Native America Calling Koahnic

The superintendent of schools for Rapid City, S.D. just issued an apology after a federal investigation found “persistent and statistically significant disparities” when it comes to Native American students. The report specifically cited the superintendent saying tribes don’t value education and complaining about Native students running on "Indian time".  The report comes after a series of incidents drawing the ire of tribes, including a requirement by the Gov. Kristi Noem (R-SD) Administration that state employees remove their tribal affiliations from email signatures. Is South Dakota peculiar or are they driving a trend?



GUESTS



Dr. Valeriah Big Eagle (Ihanktonwan Dakota), former co-chair of Rapid City Area Schools Indigenous Task Force



Sarah White (Oglala Lakota), founder and executive director of South Dakota Education Equity Coalition (SDEEC) and former Title VI Indian Education Manager for Rapid Area Schools



Catherine E. Lhamon, assistant secretary for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Education

As digital technology increasingly becomes the main infrastructure for information and commerce, tribes will need to create an informed strategy to make sure their voices are included. That is one of the driving factors behind the new Center for Tribal Digital Sovereignty that just launched by Arizona State University and the National Congress of American Indians. The project will research and help tribes navigate important trends and issues including broadband connectivity, AI, and data privacy protection.

More than 30 pieces of century-old Hopi pottery, baskets, and other items are making a return visit to the Hopi community, making them available to the descendants of the artists for the first time. The project is called Tuma Angwu Owya. The pieces were originally acquired by a wealthy Massachusetts family who visited the Hopi reservation during cross-country trip in the late 1920s. They forged a lasting relationship with some Hopi community members. Their collection is now housed at Wesleyan University, which is helping facilitate this unique return to their place of origin for a weekend. We’ll talk with the event organizers about bringing these works back to the Hopi reservation.

Indigenous scientists often have a foot in two worlds: modern science and the wisdom that comes from sacred and traditional knowledge. Each has their strengths and their own bearing on ways to achieve ecological sustainability. First Nations ecologist Dr. Jennifer Grenz, author of Medicine Wheel for the Planet, says Western institutions have the right idea with inclusion — but their methods can still be detrimental to Indigenous scholars and communities.

A Massachusetts museum is assembling works to explore how Indigenous people interacted with whales and the marine environment throughout history. The New Bedford Whaling Museum combines a one-woman show by Shinnecock multi-media artist Courtney M. Leonard with a collection of scrimshaw work by Indigenous artists around the country, putting contemporary and historical expressions side by side.

A half dozen Indigenous leaders are getting a boost for incorporating traditional connections with making people and their communities better. The recipients of this year’s Bush Foundation Fellowship include the head of a clinic innovating culturally appropriate care, a Native-led birthing initiative, and a system for helping families affected by the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women issue. Each receives a $100,000 grant to develop their work further. We’ll hear from the fellows about their passions and their plans for the future.