Wild rice waters in Minnesota face threats on two fronts. Some Minnesota tribes worry a pipeline replacement project carries the potential for a devastating crude oil leak that would contaminate rice beds for generations. At the same time, state lawmakers are moving to eliminate 45-year old water quality standards—the nation’s only law designed to help wild rice habitat. We’ll get updates on tribes’ efforts to keep wild rice thriving.

Sheep used to roam the desert valleys and mesas of traditional Navajo lands in herds numbering in the thousands. Today, herds are much smaller. A nonprofit organization, Navajo Lifeway or Diné be’iiná, is dedicated to preserving and strengthening traditional herding, butchering and weaving. We’ll take a trip to a Navajo sheep camp and talk about what’s being done to preserve sheep culture.

A year after winning a Special Jury Award for Masterful Storytelling at the Sundance Film Festival, the documentary “Rumble: Indians Who Rocked The World” continues to win awards and accolades. The film’s producer recently took home the Canadian Screen Award for Best Documentary Feature. The documentary includes interviews with a list of prominent musicians about the influence that different Native musicians on rock ‘n roll, jazz, folk and blues music. We’ll talk with some of the musicians...

A South Dakota lacrosse league expelled three predominantly Native American teams in March. Among the reasons league officials listed include uncertified coaches, unregistered players and unwarranted hostility toward players and administrators. The coaches of the expelled teams, however, say the action comes only after they insisted the league address racist incidents by other teams on the field. The coaches note the irony of expelling Native American players from a game invented by Native...

Are you having to make the choice between liking your cousin’s baby pictures and protecting your privacy? Your actions on Facebook and other social media leave an invisible footprint that companies pay a lot of money to uncover. If you’re on Facebook it’s likely your political preferences, shopping habits, educational status and other information is in the hands of sophisticated marketers. If you’re not on Facebook, you might be missing out on updates about friends and family across the...

Elder wisdom is greatly valued in many Native nations. It isn’t usually something that makes its way into the university setting, however. But a handful of Native studies programs are inviting elders in as lecturers, mentors and tutors. They provide traditional knowledge and expand the resources available to students

April is a good time to brush up on sound money management principles. We’ve all heard that following a budget is a good practice. But what other words of wisdom about money are good to follow? Student loans, cell phone bills, and relatives down on their luck all eat into the daily effort to build a personal nest egg. Experts advise you to start good habits early, have a plan and stick with it. We’ll talk with experts and young folks about money mistakes and wins.

We’re turning the mic over to Native poets to celebrate National Poetry Month. Their words can take readers and listeners on an intimately personal journey. They can also provide artistic narration for social and cultural movements. Which Native poets inspire you? Join our show and pitch in your own short poem.

Since the violent clashes between Dakota Access Pipeline protesters and law enforcement officers, states have passed dozens of laws restricting public protests and increasing penalties for convictions. Most recently, the Wyoming legislature passed a bill that would fine organizations as much as $1 million if they are found supporting protests that impede ‘critical infrastructure.’ The governor vetoed the measure. The First Amendment does not give permission to break laws, but protests and...

Artist James Luna (Luiseño/ Ipai/Mexican) famously put his own body on display as a museum artifact in 1987. Later, he divided his face in two with his work, “Half Indian/Half Mexican,” a photo commentary on “the absurdity of being of measurability mixed blood ancestry.” In 2014 he reimagined Ishi, the last of the Yahi tribe, with photography. Last month the Native art world mourned when Luna unexpectedly walked on at the age of 68. We’ll remember his art and life with family and friends.

Less than half of students graduated from Tohono O’odham Nation high schools a decade ago. It was a wake-up call for the superintendent at the time, Alberto Siqueiros. He set the school on a plan to improve graduation rates, test scores and overall performance. He cleaned house, removing half the district’s staff and raising teacher salaries. Today one high school in the school district sees 87-percent of their students graduate. We’ll talk with him and others about the successes and...

For the past 29 years, the Keex’ Kwaan Culture Camp in Kake, Alaska has helped link the community’s Native youth to their elders and culture. In Albuquerque, N.M., the Traditional Teachings Camp from the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center invites urban youth to learn about Pueblo culture through cultural activities and gardening. In the next in our series, Through the Generations, we’ll take a look at several tribally-run summer camps that focus on linking Native youth, elders and land...

The trees are budding, flowers are blooming and in some places the pollen count already has allergy sufferers staying inside. More than 50 million people experience allergies each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There are many kinds of allergies, like seasonal allergies and animal allergies, and a wide range of symptoms including itchy eyes, congestion and anaphylactic shock. In this program, we’ll break down the causes and treatments for allergies while...

Indian Country Today is back with veteran journalist Mark Trahant (Shoshone/Bannock) as the editor. We’ll talk with him about what new innovations and directions the revived ICT will incorporate. We’ll also talk about disappearing red abalone numbers in California. We hear from journalists covering recent important issues in Native America. It’s our regular news round up.

When Oglala Lakota educator Robert Cook’s son came to him asking for a violin to play in the school orchestra, he told him the family didn’t have the money for the instrument. But the Johnson-O’Malley Program in their tribe was able to provide the funds for the instrument, creating a lifelong musician. Since 1934 the JOM has provided funding for American Indian and Alaska Native students in public school. The money provides school supplies, cultural activities and other enrichment for...

When Chickasaw classical composer, Jerod Tate creates music he’s always “feeling ethos, romance and deep feelings about Indian people,” he said. In some of his newest works, Tate tells traditional stories through large orchestrated oratorios. Another composer, Wolastoqiyik Jeremy Dutcher, based in Canada, is honoring his people’s language by composing music around old wax cylinder recordings from 1910. These two Indigenous artists will join us to talk about telling stories through classical...

In the age when people publish instantly on Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, and their own blogs, it might be difficult to see where zines—low-tech, photocopied, self-published magazines—have a place. But they’re still around. You might find them laying around at your local coffee shop or alternative bookstore. The zine publisher might print one out and mail it to you. Kayla Shaggy’s (Diné and Anishinaabe) zine, “Monstrous,” is filled with drawings of monsters. She says the format offers “the...

A blend of funk, jazz and Indigenous hip-hop soul is what happens when DDAT steps on the stage. In their self-titled album DDAT is showing what happens when music genres dance together. The group is comprised of Navajo MC Def-I and the Delbert Anderson Trio, whose members have ties to the Navajo Nation. The rapid pace of rhyme and lyrics is what the group calls a pure fusion fire of tracks. We'll hear about the process of making the DDAT sound.

Art for the sake of art is great, but for many artists, at some point bills need to be paid. That moment when real cash money is exchanged for hard work can be exhilarating. But there are a lot of questions about getting to that point and how to keep it going. What is a fair price to ask for your art work? Do you charge by the hour or by the inch? And what do you do when customers think you are asking too much? We’ll talk with artists and experts about the business side of art.

Warming shelters for the homeless in Rapid City are well-intentioned but ultimately “do more harm than good” says Police Chief Karl Jegeris. He says the shelters are partly to blame for the recent deaths of Connie Red Nest and Ernie Evans. Officials believe they died of exposure in sub-zero temperatures. Rapid City is just one place working against the odds to try and help people—many of them Native Americans—who don’t have a safe harbor from weather, violence, and their own addictions....