Native America Calling Koahnic

Native Americans, in general, have traditionally supported Democrats, and that has made a significant difference in a few key races. Some candidates are reaching out to the Native vote to get them into office, or to keep them in. The historic election of U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola (Yup'ik/D-AK) brings the number of Native Democrats in Congress to the highest it’s ever been: two. We’ll hear from some notable Native Democrats about the issues they see as important to Native voters.



GUESTS



Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan (White Earth Band of Ojibwe), Minnesota Lieutenant Governor



U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids (Ho-Chunk), U.S. Representative of Kansas’ 3rd Congressional District



U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola (Yup’ik), U.S. Representative of Alaska



Clara Pratte (Navajo), CEO of Strongbow Strategies and the Democratic National Committee Native American Caucus chair

After a report in 2011 report on disparities in Hawaii’s criminal justice system, that state has been working on ways to provide more equitable treatment of Native Hawaiians and other people of color. Those include inmate education efforts, cultural outreach, and programs to help inmates re-enter society. As they wait for a pending update to that initial report, organizers of those initiatives say they are making strides in improving the statistics while making their communities safer.

A good playlist makes the summer heat bearable and sets the mood on an invigorating road trip. In his new album titled Stankface Standing Soldier, composer and hip-hop artist Mato Wayuhi brings listeners along on his journey with beats that range from relaxing to energetic and melodic stories that keep you thinking. Toni Heartless mixes hip-hop, punk, and goth genres in a danceable and edgy new album called DARK DAYS. And Juno-award winning artist Celeigh Cardinal summons personal strength in a couple of new singles just ahead of the June 21 release of her newest album, Boundless Possibilities. We’ll talk with Mato, Toni, and Celeigh about new music that you can add to your summer road trip playlist.

Is there really a mass of Chinese immigrants forming an army within the United States? Are there legions of ineligible voters deciding elections? Are the people you disagree with politically getting influenced by Russian agents? Anymore, news consumers can choose where they get their facts from - and increasingly those facts are in dispute. A new poll by the Media Insight Project finds 53% of those asked think news organizations will report inaccuracies or misinformation about the upcoming election. We will get some clues about what Native news consumers should look out for, and what news organizations could do to restore trust in their products.

U.S. citizenship was not a given for the people who occupied the land before there was a United States. Nor was the idea universally welcomed by all Native nations. Citizenship ensured the right to vote in national elections and equal protection under the Constitution. But it also required relinquishing a measure of sovereignty, something the Onondaga Nation and the Haudenosaunee refuse to recognize to this day. A century after President Calvin Coolidge signed the Indian Citizenship Act, we’ll look at the strengths and sacrifices of becoming American citizens.

Basketball fans are glued to their teams’ performance in the NBA conference finals, with at least two Native players still battling for the title. And the WNBA just started its season, welcoming Minnesota Lynx draft pick Alissa Pili (Iñupiaq and Samoan) onto the court. We’ll hear from Pili, as well as University of Houston Coach Kelvin Sampson (Lumbee), who the AP just named Coach of the Year, along with some other perspectives on Native representation on the court.