Monday, October 5, 2015 – Assimilation in Native America
In September, on “The Laura Ingraham Show,” Republican presidential candidate U.S. Sen. Rand Paul said, “I think assimilation is an amazing thing. A good example of how even in our country, assimilation didn’t happen, and it’s been a disaster for the people, has been the Native American population on the reservations. If they were assimilated within a decade they’d probably be doing as well as the rest of us.”Do you agree or disagree with what Sen. Paul said? Is the discussion about assimilation more complex than Native Americans choosing to cast aside traditional culture and beliefs to join the dominate society? What does it mean to you to assimilate?
Tuesday, October, 6, 2015 – Fighting Forest Fires
Firefighters and forestry officials do several things to prevent forest fires, including managing the forest by clearing away fuel like dead trees and shrubs and carrying out prescribed burns. Today we learn who is managing forests and addressing wildfires in Indian Country. What’s the best way to manage wildfires? Are prescribed burns effective? How do fire officials makes choices while combating wildfires? What can we expect from wildfires in the future?
Wednesday, October 7, 2015 – Charity Drives
The holiday season is coming up. Charity drives often take place in the fall to help provide food and sometimes heat or other goods to help people get through the winter. In this hour, we discuss charity drives taking place around the country. Do families in your community rely on charity drives to get by? What makes a charity drive effective? How can people find out about nearby charity drives, either to contribute or receive? And are there cultural perceptions of charity in our society that impact our ability to help each other? If you’re organizing an event on your reservation or in your village, we want to hear what you are collecting and why.
Thursday, October 8, 2015 – Addiction Killing Tradition
Addiction can have a devastating impact on individuals and communities. From health to financial ruin, addiction has created devastating consequences for all those touched by this disease. Have you ever thought about how addiction affects our cultural and traditional practices in Native communities? Some local leaders are now using traditional practices and culture to help addicts recover and heal. Have you or a loved one turned to tradition to overcome addition? If addiction has had a negative impact on cultural practices in your community, what do you think it would take to make those traditions strong again?
Friday, October 9, 2015 – Chronic Pain
More than 100 million Americans suffer from chronic pain, according to the Institute of Medicine. Chronic pain can be mild to excruciating pain that lasts for weeks, months or years. In this episode, we take a look at causes, treatments, drugs and addiction associated with chronic pain. We’ll also take a look at research currently being done at the University of Tulsa on Native Americans to see if they feel pain differently and whether or not they’re more susceptible to chronic pain. Are you or a family member affected by chronic pain? Do you think Native Americans experience pain and chronic pain differently?