Category: 9-NotNowMaybeSomeday

Dakota Louis’ (Northern Cheyenne) family bull riding roots go back five generations. His father was a two-time champion at the Indian Finals Rodeo. Now, Louis is a top competitor at the same rodeo and other events around the country. He hopes to pass down his skills and inspiration to a younger generation on the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana where he grew up. On the Qualla Boundary in North Carolina, Jade Blankenship (Colville Tribes/Eastern Band of Cherokee) opened a spa and boutique with her sister. Together they are sharing their business knowledge with budding Native entrepreneurs. They are among the names on this year’s 40 under 40 list by the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development. We’ll hear from some of the Native people on a variety of career paths recognized for their contributions to their communities.

GUESTS

Dakota Louis (Northern Cheyenne, Cree, and Blackfeet), professional bull rider

Jade Blankenship (Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, Spokane and Eastern Band of Cherokee), co-owner of Indigenous Boutique and Spa and founder of UWENA

Corey Hinton (Passamaquoddy), attorney at Drummond Woodsum

Michael Charles (Diné), assistant professor in the department of Biological and Environmental Engineering at Cornell University

Break 1 Music: Rodeo Song [Skip Dance Song] (song) Sweethearts of Navajoland (artist) From the Heart of Diné Nation Traditional Songs of the Navajo (album)

Break 2 Music: Vipismal – The Hummingbird Song (song) Earl Ray (artist) Traditional Songs Of The Salt River Pima (album)

The U.S. capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has prompted questions about what comes next. No one is more concerned about the answer to that question than Venezuela’s Wayúu people and the other Indigenous tribes that make up as much as 3% of the population. They are no fans of Maduro, enduring the same oppressive tactics as other residents, contributing to disproportionate socio-economic hurdles. They are also suffering at the hands of both legal and illegal mining operations. What will President Donald Trump’s stated interests in gas and mineral development mean going forward?

GUESTS

Alicia Moncada (Wayúu), director of advocacy and communications for Cultural Survival

Carlos Roa, journalist and editor for IQ Latino and a member and spokesperson with Asociación de Periodistas Venezolanos en el Extranjero / Association of Venezuelan Journalists Abroad (APEVEX)

Alejandro Velasco, professor of Latin American history at New York University

Laura Botero, PhD student at the University of Texas at Austin

A recent decision by the U.S. Treasury Department is a major win for tribes. For the first time, tribes are on the same level as states when it comes to determining how tribal services are taxed. Advocates call the decision “historic” and say it is a significant breakthrough in tribal sovereignty. Not only will it allow tribes to keep hundreds of millions of dollars more per year, it removes the tax filing hassle for small contractors who work with tribes. We’ll hear about the decade-long push to change what is called the General Welfare Exclusion and what it means for tribal economic development.

GUESTS

Chief Lynn Malerba (Mohegan), Former U.S. Treasurer

Lt. Gov. Hershel Gorham (Cheyenne and Arapaho)

OJ Semans Sr. (Rosebud Sioux), co-executive director of Four Directions Vote

Scott Skaro (Standing Rock Sioux), board member of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators and the financial aid director for United Tribes Technical College

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: Vipismal – The Hummingbird Song (song) Earl Ray (artist) Traditional Songs Of The Salt River Pima (album)