Native America Calling

A site of tragedy for the Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation has become a place of renewal and promise. The tribe has worked for the past seven years to revitalize the land of the 1863 Bear River Massacre. By eradicating invasive species, reviving native plants, and returning water canals to their natural paths, the tribe is significantly boosting both water quality and flow of the river. It is one of the biggest sources of water for the Great Salt Lake, and officials say the tribe’s efforts could be part of a solution to preventing the iconic body of water from disappearing amid an increasingly dry climate. And in Montana, The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes continue work as part of a historic compact to revitalize the Jocko River. We'll discuss how Indigenous knowledge is providing promise against a troubling trend. GUESTS Brad Parry (Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation), vice chairman of the Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation Seth Makepeace, hydrologist for the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Donella Miller (Yakama), fish science manager for the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission Hannah Freeze, Great Salt Lake deputy commissioner Break 1 Music: Prayer Song (song) Salish Spirit Canoe Family (artist) Keep Singing, Keep Dancing (album) Break 2 Music: Beauty Way (song) Summit Dub Squad (artist) The Beauty Way (album)

As the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers releases its 20-year dredging plan for the Columbia River, tribes say they want more of a say in how the operation affects their fishing and cultural priorities. The Corps acknowledges that its ongoing work to maintain the 43-foot deep channel is detrimental to salmon and other species. The Trump administration, which cancelled a historic river co-management agreement with tribes, now wants to facilitate larger, more powerful shipping barges on the river that already transports more than 26 million tons of grain a year. But the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, the Cowlitz Tribe, and others say the waterway is more than just a highway for agricultural exports. They want their voices reflected in future river dredging decisions. GUESTS Roger Amerman (Choctaw), geologist and ethnogeologist Virgil Lewis (Yakama), fish commissioner for Yakama Nation with the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission Erik Holt (Nez Perce), chairman of the Nez Perce Tribe Fish and Wildlife Commission Break 1 Music: To Keep the World We Know (song) Bruce Cockburn (artist) O Sun O Moon (album) Break 2 Music: Beauty Way (song) Summit Dub Squad (artist) The Beauty Way (album)

A racial discrimination lawsuit by a non-Native resident of Hawaii threatens to dismantle a Native Hawaiian land benefit established by Congress more than a century ago. The suit challenges the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act of 1921, a federal law reserving more than 200,000 acres of land in a public trust for Hawaii’s Native population. Residents need to prove they have a 50% blood quantum to qualify for 99-year lease. The plaintiff argues he was denied a lease based on an unconstitutional racial preference. It is one in a series of challenges for similar benefits including school admissions and a health studies scholarship, all giving preference for Native Hawaiians, who do not share the same political protections as Native Americans. We'll discuss how the lawsuits brings issues of equity, blood quantum, and historic land dispossession to the forefront. GUESTS Robin Danner (Native Hawaiian), senior advisor to the Sovereign Council of Hawaiian Homestead Association Elizabeth Ho’oipo Pa Nakea (Native Hawaiian), attorney, founding president of Hui Na’auao, and executive director of the Native Hawaiian Advisory Council Patrick Kahawaiolaa (Native Hawaiian), homesteader and elder Derek Kauanoe (Native Hawaiian), assistant professor of law at the William S. Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Break 1 Music: Ke Aloha I Ka Pu'uwai / He ‘Ili ‘Ula Au a He Hawai'I (song) Mark Keali'i Ho'omalu (artist) Call It What You Like (album) Break 2 Music: Beauty Way (song) Summit Dub Squad (artist) The Beauty Way (album)

Overall support for many key LGBTQ+ issues remains overwhelmingly high among Americans, but a new survey shows that support declining for the first time in years. Gallup's annual Values and Beliefs survey shows 69% of those surveyed favor same-sex marriage, for instance. But that is down from 71% two years ago. The new direction comes as more anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and legislation are surfacing. A handful of cities and states are opting to show support for traditional families rather than back Pride events. At the same time, annual parades, events and public discussions show no signs of slowing down. We'll get a view of what Pride means in 2026. GUESTS Dr. charlie amáyá scott (Diné), independent scholar, public speaker, and content creator Steven Barrios (Blackfeet), co-founder of the Montana Two Spirit Society; knowledge and wisdom keeper David Herrera (Mestizo), co-founder of the Montana Two Spirit Society Myk Mendez (Shoshone-Bannock), cultural activist and organizer, owner of Marvelous Beads, and a published comic book author Lenny Hayes (Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate), owner and executive director of Tate Topa Consulting, LLC Break 1 Music: Common Feelings (song) Darksiderz (artist) Ancestors EP (album) Break 2 Music: Beauty Way (song) Summit Dub Squad (artist) The Beauty Way (album)

A major housing and retail development proposal in Virginia threatens to pave over the birthplace of one of America's most influential historical leader. Paramount Chief Powhatan is the notable late-1500s leader who united local tribes into what became known as the Powhatan Confederacy to face the first waves of English settlers. He was the being father of Matoaka, also known as Pocahontas. The nonprofit organization Preservation Virginia placed the site on its 2026 list of most endangered places. Tribal leaders are actively working to halt the development project, saying it would be “an immeasurable loss to tribal communities and the Commonwealth of Virginia.” We’ll hear from tribal leaders about Powhatan’s birthplace and his enduring legacy. GUESTS Chief Kevin Brown (Pamunkey) Chief Frank Adams (Upper Mattaponi) Break 1 Music: A Beautiful Darkness [Feat. Nadjiwen] (song) Sultans of String (artist) Break 2 Music: Trick Song (song) Battle River (artist) Hard Times (album)

As the nation commemorates the 100th anniversary of historic Route 66, some historians, scholars, and curators are offering a different perspective of the famed Mother Road. An exhibition just opened at the First Americans Museum in Oklahoma City, Okla. that gives the public a view of the people, culture, and influence arising from the tribal land the road cuts through. A Diné culture educator is giving live presentations of research into the detrimental effects on Native people that the highway brought with it. And the American Indigenous Tourism Association's Route 66 campaign encourages visitors to look beyond the neon and 1950s pop culture that is synonymous with Route 66, and take time to learn about the ways it transformed Native Americans connection to the rest of the country for the first time. GUESTS Shawn Price (Diné), historian and director of the Dinétah Navajo Cultural Program Gail Chehak (Klamath Tribe), community and partner relations director for the American Indigenous Tourism Association Adrienne Lalli Hills (Wyandotte Nation), learning and community engagement director for the First Americans Museum Danyelle Means (Oglala Lakota), executive director of the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture Break 1 Music: Brown Eyed Handsome Man (song) The Wingate Valley Boys (artist) Navajoland U.S.A. Country Happening (album) Break 2 Music: Trick Song (song) Battle River (artist) Hard Times (album)

A rule change in South Dakota opened a door that allowed a sizable increase in the number of eligible foster parents. It is a boon for places like the Oglala Sioux Reservation that declared an emergency in foster child placement as recently as three years ago. The Minnesota Supreme Court turned back another challenge to the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) as the legal justifications for such claims dwindle. And we’ll learn about a Pascua Yaqui tribal secretary who has opened her home to more than two dozen foster children over the years. GUESTS Nancy Marie Spears (Cherokee), Indigenous Children and Families reporter for The Imprint Susan Schrader (Oglala Lakota), director of the Child Protection Services and ICWA program for the Oglala Sioux Tribe, kinship caregiver, and an elder Toni Giago (Oglala Lakota), family developer for Oglala Sioux Tribe Child Protection Services Anna Evans (Chickasaw and Cherokee), mother Break 1 Music: Children's Honoring Song (song) Red Hawk Medicine Drum (artist) New Beginnings (album) Break 2 Music: Trick Song (song) Battle River (artist) Hard Times (album)

Before a joint legal project between the Native American Rights Fund and the National Congress of American Indians started 25 years ago, tribes were losing 80% of their cases at the U.S. Supreme Court. Now, they are winning 70% of those cases. That's from an analysis just put out by the Tribal Supreme Court Project in conjunction with its 25th anniversary. We'll look at some of those wins and losses and what they add up to a quarter century later. We'll also get updates on two important lawsuits in Oklahoma: a class action lawsuit claims the federal government owes as many as 10,000 Native land owners compensation for oil and gas development — and the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled against a novel jurisdiction agreement between the Muscogee Nation and the city of Tulsa, Okla. GUESTS Hazel James (Chickasaw), plaintiff in Tyson v. United States Peggy Immohotichey (Chickasaw), plaintiff in Tyson v. United States Melody McCoy (Cherokee), senior staff attorney for the Native American Rights Fund Jason Salsman (Muscogee), press secretary for the Muscogee Nation Jeffrey Nelson, partner of mctlaw, manager of the Indian Law Practice Group Break 1 Music: Hatchet (song) Blaine Bailey (artist) Indian Country (album) Break 2 Music: Trick Song (song) Battle River (artist) Hard Times (album)

The State of Alaska is moving forward with a program to kill brown bears across a 40,000-square-mile swath of land in southwest Alaska. The plan to shoot bears from helicopters aims to improve declining numbers of the Mulchatna Caribou Herd. Several local tribes and the Alaska Federation of Natives support the plan. Caribou are a subsistence food source. The herd peaked at over 200,000 in the 1990s, but plummeted to 12,000 by 2022. Conservationists oppose the bear control measures, arguing it lacks scientific evidence that it achieves what officials say it goes. We’ll explore the complexities of predator management in Alaska. GUESTS Janet Bavilla (Yup'ik), subsistence hunter and Platinum Traditional Village council member Doug Vincent-Lang, commissioner of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game Break 1 Music: Bear Beats (song) Cheevers Toppah (artist) True Melodies (album) Break 2 Music: Trick Song (song) Battle River (artist) Hard Times (album)

Taos and Skwah First Nation chef and entrepreneur Caprio “CJ” Bernal opened an expansion of their original coffee bar on Taos Pueblo. Dawn Butterfly Café is the new full-service cafe that grew from their starting concept in 2022. The name and energy that drives the project honors Bernal's late sister. Camas, a wild purple flower with an onion-like bulb, has been an important plant for Native people, mainly in the northwest. This is the time of year for harvesting and cooking them. Some culture keepers are reconnecting with traditional teachings and recipes handed down across generations, but environmental and land use changes are setting up more access barriers. The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde is one tribe working to protect this significant plant through a series of projects. The Cultivating Culture reporting team created imagined an Indigenous version of the USDA's food pyramid with plants and subsistence animals important to Native diets. It serves as a hub for an Indigenous food reporting project on how food and language fuels tribal sovereignty. The Menu is a regular feature on Indigenous food news and stories hosted by producer Andi Murphy. GUESTS Carpio “CJ” Bernal (Taos Pueblo and Skwah First Nation), owner and chef of Dawn Butterfly Café Jordan Mercier (Grand Ronde), cultural education coordinator at the Chachalu Museum and Cultural Center Shaun Griswold (Laguna, Jemez, and Zuni Pueblo), correspondent at High Country News and Native News Online Break 1 Music: Horseback Riding Song (song) The Tewa Indian Women's Choir (artist) The Tewa Indian Women's Social Choir: Fun and Social Songs From San Juan Pueblo (album) Break 2 Music: Cauyaqa Nauwa [Where's My Drum] (song) Pamyua (artist) Drums Of The North: Traditional Yup'ik Songs (album)

Iñupiaq poet Joan Kane explores themes of home and colonial dispossession in her new poetry collection, “with snow pouring southward past the window“. Kane's poems center on Iñupiaq worldviews and language, featuring masterful experimentation with form and imagery. Her critically acclaimed work has led to faculty appointments at Harvard University, Tufts University, and Reed College. She also recently edited “Circumpolar Connections: Creative Indigenous Geographies of the Arctic”, an anthology of Indigenous writings about the region. Ho-Chunk elder Sherman Funmaker just released his debut collection of poems and essays in “Bear Tracks“. He navigates the culture, family, loss, and racism he experienced growing up in Wisconsin. He writes with both emotional depth and humor about such life-changing decisions as dropping out of high school to be a rock-and-roll drummer and finding success as a writer later in life. Break 1 Music: The Wild One (song) Link Wray (artist) Break 2 Music: Cauyaqa Nauwa [Where's My Drum] (song) Pamyua (artist) Drums Of The North: Traditional Yup'ik Songs (album)

The Trump administration is moving to undo a 20-year ban on oil and gas drilling near Chaco Canyon, a place of major cultural significance to pueblos in the Southwest. The threat of new oil leases on nearly 340,000 acres of public land surrounding Chaco Canyon has put the site on the National Trust for Historic Preservation's list of America's Most Endangered Spaces. It is the second time on the same list for the land that is already a protected National Historic Park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The moratorium was instituted in 2023 by then-Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, who is a Laguna Pueblo citizen. We'll hear about the options ahead for the land and the cultural significance it holds. GUESTS Charles Riley, governor of Acoma Pueblo Brian Vallo (Acoma Pueblo), chairman of the Chaco Heritage Tribal Association and former governor of Acoma Pueblo Mario Atencio (Diné), Navajo allotment stakeholder Break 1 Music: Anasazi Sun (song) Injunuity (artist) Fight For Survival (album) Break 2 Music: Cauyaqa Nauwa [Where's My Drum] (song) Pamyua (artist) Drums Of The North: Traditional Yup'ik Songs (album)

Construction crews working on the wall on the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona significantly damaged a 1,000-year-old geoglyph located in Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge. It’s one of a number of places tribes on both sides of the border say are damaged or are threatened by the fast-tracked construction process. Tribal leaders say such desecration is happening at a record pace after the Trump administration sidelined cultural and environmental barriers to construction. We'll hear from cultural historians and policy experts about that is being lost and what can be done about it. GUESTS Emily Burgueno (Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel), chairwoman of the Kumeyaay Diegueño Land Conservancy David Martinez (Akimel O’odham, Hia-Ced O’odham and Mexican), professor of American Indian Studies and Transborder Studies and director and founder of the Institute for Transborder Indigenous Nations at Arizona State University Christina Leza (Yoeme and Chicana), professor of anthropology at Colorado College Felicity Amaya Schaeffer, professor of feminist studies, critical race and ethnic Studies at the University of California Santa Cruz Break 1 Music: Connections (song) R. Carlos Nakai (artist) Reconnections (album) Break 2 Music: Cauyaqa Nauwa [Where's My Drum] (song) Pamyua (artist) Drums Of The North: Traditional Yup'ik Songs (album)

Chelsey Luger (Anishinaabe/Lakota) and Thosh Collins (Onk Akimel O’Odham/Osage/Seneca) believe the best approaches to wellness are rooted in Indigenous knowledge. They draw from traditional teachings to find the most effective ways to improve one’s spiritual, physical, and emotional wellbeing. With their large social media presence, they educate others about healthy, traditional approaches to physical movement, sleep, masculinity, and parenthood. They are the authors of “The Seven Circles: Indigenous Teachings for Living Well” and are slated to publish a few more books on wellness. The married couple join us for a discussion about living a full and grounded life. Break 1 Music: This Love (song) Edzi'u (artist) Tunnel Vision (album) Break 2 Music: Traditional Side Step Song (song) Little Otter (artist) Side Step Songs (album)

The U.S. government and private mining corporations are ignoring the rights of tribes to free, prior, and informed consent when it comes to lithium mining in Nevada, according to a new report by Amnesty International. The report comes amid the Trump administration’s fast tracking of metals and minerals extraction. With more than 20,000 active mining claims across the state, tribes are having to weigh how every new proposal would impact their communities. The Fourth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals agreed with the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska that the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) applies to remains buried at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School, which is under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Army. The decision gets the tribe one step closer to repatriating two children from the oldest Indian boarding school, and could establish legal precedent for federal agencies to comply with NAGPRA in the future. GUESTS Chairman Coly Brown (Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska) Beth Margaret Wright (Laguna Pueblo), senior staff attorney with the Native American Rights Fund Fermina Stevens (Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone), executive director of the Western Shoshone Defense Project Clifford Banuelos (Te-Moak Tribe of the Western Shoshone), tribal-state environmental liaison for the Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada Break 1 Music: Chant Ancestral (song) Geneviève Gros-Louis (artist) Break 2 Music: Traditional Side Step Song (song) Little Otter (artist) Side Step Songs (album)

Former U.S. Poet Laureate and musician Joy Harjo (Mvskoke) immerses listeners in a diverse array of jazz styles and deeply emotional poetry on her new album, “Insomnia and Seven Steps to Grace”. Co-produced by Grammy-winning artist Esperanza Spalding, the album features originals and covers, including a re-interpretation of Charles Mingus’s “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat”. Harjo also transforms her 2015 poem, “I Pray for My Enemies”, into a feverish, free-form composition, while “Rabbit Is Up to Tricks” draws on the power of traditional oral storytelling and “Stomp All Night” delivers a fun, funk-filled jam. Acclaimed jazz vocalist Julia Keefe (Nez Perce) and the 16-piece ensemble of talented Native musicians known as the Indigenous Big Band make their album debut with “Incarnadine”. The album honors Native jazz pioneers like Mildred Bailey (Coeur d’Alene) and Jim Pepper (Kaw/Muscogee), as well as featuring innovative originals like “Wawasint8Da” and “Ddat Suite, MVT. 3 Iron Horse Gallup”. The ensemble continues to earn critical praise especially for their live performances, highlighted by their 2024 spring residency at the Kennedy Center. We’ll speak with both Joy Harjo and Julia Keefe about their new albums in this episode of Native Playlist, our regular feature on Indigenous music. Break 1 Music: Instinct (song) Joy Harjo (artist) Insomnia and Seven Steps to Grace (album) Break 2 Music: Traditional Side Step Song (song) Little Otter (artist) Side Step Songs (album)

Diné author Brian Lee Young puts much of his own experience in his first young adult novel, “Shards of Silence”. Protagonist Derrick Hoskie struggles with a grueling class schedule, homesickness, and the frustration over his classmates' ignorance at a prestigious prep school. At the same time, he is researching the life of his ailing great-grandmother. It's a story about coming of age, identity, and healing. Native Hawaiian writer Keala Kendall offers a different view of what many vacationing outsiders consider paradise in the supernatural thriller, “That Which Feeds Us”. Lehua follows the trail of her missing twin sister to the secluded Kōpa'a Island Resort in Hawaii. She recalls the stories her grandparents told of their homeland, which is now a commodity to wealthy resort patrons. A series of terrifying visions teach Lehua an all-too-real lesson about the land's brutal past. We add both books to our Native Bookshelf. Break 1 Music: Wahine U`i [Beautiful One] (song) Linda Dela Cruz (artist) Linda Dela Cruz Hawaii's Canary (album) Break 2 Music: Traditional Side Step Song (song) Little Otter (artist) Side Step Songs (album)

The U.S. Department of Interior just canceled grazing leases for hundreds of bison on federal land in Montana. The action halts the progress of a well-funded private group, American Prairie, that has been buying up land and acquiring leases in an ambitious conservation plan. The group often provides bison to tribes that work to revive bison herds. The canceled leases also indicate a change in federal policy away from accommodating bison in favor of domesticated cattle to make federal lands more agriculturally productive. Many tribes say such actions jeopardize efforts to restore the animal that is intrinsically associated with Native Americans from the Great Plains. GUESTS OJ Semans Sr. (Rosebud Sioux), executive director of the Coalition of Large Tribes Heather Dawn Thompson (Cheyenne River Sioux), vice president of Native Nations Conservation and Food Sovereignty at the World Wildlife Fund Dallas Gudgell (Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes), vice president of the Buffalo Field Campaign Keegan King (Acoma Pueblo), founder and CEO of the Native Land Institute Scott Heidebrink, director of landscape stewardship at American Prairie Break 1 Music: Buffalo (song) Algin Scabby Robe (artist) Along The Way: Round Dance Songs (album) Break 2 Music: Traditional Side Step Song (song) Little Otter (artist) Side Step Songs (album)

Raquel Montoya-Lewis (Isleta and Laguna Pueblos) built an impressive legal career that includes a foundation at tribal court systems in the Pacific Northwest. That career led her to become the first Native American to serve on the Washington State Supreme Court. She is only the second Native jurist in the country to hold a supreme court seat. That position is also a platform to educate others about her unique family lineage, offering a personal account of the history and policies that make up Native Americans' shared experience. Break 1 Music: Chant (song) Robert Mirabal + Ethel (artist) The River (album) Break 2 Music: Fearless I Live (song) Courtney Yellow Fat (artist) The Lost Songs of Sitting Bull (album)

The U.S. Supreme Court has, in the words of the Native American Rights Fund, diluted Native Americans' “ability to secure good schools, adequate infrastructure, health care access, environmental protections, and economic opportunity.” Louisiana is moving fast to redraw voting districts to further minimize the political power of Native Americans and other minorities. Other states are preparing similar changes. The High Court's recent invalidation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act follows the 2013 decision striking down the Act's Section 5. That eliminates the most powerful tools Native voters had in challenging the long history of demonstrated efforts to exclude Native voices from political dialogue. We'll examine the looming implications of the Court's decisions and examine the strategies Native voting advocates have going forward. We'll also discuss some important indicators for Native candidates in pivotal races, including the potential for history to be made in the upcoming Midterm Elections. GUESTS Patty Ferguson-Bohnee (Pointe-au-Chien), professor of law at Arizona State University and Native Vote Election Protection coordinator for the State of Arizona Torey Dolan (Choctaw), assistant professor of law at the University of Wisconsin Law School Samantha Blencke, senior staff attorney with the Native American Rights Fund Mark Trahant (Shoshone-Bannock), journalist and former editor of ICT Marjorie Childress, managing editor of New Mexico In Depth Break 1 Music: Fool's Paradise (song) Samantha Crain (artist) Gumshoe (album) Break 2 Music: Fearless I Live (song) Courtney Yellow Fat (artist) The Lost Songs of Sitting Bull (album)

New infections aboard a cruise ship have thrust the hantavirus into the global spotlight. Hantavirus infections remain rare, with only about 1,000 cases reported in the U.S. in more than 30 years. What the world knows about the illness started in 1993 on the Navajo Nation. After struggling to identify the dangerous respiratory illness, medical researchers gained crucial insights from Navajo elders, noting that traditional oral histories had long associated spikes in deer mouse populations — driven by specific rainfall patterns — with deadly disease. That knowledge directly informed the scientific discovery of what we know now as the Sin Nombre virus. The discovery also offers a lesson in public notification of diseases. Early media reports labelled the pathogen as the “Navajo flu”, which stigmatized the community for years afterward. We'll look at the history of the hantavirus and the current efforts to prevent its spread. GUESTS Dean Seneca (Seneca), CEO of Seneca Scientific Solutions+, adjunct professor at the School of Public Health and Health Professions at the University at Buffalo, and Adjunct Instructor at University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry Dr. Steven Bradfute, associate professor in the Center for Global Health at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine Department of Internal Medicine Dr. Erin Phipps, New Mexico State public health veterinarian  Dr. Victoria Sutton (Lumbee), distinguished Horn Professor at Texas Tech University School of Law Dr. Jonathan Iralu, Indian Health Service infectious diseases physician Break 1 Music: Healing Song (song) Judy Trejo (artist) Circle Dance Songs of the Paiute and Shoshone (album) Break 2 Music: Fearless I Live (song) Courtney Yellow Fat (artist) The Lost Songs of Sitting Bull (album)

The cost of fuel is a major expenditure for farmers, commercial fishermen, long-haul truckers, and dozens of other businesses. The persistently high cost of gas since February's start of the Iran War is eroding the profit margin for those businesses. They ultimately either absorb those costs, pass them on to customers, or shut down. For individuals, the price of oil is showing up in everything from people's vacation plans to how much they heat their homes at night. We'll hear about where the cost of petroleum shows up beyond just the gas pump and how Native businesses and individuals are coping. GUESTS Boyd Gourneau (Lower Brule Sioux), chairman of the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe Bill McCabe (Diné), principal of McCabe and Associates Jason Pitre (Houma), owner of Bayou Rosa Oysters Kiera McCabe (Diné), founder of Skoden Farm Lionel Bigthumb (Diné), co-owner and CEO of Blackstreak Holdings Break 1 Music: Mr. Businessman's Blues (song) DM Lafortune (artist) Beauty and Hard Times (album) Break 2 Music: Fearless I Live (song) Courtney Yellow Fat (artist) The Lost Songs of Sitting Bull (album)

A dedicated effort to learn more about Native elders living in urban areas reveals they suffer a high rate of chronic illnesses and have limited social interactions. Those conclusions come from the most recent Native Urban Elder Needs Assessment Survey that aims to fill a void of information about the needs of Native American elders — the vast majority of whom live in cities. The survey is among the efforts to better understand and provide effective services for Native elders. The effort is all the more pressing as federal cuts to Medicaid and Medicare approach, costs for medical care rise, and pressure increases to cut support for the Indian Health Service. GUESTS Dr. Collette Adamson (Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians), director of the National Resource Center on Native American Aging and research assistant professor at the School of Medicine and Health Sciences University of North Dakota Michael Bird (Kewa Pueblo and Ohkay Owingeh), past president of the American Public Health Association and past national consultant for AARP Dr. Emily Haozous (Fort Sill Chiricahua-Warm Springs Apache Tribe), research scientist for the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation Break 1 Music: Grandmother's Song (song) Fawn Wood (artist) Iskwewak (album) Break 2 Music: Fearless I Live (song) Courtney Yellow Fat (artist) The Lost Songs of Sitting Bull (album)

A former DJ who once struggled as a student, Cailean Dakota MacColl built her way to medical school from the ground up. She's now graduating from the University of Minnesota Medical School. Jerrick Hope-Lang took on preserving a Tlingit clan house in Sitka, Alaska that was named on the America's most endangered historic places. Now he's a Henry Luce Foundation Indigenous knowledge fellow and a graduate of the Institute of American Indian Arts. Lawren “Lulu” Goodfox is a budding actor balancing film and stage roles with especially busy extra-curricular activities like tennis, student council, honors society, and preparation for traditional dances. She is now graduating from Stillwater High School in Oklahoma and setting off to study drama at New York University’s Tisch School of Arts. We’ll talk to each of them about what’s ahead for the class of 2026. GUESTS Dr. Cailean Dakota MacColl (Lac La Ronge Indian Band), University of Minnesota Doctor of Medicine graduate Jerrick Hope-Lang ( Tlingit and Tsimshian), director of Point House Revitalization and a 2026 Luce Knowledge Fellow Lawren “Lulu” Goodfox (Osage and Pawnee), 2026 graduate of Stillwater High School Brandin Naabaahi Upshaw (Diné), 2026 graduate of Navajo Preparatory School Break 1 Music: Wahzhazhe (song) Scott George (artist) Killers of the Flower Moon Soundtrack (album) Break 2 Music: Bad Dude (song) Joe H Henry (artist) Real Things (album)

The Native fashion show was always among the most popular offerings at the annual Santa Fe Indian Market put on by the Southwest Association for Indian Arts. Now SWAIA's Native Fashion Week returns for the third year as a standalone celebration of wearable Native creativity. Designers include Jamie Okuma and Lauren Good Day, who are making strides in the mainstream fashion arenas. This year, organizers aim for a scaled-back, intimate event that includes a curated fashion show, Indigenous food, vendors, and public discussions. We'll get a preview of the upcoming Native Fashion Week in Santa Fe, N.M. We'll also talk with Ruth-Ann Thorn (Rincon Band of Luiseño Indians), founder of the brand N8iV Beauty, that was just named one of the TIME100 Most Influential Companies of 2026. GUESTS Jamie Schulze (Northern Cheyenne and Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate), executive director of the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts (SWAIA) Jamie Okuma (Shoshone-Bannock, La Jolla Band of Luiseño Indians, Wailaki, and Okinawan), artist and fashion designer Lauren Good Day (Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara), traditional arts designer Ruth-Ann Thorn (Rincon Band of Luiseño Indians), founder of N8iV Beauty Break 1 Music: Hoka Hey (feat. Jayden Paz & Dancin Dave) [Radio Version] (song) DJ krayzkree (artist) Future Generations (album) Break 2 Music: Bad Dude (song) Joe H Henry (artist) Real Things (album)

Tribes in Wisconsin are celebrating that state’s new law that gives them exclusive control over sports betting in the state, but a similar attempt to secure tribal control of sports betting fell flat in Oklahoma. Both actions come as prediction market companies like Kalshi and Polymarket are raking in hundreds of millions of dollars offering wagers on nearly everything including sports. One attorney says prediction market companies pose an existential threat to Native American gaming. We’ll speak with tribal leaders and Native academics about the legal and political fight over ground in the multi-billion dollar sports betting market. Also, President Donald Trump's move to reclassify marijuana to a less restrictive status is a win for the Omaha Tribe. The tribe is working to open a medical marijuana operation after tribal council voted in 2025 to legalize medical marijuana on tribal lands, but the effort continues to face roadblocks, including the Nebraska governor, who has opposed legalization. GUESTS Tehassi Hill (Oneida), chairman of the Oneida Nation and vice chairman of the Indian Gaming Association Jeff Crawford (Forest County Potawatomi), attorney general for Forest County Potawatomi Community Patrice Kunesh (Standing Rock Sioux descent), professor of law at the University of New Mexico and fellow at The Brookings Institution Gary Pitchlynn (Choctaw), professor of law at the University of Oklahoma Amanda Hallowell (Omaha), cannabis commission chairwoman for the Omaha Tribe John Cartier, attorney general for the Omaha Tribe Break 1 Music: Porcupine Singers' Song (song) Porcupine Singers (artist) Alowanpi – Songs Of Honoring – Lakota Classics: Past & Present, Vol. 1 (album) Break 2 Music: Bad Dude (song) Joe H Henry (artist) Real Things (album)

MMIP advocates fault police in Anchorage for not acting fast enough when young Alaska Native woman went missing in January. Kelly Hunt's body was discovered in April. Her death is now under investigation. It's the latest case revealing the persistent lack of trust Native communities have when it comes to MMIP cases. Hunt's case comes as the Trump administration is touting a surge in federal agents in selected locations to address the backlog in unsolved serious crimes, but tribal leaders and advocates say there's no real progress on the lingering disconnect between Native people and law enforcement officials on all levels. And despite some recent progress, there are serious hurdles when it comes to jurisdictional confusion and information sharing across agencies. GUESTS Regina Antone (Gila River Indian Community), lieutenant governor of the Gila River Indian Community Stephen Roe Lewis, governor of the Gila River Indian Community Alexis Savage (Iñupiaq), MMIP advocate LaRenda Morgan (Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma), Cheyenne and Arapaho MMIP chapter chairwoman and the governmental affairs officer for the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma Break 1 Music: Nakoda Healing Song (song) YB Nakota (artist) Break 2 Music: Bad Dude (song) Joe H Henry (artist) Real Things (album)

First Nations, Inuit, and Métis leaders across Canada are calling for an investigation into the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). That's following a report by CBC Indigenous that uncovered evidence of a secret surveillance program targeting Indigenous organizations and individuals using wiretaps, informants, and counter subversion tactics from the late 1960s to the early 1980s. The report confirms what many Indigenous communities long suspected. We’ll also reflect on 150 years of the Indian Act, the Canadian federal statute that defines First Nations membership or “Indian Status”. A new bill in Canada’s parliament could significantly expand status eligibility for thousands of individuals and their descendants. GUESTS Russ Diabo (Kahnawake Mohawk), First Nations policy analyst Daniel Sims (Tsay Keh Dene First Nation), associate professor of First Nations Studies at the University of Northern British Columbia Break 1 Music: Stomp Dance (song) George Hunter (artist) Haven (album) Break 2 Music: Bad Dude (song) Joe H Henry (artist) Real Things (album)

Following the Trump administration's lead, state elected leaders and private advocacy groups are taking on programs, scholarships, and admissions practices aimed at improving Native student achievement. An advocacy organization filed a lawsuit challenging a scholarship program that has helped support hundreds of Native Hawaiian medical students for more than three decades. The suit claims the program is unconstitutional. Another group is going after admissions policies at the K-12 Kamehameha Schools that aim to boost Native Hawaiian enrollment. Both challenges have far-reaching implications. We'll also hear about a report that finds Minnesota schools are falling far short of the goals enshrined in state law to teach Native languages and culture. GUESTS Healani Sonoda-Pale (Kanaka Maoli), educator and community organizer Gimiwan Dustin Burnette (Ojibwe), executive director of the Midwest Indigenous Immersion Network Jon Osorio (Kanaka Maoli), dean of the Hawaiʻinuiākea School of Hawaiian Knowledge Regis Pecos (Cochiti Pueblo), co-director of the Leadership Institute at the Santa Fe Indian School, chair of the Tribal Education Alliance, and former governor of Cochiti Pueblo

Right now, crude oil flows unimpeded through the Dakota Access Pipeline under the dammed Missouri River in North Dakota. Construction of the pipeline that traverses Lake Oahe near the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation was a defeat for protestors who became known as “water protectors”. But the resistance against that pipeline that started ten years ago was a galvanizing moment for sovereignty and public awareness for Native Americans. It grew into a movement that eventually included thousands of Indigenous activists, tribal leaders, celebrities, and supporters from around the world. ICT News is among the outlets marking the 10-year anniversary of the #NoDAPL movement with a series of articles reflecting on the stand-off and assessing the lasting implications. We’ll hear about that and check in with people who were there. GUESTS Amelia Schafer (Brothertown Indian Nation descendant), north central bureau correspondent for ICT Jon Eagle Sr. (Hunkpapa Lakota and Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate), former tribal historic preservation officer for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe Break 1 Music: Standing Rock [feat. Nick Ørbæk Jacobsen] (song) Uyarakq (artist) Miseraq (album) Break 2 Music: Heartbreaker (song) Sage Lacapa (artist) Heartbreaker (single)

An intensive traditional foods program aimed at curbing diabetes is credited with major weight loss and health benefits for some of its participants. Native Food for Life is a collaboration between tribal health officials and the Physicians Committee on Responsible Medicine. Native America Calling had an inadvertent role in the program's inception on the Navajo Nation almost two decades ago. It has since expanded beyond the Southwest. Did pemmican bread pudding sway the judges who awarded Diné chef Justin Pioche champion of the “Indigenous Inspiration” episode of the Food Network's “Chopped” cooking competition? Pioche is busy back to work at his Fruitland, N.M.-based Pioche Food Group business, but is taking time out to reach out to his fans, both new and old, after his high-profile success. GUESTS Justin Pioche (Diné), chef and owner of Pioche Food Group and James Beard Award Best Chef finalist Jenson Yazzie (Diné), photographer Dr. Josie Howard (Cherokee), psychiatrist Dr. Neal Barnard, adjunct professor of medicine at the George Washington University School of Medicine in Washington, D.C. and president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine Break 1 Music: Ch'iya'a'n Biyiin/Native Food Song (song) Radmilla & Herman Cody (artist) Shi Kéyah (album) Break 2 Music: Heartbreaker (song) Sage Lacapa (artist) Heartbreaker (single)

The Oklahoma State Legislature is taking steps to gain more control of the state's Medicaid payments, drawing concerns from tribal leaders and healthcare advocates. Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. warns that the predicted scaling back of expanded Medicaid eligibility enshrined in the state constitution in 2020 would disproportionately affect Native patients. He says dismantling the expansion would cost his tribe alone more than $162 million. The state's actions come as both tribal health providers and Medicaid recipients brace for looming federal funding cuts and stricter eligibility requirements. Also, we'll hear from Alannah Acaq Hurley (Yup'ik). The executive director of the United Tribes of Bristol Bay recently won the Goldman Environmental Prize for her work raising awareness about a controversial open-pit copper and gold mine in the Bristol Bay region of Southwest Alaska. GUESTS Chuck Hoskin Jr. (Cherokee), principal chief of the Cherokee Nation Yvonne Myers, Affordable Care Act and Medicaid consultant for Citizen Potawatomi Nation Health Services Alannah Acaq Hurley (Yup'ik), executive director for the United Tribes of Bristol Bay Break 1 Music: Thunder Medicine (song) Geneviève Gros-Louis (artist) Break 2 Music: Heartbreaker (song) Sage Lacapa (artist) Heartbreaker (single)

Construction crews at the University of California, Berkeley immediately halted construction of an outdoor volleyball court when they encountered human remains. Under California law, notifications go out to state officials and to any tribes that might be descendants. Such procedures are not always followed, even when the law is clear cut. A number of recent discoveries of remains in California and elsewhere have drawn criticism from graves protections advocates and others for how they were handled. We'll look at some recent cases and assess the current state of the public's understanding of sacred ancestors' remains. GUESTS Tanya Hill-Montour (Mohawk of Six Nations of the Grand River), Six Nations of the Grand River archaeological supervisor Clare Apana (Kanaka Maoli), president and founder of Mālama Kakanilua Gabriel Duncan (descendent of a federally recognized California Paiute tribe), founder of the Alameda Native History Project Eva Cardenas (Mexica Chicana of Mazahua and Zapotec descent), director of organizing at NDN Collective Break 1 Music: Lost and Found [Feat. Shannon Thunderbird] (song) Sultans of String (artist) Break 2 Music: Heartbreaker (song) Sage Lacapa (artist) Heartbreaker (single)

Native Guitars Tour keeps up their busy schedule of performances with the annual signature appearance during the Gathering of Nations Powwow in Albuquerque, N.M. It is a night Under the Native Stars featuring a diverse musical line-up, a fashion show, and traditional tattoo demonstrations. It's an annual Native America Calling tradition to get a sampling of what's in store. The Guitars Tour is coming off a series of dates in Las Vegas. We'll find out what's in store for the future. GUESTS Jir Anderson (Cochiti Pueblo), founder and executive director of Native Guitars Tour and lead singer for the Jir Project Cameron Osceola (Seminole and Kiowa), guitarist and singer for the Osceola Brothers Sheldon Osceola (Seminole and Kiowa), drummer for the Oseceola Brothers Sage Lacapa (White Mountain Apache), musician Kirin Lacapa (Jicarilla Apache), musician Arianna Lauren (Cowichan Tribes), traditional tattooist Billboard Music: Heartbreaker (song) Sage Lacapa (artist) Break 1 Music: One To Hold On To (song) The Osceola Brothers (artist) One To Hold On To (album) Break 2 Music: Feels Like [feat. Sheena Shandea] (song) Nataanii Means (artist)

Diné hip-hop artist and educator Def-i has been a singular, independent voice in elevating Native hip-hop and championing other Native artists. This year makes 14 years that he has spearheaded the annual two-day competition, Gathering of MCs. Some of the top Native rappers from around the country bring their best beats, bars, and freestyles to vie for cash prizes. This year's event takes place alongside what organizers say is the final Gathering of Nations Powwow in Albuquerque, N.M. We'll speak with Def-i and other performers about the power and importance of Native hip-hop. GUESTS Def-i (Diné), hip-hop artist and educator Illmac (Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians), hip-hop artist She Real, hip-hop artist Billboard Music: Mmhmm feat. Paul Wall [remix] (song) Stella Standingbear (artist) Break 1 Music: Small Things (song) Illmac (artist) Small Things (single) Break 2 Music: Feels Like [feat. Sheena Shandea] (song) Nataanii Means (artist)

Through interviews with relatives, community knowledge keepers, and her work as a climate activist and lawyer, Katłı̨̀ą Catherine Lafferty (Yellowknives Dene) shares Dene wisdom and perspectives about the land that provide possible solutions for the climate crisis in her new book, “Mother Earth is Our Elder: A Northern Indigenous Path Toward Sustainable Living”. Her primary sources for the book include Yellowknives Dene chief Fred Sangris, former chief of the Łutsël K’é Dene First Nation Steven Nitah, and elder Randy Baillargeon. We'll hear from Lafferty about her book and how it informs the day set aside to acknowledge the Earth. We'll also talk with Innu cultural guardian Jodie Ashini (Innu) about how the tribe's flag ended up on the Artemis II mission through space around the Moon. Break 1 Music: Our Mother the Earth [Feat. Dr. Duke Redbird] (song) Sultans of String (artist) Break 2 Music: Feels Like [feat. Sheena Shandea] (song) Nataanii Means (artist)

The Trump administration settled a lawsuit this month challenging its year-long effort to dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and agreed to honor past grants that were clawed back last year forcing public libraries across the country (including tribal libraries) to scramble for alternative funding, cut programming, lay off employees, or close their doors. Tribal libraries get numerous grants from the IMLS and, while library directors and advocates welcome reinstated IMLS funds, they are looking to strengthen funding and support for the long term. On National Library Week, we’ll get an update from tribal library advocates about the longevity of these much-needed programs and facilities. We'll also learn about continued efforts to keep all books (including those written by Indigenous writers) on public and school library shelves. A handful of states passed legislation that reduces the risk of books being banned in schools and public libraries. This is in response to numerous book ban controversies in states like Texas and Florida that pit librarians and authors of books about certain LGBTQ2+, racial, and historical subjects against conservative Christians. Now, a bill that would ban similar books has been introduced to Congress. GUESTS Jennifer Himmelreich (Diné), senior consultant for the Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums' Tribal Library Council Cassandra Osterloh (Cherokee), New Mexico State Library tribal libraries program coordinator Laurel Goodluck (Mandan, Hidatsa, and Tsimshian), author and member of the Freedom to Read New Mexico coalition Break 1 Music: Dee Zee (song) The Delbert Anderson Trio (artist) MANITOU (album) Break 2 Music: Feels Like [feat. Sheena Shandea] (song) Nataanii Means (artist)

“Python's Kiss” by Louise Erdrich (Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa) is a collection of short stories that are just as poignant and rich as her novels. In “Domain,” Erdrich imagines an afterlife run like a corporate business. In “Wedding Dresses”, the protagonist relives her past marriages and what led to pain and heartbreak. Each creative story is brilliantly told through Erdrich's wide range of compelling characters and illustrated by Aza Erdrich Abe, Louise's daughter and long-time book cover artist. Louise and Aza join us on Native Bookshelf, our regular literary feature. Some stories in “Python's Kiss” made previous appearances in The New Yorker, Granta, and other literary publications. Two of them are slated to appear in forthcoming prize-winning collections “The Best American Short Stories 2026” and “The Best Short Stories 2026: The O. Henry Prize Winners”. Erdrich is the author of many books that earned her multiple literary awards including the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award. Break 1 Music: War Dance Song A1 (song) Ponemah Chippewa Singers (artist) Chippewa War Dance Songs for Powwow (album) Break 2 Music: Feels Like [feat. Sheena Shandea] (song) Nataanii Means (artist)

Filmmaker Kelly Moneymaker is dedicated to documenting how Indigenous people across the world — especially in the Arctic — are adapting to a rapidly changing climate. Moneymaker, who is Samoan and was raised by an adoptive Iñupiaq father, pivoted her career after a successful run in pop music to highlight Indigenous stories on film. Her work has been showcased at United Nations Climate Conferences, prestigious film festivals, and previous Arctic Encounter Summits in Anchorage, Alaska. We'll speak to Moneymaker about her film work and Rachel Kallander, Arctic Encounter Summit founder and CEO, will join us for a review of this year's convening of global leaders and stakeholders. Break 1 Music: Humma [Feat. Kendra Tagoona & Tracy Sarazin] (song) Sultans of String (artist) Break 2 Music: Me & You (song) Manitou Mkwa Singers (artist) Me & You (single)

There are no casinos or lotteries in Alaska. The state has some of the most restrictive gaming laws in the country, but the small Dena’ina Athabascan Village of Eklutna, located in Anchorage's municipality, is pushing the envelope on tribal gaming rights in the state. The Chin’an Gaming Hall is still open even after a year of legal disputes and threats by the state to close its doors. The village is also at the forefront of climate advocacy in southcentral Alaska. They have been working to restore their river’s namesake and salmon habitat. We’ll speak with the Eklutna’s president Aaron Leggett, live from the Arctic Encounter Summit in Anchorage, an annual gathering of policymakers, diplomats, Indigenous leaders, and stakeholders. We’ll also hear from Alaska Native elders and subsistence rights advocates from St. Lawrence Island about whaling and contamination from a former military site on the island. GUESTS Aaron Leggett (Dena'ina Athabascan), president of the Village of Eklutna Vi Waghiyi (Yupik), environmental health and justice program director at the Alaska Community Action on Toxics Merle Apassingok (Yupik), elder and leader from the Native Village of Gambell Dr. Sara Olsvig (Inuit), chair of the Inuit Circumpolar Council Break 1 Music: Kunax yak'ei gayshagook (song) Khu.éex' (artist) Siy​á​adlan (album) Break 2 Music: Me & You (song) Manitou Mkwa Singers (artist) Me & You (single)

President Donald Trump is pushing for more oil drilling in Alaska's Arctic, a decision directly impacting Iñupiaq communities. Millions of acres in the National Petroleum Reserve were opened for oil and gas leasing and the administration's reversal of Biden-era protections has the potential to open up the pristine National Wildlife Refuge for leasing and drilling. Some Iñupiaq communities welcome the potential for more oil drilling that promises to boost revenue and jobs for shareholders. Others worry about the environment and their ability to carry on subsistence lifestyles. We'll get perspectives from Iñupiaq leaders about the future of economic development in the Arctic. We're broadcasting live from the 2026 Arctic Encounter Summit in Anchorage, Alaska. GUESTS Asisaun Toovak (Iñupiaq), mayor of Utqiagvik, Alaska Pearl Brower (Iñupiaq), president and CEO of Ukpeaġvik Iñupiat Corporation Nagruk Harcharek (Iñupiaq), president and CEO of The Voice of the Arctic Iñupiat (VOICE) Break 1 Music: Ikitaa (song) PIQSIQ (artist) Break 2 Music: Me & You (song) Manitou Mkwa Singers (artist) Me & You (single)

The work of Margaret Pearce (Citizen Potawatomi) as a cartographer does not separate Indigenous people, stories, culture, and memory from a place that she is mapping. She works with tribes, Native scientists, and culture keepers to bring forth map layers often overlooked by the mainstream. One of her recent projects, “The Cold at Inuit Nunangat”, maps the ways Inuit protect their homelands in northern Canada and how colonization interferes with that connection. Her current mapping project, “Mississippi Dialogues”, depicts the Mississippi River through the perspective of Indigenous people and their stewardship. Pearce was named a National Geographic 33 in March and is a recipient of a 2025 MacArthur Fellowship and genius grant. She is our April Native in the Spotlight. We'll also visit with photographer and National Geographic Explorer Kiliii Yüyan (Nanai Hèzhé) about his photography book, “Guardians of Life: Indigenous Knowledge, Indigenous Science, and Restoring the Planet“. The book, which launched in April, is a culmination of photos from his travels to Indigenous communities throughout the globe with a focus on Indigenous connections and stewardship of land. Break 1 Music: Someone Drew a Line (song) Vincent Craig (artist) Vol. 1 (album) Break 2 Music: Me & You (song) Manitou Mkwa Singers (artist) Me & You (single)

The Seminole Nation of Oklahoma is one of the first tribes to pass a moratorium against the construction of hyperscale data centers. The nearby Muscogee Nation also turned down an opportunity to build a data center after Muscogee citizens spoke out in force against the plan. Large tech companies are stepping up the pressure to build hyperscale data centers to house the processing power for data storage and generative AI. The federal government is providing incentives for tribes to get involved in this part of the tech boom. It is part of the Trump administration's push to unleash American technological power, but such facilities typically require a lot of power and water. Native environmentalists warn data center companies are only looking to take advantage of tribes' sovereignty and resources. GUESTS Cheyenne McNeill (Coharie), editorial fellow at Mother Jones Jordan Harmon (Muscogee), policy specialist at Indigenous Environmental Network Ashley Leitka (Absentee Shawnee Tribe and Oglala Lakota), co-director of the sovereignty and self-determination department for Honor The Earth Dr. Karen Jarratt Snider (Choctaw), professor of applied Indigenous studies at Northern Arizona University Break 1 Music: Show the People (song) Bear Creek (artist) On The Move – Powwow Songs Recorded Live at Apache Gold Break 2 Music: Me & You (song) Manitou Mkwa Singers (artist) Me & You (single)

Paying to have a sandwich delivered to your door or even replacing a broken appliance is as easy as clicking an app and worrying about the bill later. Apps like Klarna and Afterpay allow consumers to pay installments for goods they can have in hand right away. A new report by Lending Tree finds 4 in 10 Americans now use pay later loans for groceries, an increase from the previous year fueled partly in a rise in prices. Financial literacy experts warn of the potential for consumers to quickly lose control of spending with such apps, but even for consumers using conventional methods, keeping on top of increasing costs for food and gas means more disciplined spending, at least in the short term. We'll go over ideas for keeping a lid on personal finances. We’ll also hear about the uncertain future of a federal Native financial grant and loan program that is slated for elimination with President Donald Trump’s 2027 budget proposal. The $28 million program aids Native communities with homeownership, credit building, and entrepreneurship, but the administration says it is promoting “cultural Marxism“. GUESTS Chantay Moore (Diné), certified financial educator Pete Upton (Ponca), CEO and chairperson of the Native CDFI Network and the executive director of the Native360 Loan Fund Billboard Music: Money (song) Pink Floyd (artist) The Dark Side of the Moon (album) Break 1 Music: C.R.E.A.M. [Instrumental] (song) Wu-Tang Clan (artist) Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers [Instrumentals] (album) Break 2 Music: Further From the Country (song) William Prince (artist) Further From the Country (album)

Indigenous women skaters shove and elbow their way around the oval roller derby track — and along the way they are finding sisterhood and a sense of pride. Clad in helmets and knee pads, they take full-contact laps around the track that also serves as an arena for visibility and representation. The international team, Indigenous Rising, is a ground-breaking pack made up of skaters from dozens of tribes who otherwise compete on local teams. The documentary, “Rising Through the Fray”, follows the team's journey and the personal passions and sacrifice individual players put into this unique and fast-paced sport. GUESTS Kristina “Krispy” Glass (Cherokee), coach and manager for Indigenous Rising Roller Derby Sherry “Sour Cherry” Bontkes (Saulteaux Ojibwe from the Sagkeeng First Nation in Manitoba), roller derby player Angelene “Niketah” Ketah (Tlingit), roller derby player Kapulani “Hawaiian Blaze” Patterson (Kanaka Maoli) Courtney Montour (Kanien'kehá:ka), filmmaker, writer, and director of “Rising Through the Fray” Break 1 Music: Head High (song) Wavelengths (artist) Break 2 Music: Further From the Country (song) William Prince (artist) Further From the Country (album)

President Donald Trump's federal budget proposal includes a 75% funding cut to a diabetes prevention and treatment program specifically for Native Americans. It also calls for up to $65 million in cuts to Indian Health Care facilities improvements. The Republican-controlled Congress has a mixed record on supporting Trump's budget cuts to Native health care, but the proposals are cause for concern for tribes like Acoma Pueblo in New Mexico that is contending with costly repairs for its aging health clinic. It also comes as the country faces the looming dropoff in Medicaid reimbursements that jeopardizes the future for hundreds of mainly rural hospitals across the country. We'll assess the threats to Native health care as we know it and other potential challenges that the ongoing shift in federal priorities is bringing to the surface. GUESTS Liz Malerba (Mohegan), director of policy and legislative affairs for the United South and Eastern Tribes Sovereignty Protection Fund A.C. Locklear (Lumbee), CEO of the National Indian Health Board Jerilyn Church (Cheyenne River Lakota), president and CEO of the Great Plains Tribal Leader's Health Board Kurt Riley (Acoma Pueblo), chairman of the Acoma Pueblo Health Board and former governor of Acoma Pueblo Break 1 Music: Intertribal (song) Blackfoot Confederacy (artist) Confederacy Style (album) Break 2 Music: Further From the Country (song) William Prince (artist) Further From the Country (album)

The Alutiiq Museum in Kodiak, Alaska is telling the story of 11 children taken from the area and shipped off to the Carlisle Indian Boarding School more than a century ago. The museum was instrumental in securing the return of one of those children who was buried on school grounds. It is part of an ongoing effort by the museum to document and repatriate Alaska Native ancestors under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. We'll hear about their work. GUESTS Dehrich Chya (Alutiiq, Sun'aq Tribe of Kodiak), director of language and living culture at the Alutiiq Museum and Archaeological Repository Benjamin Jacuk (Dena'ina Athabascan and Sugpiaq), director of Indigenous research at the Alaska Native Heritage Center Nyché Andrew (Yup’ik/Iñupiaq) Break 1 Music: They Sing to Each Other (song) Pamyua (artist) Side A Side B (album) Break 2 Music: Further From the Country (song) William Prince (artist) Further From the Country (album)

A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision opens a new path for the controversial practice known as “conversion therapy”, a method aimed at questioning or even changing a person's sexual orientation. More than 20 states ban the practice. It is condemned by major medial establishments including the American Psychological Association and the American Medical Association. LGBTQ2+ advocates at the Trevor Project call the Supreme Court's ruling a “tragic step backward“. It is also one in the growing number of legal and policy challenges ranging from a ban on Pride flags to defunding HIV/AIDS treatment. We’ll hear from Native LGBTQ and Two-Spirit advocates and legal experts about the landscape for LGBTQ2 protections. GUESTS State Rep. Liish Kozlowski (Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa/D-MN), first non-binary person elected to the Minnesota Legislature Shelby Chestnut (Assiniboine), executive director of the Transgender Law Center Lenny Hayes (Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate), owner and executive director of Tate Topa Consulting, LLC Mattee Jim (Diné), Native transgender advocate Break 1 Music: ‘Cause I Like A Girl (song) Ailani (artist) Heartbroken Bones (album) Break 2 Music: Further From the Country (song) William Prince (artist) Further From the Country (album)

This year's Juno Awards in Hamilton, Ontario, included historic wins and high-profile performances by Indigenous artists, celebrating their roles as central, defining voices in contemporary Canadian music. Oji-Cree singer-songwriter Aysanabee secured two major honors: Alternative Album of the Year and Contemporary Indigenous Artist of the Year for his project Edge of the Earth. Veteran powwow group Bear Creek won for Traditional Indigenous Group — their first Juno in a nearly 30-year career. William Prince performed his song For the First Time, and Inuk throat singer Tanya Tagaq appeared onstage as part of a tribute to Nelly Furtado. We'll hear more about Indigenous milestones by Indigenous artists at Canada's biggest celebration of music. GUESTS Aysanabee (Oji-Cree, Sucker Clan of Sandy Lake First Nation) Jai King-Green (Mississaugas Anishinaabe), singer from the Manitou Mkwa Singers Joe Syrette (Ojibwe from Batchewana First Nation), head singer for Bear Creek Yellow Bear Nakota (Nakoda), Indigenous Sioux singer Break 1 Music: Further From the Country (song) William Prince (artist) Further From the Country (album) Break 2 Music: Save the World (song) Tribz (artist) Trimmed (album)

A jury convicted Google and social media giant Meta of failing to do enough to prevent the harmful effects of their projects on children. Plaintiffs, including several tribes, argued children too young to be on social media platforms are subjected to bullying and suffer poor self-esteem because of content they encounter online. At the same time, retailers are able to strip personal information from young people — and others — who use social media. Does social media have any redeeming value? We'll find out what might change in light of the recent legal decision. GUESTS Dr. Amanda Cheromiah (Laguna Pueblo), executive director for the Jim Thorpe Center for the Future of Native Peoples at Dickinson College Dr. Deidre Yellowhair (Diné), research assistant professor in the division of community behavioral health for the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science at the University of New Mexico Merri Lopez-Keifer (San Luis Rey Band of Mission Indians), executive director of the Center for Indigenous Law & Justice at the University of California Berkeley School of Law Tim Purdon, partner at Robins Kaplan LLP Break 1 Music: Current (song) Chuck Copenace (artist) Oshki Manitou (album) Break 2 Music: Save the World (song) Tribz (artist) Trimmed (album)

The historic heat dome moving across the country smashed hundreds of high temperature records. Several places in Arizona and California reached 112 degrees — an unheard-of high in March. The Tohono O’odham Nation in southern Arizona issued an extreme heat warning after an official high temperature hit 108 degrees. The temporary weather phenomenon is slowly moving on, but not before drying out watersheds and melting snowpack that are critical sources of summer for people and agriculture. And climate experts say the abnormally hot start to the year is only the beginning. We’ll speak with researchers and others who are keeping track of climate trends for the year on what people can expect in the months ahead. GUESTS Roberta “Birdie” Wilcox-Cano (Diné), mayor of Winslow, Ariz. Mary “Cathy” Cathleen Wilson (Tohono O’odham), climate journalist and advocate Dr. Eugene Livar, Chief Heat Officer for Arizona Department of Health Services Alexander “Sasha” Gershunov, research meteorologist for the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at University of California San Diego Rob Fairbanks (Leech Lake Ojibwe), comedian aka The Rez Reporter Break 1 Music: To Keep the World We Know (song) Bruce Cockburn (artist) O Sun O Moon (album) Break 2 Music: Save the World (song) Tribz (artist) Trimmed (album)