Native America Calling

Two musicians with Diné roots give audiences distinctly different takes on their desert Southwest origins. The Phoenix-based band Mogley and the Zoniez have built their sound playing for years in the Southwest café and bar circuit. The melodic and energetic indie-alt sound and distinctive vocals have become a favorite for a growing number of fans. They have a new EP to add to their set list, Better Late Than Never. We’ll hear from lead singer Quenton Oney about how they reach their audience and what’s next. Hataałii's new album, "I'll Be Around", is an affirming and beautifully dark low-fi project. He ditched the professional studio route for a DIY production in a shed in Albuquerque. The result is a personal and intimate set of songs sure to find far-reaching resonance. GUESTS Quenton Oney aka Mogley from Mogley and The Zoniez (Diné and Inuit), lead singer and guitar player for Mogley and The Zoniez Hitaałiinez Wheeler (Diné), singer and songwriter

More than 42,000 Native Americans served in the military during the Vietnam War, the vast majority as volunteers. They faced racist and stereotypical taunts from fellow service members. After their service, veterans suffered psychological and emotional trauma at a higher rate than other populations. As the nation marks 50 years since the fall of Saigon and the end of the war, we’ll hear from Native Vietnam veterans about what the conflict means to them now. GUESTS Frank Sewell (Seminole Nation of Oklahoma and Creek), Vietnam War veteran Harvey Pratt (Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes), artist and Vietnam War Marine veteran Rachelle Pablo (Diné), museum specialist for the National Native American Veterans Memorial at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian Francis Whitebird (Rosebud Sioux Tribe), Army Vietnam War veteran Allen Hoe (Native Hawaiian), attorney and Vietnam veteran

Tribal wildlife officials are trying to get a handle on the seemingly unstoppable increase in chronic wasting disease among large game animals. Now in at least three dozen states, the disease is always fatal for the deer, elk, and moose that contract it. Some public health officials are also cautioning about the potential for it to make the jump to humans. At the same time, measles cases have jumped over 1,000 in the United States. Decades after the highly contagious and easily preventable disease was all but eradicated, measles comes at at time when skepticism of scientifically proven vaccines is at an all time high. We’ll find out what wildlife managers and public health officials say about the threats from these two illnesses. GUESTS Dean Seneca (Seneca), CEO of Seneca Scientific Solutions+ and adjunct professor at the School of Public Health and Health Professions at the University of Buffalo and Adjunct Instructor at University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry Kari Kingery (Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes), tribal wildlife program manager for the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Tiffany Wolf, associate professor in the Department of Veterinary Population Medicine and co-director of Minnesota Center for Prion Research and Outreach at the University of Minnesota Erin Larson, deer herd specialist for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

A tool to help finance housing, business, and other community development projects on tribal land is in President Donald Trump’s crosshairs. President Trump’s executive order eliminates funding for Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI). It’s unclear what the order means in practicality. His budget reduces federal funding for CDFIs by almost $300 million. If the cuts to CDFIs are realized, it could significantly curtail progress on affordable housing, small businesses, green energy, and other projects. GUESTS Jonelle Yearout (Nez Perce), executive director of the Nimiipuu Community Development Fund Pete Upton (Ponca Tribe of Nebraska), CEO and chairperson of the Native CDFI Network and executive director of the Native360 Loan Fund Roxanne Best (Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation), business owner Chrystel Cornelius (Oneida Nation of Wisconsin and Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians), president and CEO of the Oweesta Corporation

Indigenous leaders are forcefully denouncing Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s rhetoric inviting the idea of separating from Canada. The province includes wide swaths of treaty territory established through agreements with the federal government. First Nations leaders say there is no way to even enter the conversation of separation without first consulting with the tribes. The unprecedented talk of separation comes as President Donald Trump insists on promoting the unlikely scenario of the U.S. annexing Canada. We’ll learn about First Nations authority in Alberta and the sovereignty questions the separation discussions raise. GUESTS Chief Sheldon Sunshine (Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation) Matthew Wildcat (Ermineskin Cree Nation), assistant professor and director of Indigenous Governance in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta Steve Newcomb (Shawnee and Lenape), author of “Pagans in the Promised Land: Decoding the Doctrine of Christian Discovery” and co-founder and director of the Indigenous Law Institute Wilton Littlechild (Cree), International Chief for Treaty Six Confederacy and former commissioner of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada

Ojibwe (Red Cliff) journalist Mary Annette Pember puts her own family’s boarding school experiences on display in her new book, “Medicine River: A Story of Survival and the Legacy of Indian Boarding Schools.” Pember builds from her relationship with her mother, a boarding school survivor, to offer personal insights into the origins and effects of generational trauma. She also documents her path to journalism and how one non-Native editor’s refusal to cover Native issues drove her to become one of country’s most trusted Native storytellers. We’ll hear from Pember and also get an update from the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition on what changes in federal government mean for the future of addressing past boarding school abuses. GUESTS Mary Annette Pember (Red Cliff Ojibwe), national correspondent for ICT News and author of “Medicine River” Fallon Carey (Cherokee Nation), digital archives manager for the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition

New Mexico is the latest of more than 20 states to formally recognize Native American students’ right to express their cultural heritage at graduation ceremonies. Those expressions are typically in the form of eagle feathers, beadwork, moccasins, or other traditional dress worn during the ceremony with gowns and mortarboard caps. But many Native students elsewhere continue to face resistance from school boards and administrators. One Wyoming school principal told a student if he "let one minority do it, then I’d have to let the rest." We’ll recognize this year’s graduating seniors and get up to speed on the ongoing fight over ceremonial regalia. GUESTS Heather Hostler (Hupa), executive director of California Indian Legal Services Morgan Saunders, senior staff attorney in Washington, D.C. office at Native American Rights Fund (NARF) Tracie Yellowman Tséyíníítsó (Diné), University of Utah 2025 student commencement speaker

As the state of New York works to eliminate school mascots with Native American names and imagery, they have run into a powerful adversary: the federal government. The U.S. Department of Education launched an investigation into whether the state is violating the civil rights of Long Island's Massapequa School District by forcing them to change their “Chiefs” mascot. President Donald Trump personally weighed in, expressing his support for keeping the mascot. A lawyer for the school says the issue is “the battleground for the preservation of our history and values nationwide.” We’ll hear about the issues at play in New York and how it affects other efforts by other states and cities to end offensive Native mascots. GUESTS Ted Trujillo (Passamaquoddy), enrolled member of the Passamaquoddy tribe John Kane (Mohawk), Host of Resistance Radio on WBAI in NYC and WPFW in Washington, D.C. David Glass (enrolled member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe), president of the National Coalition Against Racism in Sports and Media Melissa Candelaria (San Felipe Pueblo), education director of the New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty and member of the plaintiff’s legal team for Yazzie/Martinez v. State of New Mexico

After decades of attempts by some political leaders to curtail or end federal funding for broadcasting, public media faces what PBS CEO Paula Kerger says is the most serious threat in its history. President Donald Trump’s order to end funding for NPR and PBS potentially has profound implications for everything from the existence of some rural Alaska stations to Native-language programs on tribal stations (and the continuation of Native America Calling). We’ll get another update on how the fight for public funding for Native American broadcasting is playing out. GUESTS Loris Taylor (Hopi and Acoma Pueblo), President and CEO of Native Public Media Jaclyn Sallee (Iñupiaq), President and CEO of Koahnic Broadcast Corporation Frank Blanquet (Yucatec Maya), producer and director of television for First Nations Experience (FNX) George Strong (Chippewa), general manager of KBFT 89.9FM Bois Forte Tribal Community Radio and host of Rez Rockin’ Radio

After the initial grief of losing her daughter to a hit-and-run driver on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, Carissa HeavyRunner faced months of inaction by local law enforcement to adequately investigate and charge the person responsible. Her frustration grew into a personal mission to see justice served. HeavyRunner’s story is one of the chief complaints by Native Americans who have lost a loved one and wake up every day without any progress toward getting any answers. We’ll learn about some outstanding Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) cases and the effort to improve the statistics in spite of law enforcement foot-dragging. GUESTS Adrian Jackson (Yakama). eldest son of Mona Vallo Carissa HeavyRunner (Blackfeet and Diné), founder of Mika Matters, MMIP advocate Ahli-sha Stephens (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians), co-host of “We Are Resilient: A MMIW True Crime Podcast” Sheyahshe Littledave (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians), co-host of “We Are Resilient: A MMIW True Crime Podcast” Darlene Gomez, attorney and activist for MMIP

An exhibition at The Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies in Alberta celebrates the work of the Indigenous Group of Seven, influential Indigenous artists who, over a period of decades, pushed a new definition of Native art in Canada. We’ll also highlight exhibitions honoring contemporary and up-and-coming Native American artists including the University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s McClung Museum of Natural History & Culture exhibition, "Homelands: Connecting to Mounds through Native Art", and the Institute of American Indian Art’s annual showcase of work by the visual arts graduating class. GUESTS Joseph Sánchez, artist, former curator for IAIA’s Museum of Contemporary Native Arts, member of the Indigenous Group of Seven, and co-curator of “The Ancestors Are Talking” exhibit at The Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies Kayla Wanatee (Meskwaki Tribe), multi-disciplinary artist and a spring 2025 IAIA Bachelor's of Fine Arts graduate Kassidy Plyler (Catawba), artist and cultural public programs specialist for the Catawba Nation

Among the 168 people killed in the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building bombing in Oklahoma City was Raymond Lee Johnson (Seminole Nation of Oklahoma). He was volunteering with the Older Native American Program at the time and was heavily involved in education and other issues important to Native people. Cherokee Ballard was a television news anchor and reporter who covered the aftermath and the subsequent trials. And FBI special agent Walter Lamar was on the scene that day helping rescue survivors. He was also part of the FBI's investigation into the bombing. We'll hear stories about how the bombing affected the city with one of the highest percentages of Native citizens in the nation. GUESTS Walter Lamar (Blackfeet and Wichita), founder of Lamar Associates and former FBI special agent Anne Marshall (Muscogee), council representative for the Muscogee Creek Nation Cherokee Ballard (Cherokee), communications director for the Oklahoma County Clerk and former news anchor and reporter

Greg Biskakone Johnson (Lac du Flambeau), an experienced spearfisher and his tribe’s culture and language instructor, was helping an elder stock up on walleye when four gunshots rang out through the dark night last week. That and other incidents prompted Gov. Tony Evers (D-WI) to issue a statement about the state’s responsibility to uphold treaty fishing rights. The incidents come 30 years after the violent confrontations in the state known as ‘The Walleye Wars.” Among the $1 billion in grants for schools and food programs rescinded by the Trump administration is a $750,000 USDA grant for Day Eagle Hope Project. The non-profit runs a food pantry and food delivery service on the Ft. Belknap Indian Reservation in Montana. We’ll hear from its director about the program’s future.

This year marks 100 years since Mount Rushmore was dedicated as a national monument. The stone butte carved with the faces of four presidents has become a patriotic symbol. But the federal government’s broken treaties to take over the land is only the beginning of the famous monument’s troubled history. We’ll hear about Rushmore’s connection to the Confederate South and the ongoing insult of honoring leaders who contributed to efforts to eliminate the sacred land’s original inhabitants. GUESTS Nick Estes (Lower Brule Sioux Tribe), assistant professor of American Indian studies at the University of Minnesota Chief Arvol Looking Horse (Lakota/Dakota/Nakota), 19th Generation Keeper of the White Buffalo Calf Pipe Matthew Davis, author of forthcoming book "A Biography of a Mountain: The Making and Meaning of Mount Rushmore"

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy, Jr. promises a “massive testing and research effort” to find the cause of autism. Sec. Kennedy says it will happen by September. That ambitious promise alone, and other comments by Kennedy, are met with skepticism and even backlash by autism advocates and experts. Meanwhile, groups like Diné Parents Taking Action at Northern Arizona University are putting the work in to provide support and raise awareness when it comes to autism among Native Americans and other underserved communities. We’ll go over some of the facts about autism and how the disorder is being addressed among Native people. GUESTS Jules Edwards (Anishinaabe), author and disability justice advocate Dr. Davis Henderson (Diné), associate professor with Northern Arizona University Dr. Candi Running Bear (Diné), assistant professor at Western New Mexico University Dr. Olivia Lindly, assistant professor at Northern Arizona University

It’s a Native America Calling tradition to invite Pueblo musician Jir Anderson and his troupe of songwriters into the studio to play live during their run in Albuquerque. Native Guitars Tour always presents a diverse set of musicians with a focus on guitars. We’ll hear about what’s new with the tour and listen to some live music. GUESTS Jir Anderson (Cochiti Pueblo), lead singer for the Jir Project and founder of Native Guitars Jacob Shije (Santa Clara Pueblo), musician Ailani (Santa Clara Pueblo), singer/songwriter Welby June (Oglala Lakota, Muscogee, Ho-Chunk, and Cheyenne), fashion coordinator for Native Guitars Tour Christy Bird

As scores of talented musicians and artists assemble in Albuquerque during the Gathering of Nations Powwow, we’ll sample some of the musical offerings happening on stages around town. We begin with two established and popular shows featuring hip-hop and metal music: the Gathering of MCs and Merciless Savages. We’ll talk with organizers from each of the shows and take in some of the new music and some old favorites. GUESTS Franklin Yazzie (Diné), vocalist for Under Exile Randall Hoskie (Diné), promotor of the Merciless Savages shows Nataanii Means (Oglala Lakota, Omaha, and Diné), hip-hop artist, motivational speaker, and Indigenous advocate Def-I (Diné), hip-hop artist, and MC and co-host of the Gathering of MCs

The PBS program "Frontline" examines the financial, cultural, and human toll of climate change on the western Alaska coastline and the Native people that have always called it home. Hopi producer Patty Talahongva takes a fresh look at the warming temperatures, increasingly destructive storms, and retreating wildlife that are forcing a drastic change in how some Alaska Native live. We’ll hear about the issue from those involved in the documentary. GUESTS Patty Talahongva (Hopi), correspondent, writer, director, and producer of "Alaska’s Vanishing Native Villages" Agatha Napoleon (Paimiut), climate change program coordinator Edgar Tall Sr. (Yup'ik), Chief of the Native Village of Hooper Bay

Tribes that rely on Colorado River water — and the complex set of rules that govern it — are worried about how President Donald Trump’s executive orders and the ongoing legal questions about them will affect their water access. President Trump froze federal funds for the Inflation Reduction Act. Even after a judge reinstated those funds, tribes are concerned about the viability of some water conservation efforts going forward. Those water access issues are becoming increasingly important because of long-term trends showing significantly less water available in the basin. GUESTS Heather Whiteman Runs Him (Apsáalooke), associate clinical professor at the James E. Rogers College of Law and director of the Tribal Justice Clinic at the University of Arizona Jenny Dumas, water attorney for the Jicarilla Apache Nation Daryl Vigil (Jicarilla Apache Nation), co-director of the Water & Tribes Initiative Edward Wemytewa (Zuni), Pueblo of Zuni tribal councilman

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is expediting permits for the Line 5 oil pipeline project. It’s the first project to be put on a fast track under President Donald Trump’s executive order declaring a national energy emergency. The Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa is among a number of tribes in at least three states that oppose the project by Canadian energy company Enbridge, saying it posing significant risk to the environment, most notably the Great Lakes. The existing pipeline runs across Bad River land, but the company’s new route bypasses the reservation. We’ll get a perspective on the new status of the project and the near-term possibilities. GUESTS David Gover (Pawnee and Choctaw), senior staff attorney with the Native American Rights Fund Jennifer Smith, director of U.S. tribal engagement at Enbridge Stefanie Tsosie (Navajo), senior attorney in the Tribal Partnerships Program at Earthjustice