Native America Calling

A major housing and retail development proposal in Virginia threatens to pave over the birthplace of one of America’s most influential historical leader. Paramount Chief Powhatan is the notable late-1500s leader who united local tribes into what became known as the Powhatan Confederacy to face the first waves of English settlers. He was the being father of Matoaka, also known as Pocahontas. The nonprofit organization Preservation Virginia placed the site on its 2026 list of most endangered places. Tribal leaders are actively working to halt the development project, saying it would be "an immeasurable loss to tribal communities and the Commonwealth of Virginia." We'll hear from tribal leaders about Powhatan's birthplace and his enduring legacy.

GUESTS

Chief Kevin Brown (Pamunkey) Pamunkey Indian Tribe & Reservation

Chief Frank Adams (Upper Mattaponi) The Upper Mattaponi Tribe)

Friday, June 5, 2026 — The life of Chief Powhatan and the fight to preserve his birthplace » Native America Calling A major housing and retail development proposal in Virginia threatens to pave over the birthplace of one of America’s most influential historical leader. Paramount Chief Powhatan is the notable late-1500s leader who united local tribes into what became known as the Powhatan Confederacy to face the...

Overall support for many key LGBTQ+ issues remains overwhelmingly high among Americans, but a new survey shows that support declining for the first time in years. Gallup’s annual Values and Beliefs survey shows 69% of those surveyed favor same-sex marriage, for instance. But that is down from 71% two years ago. The new direction comes as more anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and legislation are surfacing. A handful of cities and states are opting to show support for traditional families rather than back Pride events. At the same time, annual parades, events and public discussions show no signs of slowing down. We’ll get a view of what Pride means in 2026.

GUESTS

Dr. charlie amáyá scott (Diné), independent scholar, public speaker, and content creator

Steven Barrios (Blackfeet), co-founder of the Montana Two Spirit Society; knowledge and wisdom keeper

David Herrera (Mestizo), co-founder of the Montana Two Spirit Society

Lenny Hayes (Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate), owner and executive director of Tate T**a Consulting LLC

Monday, June 8, 2026 — Confronting division with Pride » Native America Calling Overall support for many key LGBTQ+ issues remains overwhelmingly high among Americans, but a new survey shows that support declining for the first time in years. Gallup’s annual Values and Beliefs survey shows 69% of those surveyed favor same-sex marriage, for instance. But that is down from 71% ...

We spent a wonderful evening with Secretary Deb Haaland at the South Broadway Cultural Center in Albuquerque yesterday. Our host Shawn Spruce interviewed Deb Haaland about her new memoir A Voice Like Mine. And thank you also to Bookworks Albuquerque and the City of Albuquerque and First Lady Elizabeth Keller for including Native America Calling in this well attended event!

As the nation commemorates the 100th anniversary of historic Route 66, some historians, scholars, and curators are offering a different perspective of the famed Mother Road. An exhibition just opened at the First Americans Museum in Oklahoma City, Okla. that gives the public a view of the people, culture, and influence arising from the tribal land the road cuts through. A Diné culture educator is giving live presentations of research into the detrimental effects on Native people that the highway brought with it. And the American Indigenous Tourism Association’s Route 66 campaign encourages visitors to look beyond the neon and 1950s pop culture that is synonymous with Route 66, and take time to learn about the ways it transformed Native Americans connection to the rest of the country for the first time.

GUESTS

Shawn Price (Diné), director of the Diné Tah’ Navajo Dancers

Gail Chehak (Klamath Tribe), community and partner relations director for the American Indigenous Tourism Association

Adrienne Lalli Hills (Wyandotte Nation), learning and community engagement director for the First Americans Museum

Danyelle Means (Oglala Lakota), executive director of the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture

Thursday, June 4, 2026 — Telling the full story of Route 66 » Native America Calling As the nation commemorates the 100th anniversary of historic Route 66, some historians, scholars, and curators are offering a different perspective of the famed Mother Road. An exhibition just opened at the First Americans Museum in Oklahoma City, Okla. that gives the public a view of the people, cu...

A rule change in South Dakota opened a door that allowed a sizable increase in the number of eligible foster parents. It is a boon for places like the Oglala Sioux Reservation that declared an emergency in foster child placement as recently as three years ago. The Minnesota Supreme Court turned back another challenge to the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) as the legal justifications for such claims dwindle. And we'll learn about a Pascua Yaqui tribal secretary who has opened her home to more than two dozen foster children over the years.

GUESTS

Nancy Marie Spears (Cherokee), Indigenous Children and Families reporter for The Imprint

Susan Schrader (Oglala Lakota), director of the Child Protection Services and ICWA program for the Oglala Sioux Tribe - OST, kinship caregiver, and an elder

Toni Giago (Oglala Lakota), family planner for Oglala Sioux Tribe Child Protection Services

Anna Evans (Chickasaw and Cherokee), mother

Wednesday, June 3, 2026 — Native child welfare notches wins in a time of adversity » Native America Calling A rule change in South Dakota opened a door that allowed a sizable increase in the number of eligible foster parents. It is a boon for places like the Oglala Sioux Reservation that declared an emergency in foster child placement as recently as three years ago. The Minnesota Supreme Court turned back...