Native America Calling

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.

Once plentiful, salmon that return to Alaska's Yukon River are struggling to survive. The fishery is in the sixth straight year of restrictions, affecting commercial, sport, and subsistence salmon harvests. The reasons for the major decline in fish populations are complex. There's little agreement on which path to take from here. Alaska Native residents along the Yukon are working to have their voices heard along with the many entities weighing in trying to develop solutions.

Indigenous Two-Spirit and LGBTQ+ artists often add another layer of expression to their work and stories. On top of celebrating their tribal and personal identities, they're bringing stories and voices forward that aren't often heard from elsewhere. They can also provide recognition and support for other LGBTQ2+ people searching for connection. We'll take a look at three new and upcoming Indigenous Two-Spirit and LGBTQ+ art exhibits: “Queering Indigeneity” coming to the Minnesota Museum of American Art, “Two-Spirit and MMIW/R Voices” touring Minnesota, and “Two-Spirit and Gender Diversity through History” at the new Orillia Recreation Centre in Ontario, Canada.

The Trump administration is working to remove protections for more than 58 million acres of national forests. A brief public comment period is now open on a plan to rescind the federal government's 25-year-old Roadless Rule which prohibits road construction and timber harvesting in several states. Environmental groups and leaders of Alaska Native tribes with cultural ties to the Tongass National Forest — the country's largest national forest — are raising alarms about the plan. The vast temperate rainforest covers 17 million acres and is also the nation's largest stand of old-growth trees, many of which are at least 800 years old. Advocates warn that road construction and increased commercial logging threaten subsistence hunting, plant harvesting, and fishing. We'll talk with tribal leaders and others about what's at stake in Tongass and the future of forest management.

The Shinnecock Nation in New York is in an ongoing legal battle to have their fishing rights recognized. A lawsuit brought forward by a Shinnecock tribal citizen argues the tribe has never ceded their right to fish in any treaty or agreement. The tribe has no treaty with the federal government, but instead with British colonists from the 1600s. This case could possibly affirm the tribe's unended aboriginal claim to fish in the Hamptons. We'll talk with Shinnecock citizens about what's at stake with the case as it moves forward in federal district court.

In the comedy thriller "Seeds", social media influencer Ziggy is offered a lucrative sponsorship contract with a corporate seed and fertilizer company, but she's also called back to her Mohawk reservation to help out her cousin, which gets her tangled in an all-out battle to save her tribe's ancestral seeds. Kanienʼkehá:ka Mohawk actor Kaniehtiio Horn is Ziggy. She is also the screenwriter and director for the film. And a new collection of stories by Indigenous authors, “Legendary Frybread Drive-In”, serves up more than just Native comfort food. Each of the stories geared toward young adult readers finds its way to Sandy June's Legendary Frybread Drive-in, a place with a helping of elder wisdom about love, grief, culture, and healing. Editor Cynthia Leitich Smith (Muscogee) calls it “a hug of a book”. Horn and Smith both join Andi Murphy for "The Menu", our special feature on Indigenous food sovereignty.

Serving on a school board is not a glamorous position, but it's an important one that plays a big role in Native American students' success. Elected members of school boards make decisions ranging annual budgets to what's allowed in classroom lessons. They are also responsible for representing the community's values and interests. As such, individual board members are lightning rods for public criticism. We'll get a look at what school board members encounter on a daily basis and hear about a program designed to support Native school board participation.

Aquinnah Wampanoag journalist Joseph Lee investigates the difficult subject of Indigenous identity in his new book, "Nothing More Of This Land". He uses his own family's story as a jumping off point, exploring the reality of the people who once greeted the Mayflower. The original Wampanoag homeland includes Martha's Vineyard, the haven for wealthy elites that has become so expensive that at least three quarters of tribal members can no longer afford to live there. Lee branches out from there to find parallels among the Native people and places he's covered — from Alaska to the halls of the United Nations. We'll talk with Lee about his new book, journalism, and what it means to be Native in modern America.

Santa Ana Pueblo is celebrating the return of a clay bowl that was stolen in 1984, but it's only one out of nearly 150 irreplaceable items taken during a series of burglaries and never recovered. Investigators believe the items were eventually sold to collectors around the world and authorities never tracked them down. We'll check in on the tribe's renewed efforts to find and bring the items back home. We'll also get updates on other repatriation efforts, including tribes and lawmakers putting renewed pressure on the University of California over its failure to return remains and artifacts required by law, and we'll recount the largest Native Hawaiian repatriation in history with Edward Halealoha Ayau.

Miccosukee Tribe of Florida scored at least a temporary legal victory when a federal judge halted construction and ordered parts of the facility dubbed "Alligator Alcatraz" removed. The decision comes in the lawsuit by the tribe and environmental groups claiming work on the abandoned airport turned emergency immigrant detention center in Florida violates environmental and national preservation laws. The facility is on traditional Miccosukee land. The Department of Homeland Security and Immigrations and Customs Enforcement along with the state of Florida see the compound as part of ramped-up immigrant deportation efforts. We'll speak with Chairman Talbert Cypress (Miccosukee). We'll also hear from Lakota artist Danielle SeeWalker, who settled a lawsuit with the city of Vail, Colo. after officials cancelled a summer artist residency. The cancellation came after she posted a picture of a work criticizing Israel's actions against the citizens of Gaza.

Renowned ballet dancer Jock Soto (Diné/Puerto Rican) is being celebrated by the International Museum of Dance for his career that started when he was hand-selected at age 16 by New York City Ballet founder George Balanchine as a principal dancer. He went on to an acclaimed career on stage and as a mentor to up-and-coming dancers. We'll talk with Soto about his dancing and choreography career. Composer Jerod Impichchaachaaha' Tate's (Chickasaw) new compositions are based on his tribe's clan animals, including woodpeckers, deer, and racoons. They're included on a new album, “Woodland Songs,” by the Dover Quartet. The album also includes songs by singer-songwriter Pura Fé (Tuscarora and Taino) that Tate arranged for the ensemble. We'll talk with Tate about his interpreting the mix of traditional Native ideas in a classical music setting.

A relatively new program with proven results in improving the health of expecting and new mothers may be in jeopardy. Efforts to renew the Enhancing Reviews and Surveillance to Eliminate Maternal Mortality (ERASE MM) program by the September 30 deadline have so far been unsuccessful. ERASE MM panels review and document social and legal factors that go into providing maternal health care. Absent or inconsistent approaches state-by-state could make it harder to spot gaps for Native mothers. Federal funding cuts also threaten access to birth control for more than 800,000 women. The Trump administration is signaling a shift in the Nixon-era program known as Title X, promoting fertility programs for low-income women rather than providing them contraception. In addition, pending cuts to Medicaid could reduce family planning services to millions more. We'll take a look at the current trend in family planning services for Native Americans.

Since the technology was first made publicly available in the U.S. more than a century ago, radio has endured repeated predictions of its demise. Even with the explosion of digital streaming and on-demand podcasts, the nation's top ratings firm finds at least 82% of Americans listen to traditional, terrestrial radio each week. We'll mark National Radio Day by talking to Native people who have a passion for the medium, including the host of the longest-running Native radio show in Texas, a radio reporter who covers Indigenous affairs in Oklahoma, and an Alaska teenager who built his own internet radio station in his bedroom.

Among the big wins in athletic competition this summer is the victory by the Haudenosaunee Nationals at the Pan-American Women's Lacrosse Championship. They are first time medalists at the senior level and their win over Puerto Rico has far-reaching implications. We'll hear from a player and a coach for the team and take the opportunity to catch up with some other notable Native athletes, from a Comanche professional boxer to the Diné college swimmer.

Michael Steven Wilson (Tohono O'odham) was a lay pastor on the Tohono O'odham Nation in the early 2000s when he started putting out water for migrants crossing the U.S.- Mexico border. He considered it a religious and ethical calling, but it put him at odds with U.S. immigration officials, his church, and his own Native nation. Growing up in Tucson, Ariz. in the 1950s, Wilson endured racism and poverty. He witnessed injustice in Central America while serving in the military — and he confronted questions about his Christian faith while in seminary school in the 90s. His experiences and observations informed his decision to help relieve the suffering of the migrants risking their lives to cross the Sonoran Desert. They are also documented in the memoir, “What Side Are You On?” Wilson is our August Native in the Spotlight.

After 103 years, the Santa Fe Indian Market remains the biggest draw for Native artists, potters, and jewelry makers as well as those who appreciate and collect their work. More than 1.000 juried participants come from hundreds of Native communities, offering a hugely diverse range of inspiring work. We'll take a small sample of that creativity and check in on the outlook for Native arts and arts education.

News consumers have a constant stream of information at their fingertips, but how reliable is it and how do people check the facts? Indigenous journalists are a means to bring balanced viewpoints to newsrooms that typically have limited interaction with Indigenous populations. As the annual gathering of the Indigenous Journalists Association gets underway in Albuquerque, N.M., we'll discuss how journalism is changing and how Indigenous journalists are responding to new pressures for transparency, fact-checking, and bias.

The summer of 1945 saw three nuclear explosions that ushered in a new era of experimentation, development, and fear when it comes to the potential for such a powerful weapon. Native people are among those suffering the most from the consequences of that path. The first test of the atomic bomb at the Trinity site in New Mexico, and the subsequent use of the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, signaled the U.S. Government's new push to develop nuclear weapons, fueled by millions of tons of uranium ore mined near Native land in New Mexico and Arizona. And ongoing nuclear tests exposed thousands of Native people in the Southwest and in Alaska to dangerous levels of radiation. We'll explore the ongoing effects on Native people of nuclear weapons and power development, in this encore presentation.

Another year and another record revenue report for the tribal gaming industry. The annual report by the National Indian Gaming Commission finds slot machines, table games, sports betting, and other enterprises reaped $43.9 billion in 2024. That's up more than $2 billion from the previous year. But there are potential setbacks on the horizon that could affect gaming, including flagging consumer confidence, confusing foreign trade policies, and federal government's diminished regard for tribal sovereignty. We'll get a status update and a look ahead for tribal gaming.

Hopes to fix the Santee Sioux Nation's lack of clean drinking water faded as federal funding for a pipeline project is increasingly tangled in government turmoil. Tribal citizens are forced to drink bottled water to avoid the high levels of manganese in well water. On the Navajo Nation, dozens of people's water wells are contaminated with chemicals, like benzene, associated with the oil and gas drilling industry. There are many mysterious, uncapped wells that could be contributing to the problem. They are just two of the problems tribal citizens are having when it comes to accessing the most basic resource. GUESTS Heather Tanana (Diné), initiative lead of the Universal Access to Clean Water for Tribal Communities and law professor at the University of Denver Nicole Horseherder (Navajo), executive director of Tó Nizhóní Ání Kameron Runnels (Santee Sioux), vice chairman of the Santee Sioux Nation Jerry Redfern, staff reporter for Capital & Main

Sitting Bull is remembered for strong leadership and resistance against the U.S. government, but a series of songs by and about him reveal another side to the renowned Lakota leader. Courtney Yellow Fat (Standing Rock Sioux Tribe) has been sifting through oral and written history to identify the songs that are known to the tribe, but only recently attributed to Sitting Bull. Yellow Fat and others are recording those songs through the Densmore/Lakota Songs Repatriation Project. And Hopi radio station KUYI is marking 25 years on the air. The celebration comes amid new uncertainty about the future of many public and tribal radio stations. We'll talk with the station manager about the milestone for the station and the role community radio plays for Hopi citizens.

Some Native Americans are already bracing for next year's semiquincentennial with worries about how patriotism might cloud historical accounts from a Native perspective. Now, the Trump Administration is promoting a program to teach “the first principles of the Founding” in classrooms. The program uses money previously meant to help low-income and underserved students. It's part of President Donald Trump's push to end what he says is the “radical indoctrination” of public school students. We'll talk about what's being done to include Native voices into an accurate accounting of history.

The summer of 1945 saw three nuclear explosions that ushered in a new era of experimentation, development, and fear when it comes to the potential for such a powerful weapon. Native people are among those suffering the most from the consequences of that path. The first test of the atomic bomb at the Trinity site in New Mexico, and the subsequent use of the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, signaled the U.S. Government's new push to develop nuclear weapons, fueled by millions of tons of uranium ore mined near Native land in New Mexico and Arizona. And ongoing nuclear tests exposed thousands of Native people in the Southwest and in Alaska to dangerous levels of radiation. We'll explore the ongoing effects on Native people of nuclear weapons and power development.

The Shinnecock Nation in New York is in an ongoing legal battle to have their fishing rights recognized. A lawsuit brought forward by a Shinnecock tribal citizen argues the tribe has never ceded their right to fish in any treaty or agreement. The tribe has no treaty with the federal government, but instead with British colonists from the 1600s. This case could possibly affirm the tribe's unended aboriginal claim to fish in the Hamptons. We'll talk with Shinnecock citizens about what's at stake with the case as it moves forward in federal district court.

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

Traditional culture meets global international economic development at the Bering Straits Native Corporation. The collection of tribes plays a key role in the Port of Nome that is working to develop the nation's first deepwater port in the Arctic. It is among the big — and small — economic development visions for Indigenous people in the Arctic region. We'll hear about those opportunities as well as some concerns about balancing financial and traditional environmental well-being being discussed at the Arctic Encounter Symposium in Anchorage, Alaska.

Canada, Norway, Denmark, and the U.S. are among the handful of countries with land above the Arctic Circle. Each of those has significant Indigenous populations with their own cultures built around the land, sea, and ice that they have always inhabited. We'll hear from some of those Indigenous people who are working across borders to learn from, advocate for, and work with their counterparts in other countries. We're broadcasting live from the Arctic Encounter Symposium in Anchorage, Alaska.

Muscogee Freedmen are closer to tribal citizenship than ever before. The Muscogee (Creek) Nation Supreme Court ruled the tribe must extend the rights of citizenship to the descendants of slaves who also have Muscogee lineage. We'll hear from Freedman who welcome the ruling, but warn there are likely more hurdles ahead. We'll also talk with an Alaska Native engineer working on building clean water systems for rural villages and inspiring Native girls to consider careers in science along the way. And we'll hear from both U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy and the tribal chairman about Sec. Kennedy's visit to the Nez Perce Reservation in Idaho to tout the Trump administration's commitment to food sovereignty.

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

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

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

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

Education advocates are launching a multi-year program to develop a game and to teach the Denaakk'e language in schools. That and another language teaching apps come at a time when almost all federal funding for language revitalization is eliminated. We'll also talk with a man about his personal journey learning the Cherokee language, an undertaking that inspired him to learn more about his tribal language's history and importance in maintaining culture.

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