Native America Calling

Through interviews with relatives, community knowledge keepers, and her work as a climate activist and lawyer, Katłı̨̀ą Catherine Lafferty (Yellowknives Dene) shares Dene wisdom and perspectives about the land that provide possible solutions for the climate crisis in her new book, “Mother Earth is Our Elder: A Northern Indigenous Path Toward Sustainable Living”. Her primary sources for the book include Yellowknives Dene chief Fred Sangris, former chief of the Łutsël K’é Dene First Nation Steven Nitah, and elder Randy Baillargeon. We’ll hear from Lafferty about her book and how it informs the day set aside to acknowledge the Earth. We’ll also talk with Innu cultural guardian Jodie Ashini (Innu) about how the tribe’s flag ended up on the Artemis II mission through space around the Moon.

The Trump administration settled a lawsuit this month challenging its year-long effort to dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and agreed to honor past grants that were clawed back last year forcing public libraries across the country (including tribal libraries) to scramble for alternative funding, cut programming, lay off employees, or close their doors. Tribal libraries get numerous grants from the IMLS and, while library directors and advocates welcome reinstated IMLS funds, they are looking to strengthen funding and support for the long term. On National Library Week, we’ll get an update from tribal library advocates about the longevity of these much-needed programs and facilities. We’ll also learn about continued efforts to keep all books (including those written by Indigenous writers) on public and school library shelves. A handful of states passed legislation that reduces the risk of books being banned in schools and public libraries. This is in response to numerous book ban controversies in states like Texas and Florida that pit librarians and authors of books about certain LGBTQ2+, racial, and historical subjects against conservative Christians. Now, a bill that would ban similar books has been introduced to Congress. GUESTS Jennifer Himmelreich (Diné), senior consultant for the Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums’ Tribal Library Council Cassandra Osterloh (Cherokee), New Mexico State Library tribal libraries program coordinator Laurel Goodluck (Mandan, Hidatsa, and Tsimshian), author and member of the Freedom to Read New Mexico coalition

“Python’s Kiss” by Louise Erdrich (Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa) is a collection of short stories that are just as poignant and rich as her novels. In “Domain,” Erdrich imagines an afterlife run like a corporate business. In “Wedding Dresses”, the protagonist relives her past marriages and what led to pain and heartbreak. Each creative story is brilliantly told through Erdrich’s wide range of compelling characters and illustrated by Aza Erdrich Abe, Louise’s daughter and long-time book cover artist. Louise and Aza join us on Native Bookshelf, our regular literary feature. Some stories in “Python’s Kiss” made previous appearances in The New Yorker, Granta, and other literary publications. Two of them are slated to appear in forthcoming prize-winning collections “The Best American Short Stories 2026” and “The Best Short Stories 2026: The O. Henry Prize Winners”. Erdrich is the author of many books that earned her multiple literary awards including the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award.

Filmmaker Kelly Moneymaker is dedicated to documenting how Indigenous people across the world — especially in the Arctic — are adapting to a rapidly changing climate. Moneymaker, who is Samoan and was raised by an adoptive Iñupiaq father, pivoted her career after a successful run in pop music to highlight Indigenous stories on film. Her work has been showcased at United Nations Climate Conferences, prestigious film festivals, and previous Arctic Encounter Summits in Anchorage, Alaska. We’ll speak to Moneymaker about her film work and hear from Unangax̂ tribal leader Crystal Dushkin about her efforts to revitalize her culture while bringing economic security to her community. And Rachel Kallander, Arctic Encounter Summit founder and CEO, will join us for a review of this year’s convening of global leaders and stakeholders.

There are no casinos or lotteries in Alaska. The state has some of the most restrictive gaming laws in the country, but the small Dena’ina Athabascan Village of Eklutna, located in Anchorage’s municipality, is pushing the envelope on tribal gaming rights in the state. The Chin’an Gaming Hall is still open even after a year of legal disputes and threats by the state to close its doors. The village is also at the forefront of climate advocacy in southcentral Alaska. They have been working to restore their river’s namesake and salmon habitat. We’ll speak with the Eklutna’s president Aaron Leggett, live from the Arctic Encounter Summit in Anchorage, an annual gathering of policymakers, diplomats, Indigenous leaders, and stakeholders. We’ll also hear from Alaska Native elders and subsistence rights advocates from St. Lawrence Island about whaling and contamination from a former military site on the island. GUESTS Aaron Leggett (Dena’ina Athabascan), president of the Village of Eklutna Vi Waghiyi (Yupik), environmental health and justice program director at the Alaska Community Action on Toxics Merle Apassingok (Yupik), elder and leader from the Native Village of Gambell Dr. Sara Olsvig (Inuit), chair of the Inuit Circumpolar Council

President Donald Trump is pushing for more oil drilling in Alaska’s Arctic, a decision directly impacting Iñupiaq communities. Millions of acres in the National Petroleum Reserve were opened for oil and gas leasing and the administration’s reversal of Biden-era protections has the potential to open up the pristine National Wildlife Refuge for leasing and drilling. Some Iñupiaq communities welcome the potential for more oil drilling that promises to boost revenue and jobs for shareholders. Others worry about the environment and their ability to carry on subsistence lifestyles. We’ll get perspectives from Iñupiaq leaders about the future of economic development in the Arctic. We’re broadcasting live from the 2026 Arctic Encounter Summit in Anchorage, Alaska. GUESTS Asisaun Toovak (Iñupiaq), mayor of Utqiagvik, Alaska Pearl Brower (Iñupiaq), president and CEO of Ukpeaġvik Iñupiat Corporation Nagruk Harcharek (Iñupiaq), president of The Voice of the Arctic Iñupiat (VOICE)

The work of Margaret Wickens Pearce (Citizen Potawatomi) as a cartographer does not separate Indigenous people, stories, culture, and memory from a place that she is mapping. She works with tribes, Native scientists, and culture keepers to bring forth map layers often overlooked by the mainstream. One of her recent projects, “The Cold at Inuit Nunangat”, maps the ways Inuit protect their homelands in northern Canada and how colonization interferes with that connection. Her current mapping project, “Mississippi Dialogues”, depicts the Mississippi River through the perspective of Indigenous people and their stewardship. Pearce was named a National Geographic 33 in March and has been a National Geographic Explorer since 2022. She is also the recipient of a 2025 MacArthur Fellowship and genius grant and she is our April Native in the Spotlight. We’ll also visit with photographer and National Geographic Explorer Kiliii Yüyan (Nanai Hèzhé) about his photography book, “Guardians of Life: Indigenous Knowledge, Indigenous Science, and Restoring the Planet“. The book, which launched in April, is a culmination of photos from his travels to Indigenous communities throughout the globe with a focus on Indigenous connections and stewardship of land.

The Seminole Nation of Oklahoma is one of the first tribes to pass a moratorium against the construction of hyperscale data centers. The nearby Muscogee Nation also turned down an opportunity to build a data center after Muscogee citizens spoke out in force against the plan. Large tech companies are stepping up the pressure to build hyperscale data centers to house the processing power for data storage and generative AI. The federal government is providing incentives for tribes to get involved in this part of the tech boom. It is part of the Trump administration’s push to unleash American technological power, but such facilities typically require a lot of power and water. Native environmentalists warn data center companies are only looking to take advantage of tribes’ sovereignty and resources. GUESTS Cheyenne McNeill (Coharie), editorial fellow at Mother Jones Jordan Harmon (Muscogee), policy specialist at Indigenous Environmental Network Ashley Leitka (Absentee Shawnee Tribe and Oglala Lakota), co-director of the sovereignty and self-determination department for Honor The Earth Dr. Karen Jarratt Snider (Choctaw), professor of applied Indigenous studies at Northern Arizona University

Paying to have a sandwich delivered to your door or even replacing a broken appliance is as easy as clicking an app and worrying about the bill later. Apps like Klarna and Afterpay allow consumers to pay installments for goods they can have in hand right away. A new report by Lending Tree finds 4 in 10 Americans now use pay later loans for groceries, an increase from the previous year fueled partly in a rise in prices. Financial literacy experts warn of the potential for consumers to quickly lose control of spending with such apps, but even for consumers using conventional methods, keeping on top of increasing costs for food and gas means more disciplined spending, at least in the short term. We’ll go over ideas for keeping a lid on personal finances. We’ll also hear about the uncertain future of a federal Native financial grant and loan program that is slated for elimination with President Donald Trump’s 2027 budget proposal. The $28 million dollar program aids Native communities with homeownership, credit building, and entrepreneurship, but the administration says it’s promoting, “cultural Marxism“. GUESTS Chantay Moore (Diné), certified financial educator Pete Upton (Ponca), CEO and chairperson of the Native CDFI Network and the executive director of the Native360 Loan Fund Break 1 Music: C.R.E.A.M. [Instrumental] (song) Wu-Tang Clan (artist) Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers [Instrumentals] (album) Break 2 Music: Further From the Country (song) William Prince (artist) Further From the Country (album)

Indigenous women skaters shove and elbow their way around the oval roller derby track — and along the way they are finding sisterhood and a sense of pride. Clad in helmets and knee and elbow pads, they take full-contact laps around the track that also serves as an arena for visibility and representation. The international team, Indigenous Rising, is a ground-breaking pack made up of skaters from dozens of tribes who otherwise compete on local teams. The documentary, “Rising Through the Fray”, follows the team’s journey and the personal passions and sacrifice individual players put into this unique and fast-paced sport. GUESTS Kristina “Krispy” Glass (Cherokee), coach and manager for Indigenous Rising Roller Derby Sherry “Sour Cherry” Bontkes (Saulteaux Ojibwe from the Sagkeeng First Nation in Manitoba), roller derby player Angelene “Niketah” Ketah (Tlingit), roller derby player Kapulani “Hawaiian Blaze” Patterson (Kanaka Maoli) Courtney Montour (Kanien’kehá:ka), filmmaker, writer, and director of “Rising Through the Fray” Break 1 Music: Head High (song) Wavelengths (artist) Break 2 Music: Further From the Country (song) William Prince (artist) Further From the Country (album)

President Donald Trump’s federal budget proposal includes a 75% funding cut to a diabetes prevention and treatment program specifically for Native Americans. It also calls for up to $65 million in cuts to Indian Health Care facilities improvements. The Republican-controlled Congress has a mixed record on supporting Trump’s budget cuts to Native health care, but the proposals are cause for concern for tribes like Acoma Pueblo in New Mexico that is contending with costly repairs for its aging health clinic. It also comes as the country faces the looming dropoff in Medicaid reimbursements that jeopardizes the future for hundreds of mainly rural hospitals across the country. We’ll assess the threats to Native health care as we know it and other potential challenges that the ongoing shift in federal priorities is bringing to the surface. GUESTS Liz Malerba (Mohegan), director of policy and legislative affairs for the United South and Eastern Tribes Sovereignty Protection Fund A.C. Locklear (Lumbee), CEO of the National Indian Health Board Jerilyn Church (Cheyenne River Lakota), president and CEO of the Great Plains Tribal Leader’s Health Board Kurt Riley (Acoma Pueblo), chairman of the Acoma Pueblo Health Board and former governor of Acoma Pueblo Break 1 Music: Intertribal (song) Blackfoot Confederacy (artist) Confederacy Style (album) Break 2 Music: Further From the Country (song) William Prince (artist) Further From the Country (album)

The Alutiiq Museum in Kodiak, Alaska is telling the story of 11 children taken from the area and shipped off to the Carlisle Indian Boarding School more than a century ago. The museum was instrumental in securing the return of one of those children who was buried on school grounds. It is part of an ongoing effort by the museum to document and repatriate Alaska Native ancestors under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. We’ll hear about their work. GUESTS Dehrich Chya (Alutiiq, Sun’aq Tribe of Kodiak), director of language and living culture at the Alutiiq Museum and Archaeological Repository Benjamin Jacuk (Dena’ina Athabascan and Sugpiaq), director of Indigenous research at the Alaska Native Heritage Center Nyché Andrew (Yup’ik/Iñupiaq) Break 1 Music: They Sing to Each Other (song) Pamyua (artist) Side A Side B (album) Break 2 Music: Further From the Country (song) William Prince (artist) Further From the Country (album)

A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision opens a new path for the controversial practice known as “conversion therapy”, a method aimed at questioning or even changing a person’s sexual orientation. More than 20 states ban the practice. It is condemned by major medial establishments including the American Psychological Association and the American Medical Association. LGBTQ2+ advocates at the Trevor Project call the Supreme Court’s ruling a “tragic step backward“. It is also one in the growing number of legal and policy challenges ranging from a ban on Pride flags to defunding HIV/AIDS treatment. We’ll hear from Native LGBTQ and Two-Spirit advocates and legal experts about the landscape for LGBTQ2 protections. GUESTS State Rep. Liish Kozlowski (Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa/D-MN), first non-binary person elected to the Minnesota Legislature Shelby Chestnut (Assiniboine), executive director of the Transgender Law Center Lenny Hayes (Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate), owner and executive director of Tate Topa Consulting, LLC Mattee Jim (Diné), Native transgender advocate Break 1 Music: ‘Cause I Like A Girl (song) Ailani (artist) Heartbroken Bones (album) Break 2 Music: Further From the Country (song) William Prince (artist) Further From the Country (album)

This year’s Juno Awards in Hamilton, Ontario, included historic wins and high-profile performances by Indigenous artists, celebrating their roles as central, defining voices in contemporary Canadian music. Oji-Cree singer-songwriter Aysanabee secured two major honors: Alternative Album of the Year and Contemporary Indigenous Artist of the Year for his project Edge of the Earth. Veteran powwow group Bear Creek won for Traditional Indigenous Group—their first Juno in a nearly 30-year career. William Prince performed his song For the First Time, and Inuk throat singer Tanya Tagaq appeared onstage as part of a tribute to Nelly Furtado. We’ll hear more about Indigenous milestones by Indigenous artists at Canada’s biggest celebration of music. GUESTS Aysanabee (Oji-Cree, Sucker Clan of Sandy Lake First Nation) Jai King-Green (Mississaugas Anishinaabe), singer from the Manitou Mkwa Singers Joe Syrette (Ojibwe from Batchewana First Nation), head singer for Bear Creek Yellow Bear Nakota (Nakoda), Indigenous Sioux singer Break 1 Music: Further From the Country (song) William Prince (artist) Further From the Country (album) Break 2 Music: Save the World (song) Tribz (artist) Trimmed (album)

A jury convicted Google and social media giant, Meta, of failing to do enough to prevent the harmful effects of their projects on children. Plaintiffs, including several tribes, argued children too young to be on social media platforms are subjected to bullying and suffer poor self-esteem because of content they encounter online. At the same time, retailers are able to strip personal information from young people—and others who use social media. Does social media have any redeeming value? We’ll find out what might change in light of the recent legal decision. Break 1 Music: Current (song) Chuck Copenace (artist) Oshki Manitou (album) Break 2 Music: Save the World (song) Tribz (artist) Trimmed (album)

The historic heat dome moving across the country smashed hundreds of high temperature records. Several places in Arizona and California reached 112 degrees — an unheard-of high in March. The Tohono O’odham Nation in southern Arizona issued an extreme heat warning after an official high temperature hit 108 degrees. The temporary weather phenomenon is slowly moving on, but not before drying out watersheds and melting snowpack that are critical sources of summer for people and agriculture. And climate experts say the abnormally hot start to the year is only the beginning. We’ll speak with researchers and others who are keeping track of climate trends for the year on what people can expect in the months ahead. GUESTS Roberta “Birdie” Wilcox-Cano (Diné), mayor of Winslow, Ariz. Mary “Cathy” Cathleen Wilson (Tohono O’odham), climate journalist and advocate Dr. Eugene Livar, Chief Heat Officer for Arizona Department of Health Services Alexander “Sasha” Gershunov, research meteorologist for the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at University of California San Diego Rob Fairbanks (Leech Lake Ojibwe), comedian aka The Rez Reporter Break 1 Music: To Keep the World We Know (song) Bruce Cockburn (artist) O Sun O Moon (album) Break 2 Music: Save the World (song) Tribz (artist) Trimmed (album)

Kickapoo chef Crystal Wahpepah documents the intertribal flavors and characteristics of contemporary Native American cuisine and her upbringing in Oakland, Calif. in her debut cookbook, “A Feather and a Fork: 125 Intertribal Dishes from an Indigenous Food Warrior.” Woven through the recipes and gorgeous food photos, Wahpepah gives readers and cooks a tour of her restaurant, Wahpepah’s Kitchen, and present Oakland Native food sovereignty initiatives — and poignant personal and cultural stories that ingredients and flavors hold. Near the end of winter, ooligan (eulachon or smelt), a small oily fish, would come rushing up rivers by the millions in the Pacific Northwest, according to historical accounts and elders’ stories. Today, ooligan are listed as a threatened species with sporadic springtime runs that more often do not support subsistence fishing. We’ll hear from the Nuxalk Nation in British Columbia about their ooligan studies and restoration, and from fishermen in Metlakatla, Alaska about this spring’s ooligan haul. GUESTS Crystal Wahpepah (Kickapoo), chef and owner of Wahpepah’s Kitchen and author of “A Feather and a Fork: 125 Intertribal Dishes from an Indigenous Food Warrior” Cindy Wagner (Tsimshian and Haida), fisherman Louie Wagner (Tsimshian and Tlingit), fisherman Jason Moody (Nuxalk), Nuxalk fisheries and wildlife planning coordinator and owner of Nan Adventure Tours Break 1 Music: Boujee Natives (song) Snotty Nose Rez Kids (artist) Trapline (album) Break 2 Music: Save the World (song) Tribz (artist) Trimmed (album)

In the early 2000s, an investigation found a handful of tribes in at least four states were paying exorbitant fees to a lobbying firm headed by Jack Abramoff. The tribes were looking to gain ground in the rapidly evolving Native gaming political landscape. The investigation and the resulting fraud and bribery trials would convict Abramoff and a dozen others, including congressional staffers, in a scheme that totaled at least $80 million. One tribal official called them “the contemporary faces of the exploitation of Native peoples“. While he was taking their money, Abramoff privately referred to the tribal officials he was dealing with as “monkeys” and “morons.” A Blackfeet tribal member was instrumental in exposing Abramoff’s crimes. We’ll look back at this significant event in tribal gaming history and what has changed in the 25 years since. GUESTS Philip Hogen (Oglala Lakota), former chairman of the National Indian Gaming Commission and of counsel for Hogen Adams PLLC Tom Rodgers (Blackfeet), founder of Carlyle Consulting and the Global Indigenous Council, an advocacy organization focusing on Native American issues Monica Lubiarz-Quigley, attorney and former lawyer for the Saginaw Chippewa Tribe

Born in Greenland, Aaju Peter did not begin to explore the breadth of her own Inuit culture until she moved to Nunavut, Canada. It was there that she got in touch with an internal drive to learn about and strengthen language, education, policy, and the arts toward improving Inuit representation on an international scale. That has resulted in a varied career as an activist, lawyer, clothing designer, and musician. Among her many accolades is the Order of Canada, awarded for her preservation and promotion of Inuit culture. Aaju Peter joins us as our Native in the Spotlight. Break 1 Music: The Great Angakkuq [feat. Kevin Qamaniq-Mason] (song) Silla (artist) Sila Is Boss (album) Break 2 Music: Hard Times Will Be Coming (song) Courtney Yellow Fat (artist) The Lost Songs of Sitting Bull (album)

The Oneida Nation went from having nearly all of their land stripped from them to being one of the most powerful political and economic entities in Wisconsin. In “Unsettling Territory: The Resurgence of the Oneida Nation in the Face of Settler Backlash“, Oneida author and historian Douglas Metoxen Kiel reveals how the tribe turned displacement into opportunity and managed to strengthen and grow their presence in the face of organized opposition that many Native Americans are familiar with. Diné writer Dorothy Denetclaw and journalist Matt Fitzsimons uncover the events leading up to the murder trial involving two sons of the Navajo spiritual leader, Ahdilthdoney, also known as Gunshooter. The book, “The Sons of Gunshooter: A Navajo Resistance Story“, tells the story of the 1919 shooting death of Charles Hubbell, a member of a prominent trading family. The authors access archival research and oral storytelling to arrive at a different conclusion than what the courts and news media landed on at the time. It goes on to also tell a larger story of resistance against outside colonial oppression. Break 1 Music: Tha Mash Up (song) Wayne Silas, Jr. (artist) Infinite Passion (album) Break 2 Music: Hard Times Will Be Coming (song) Courtney Yellow Fat (artist) The Lost Songs of Sitting Bull (album)