Native America Calling

Some experts are warning about the risks of artificial intelligence advancing beyond human control in the foreseeable future. The major AI developers themselves are calling on government intervention to slow down the pace of AI progress. In the meantime, tribes are developing policies to head off potential AI misuse of cultural and private data. Much of the tribal policies revolve around intellectual property and privacy. We’ll talk about the actual potential for AI incursions and what can done to head it off.

GUESTS

Jason Edward Lewis (Native Hawaiian and Samoan), professor of computation arts and the university research chair in computational media and the Indigenous Future Imaginary at Concordia University

Zam DeShields (Chickasaw), digital consultant

Angelo Baca (Diné and Hopi), professor of history, philosophy, and social sciences at the Rhode Island School of Design Rhode Island School of Design

Daniel Wildcat (Yuchi), professor at Haskell Indian Nations University

Thursday, September 24, 2026 — AI threat goes beyond just misuse of data » Native America Calling Some experts are warning about the risks of artificial intelligence advancing beyond human control in the foreseeable future. The major AI developers themselves are calling on government intervention to slow down the pace of AI progress. In the meantime, tribes are developing policies to head off po...

After centuries of having their stories told by outsiders, Indigenous people made considerable progress in having their voices represented in the media in recent decades. The 2012 book, “American Indians and the Mass Media,” co-edited by Meta Carstarphen, documented that growth in authentic Native voices. Now, a new book edited by Carstarphen and Cristina L. Azocar picks up where the original book left off. “Storytelling Sovereignty: Indigenous Peoples and the Media,” combines scholarly research and interviews with notable Native journalists and storytellers. It reviews the history of Native radio, television, news, and the arts and provides a first draft of the dramatic shifts in media just in the past ten years. We’ll hear from some of those featured in the book about how Native perspectives are making a difference.

GUESTS

Dr. Cristina Azocar (Upper Mattaponi), professor and chair of journalism at San Francisco State University University

Mark Trahant (Shoshone Bannock), writer and former editor at Indian Country Today

Joseph Orozco (Hoopa Valley Tribe), part-time employed at KIDE, vice chairman of the Association of Affiliates for the Pacifica Radio Network, and member of Hoopa Tribal Education Association

Wednesday, September 23, 2026 — How Indigenous voices adapt to rapidly evolving media » Native America Calling After centuries of having their stories told by outsiders, Indigenous people made considerable progress in having their voices represented in the media in recent decades. The 2012 book, “American Indians and the Mass Media,” co-edited by Meta Carstarphen, documented that growth in authentic Nati...

Modern traditional practitioners are the culmination of generations of people who acquired and passed on their skills, knowledge, and technology. That knowledge includes innovative ways to find water in arid places, stay warm in cold climates, navigate surroundings without a compass or a map, and to use the land in a way that doesn’t deplete it. A new documentary on the PBS science series NOVA l PBS talks to some of the Indigenous people who are the receivers of that knowledge and how they’re instilling it in the next generations. "Knowledge Keepers", produced by Vision Maker Media, shows the innovations that come with knowledge accumulated over millennia, and how that can guide the future for everyone. We’ll talk with the filmmakers and producers ahead of the episode’s premiere on PBS.

GUESTS

Daniel Golding (Fort Yuma Quechan), writer, producer, and director of "Knowledge Keepers" and founder and owner of Hokan Media LLC

Francene Blythe-Lewis (Sisseton-Wahpeton Dakota, Diné, Eastern Band Cherokee), CEO and President of Vision Maker Media

Roberto Nutlouis (Diné), executive director of Nihikeya

Pete Sands (Diné), writer and director of "Navajo Highways"

Tuesday, September 22, 2026 — PBS documentary ‘Knowledge Keepers’ explores Native scientific innovations » Native America Calling Modern traditional practitioners are the culmination of generations of people who acquired and passed on their skills, knowledge, and technology. That knowledge includes innovative ways to find water in arid places, stay warm in cold climates, navigate surroundings without a compass or a map, and to...

Alaska tribes just took over ownership from the federal government of the Alaska Native Medical Center in Anchorage, making way for growth that officials have been advocating for years. The new owners, the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, were among the first Native organizations to assume health care sovereignty in 1998, but officials say underinvestment in the facility by the federal Indian Health Service was blocking much-needed expansion of both services and capacity. Although it’s in Anchorage, the center serves as a hub of health care for Alaska Native patients from all across the state, counting almost 172,000 specialty cases and 56,000 emergency room visits a year. Under the new arrangement, the SouthCentral Foundation will oversee primary care. We’ll talk about the legacy and new future prospects for healthcare sovereignty in Alaska.

GUESTS

Natasha Singh (member of Stevens Village), Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium president and CEO

Kimberley Strong (Tlingit), SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC) chair and ANTHC board chair

Toni Raye Bergan (Iñupiaq), chair of Native Village of Kotzebue Tribal Council and ANTHC board member

Wilson Justin (Ahtna Athabascan), elder and longtime advocate of self-determination Alaska Pacific University

Monday, September 21, 2026 — Ownership transfer of Native medical center promises a new era of healthcare sovereignty in Alaska » Native America Calling Alaska tribes just took over ownership from the federal government of the Alaska Native Medical Center in Anchorage, making way for growth that officials have been advocating for years. The new owners, the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, were among the first Native organizations to assume he...

Musician Kole Galbraith (Peoria Tribe) has spent nearly a decade perfecting his unique blend of electronic and acoustic instrumentation and field recordings to create his signature drone-doom sound. Galbraith’s musical roots are grounded in metal, noise, free jazz, and musique concrète. He is earning praises from audiences from the Pacific Northwest to Eastern Europe for his honed sound that finds the beauty in dark and abrasive tones.

Composer and violinist Laura Ortman (White Mountain Apache) calls her approach to music “sculpting sound.” She often composes for visual art exhibitions and multimedia performances. Like Galbraith, Ortman blends field recordings with her own masterful violin playing, which Vogue has described as “transcendent” and “eccentric.” Her music has taken her to stages throughout Europe and led to collaborations with acclaimed Diné ballet dancer Jock Soto, Diné Pulitzer Prize–winning composer Raven Chacon, and many others. She joins us to talk about her live performances, honoring her Apache heritage, and her unique approach to composing.

Friday, September 18, 2026 — Native Playlist: Kole Galbraith and Laura Ortman » Native America Calling Musician Kole Galbraith (Peoria Tribe) has spent nearly a decade perfecting his unique blend of electronic and acoustic instrumentation and field recordings to create his signature drone-doom sound. Galbraith’s musical roots are grounded in metal, noise, free jazz, and musique concrète. He is ear...

Julian Lang is an elder, artist, and dedicated language teacher. He has spent decades talking with elders and poring over documents — including deciphering cryptic field notes from an anthropological linguist a century ago — to help rebuild the structure of his Karuk language. Now, a master-apprenticeship program he helped found is being recognized by linguists as a successful example of language revitalization. Similarly, Jesse Little Doe Baird, a Mashpee Wampanoag language advocate, dedicated years to building a language program that is earning praise for its effectiveness. Her work included analyzing a 1663 Bible in the Wampanoag language. We’ll hear from them and others about building these programs from the ground up.

GUESTS

Julian Lange (Karuk, Wiyot, and Shasta), language teacher and artist

Sandra Hernandez (Tejon Indian Tribe/Kitanemuk), language teacher

Jessie Little Doe Baird (Mashpee Wampanoag), co-founder of the Wôpanâak Language Reclamation Project

Thursday, September 17, 2026 — After decades of work, tribes overcome language revitalization barriers » Native America Calling Julian Lang is an elder, artist, and dedicated language teacher. He has spent decades talking with elders and poring over documents — including deciphering cryptic field notes from an anthropological linguist a century ago — to help rebuild the structure of his Karuk language. Now, a master-appr...

A new report by the Native American Rights Fund finds rejections increased for both ballots and voter registration forms sent by mail from places with high Native populations from 2020 to 2024. NARF’s analysis also documents generations of efforts to suppress or hinder Native voters. The report comes as both Congress and the courts are turning back several President Donald Trump’s most significant attempts to alter how people vote or how their votes should be counted. But Native voting advocates remain vigilant for ways the federal government may seek to interfere with the midterm elections in November.

GUESTS

Dr. Megan Gall, principal at Blockwell Consulting

Jaynie Parrish (Diné), executive director of Arizona Native Vote

Michelle Sparck (Qissunamiut Tribe of Chevak), director of Get Out The Native Vote

Calvin Hedrick (Mountain Maidu), director of policy, training and tribal relations for the California Native Vote Project

Wednesday, September 16, 2026 — Native advocates assess barriers to upcoming elections » Native America Calling A new report by the Native American Rights Fund finds rejections increased for both ballots and voter registration forms sent by mail from places with high Native populations from 2020 to 2024. NARF’s analysis also documents generations of efforts to suppress or hinder Native voters. The report co...

A diverse team of mainly Alaska Native talent spent nearly nine years building the operatic version of a historic battle in the early 1800s. “Ḵutulagaaw: The Tlingit-Russian Battles”, a combination of music, writing, anthropology, and culture, is now on stage in Juneau from Perseverance Theatre, offering audiences a Tlingit perspective that is frequently dismissed in historical accounts. The presentation in the high art of opera adds a uniquely dramatic setting to a conflict that forever defined commerce, colonization and Tlingit autonomy in Alaska. We’ll hear from some of the talent behind the opera as well as the events from more than 200 years ago that inspired it.

GUESTS

Madeline Sayet (Mohegan), stage director for “Kutulagaaw: The Tlingit-Russian Battles”

Vera Starbard (Tlingit and Dena’ina), writer and librettist for “Kutulagaaw: The Tlingit-Russian Battles”

Shaakindustoow Ed Littlefield (Lingit), composer and musical director for “Kutulagaaw: The Tlingit-Russian Battles”

Tuesday, September 15, 2026 — An Indigenous-led opera retells a historic Tlingit act of resistance » Native America Calling A diverse team of mainly Alaska Native talent spent nearly nine years building the operatic version of a historic battle in the early 1800s. “Ḵutulagaaw: The Tlingit-Russian Battles”, a combination of music, writing, anthropology, and culture, is now on stage in Juneau, offering audiences a Tl...

🥳 🎉 Alaska Public Media, KYUK, and KNBA 90.3 FM have received a 2026 National Edward R. Murrow Award for Continuing Coverage for our reporting on the devastation and aftermath of Typhoon Halong. Presented by the RTDNA, the national Murrow is among broadcast and digital journalism’s highest honors.

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A proposed overhaul of the federal process that protects cultural heritage sites and resources is fueling considerable pushback from tribes. They are concerned about how recommended changes to the National Historic Preservation Act might diminish tribal input on matters such as development projects in known sensitive areas. Critics say the changes have the potential to permanently destroy any remaining cultural treasures in the path of commercial development. At the same time, historians and others are worried about the pending closure of two federal archive facilities containing documents from the Indian Boarding School Era. Archivists worry there is no clear answer about what happens to these records if the facilities shut down.

And we’ll discuss the possible damage from border wall construction at Big Bend National Park in Texas. The Mescalero Apache Tribe is among those that spent years developing a framework to avoid irreparable damage to important spiritual and cultural sites. Current construction efforts are not following that framework.

GUESTS

Ira Matt (Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes), executive director for the National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers

Heather Hostler (Hupa), executive director at California Indian Legal Services

Fallon Carey (Cherokee), digital archives director at the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition

Holly Houghten, tribal historic preservation officer for the Mescalero Apache Tribe

Monday, September 14, 2026 — Shifting preservation policies pose risks to Native history » Native America Calling A proposed overhaul of the federal process that protects cultural heritage sites and resources is fueling considerable pushback from tribes. They are concerned about how recommended changes to the National Historic Preservation Act might diminish tribal input on matters such as development projects....