Native America Calling

Georgia O'Keeffe's paintings of the northern New Mexico landscape are among the most recognizable and beloved works of art in history. So much so that the distinctive mesas, bluffs, and plateaus are sometimes referred to as O'Keeffe Country. But the land has always been home to Pueblo people that have deep cultural ties to those same iconic landscapes. A new exhibition at the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe turns to a handful of Tewa Pueblo artists to offer their interpretations of the landscape and O'Keeffe's inescapable connection to it. We'll hear from the curators and artists behind the Tewa Nangeh/Tewa Country exhibition.

A relentless offensive against minority student recruiting and retention threatens more than Native American participation in school. Advocates for such outreach say it affects community well-being and even the health of Native citizens. We'll hear from proponents for Native student achievement about President Donald Trump's "Compact for Higher Education" and the latest trends in Native enrollment. Also in our discussion today is a harrowing story of survival. As the nation marks the 50th anniversary of the storied wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald in Lake Superior, there is another remarkable account of a group of Native fishermen caught in the same storm that day. We'll hear from Interlochen Public Radio reporter Ellie Katz who talked to some of the men for the Points North podcast.

The storm that ravaged villages along Alaska's west coast may have washed away thousands of artifacts that promised to provide valuable insights into early Yup'ik settlements. The storm destroyed nearly 60 feet of shoreline near the village of Quinhagak. Along with it was a site that was the source of early masks, tools and other items that make up the world's largest collection of Yup'ik artifacts housed at the local museum. Researchers, who were already racing to recover the items threatened by thawing permafrost, say as many as 10,000 artifacts could be lost. In another blow, thieves made off with more than a thousand artifacts from the Oakland Museum of California's off-site storage facility. Oakland police and the FBI are working to find the culprits and recover the items. The early assessment by authorities suggest the heist may have been more of a crime of opportunity than a targeted operation.

Filmmaker and U.S. Air Force veteran Ryan Begay (Diné) set out to bring some of the stories of others Native American veterans to a broader audience. In the process, he brings those stories, especially those of Native women who serve in the military to life, in the documentary, "Honor Song". We'll hear about the film and from some of those featured in it. Another Air Force veteran, Steven Sibley (Cherokee), also saw a need to connect with fellow military veterans and to provide a better source of information about the resources and benefits available to veterans and their family members. He now is co-publisher of the free Oklahoma Veterans News Magazine. We'll talk with him about his service in the military and ways veterans can connect with the benefits available to them.

Vermont's four Abenaki bands face ongoing pushback as they work to assert their Native American identity. With state recognition, the tribes enjoy certain hunting and fishing rights and the ability to list artwork as Native made. The Odanak First Nation in Canada is speaking out on social media and at press conferences, public events, and even at the United Nations, saying the people in Vermont claiming Abenaki blood have no connection to the Abenaki name and are only exploiting a legitimate and respected culture. It's one of the remaining battlegrounds in the often-contentious discussions over identity.

Throat-singing Inuit sisters Tiffany Ayalik and Inuksuk Mackay released their sixth album, offering a soundtrack to the traditional stories they grew up with. "Legends" blends PIQSIQ's cultural improvisational technique with sophisticated studio production. First Nations Cree singer LOV is on tour, propelled by the success of the video releases for the singles, "Matriarch" and "Mama". Her upbeat soulful, rhythmic style invokes Amy Winehouse, but LOV has a message all her own drawn from her roots on her Treaty Six Reserve. Country crooner Blaine Bailey barely blinked after getting eliminated from the musical competition reality show, "The Road". He hit the road with his own tour singing songs from his album, "Indian Country", with a classic sound built around lyrics full of Native pride.

The Aboriginal people of Australia are on the precipice of cementing a historic agreement with the state of Victoria, one that could provide a blueprint for recognizing Indigenous peoples and incorporating their voices and cultures into the political process going forward. The treaty is a first for Australia and comes after years of research, negotiation, and a failed political referendum in 2023. Among other things, those crafting the treaty look to avoid the pitfalls of federal treaties with Native Americans and First Nations peoples of Canada. We'll hear from those who worked to make the treaty happen and what about their hopes and concerns following this historic action. GUESTS Dr. Julian Rawiri Kusabs (Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Te Arawa, Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Maru [Hauraki], and Tainui), research fellow at the University of Melbourne Nikki Moodie (Gomeroi, Kamilaroi, and Gamilaraay), professor of Indigenous studies at the University of Melbourne Travis Lovett (Kerrupmara Gunditjmara, Boandik), inaugural executive director of the Centre for Truth Telling and Dialogue at the University of Melbourne Lidia Thorpe (Gunnai, Gunditjmara and Djab Wurrung), Independent Senator for Victoria and represents the Blak Sovereign Movement

A team of researchers are actively sifting through archival documents, artifacts, even artwork to expand the story of Indigenous slavery. The Native Bound Unbound project includes interactive maps, digitized documents and recent interviews with descendants whose ancestors endured enslavement. The publicly available digital archive aims to document every instance of Indigenous slavery in the Western Hemisphere to illuminate where and when slavery took place, and the lasting effects for Indigenous communities and their descendants.

As the federal government shutdown drags on, tribes are feeling the brunt more than the general population. That's among the conclusions in a new report from the Brookings Institution that examines how the government distributes the funds it is obligated to. The report finds that a large portion of the money for tribal necessities like health care, education, and economic well-being required under the Trust and Treaty Responsibility is dependent on annual action by Congress rather than being baked into the automatic allocations that other federal funding recipients enjoy. The report calls on a more reliable funding system for tribes. The shutdown has prompted several tribes, including the Spirit Lake Nation, Standing Rock Tribe, and Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma, to declare states of emergency, mainly because of the lack of food and winter heating assistance. We'll hear more about how the shutdown is grinding away at tribes' ability to help their citizens.

Researchers are documenting more and longer-lasting wildfires in northern Alaska and Canada. In fact, the increase of wildfires is a trend across the Arctic, as far as Norway and Siberia, driven by higher temperatures and dryer conditions. The trend has immediate threats to people's homes and health. Some tribes in Alaska and Canada also worry about the possibility of a long-term cataclysmic cycle of fires burning through vast stores of peat, producing uncountable amounts of carbon into the atmosphere. We'll get a look at the latest research and learn what concerned Alaska Native tribes and other Indigenous stakeholders are doing to prepare.

The practice of celebrating dead ancestors started long before Spanish colonizers came to what is now Mexico, but the Aztec and Mayan custom eventually engulfed the entire country, blending Catholic, Spanish, and Indigenous elements into what is now Dia de los Muertos. The festival even spills into parts of the U.S. Some people with Mexican Indigenous ties are working to cut through the contemporary pop culture trappings of the holiday and reconnect with the deeper, more spiritual origins. We'll also hear about Vision Maker Media's expanded push to train and support young filmmakers to tell stories driven by mission. The Native Youth Media Project partners with tribes, organizations, and individuals to develop storytellers at a time when federal support for such projects has disappeared. GUESTS Janet Martinez (Zapotec), executive director of Communidades Indigenas en Liderazgo (CIELO) Kurly Tlapoyawa (Chicano and Nahua), archaeologist and co-host of the “Tales from Aztlantis” podcast Francene Blythe (Diné, Sisseton Wahpeton and Eastern Band of Cherokee), executive director of Vision Maker Media Anita Huízar-Hernández, associate director of the Hispanic Research Center and publisher and managing editor of the Bilingual Press at Arizona State University

Julian Brave Noisecat's re-established relationship with his estranged father is the jumping off point for recounting the lives of the author and his family. "We Survived The Night" is a story both unique and familiar that Noisecat delivers with a mix of journalism, memoir, and his Secwepemc people's traditional storytelling. Coming off the acclaim that includes an Oscar nomination for his documentary, "Sugarcane", Noisecat provides a deeper look into the personal experience, family lore, and neglected historical accounts that make up who he is.

Federal food assistance is set to stop November 1 if lawmakers are unable to solve the government shutdown. That means the supply of food through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to low-income Native Americans will begin running out without help from alternative sources. Some tribes are putting funds and other efforts toward filling the sudden gap. At least one tribe is culling their own buffalo herds to provide meat for hungry citizens. We'll get an overview of the situation for Native residents who rely on SNAP. We'll also hear about the lengths to which Alaska Native organizations are working to provide traditional foods to the people displaced by major storms on the state's west coast.

A struggle over who is running the Northern Cheyenne tribal government has resulted in arrests of government officials, frozen bank accounts, and an emergency action by traditional tribal leaders to ban women from voting. The divide started after newly elected President Gene Small authorized a forensic financial audit. Another long-standing divide is coming to a head on the Navajo Nation, prompting President Buu Nygren to state he will not resign his position. We'll talk with reporters covering these two internal government disputes and take a look at some other notable issues and events.

A historic legal decision secures tribal land rights over a little more than four square miles within the boundaries of the city of Richmond, British Columbia. The ruling by the provincial Supreme Court sent shockwaves through an enclave of non-Indigenous property owners fearful their land and its monetary value would be handed over to the Cowichan Tribes. If the decision stands, it would have far-reaching implications for tribal land rights across Canada. We'll hear about the legal and historical significance of the decision. We'll also get perspectives on the controversial King Cove Road in Alaska. The Trump administration recently signed off on the proposed 11-mile road which will connect the small Aleutian town through the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge to an airport. Supporters say it will provide reliable access to emergency medical care, but detractors say it will cause harm to millions of migratory birds who use the refuge as a stopover. GUESTS Terry Teegee (Takla Nation),  Regional Chief of the British Columbia Assembly of First Nations Darwin Hanna (Nlaka'pamux Nation), attorney and founding partner of Callison & Hanna Edgar Tall Sr. (Yup'ik), Chief of the Native Village of Hooper Bay  Warren Wilson, mayor of King Cove

Henry is an aspiring ghost hunter on the cusp of social media fame in the novel, "The Whistler", by Nick Medina (Tunica-Biloxi). As the title suggests, he tempts fate by intentionally whistling into the night, provoking an evil entity that turns his life upside down and forces him to confront his past wrongdoing. Daniel H. Wilson (Cherokee) imagines a frightening alien invasion where first contact happens in the middle of the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma in "Hole in the Sky". And Stephen Graham Jones (Blackfeet) slices open the real horrors of the late 1800s Indian Wars in "The Buffalo Hunter Hunter" with a tortured monster that wreaks vengeance on soldiers responsible for the Marias Massacre and the extermination of the buffalo. These are a few new horror novels written by Indigenous authors that we are putting on the Native Bookshelf for this year's spooky season.

Among the thousands of staff cuts and billions of dollars eliminated from federal programs is support to prevent and respond to domestic violence. Organizations that facilitate women's shelters, preventative outreach, case managers, and legal help are mostly going it alone without the once-powerful assistance of the federal government. Many are in survival mode after the sudden and unexpected elimination of funding that had been promised. The U.S. Department of Justice has also removed its access to research and recommendations about violence against Indigenous women. We'll find out how some shelters are working despite the setbacks. We'll also remember long-time women's advocate Charon Asetoyer. Among other things, she founded the Native American Community Board that works to strengthen women's health, safety, and justice. Asetoyer walked on September 26.

Leonard Peltier calls on Native Americans to come together in the ongoing fight for many of the same issues he championed in the early days of the American Indian Movement. After President Joe Biden commuted his life sentence in the deaths of two FBI agents, Peltier emerged from nearly a half century in federal prison to a hero's welcome by his supporters and dismay by federal law enforcement officials and other detractors. In many respects, he picks up where he left off, speaking up for equitable treatment for Native people and defiance against a system he says is stacked against them. We'll hear from Peltier about his life now beyond a prison cell and also discuss the coordinated effort that finally secured his release.

Tribal officials are among those pushing back against President Donald Trump's plan to cut off some $500 million dollars in federal funds used for tribal housing, business development and infrastructure projects. The National Congress of American Indians calls the action by Trump related to the federal government shutdown “a critical threat to our communities' economic future.” Trump's intended elimination of the Treasury Department's Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund is the latest blow from the government shutdown that could have series consequences for Native Nations.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R-AK) predicts many of the more than 2,000 people uprooted by historically damaging storms may not be able to return to their villages for more than a year and a half. In at least one village, officials say 90% of the residences are destroyed – and, as their lives are suddenly and drastically changed, the mostly Alaska Native inhabitants of the hardest-hit areas face the possibility of increasingly severe weather as the climate changes. We'll get updates on the current efforts to provide relief and assess the long-term options for the people who have always lived there. We'll also hear about how a new influx of $15 million in federal money over the next five years will help the StrongHearts Native Helpline, which provides culturally specific outreach for Native domestic violence survivors. The money comes at a time when the federal government is cutting back and eliminating staff for many other social programs.

A new book is just one of multidisciplinary artist Cannupa Hanska Luger's (Mandan, Hidatsa, & Arikara and Lakota) many current creative projects. He's the 2025 artist-in-residence for Verbier 3-D Foundation, a contemporary art non-profit in Switzerland. He has new work that is part of an augmented reality exhibition with other Indigenous artists at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's American Wing. He has a public sculpture installation at the University of Massachusetts Boston. And he designed a terrifying sports mascot costume for the Jordan Peele-produced horror film, “Him.” His new hybrid art book and graphic novel, “Surviva: A Future Ancestral Field Guide,” is a creative take on the Indigenous knowledge necessary for survival in a post-colonial future. We'll hear from Luger about his creative drive and the message thread throughout all his acclaimed work.

It's been almost a full century since Ojibwe hockey player Taffy Abel first set foot on the ice as a New York Rangers defenseman. It was a historic moment that was not acknowledged at the time in the professional hockey world or even by Abel himself. At the time, he kept his Native American identity a secret — at first to escape the forced attendance at Indian Boarding Schools, then later to avoid the discrimination that could hinder his career. Now, his descendants want him recognized, after the fact, as the man who broke the pro hockey color barrier. Abel carried the American flag in the first Winter Olympics in 1924. He went on to help both the Rangers and the Chicago Blackhawks win Stanley Cup championships.

The Trump administration just gave the final approval for a new 211-mile road that punches across the Brooks Mountain Range and the expansive wilderness that surrounds it. Ambler Road promises to clear the way for several mining operations, providing minerals like copper, cobalt and gold that President Trump says is needed to “win the AI arms race against China.” But at least 40 Alaska Native tribes have officially lined up against the controversial project citing subsistence hunting habitat among other concerns. We'll hear about that – and get an update on struggles over tribal control over hunting permits in Oklahoma.

The stories and written documentation on boarding schools, Indian Agents, and even the fictional character, Paul Bunyan, all have an influence on how we view history. The Western History Association Conference in Albuquerque, N.M., this week assembles a number of discussions led by Native American historians on those and other topics, gauging how well Native perspectives are taken into account. We'll hear from some of those historians about the changing influence of Native historical scholarship.

After an intensive two-year adult immersion program, the number of fluent Spokane Salish language speakers nearly doubled. Some of those program graduates will be hired on as full-time language teaching staff as the tribe expands its language revitalization efforts. And the Yuchi Tribe in Oklahoma has established a unique partnership with an Australian Aboriginal nation to exchange ideas for revitalizing both of their endangered languages. We'll hear about these two recent success stories. We'll also hear about a five-part talk show, "Rematriated Voices", centered on Haudenosaunee culture and principles. The first episode airs on Indigenous Peoples Day on New York PBS affiliate WCNY.

In the Tara Moses play, “Haunted,” two Native ghosts are caught in a seemingly endless cycle of haunting the prospective owners of a house, while also being haunted in return by racist stereotypes. The Millennial siblings have a penchant for the soundtrack of their youth that leans heavily on Britney Spears. Along the way they find themselves on a journey to a higher calling. We'll hear from Moses about her work that comes to the stage in Los Angeles. We'll also hear from artists recognized with a $100,000 prize for the 2025 SHIFT – Transformative Change + Indigenous Arts Awards by the Native Arts + Culture Foundation for works that address social change through a Native lens.

An Indigenous anthropologist is embarking on a years-long process to document how Alaska Native hunters are changing their hunting patterns in the face of climate change. To complicate things, the war in Ukraine is preventing Native researchers from sharing information with their counterparts in Russia, which plays a role in the overall health of walrus herds. In addition to food and other uses, walrus ivory is a significant part of a traditional Native artform. We'll talk with Indigenous people who have a stake in Pacific walruses and are working to protect them.

President Donald Trump and his administration abruptly ended billions of dollars in aid to foreign countries, calling it wasteful and inappropriately supporting a liberal agenda. In addition to food and medicine that went directly to Indigenous people who need it, the money and goods also promoted agriculture programs and other incentives toward preventing people with few other options from resorting to the illegal drug trade and other criminal activity that has significant bearing on American interest abroad. We'll hear about the direct effects of ending U.S. support of foreign countries as well as the long-term implications.

Sacred sites sometimes get lost in urban settings as cities prioritize the needs of non-Native residents and commercial interests over the historical and spiritual value for Native Americans, but tribes and Native organizations are having some success connecting with city officials to see that sacred spaces are protected and accessible. After years of restoration work, what were known as the Indian Mounds in St. Paul, Minn., have a whole new look, a new Dakota name — Wicaḣapi — and an educational cultural center. St. Louis, Mo. just solidified a transfer of property that signifies the city's first-ever recognition of tribal sovereignty. We'll talk about the difficult work to recognize and preserve sacred places in population centers.

Someone looking to move to any of the Native American reservations in Montana will have a hard time finding a home. A three-part series by the Montana Free Press finds there is a chronic shortage of housing on Native land caused by confusing land ownership frameworks, hurdles for conventional financing, and a lack of infrastructure. The government shutdown, funding cuts, and other changes at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development could only exacerbate the struggle Native people have for finding homes. Native people typically have the worst housing needs in the country. We'll hear about the problems facing Native homeowners and some of the innovative ways tribes are working to solve them.

Two Native American women from Oklahoma are carving distinct and inviting musical paths through the music world. Samantha Crain's seventh album, "Gumshoe", offers the latest installment in the veteran Choctaw singer-songwriter's musical evolution. The cover artwork—a photo of her own beadwork—is a clue to the roots she draws on for strength and inspiration. And Ken Pomeroy's debut album, "Cruel Joke", invokes a simmering depth of feeling that transcends her young age. She is a natural storyteller from the Cherokee Nation with a lot to say. Both of these creative artist are added to our Native Playlist.

Payments to tribes for federal contracts, BIA law enforcement, food distribution to schools, and health care access could all be affected by the federal government shutdown. It also has a significant effect on the 30,000 Native American federal employees and members of the military who may not be furloughed, but will not receive paychecks until the shutdown is over. This is the second government shutdown in the past decade; the previous one was the longest on record. We'll get the Native perspective on what's potentially in store as the shutdown progresses.

Culture keepers and historians are closely watching President Donald Trump's review of the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) and other institutions to eliminate what he calls derisive or partisan narratives. It's among eight museums that receive federal funding are that are currently under review. NMAI's exhibits include Native American perspectives on historical documents and events that include treaties, Indian Boarding Schools, the Termination Era, the American Indian Movement, and the Indian Child Welfare Act, among many others. Those watching are concerned Trump's directive could permanently alter how those topics are presented to the public. NMAI also develops educational curricula that counters incomplete instruction on historical events, like Thanksgiving. We'll hear from those who were instrumental in NMAI's founding, as well as get perspective on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's announcement that soldiers that took part in the Wounded Knee Massacre would retain their Medals of Honor.

For more than three decades, Tina Kuckkahn's work has centered on supporting Native culture and the arts. The Lac du Flambeau Ojibwe citizen is the new head of the Native artist non-profit organization, the First Peoples Fund. She previously directed s'gʷi gʷi ʔ altxʷ: House of Welcome (The Evergreen State College Longhouse) and most recently helped build NDN Collective's philanthropic infrastructure and grantmaking programs. She is in the process of organizing a canoe journey through the Great Lakes, retracing her ancestors' historic migration. Tina Kuckkahn joins us as this month's Native in the Spotlight to talk about the state of Native art, Ojibwe culture, and motorcycles. We'll also look back at the life of Indian Gaming Association chairman Ernie Stevens Jr., who just walked on. GUESTS Tina Kuckkahn (Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa), president and CEO of the First Peoples Fund Jason Giles (Muscogee), executive director of the Indian Gaming Association Levi Rickert (Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation), publisher and editor of Native News Online and Tribal Business News

The action by Republican Texas lawmakers to redraw congressional voting boundaries to favor Republican candidates has clear implications for the Alabama Coushatta Tribe of Texas. The new contorted boundaries put the tribe at least four times the distance away from their elected representative's base of operation. The Texas move has also spurred other states to do that same and voting advocates worry about losing hard-fought ground for Native voter representation at the polls. We'll look at what the latest potential problem areas are and how it relates to the midterm elections. Also, we'll talk with a New Mexico District Attorney Bernadine Martin (Diné). She is fighting to keep her job amid allegations of incompetence and misconduct. Martin is the only female Native American district attorney in the state. She says she is being unfairly targeted.

Among the informational signs flagged for review under the Trump administration's purge of “improper ideology” at National Parks is language at the Sitka National Monument Russian Bishop's House explaining how missionaries worked to destroy Indigenous cultures and languages in Alaska. A panel at Florida's Castillo de San Marcos National Monument is being questioned for including text about forced assimilation of imprisoned Native Americans. They are part of the ongoing review of parks, museums, and other institutions for information deemed disparaging to Americans. The review has prompted considerable concern over who is making decisions about how historical events are portrayed and whether Native historians have any input.

Propelled by the success of her runaway bestseller, “Braiding Sweetgrass”, Robin Wall Kimmerer (Citizen Potawatomi) continues a passion for weaving together the science, the cultural knowledge, and the beauty of the natural environment and importance of taking notice of it. In her new children's picture book, “Bud Finds Her Gift,” a young girl discovers what it means to receive and give the gifts of nature. And her book, “The Serviceberry,” lands on the small fruit clusters as a starting point to awaken one's gratitude for the environment's abundance. We'll hear from Kimmerer about the arc of her work and the additional knowledge she's collected from it.

An unassuming café on Isleta Pueblo just won one of the most sought-after culinary recognitions in New Mexico. Isleta Grill is this year's Green Chile Cheeseburger Challenge Champion for their frybread version of a regional delicacy. In northern Wisconsin, this year's wild rice yields are low. The state Department of Natural Resources blames wind damage and heavy rainfall from a series of strong storms. It's part of a pattern of diminished wild rice harvests in recent years. Cherokees cross-bred and cultivated apple varieties when they lived in the southeast U.S., but when the federal government forced a majority of Cherokees to move to Indian Territory (Oklahoma), they left their orchards behind. Now one cultural group is reviving those lost varieties of apples along with the history that goes with it. These are among the topics we'll hear about on The Menu, a special feature of Native America Calling on Indigenous food sovereignty and stories with Andi Murphy.

After two decades of work, supporters of an international agreement are celebrating ratification of a tool aimed at reversing ongoing threats to oceans around the globe. Sixty nations have signed onto the High Seas Treaty. It's a legally-binding document that maps a direction for marine biodiversity in international waters. It addresses threats such as pollution, overfishing, and damage caused by climate change. The goals align with those of many Indigenous populations, many of whom are bearing the brunt of diminished ocean diversity. At the same time, there are concerns about the ability to enforce the agreement against nations that choose to ignore it.

Seattle-based Indigenous funk/jazz band Khu.éex' is an ensemble full of storytellers and their stories carry a punch. They are back with another double album titled, “Red Cedar in the Hour of Chaos.” They carry on their unique P Funk-inspired sound and blend it with hip-hop, doom metal and psychedelia, all while drawing from Tlingit, Haida, and other Native roots. Another band, this one from the Southwest, weaves Diné stories and concepts into their just-released album filled with neo-soul and jazz influences. “Yáágo Dootliźh” is the second album from the Indigenous soul collective Earth Surface People. We'll talk with members of both these groups about the power of Native storytelling through music.

Lucy Smith just aged out of the foster care system but finds she needs to protect herself and her family against persistent threats from her past. She relies on the survival skills she's learned the hard way: a lack of trust in others and a readiness to run. Along the way she connects with her own Anishinaabe identity. “Sisters in the Wind” is the third mystery by author Angeline Boulley (Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians). She weaves together themes of Indigenous identity, justice, and family through compelling characters and in a way that fans of her two previous novels, “Firekeeper's Daughter” and “Warrior Girl Unearthed”, will recognize. “Sisters in the Wind” is on our Native Bookshelf.

The Gila River Indian Community in Arizona is considering a new law to banish tribal members convicted of violent crimes. A bill awaits a signature from the New York governor that aims to strengthen the Seneca Nation's ability to enforce tribal laws, which includes removing people convicted of drug trafficking and other crimes. Those are among efforts by tribes to formalize the traditional practice of banishment as tool to combat crime, but such efforts sometimes conflict with modern legal systems. In Alaska, the Native Village of Togiak faces a legal challenge after tribal members forced a man suspected of illicit alcohol sales onto an airplane to another city. We'll get insights from tribal leaders and Native legal experts on how banishment fits in with modern justice.

In life, Charlie Kirk espoused controversial opinions that many people consider repugnant. His violent and public death is now becoming a test for what other public figures—and ordinary citizens—are able to say without severe consequences. Dozens of people, including a Washington Post columnist and a U.S. Army colonel, are facing repercussions after speaking out about Kirk on social media. A Manitoba First Nations cabinet member is facing calls to resign after sharing a post criticizing Kirk for his views. One effort is collecting information on thousands of people for possible retribution for their comments about Kirk. We'll explore some of the limits of social media posts Native Americans should be aware of in their personal and professional lives.

The advocacy group, Tewa Women United, is warning nearby Pueblo citizens and other local residents about Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in New Mexico releasing gas containing the weak radioactive substance, tritium. The group says, despite assurances by lab experts and regulators that the substance is safe in relatively small doses, it is a dangerous substance and could pose a threat to pregnant women and others. Tritium is a naturally occuring substance, but is also produced in quantities during nuclear power generation and is a key component in nuclear weapons. LANL says it is forced to release the radioactive gas because the containers they've been in for decades pose a risk. We'll discuss what tritium does and whatever threat, if any, it poses.

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians just elected four women to what had been an all-male tribal council. The Seminole Tribe of Oklahoma just installed women in their top two leadership positions for the first time in history. As with the general population, Native women lag behind men when it comes to elected political power. The non-profit RepresentWomen finds Native women have a slightly higher average representation on tribal councils than non-Native women on local municipal elected bodies. We'll talk with some Native women about their progress in tribal and community leadership.

Two films take on real life accounts with strong Native cultural themes. One is a major Hollywood drama. The other is a smoldering independent documentary. The Hulu documentary “Blood & Myth” follows Iñupiaq musician and writer James Dommek Jr.'s obsession with a bizarre 2012 string of violence. Dommek digs into the motivations of the fellow Alaska Native man acting on the influence of supernatural beings known as Iñukuns. The Apple TV+ series, “Chief of War” stars Jason Momoa in the epic account of a real-life Hawaiian leader working to unite warring factions against the threat of Western colonization.

Just as coronavirus infections are on the rise, federal authorities are throwing confusing recommendations about vaccinations into the mix. Many people are wondering whether they are eligible for a COVID shot, where to get one, and whether it's covered by insurance. The answer, at least partly, depends on whether your state or tribe is filling in gaps opening up following the federal Food and Drug Administration abruptly changing its view of who should get the shot, drawing criticism and even defiance by established medial groups. GUESTS Janet Johnson (Nambe and Santa Clara Pueblos and Mandan-Hidatsa), tribal liaison for the New Mexico Department of Health Dr. Beth Harp (Cherokee), executive medical director for Cherokee Nation Health Services Dr. Miranda Durham, chief medical officer for the New Mexico Department of Health

Tribes are seeking to flex whatever legal muscle they have to secure Colorado River water protections, just as forecasts show the resource to continue to disappear in the foreseeable future. The tribes are hoping to gain whatever leverage they can as policymakers negotiate new water plans. More than 30 tribes and seven states utilize water from the Colorado River, which has been experiencing record low water levels from a decades-long drought. Stakeholders are having to rethink their water use and flex their legal claims to the resource as existing water use plans are set to expire. In one case, the Colorado River Indian Tribes are pursuing their own declaration, giving the river the same rights as a person. Tribal advocates say it could better protect the important lifeline that carves through several tribal lands in the arid Southwest.

President Donald Trump is going to defend his tariff policy before the U.S. Supreme Court. Lower federal courts recently ruled that President Trump does not have the authority to impose tariffs under the national emergency powers. A new Pew Research Center poll found that 61% of Americans disapprove of his tariff policies. Businesses like Sisseton-Wahpeton fabric designer Denise Hill are faced with having to raise prices to make up for rising costs on goods from other countries. We'll get a reading on the effect tariffs have had on Native-owned businesses so far.

Suicide numbers are lower in places with higher incomes, better access to broadband internet, and good health insurance coverage. Unfortunately, those are all factors that are statistically lacking for many Native Americans and Alaska Natives. Development of the nationwide 988 Suicide and Lifeline has improved the persistently high Native suicide rate, and efforts to introduce culturally sensitive prevention and intervention methods are showing promise. As the federal government dissolves much of its support for mental health services and suicide prevention efforts, we'll highlight some of the work that is making a difference for Native populations. GUESTS Rachael Bogacz (Ponca and Omaha), director of Integrated Care for the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska LuAnn Even, chief behavioral health officer for the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska Stephanie Pasternak, director of State Affairs for National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Kim Farris, director of Behavioral Health for the Oklahoma City Indian Clinic

Oneida actor Graham Greene said learning the Lakota language for his celebrated role as Kicking Bird was among his greatest challenges. Over the span of nearly five decades, Greene worked in nearly 200 television shows and films where he earned the admiration of audiences and his fellow actors. His many characters included Maximus in the acclaimed series, “Reservation Dogs,” Old Smoke in “Tulsa King,” tribal police Chief Ben Shoyo in “Wind River,” and Edgar Montrose in the Canadian TV comedy series “The Red Green Show.” He was a busy actor who expanded Indigenous representation for both audiences and filmmakers. We'll hear from some of Greene's friends and colleagues about how he is remembered.