Native America Calling Koahnic

Two new albums feature Native languages front and center, incorporating traditional storytelling and themes of resilience. Nuxalk Radio is celebrating ten years on the air with compilation of original songs entirely in the Nuxalk language. Nusximta is the result of a call to community members to write songs rooted in cultural tradition and to inspire language revitalization. Indigenous jazz/funk/rock band Khu.éex' references federal Native relocation programs and other historical issues in their new album, Siyáadlan. We’ll speak with artists about their respective projects.



GUESTS



Preston Singletary (Tlingit), co-founder of Khu.éex', musician, and glass artist



Captain Raab (Siksika Nation), guitarist and composer for Khu.éex'



Qwaxw (Nuxalk), co-founder and tech manager of Nuxalk Radio



Nuskmata (Nuxalk), artist on the album Nusximta by Nuxalk Radio

The threat of a Donald Trump presidency has prompted hundreds of people from a dozen countries to begin walking to the U.S. border in an attempt to gain access before a potential ban on immigrants. It’s the latest in a surge of recent legal and illegal immigration attempts over the U.S.-Mexico border that is a focus of political campaigns portraying immigrants as a safety threat and a drain on public resources. We’ll hear from tribal representatives about how they view immigration from the southern border.



GUESTS



Dr. David Martinez (Akimel O'odham enrolled at the Gila River Indian Community), professor of American Indian studies and transborder studies and the director and founder of the Institute for Transborder Indigenous Nations at Arizona State University



Oscar Chacón, co-founder and executive director of Alianza Americas

The U.S. House of Representatives just upped the ante on voter ID efforts by passing a bill to require proof of citizenship at polling places. Even though the idea lacks support in the Senate, it’s the latest in a relentless drive for more voting restrictions that Native American voting rights advocates say hinder access. In addition, an effort by the Walker River Paiute Tribe for more equitable voting access is getting pushback over security. We’ll get the latest efforts for equitable voting access.

Even before colonial contact, tribal leaders faced life and death decisions, challenges to their authority, and the judgements of their constituency. They also developed a model of governance that informed America's burgeoning democracy. Two Native scholars take a look at the successes and stumbles of tribal leadership throughout history. Some of those provide a guide for today's Native and non-Native leaders. We'll hear from Dr. David E. Wilkins (Lumbee), professor at the University of Richmond and the author of Indigenous Governance, and Stephen Wall (citizen of the White Earth Nation), faculty emeritus in Indigenous Liberal Studies at the Institute of American Indian Arts and author of American Indian Tribal Governance: A Critical Perspective, about their research that is both a compelling history lesson, and a map for what leaders can become.

We'll get a picture of what's ahead for Native voters as Democrats muster support for a new presidential candidate.



Also: The spaces around community buildings, public spaces and campuses reflect the people, culture, and land. At Southern Oregon University, a team of Native landscape architects and planners is including native plants, medicines, and foods for a large section of campus. It's one model for incorporating Native input to connect culture and the larger community.

Among the earth's most genetically pure buffalo herds in Yellowstone National Park, a rare white buffalo calf is born. It is considered sacred to surrounding tribes, such as the Lakota, Dakota, Blackfeet, and Shoshone, and was given a name, Wakan Gli, in a naming ceremony. The white calf brings with it a prophecy that some say correctly explains current human struggles with big issues like climate change. We’ll talk with Native culture bearers about the significance of Wakan Gli. We'll also wrap up our eventful week at the Republican National Convention.