Native America Calling Koahnic

The newest report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention paint a distressing increase in the number of overdose deaths among Native Americans. It shows Native fatalities rose 39% from 2019 to 2020. That far outpaces the increase for the population as a whole. Also, an investigative report looks into alcohol-related fatalities in the state of New Mexico and finds that, while disproportionately high, the number for Native populations is not the main driving force in the overall problem. Today on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce talks with Heather Benjamin (Ojibwe), Indian Health Board’s opioid intervention and prevention health educator; Dr. Spero Manson (Pembina Chippewa), Centers for American Indian and Alaska Native Health director at the University of Colorado Medical Campus; and independent journalist Ted Alcorn.

A group of Native tennis enthusiasts formed their own organization 50 years ago and it’s grown into a collection of competitions, youth tennis camps and regular recreational meet-ups. The North American Indian Tennis Association holds an annual tournament Memorial Day weekend. It’s all aimed toward improving people’s skills and fostering interest among Native players. Today on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce talks with Lee Maytubby (Chickasaw), North American Indian Tennis Association Tournament director; Jessica Redcorn (Osage), United States Tennis Association Player and co-organizer for the North American Indian Tennis Association Tournament; and Tony Mulligan (Chickasaw), tennis player and co-organizer for the North American Indian Tennis Association Tournament.

Move over Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny Glover, Amber Midthunder (Fort Peck Sioux Tribe) is the new hero of the Predator sci-fi franchise. “Prey” is released on Hulu August 5. The story takes place 300 years ago as a female Comanche warrior battles a species of alien that comes to Earth hunting other dangerous species. The film is offered in both English and dubbed Comanche versions. We’ll talk about the film in terms of Native representation and its place in the ‘Predator’ line of films.  Friday on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce talks with Amber Midthunder; her breakout co-star Dakota Beavers (Pueblo descendant and Mexican); producer Jhane Myers (Comanche and Blackfeet); director Dan Trachtenberg; Sarae Ticeahkie, public relations officer for the Comanche Nation of Oklahoma; Dr. Kate Briner, Comanche language translator for “Prey” and director of the language department for the Comanche Nation of Oklahoma; and Vincent Schilling (Akwesasne Mohawk), editor of NativeViewPoint.com and certified Rotten Tomatoes critic about the film in terms of Native representation and its place in the Predator line of films.

For these four students, attending college is more than just their own personal achievement. It’s a way to honor their people and give a part of themselves to their communities. It’s also a way to represent their cultures within a system that often struggles to adequately understand where they come from. Thursday on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce talks with four students who share their struggles and triumphs working toward their educational dreams in the audio documentary from American Public Media, Standing In Two Worlds: Native American College Diaries: Nevaeh Nez (Hopi and Navajo), graduate student at the University of North Carolina; Reuben Kitto Stately (Red Lake Nation citizen and Santee Sioux), graduate from Augsburg University; Archie Yellow (Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa), Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College student; and Camille Leihulu Slagle (Native Hawaiian), a Stanford University student.

The city of Gallup, NM is marking 100 years of celebrating the region’s Indigenous culture with events like a parade and traditional song and dance. The annual celebration Aug. 4-14 has grown to include a rodeo and an arts market and it welcomes representatives from tribes across the globe. Today on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce talks with Melissa Sanchez (Acoma Pueblo and Laguna Pueblo), executive director of the Gallup Intertribal Ceremonial; Amber Ballenger (Diné), current Gallup Intertribal Ceremonial Queen; Stephen Qacung Blanchet (Yup’ik), founding member of Pamyua; and Kyle Tom (Navajo), Gallup Intertribal Ceremonial Association board president, co-coordinator for the rodeo, and an INFR and PRCA rodeo announcer.

Heat, COVID, and Monkeypox are all health threats that are looming this summer. Monkeypox comes from a virus and is rarely fatal, but the World Health Organization just declared it a global health concern. Meanwhile, COVID infections persist even through public health agencies are not tracking it as comprehensively as before. And as the climate changes, illnesses related to heat are becoming more of a concern for farm workers and vulnerable populations. Today on Native America Calling, Shawn Spruce speaks with health experts Dean Seneca (Seneca), CEO of Seneca Scientific Solutions, and Steven Bradfute, Assistant Professor in the UNM Center for Global Health and Department of Internal Medicine.