these major funding changes.

From finding simple recipes to diagnosing complicated illnesses, artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming an increasingly useful part of everyday life, but the space and resources it takes to power that technology is immense and that is hitting close to home for some tribes. The Tonawanda Seneca Nation in New York just filed a lawsuit against a proposed 900,000-square-foot AI data center a mile away from their reservation. Chief Kenith Dale Jonathan says the center would harm air quality, water, and wildlife. We'll hear from the tribe and the potential for data center encroachment elsewhere. We'll also look at how the Trump administration's push to use AI in medicine would benefit or harm Native Americans. GUESTS Christine Abrams (Tonawanda Seneca), office administrator for the Tonawanda Seneca Nation Council of Chiefs Grandell “Bird” Logan (Tonawanda Seneca), media spokesperson for the Tonawanda Seneca Nation Dr. Krystal Tsosie (Diné), assistant professor in the School of Life Sciences at Arizona State University Dr. David Wilson (Diné), associate vice president for health research and professor and chair of Indigenous Health at the University of North Dakota

Indigenous people of Canada know of the horrors generations of children were forced to endure in residential schools even though records and physical proof are hard to come by. They know from the stories passed down and the traumas they witnessed. “The Knowing” is the newest book from Anishinaabe journalist and best-selling author Tanya Talaga. She takes readers on a journey through scattered residential school records — and their many dead ends — to find Annie, a long lost relative. Her story weaves together her personal quest with Canadian history, providing readers with a better understanding of how racism, greed, misplaced religious intent, and government policy played into Canada's unforgivable treatment of Indigenous children. But Talaga also celebrates the triumph of healing and the growing momentum to demand justice, acknowledgement, and real reconciliation. “The Knowing” is on our Native Bookshelf.

A widely reported exit poll right after the 2024 presidential election greatly exaggerated the support for President Donald Trump by Native Americans. Native voters, by and large, lean Democrat, but it's clear Native voters supported President Trump more than expected. And since the election, a handful of tribes and Native leaders continue to back the MAGA trend. Louisiana's Tunica-Biloxi Tribe are among the institutions nominating Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize, citing his foreign policy and domestic economic agenda. We'll hear from those who think Trump is moving Native interests in the right direction. GUESTS Myron Lizer (Diné). former vice president of the Navajo Nation and professional development consultant for Prestige with Partners LLC Michael Stopp (Cherokee and Muscogee), CEO and president of SevenStar Holdings, LLC Allen Wright (Choctaw), president and founder of the Hustings Group

When the state of Idaho bowed out of a grey wolf reintroduction program and even proposed a major reduction in wolf populations, the Nez Perce tribe stepped in to help the endangered animal's fate. With a deep spiritual and cultural connection to wolves, the tribe sought to improve wolf numbers over the objections of many decision makers and members of the public. Now the state is pushing a plan to cut wolf numbers by more than half. Tribes in Wisconsin are also weighing in on proposals to end certain protections for wolves in that state. In Idaho, the tribes say the animals have cultural significance. We'll hear about tribal efforts to help wolves, and get a picture of a film about the Cherokee connections to the red wolf. GUESTS Michael Waasegiizhig Price (Anishinaabe), traditional ecological knowledge specialist for the Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission Dr. Candessa Tehee (Cherokee), Cherokee Nation tribal councilor, artist and associate professor of Cherokee and Indigenous studies at Northeastern State University Marcie Carter (Nez Perce), previous wolf project biologist with the Nez Perce Tribe Allison Carl, wildlife biologist with the Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission

The main character in Chickasaw writer Danica Nava's debut novel gets into trouble for making some questionable claims about her Chickasaw identity to try and get ahead in the working world. Cherokee citizen Christina Berry writes about an Austin woman's sometimes funny, sometimes heart wrenching desire to start a family. And Karen Kay's historical novel explores an interracial connection on the mid-1800s Great Plains frontier. What each of these books has in common is the quest for true love. They also have honest, complex, and engaging portrayals of Native characters written by Native authors. We'll hear from them about their work and Native representation in modern romance literature. (This is an encore show, so we won't take calls from listeners). GUESTS Danica Nava (Chickasaw), author of The Truth According to Ember Karen Kay (Choctaw), historical romance author Christina Berry (citizen of the Cherokee Nation), contemporary romance author Break 1 Music: Death Row Love Affair (song) Tom Wilson (artist) Break 2 Music: Love Affair (song) Pepper (artist) In with the Old (album)

For nearly a decade, state and local officials disacussed how to avoid fatalities, injuries, and property damage in the Guadalupe River valley in Texas. They failed to secure funds for a public warning siren. The flood killed more than 120 people and at least 160 are missing. Earlier this year, after numerous warnings by inspectors, a levee in Oregon gave way, damaging more than 950 homes, including those of the Burns Paiute Tribe. And on the Navajo Nation, notification was key to helping hundreds of residents evacuate as the Oak Ridge fire consumed more than 11,000 acres. We'll hear about those and emergency plans by some other tribes aimed at keeping threats from becoming human tragedies. GUESTS Donovan Quintero (Diné), freelance reporter with the Navajo Times Nelson Andrews Jr. (Mashpee Wampanoag), former tribal councilman, owner of Red Turtle Consulting LLC and CEO of American Indian Relief Bodie Shaw (Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs), former deputy regional director for the Northwest Region of the Bureau of Indian Affairs and former national wildland fire director for BIA Suzanne Settle, emergency services and resiliency director for the Burns Paiute

The 78-day armed standoff just outside of Montreal in 1990 is credited with clearing a path for reconciliation between Indigenous tribes and the Canadian federal government. The country can count a number of initiatives, government resolutions, and task forces that sprouted from the violence 35 years ago. But many of Indigenous people connected to the direct action say any progress since then is slow and insufficient. We'll recount the conflict sparked by a town's plan to build a golf course and condominiums on sacred Mohawk land and assess the state of awareness for Indigenous issues since then. Also, what is the most effective response when public figures make comments that go well past acceptable boundaries? How are they held accountable? We'll reflect on a social media post by conservative commentator Ann Coulter that prompted rebuke by hundreds of Native American leaders and individuals.

The Muscogee Nation will assume some law enforcement duties in the city of Tulsa, Okla., when it comes to tribal citizens. The development over jurisdiction ends a federal lawsuit filed by the Muscogee Nation in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark McGirt decision in 2020. The Cherokee and Osage Nations also potentially have jurisdiction claims in Tulsa and other cities. Local law enforcement officials and Gov. Kevin Stitt (R-OK) oppose the agreement, saying it creates a two-tiered system of justice. We'll find out what the new agreement solves and what it leaves unanswered. Also, tribes connected to Florida are speaking out against the Trump administration's fast track plans to establish a detention center for immigration actions near the Florida Everglades. Miccosukee and Seminole tribal officials and citizens say the center, dubbed the “Alligator Alcatraz,” infringes on land that is their “cultural, spiritual, and historical identity.”

President Donald Trump's earlier executive orders and the comprehensive spending bill he just signed mark the end of dozens of tribal green energy initiatives. They mark a major shift in direction away from solar, wind, and other renewable energy sources championed during the Biden administration. Those projects aimed at energy sovereignty that can't find new, private-sector funds will halt or scale back their original scope. And, an Alaska tribal village is hoping a transition away from oil-fueled energy will both save money and help the environment.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates the spending bill just signed by President Donald Trump will increase the number of people without health insurance by 16 million over the next ten years. The $1.1 trillion cuts to Medicaid will also affect Native Americans who rely on it to pay for health care through the Indian Health Service and threatens rural hospitals with a high rate of Medicaid-dependent patients. The new spending plan also substantially reduces the number of people who will collect food assistance through the federal government. We'll get insights on what these numbers mean for Native Americans who disproportionately rely on these two federal government programs. We'll also find out about the significance of the new Indigenous head of Mexico's Supreme Court. GUESTS A.C. Locklear (Lumbee), CEO of National Indian Health Board Aaron Payment (Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians), tribal councilman and former chairperson for the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians Kelli Case (Chickasaw), senior staff attorney for the Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative Gaspar Rivera-Salgado (Mixteco), director for the UCLA Center for Mexican Studies

“Fierce Aunties” by author Laurel Goodluck (Mandan, Hidatsa, Tsimshian) is a colorful, enthusiastic celebration of the Indigenous women we need in our lives. Goodluck's children's book explores the many ways women provide support for the young people who look up to them. Another writer, Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve (Sicangu and Ponca), also explores the power of relatives in her young readers chapter book, “The Summer of the Bone Horses.” The book is also an homage to her late brother by telling an interesting piece of his story on the Rosebud Sioux Reservation in the late 1940s. Among the awards won by the long-time children's book author and educator is the National Humanities Medal. Both books are illustrated by the talented artist Steph Littlebird (Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde). We'll hear from all three women about their work.

A documentary filmmaker's chance encounter with the Blackfoot man who became a social media sensation in connection with the phrase “skoden” (“let's go then”), turns into a moving profile of Pernell Bad Arm. We'll hear from Damien Eagle Bear (Blackfoot) about the person behind the meme who was initially mocked, but became a rallying cry for Indigenous people. And we'll also talk with Inuit actress Lucy Tulugarjuk who shares the screen with Tom Cruise in the summer blockbuster “Mission Impossible: Final Reckoning”. It's the latest in a series of notable films for the Inuit actress who is also the executive director of the Nunavut Independent Television Network in Canada and an accomplished throat singer. GUESTS Damien Eagle Bear (Blackfoot), filmmaker and director of “#skoden” Lucy Tulugarjuk (Inuit), actress, throat singer, and executive director of the Nunavut Independent Television network

The U.S. Supreme Court didn't rule on the constitutionality of birthright citizenship, a legal challenge closely watched by Native Americans. But their related decision in that case significantly changes the current practice in how all Americans can keep the federal government, corporations, and others from continuing actions with questionable constitutionality. We'll review what's at stake in the fight over birthright citizenship and how the High Court's ruling preventing further nationwide injunctions will alter how lawyers tackle Native issues from now on. We'll also learn about a legal settlement in Montana that aims to ensure schools adequately teach Native American history.

An illegal voting case in Alaska highlights lingering confusion over the rights extended to the citizens of American Samoa, a U.S. territory. Eleven Samoans from Whittier, Alaska are charged with felonies for alleged voter fraud by participating in their local election. All have U.S. passports, were born on U.S. soil, and can even participate in the presidential primary process. The territory has been under heavy colonial pressure for centuries and has been under U.S. oversight for more than 125 years. But Congress never granted its citizens the right to vote in national elections. In another case, tribes in North Dakota were dealt a serious blow in their ongoing fight against redistricting that reduces their collective power in state elections. This is an encore presentation so we won't be taking calls

The Indian Health Service (IHS) remains largely misunderstood by those not directly connected to it, and often derided as a bureaucratic and confusing system by those who are. IHS marks its 70th anniversary, providing care to all Native citizens. Of course, the agency's history is also documented in the hundreds of treaties over almost 200 years in which the U.S. Government explicitly signed on to its responsibility. We'll trace the history of IHS from the first immunizations to Public Law 638, and chart its future amid a major reassessment of federal government services.

Dune Lankard (Eyak Athabaskan), founder and president of Native Conservancy, has been working on land and habitat conservation since he witnessed the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989. That, and his development of kelp as a sustainable source of food and economic development for Alaska Native residents, places him among the recipients of the inaugural James Beard Impact Award. Tribes on the East Coast are weighing in on a plan to deregulate a genetically modified variety of the American chestnut tree, which was all but wiped out by blight. Some see the engineered variety as the way to bring back what was once an abundant wild food source. Others see the potential effects on the natural ecology as too great a risk. Buffalo are more than food. They are a connection to culture and a symbol of survival. That's why the Tanka Fund convened the Regional Buffalo to Schools Conference with native ranchers, cultural educators, and school administrators to break down hurdles for getting buffalo into school lunches.

The Muscogee Nation will assume some law enforcement duties in the city of Tulsa, Okla., when it comes to tribal citizens. The development over jurisdiction ends a federal lawsuit filed by the Muscogee Nation in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark McGirt decision in 2020. The Cherokee and Osage Nations also potentially have jurisdiction claims in Tulsa and other cities. Local law enforcement officials and Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt oppose the agreement, saying it creates a two-tiered system of justice. We'll find out what the new agreement solves and what it leaves unanswered. Also, tribes connected to Florida are speaking out against the Trump administration's fast track plans to establish a detention center for immigration actions near the Florida Everglades. Miccosukee and Seminole tribal officials and citizens say the center, dubbed the “Alligator Alcatraz,” infringes on land that is their “cultural, spiritual and historical identity.” GUESTS Betty Osceola (Miccosukee), environmental educator State Rep. Scott Fetgatter (Choctaw/R-OK 16) Robert Miller (Eastern Shawnee), law professor at Arizona State University and tribal judge Jason Salsman, press secretary for the Muscogee (Creek) Nation

The violent attacks on legislators in Minnesota are a shocking reminder of the pervasive threats rising from political divisions. The Brennan Center for Justice finds the volume and severity of abuse directed at public officials is increasing, and is disproportionately directed at women and people of color. As officials in Minnesota and the rest of the nation grieve the recent tragedy, we'll look at the potential effect rising threats has on the willingness of Native Americans, and others, to hold public office. We'll also learn more about a theatrical production offered by a church in the Navajo border town Gallup, N.M. that has many Navajo citizens upset over insensitive portrayals of Navajo spiritual culture. GUESTS State Rep. Heather Keeler (Ihaƞktoƞwaƞ and Eastern Shoshone/DFL-MN 04A) Louvannina Tsosie (Navajo), witness, advocate of Navajo culture, and university student Carl Slater (Diné), Navajo Nation council delegate Samuel Strong (Red Lake), tribal secretary for the Red Lake Nation

An illegal voting case in Alaska highlights lingering confusion over the rights extended to the citizens of American Samoa, a U.S. territory. Eleven Samoans from Whittier, Alaska are charged with felonies for alleged voter fraud by participating in their local election. All have U.S. passports, were born on U.S. soil, and can even participate in the presidential primary process. The territory has been under heavy colonial pressure for centuries and has been under U.S. oversight for more than 125 years. But Congress never granted its citizens the right to vote in national elections. In another case, tribes in North Dakota were dealt a serious blow in their ongoing fight against redistricting that reduces their collective power in state elections. GUESTS Charles Ala'ilima (Samoan), attorney Tafilisaunoa Toleafoa (Samoan), executive director of the Pacific Community of Alaska Neil Weare, co-director of Right to Democracy Nicole Donaghy (Hunkpapa Lakota), executive director of North Dakota Native Vote

Minnesota is the first state to sign compacts with tribes for cannabis operations. The White Earth Nation just opened that state's first off-reservation recreational marijuana retail store. A second store is already in the works with the tribe envisioning as many as eight dispensaries statewide. But as some tribes lead the way with economic development potential for cannabis, some other tribes elsewhere are subject to law enforcement actions and regulatory hurdles. We'll hear about both the success stories and dead ends for tribal cannabis operations. GUESTS Mary Jane Oatman (Nez Perce and Delaware), executive director of the Indigenous Cannabis Industry Association and founder of THC Magazine Lester Marston (Cahuilla), attorney and tribal court judge Blake Johnson (Dakota), president of Prairie Island CBH Inc. Zach Wilson, CEO of Waabigwan Mashkiki LLC

Deb Haaland's (Laguna Pueblo) political star rose fast, from heading her state party to congresswoman to U.S. Secretary of the Interior. Each step of the way she blazed a trail for Native women. As the head of the agency that oversees Indian Affairs, Haaland championed a first-of-its-kind documentation of the U.S. Government's role in the Indian Boarding School Era, drawing on both public records and first-hand testimony from survivors and their descendants. Now, she aims to become the first female Native American governor in her home state of New Mexico. We'll hear from Haaland about her legacy as Interior Secretary and her hopes for the future. We'll also get perspectives on the historic agreement between the federal government and Northwest tribes to protect endangered salmon, and the equally historic decision by President Donald Trump to rescind that agreement. We'll discuss what it means for salmon and the trust in the federal government.

The stage drama "Unto These Hills", put on by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, is celebrating 75 years of telling southeast American history from a Native American perspective. It is a major tourism draw every summer to the outdoor Mountainside Theatre on the Qualla Boundary. One enterprising Navajo entrepreneur is helping out southwest tourism destinations, connecting travelers with the places they want to go while tribal businesses can hang on to more of their money. What better time than the Summer Solstice to look around at Native American tourism draws for the season? GUESTS Laura Blythe (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians), program director for the Cherokee Historical Association DeAnnethea Long (Diné and San Carlos Apache), director of operations for Moenkopi Developers Corporation Wyatt Gilmore (Navajo), CEO and owner of Laguna Creek and Native American Tours Robert Hall (Blackfeet), Blackfeet Native American studies instructor at the Browning School on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation

Tulsa, Okla. Mayor Monroe Nichols is championing a $105 million reparations package for the survivors and families of his city's 1921 Race Massacre. It's a philanthropy-driven city and housing rejuvenation project to offset the continuing repercussions from the coordinated attack more than a century ago. At the time, thousands of white residents besieged what was among the most successful and affluent Black communities in the early 20th century. Three hundred Black people died and more than a thousand homes and businesses were destroyed. Years of efforts to compensate descendants for the violence have failed. We'll get perspectives from Freedmen descendants about the importance of this ambitious effort to set things right. Also, we'll learn about a swamp with connections to Indigenous people going back thousands of years. On the homelands of the Nansemond Indian Nation in Virginia, the Great Dismal Swamp was a safe space for tribes. It also became a refuge for Black freedom seekers escaping slavery. Federal officials are exploring it as a new National Heritage Area. GUESTS Hannibal B. Johnson, author, attorney, and consultant Saché Primeaux-Shaw (Ponca, Yankton Dakota, Seminole, and Chickasaw Freedman), historian and genealogist Sam Bass (Nansemond Indian Nation), Chief Emeritus of the Nansemond Indian Nation Alexandra Sutton (African American and Yesàh), co-founder of the Great Dismal Swamp Stakeholder Collaborative and executive director of Indigenous East Eric "Mubita" Sheppard, co-founder of Mubita LLC

A new study finds the death rate for Native Americans — which was already higher than other groups — is much higher than previously thought. The analysis just published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) finds the gap in life expectancy between Native Americans and Alaska Natives and the national average is almost three times wider than what official statistics say it is. The researchers point to the fact that more than 40% of death certificates misidentify Native Americans and Alaska Natives. One of the study's researchers says the discrepancies indicate “statistical erasure” in routine public health data has obscured the severity of a mortality crisis among Native people. We'll get a handle on the new study and what is behind the numbers.

If you're one of the 1.9 million people who still get a paper tax refund check from the federal government, you will need to make a change in the coming months. It's the same for those who still count on Social Security checks in the mail rather than electronic direct deposit. A presidential executive order requires those and other transactions by the federal government to go completely electronic by September 30. The White House claims paperless transactions will save taxpayers as much as $657 million. At the same time, it poses a significant challenge for the high percentage of Native Americans who choose not to utilize conventional banks.

President Donald Trump is expected to reverse President Joe Biden's designation of two national monuments in California supported by area tribes. The Department of Justice issued an opinion that it is in the president's purview to do away with Chuckwalla National Monument and Sáttítla Highlands National Monument. There is additional pressure to at least reduce the side of Bears Ears National Monument and Grand Staircase Escalante as President Trump did during his first term. The changes to national monuments also come as Republicans in Congress propose selling millions of acres of federal land, some of which is important to nearby tribes. We'll get a rundown of the likely land moves and how it affects people. We'll also hear about the final piece in a land transfer to the Yurok Tribe that comprises the largest return of land to a tribe in California history. Nearly all of the Yurok's traditional land — 90% — was taken during the time known as the California Gold Rush.

Two Native nations, the Washoe Tribe of Nebraska and the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes, are suing the federal government over what they say is mismanagement of funds related to Indian Boarding Schools. They claim the U.S. Government is on the hook for $23.3 billion by failing to live up to the Treaty and Trust Responsibility. Meanwhile, boarding school survivor advocates are concerned that years of research and narratives shedding light on the Boarding School Era have vanished from federal government sources. We'll discuss the importance of these recent updates.

The city of Anchorage plans to clear a large encampment of homeless people at a park in mid-June following years of complaints and public safety problems. The park has seen two fatal shootings and a large fire in recent months. The city's move is one of dozens of encampment “abatements” around the country following a U.S. Supreme Court decision that allows such law enforcement actions. Some cities have multi-pronged strategies to help homeless residents further displaced when officials clear encampments. We'll explore where solutions may lie in the balance between compassion and public safety. GUESTS Jim LaBelle (Iñupiaq), member of the Anchorage Native Community Council James Lovell (Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians), chief community development officer for the Chief Seattle Club Rene' Williams (Colville), director of strategic initiatives for the California Native Vote Project Reva Stewart (Diné), owner of Shush Diné Native Shop, founder of Stolen People, Stolen Benefits, and founder of Turtle Island Women Warriors

President Donald Trump's deployment of National Guard troops and U.S. Marines to quell protests in Los Angeles has upped the ante when it comes to the response to direct action. Native Americans turned to civil disobedience during high profile protests at Standing Rock and following George Floyd's death more recently, and during the formation of the American Indian Movement more than a half century ago. Will the equation for direct action include confrontations with the U.S. military from now on? We'll discuss what Native activists see for the future of public protests.

In what is becoming an annual occurrence, numerous fires across at least three Canadian provinces are putting Indigenous nations residents at risk. The 3,000 citizens of the Mathias Colomb Cree Nation are affected by evacuations because of the fires. They are among the estimated 30,000 people forced to flee from some 200 wildfires. Many, like the Sandy Lake First Nation, had to be airlifted to safety. At one point, workers took refuge against the smoke and flames for several hours in a shipping container. Smoke from the fires are also degrading air quality in northern U.S. states. We'll find out what is on the minds of Indigenous people affected by the fires and what long term solutions might be in store.

At least two tribal relocation efforts foreshadow what can go wrong when even small communities are forced to contend with the increasing threats posed by climate change. A report by the Washington Post, ProPublica, and Bethel radio station KYUK documents the ongoing difficulties which the residents of Newtok, Alaska confront after moving their village to escape the effects of the rising sea and thawing permafrost. We'll hear about that report and the worries about future efforts to react to changing landscapes.

An exhibit at the Museum of Natural and Cultural History in Eugene, Oreg. assembles works by Native LGBTQ2 artists that express this moment in time. It is among the hundreds of events, including parades and panel discussions, to mark Pride Month. This year's push for awareness will have to go on without acknowledgement by the federal government, which is foregoing any mention of Pride. And the annual report by the advocacy group, GLAAD, notes that while violent incidents against gay and lesbian people are down as a whole in the past year, attacks against trans citizens has significantly increased. We'll check on the status of Native Pride. Plus, we'll get career highlights of the late actor Jonathan Joss (Comanche and White Mountain Apache) who died this week.

Today marks the 30th anniversary of Native America Calling's first national radio broadcast. Started in the studios in Albuquerque public radio station, KUNM, NAC has been the daily voice for Native issues, politics, entertainment, and arts ever since. Tribal leaders, activists, educators, bureaucrats, aunties, presidents, and everyday people have all made their way onto the airwaves on NAC, all with one common thread: to talk about the things that are important to Native Americans from a Native point of view. We'll mark the occasion by hearing from some of the voices associated with Native America Calling over the years.

The increase in highly publicized deportations is unnerving both undocumented and documented migrants in the United States. Indigenous people from other countries, some who have visas or are awaiting decisions from immigration proceedings, are among those caught up in the Trump administration's focus on mass deportations. Many of those who remain say they live in fear of being apprehended by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The New York Times reports immigration actions appear to have ramped up in May. The top deportation destination are Guatemala and Honduras, places where Indigenous people are fleeing violence and poverty. We'll talk with people working with migrants about what is happening on the ground and what is different than actions in the past.

Three Alaska Native tribes filed a lawsuit to stop a controversial gold mining operation east of Nome. The tribes say a permit just granted by the U.S. Corps of Engineers will allow the destruction of salmon habitat and other important environmental elements in a pristine estuary. The mining process involves extracting ore from material dredged from river and ocean beds. On the other side of the state, residents of Wrangell are concerned about a gold mine just over the border in Canada. A new report finds heavy metals in groundwater on the Alaska side.