KFAI

Continuing our focus on Indigenous/Native Womxn during International/National Womxn’s Month, these two Womxn will provide information and their perspectives on two events happening in the Twin Cities. This will be a split episode on two distinctive topic.

In the first part of the hour will be Jessie Seim, who is General Counsel for the Prairie Island (Dakota Sioux) Indian community. Seim is a former Division 1 Womxn’s basketball player. Jessie will present her work creating visibility, representation and opportunity for Native Americans during the NCAA Womxn’s “Final Four” National Basketball Championship, being held in Minneapolis this weekend.

In the second half of the hour, will be a conversation with Jill Doerfler, who is a Professor of American Indian Studies at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. Doerfler will be a panelist at an event later today highlighting, “Blood Quantum and Sovereignty,” sponsored by the Native Governance Center in St. Paul and Honoring Native Nations program at Harvard University. Jill has researched, published, taught and been active in this field for several decades.

Ms. Jessie Stomski Seim

General Counsel

Prairie Island (Dakota Sioux) Indian Community, MN

Former Division 1 Womxn’s Basketball Player at University of Wisconsin

Native American Visibility, Representation, Participation and Opportunity at NCAA Womxn’s “Final Four” Basketball Championship, Minneapolis.

Roy Taylor will be in the Native Cave at KFAI Fresh Air Radio "Studio Stronghold” (broadcast/streaming/FaceBook LIVE), to welcome to the program for the first time, MS. NIKKI PIERATOS (Anishinabe/Bois Forte Band-Minnesota).

She will tell us about her path to this point as an Indigenous/Native Womxn and about an exciting event this Friday, that she will lead which is taking place at the University of Minnesota.

Nikki Pieratos is Executive Director of the Tiwahe Foundation in Minnesota. Pieratos was formerly with NDN Collective as Fund Managing Director. Nikki was also a Project Director for the Center for Indian Country Development at the Federal Reserve Bank Minneapolis. Pieratos is a graduate with a Master’s degree in Public Policy from the University of Chicago.

Join Host Roy Taylor (Pawnee Nation, Oklahoma Enrolled) on Wednesday, January 6, 2021 at 1:00 P.M. Central Standard Time, as he welcomes to the program TADD JOHNSON (Bois Forte Chippewa-Minnesota).

They will be in KFAI Fresh Air Radio "Studio Stronghold" (virtual remote broadcast/streaming/FaceBook LIVE), to discuss Johnson's career in American Indian national and state affairs, and his latest role as the AMERICAN INDIAN NATIONS' RELATIONS SENIOR DIRECTOR for the University of Minnesota.

In late 2019, Tadd Johnson was appointed to the role of liaison between the University of Minnesota and Minnesota Native American tribal nations/bands. Johnson still maintains his role as a Full Professor in the American Indian Studies Department at the U of M campus in Duluth, Minnesota. He also continues as Director of the Master's Degree Program in Tribal Administration and Governance, and Director of the Tribal Sovereignty Institute.

Tadd Johnson has served as a tribal attorney for more than 20 years, and also served as a tribal court judge, a tribal administrator, and is a frequent lecturer on American Indian history and Federal Indian Law. Johnson spent five years with the U.S. House of Representatives, ultimately becoming Staff Director and Counsel to the Subcommittee on Native American Affairs. President Bill Clinton appointed him to Chair the National Indian Gaming Commission. He has served as a faculty member of the National Judicial College, served on the Board of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, and is Treasurer of the Native Governance Center. Tadd Johnson earned his his law degree from the University of Minnesota.

You won't want to miss this informative conversation with a recognized expert, teacher and proponent, in and for, American Indian law, policy, government and administration.

1:00 P.M. Central Standard Time USA/ -6 UTC & GMT

LIVE Every Wednesday

KFAI Fresh Air Community Radio & Media

Broadcast at 90.3 FM-HD Minneapolis-St. Paul

Streaming/ON DEMAND at KFAI.org

Join Host Roy Taylor (Pawnee Nation, Oklahoma Enrolled) on Wednesday, December 30, 2020 at 1:00 P.M. Central Standard Time, as he welcomes to the program for the first time, WAZIYATAWIN ("Woman Of The North") aka Angela Wilson née Cavender.

They will be in KFAI Fresh Air Radio "Studio Stronghold" (virtual remote broadcast/streaming/FaceBook LIVE), to discuss, remember and commemorate the Dakhóta Peoples during this month of December ("Cold Moon").

Waziyatawin is Dakota, Pezihutazizi Otunwe-Yellow Medicine Village (Upper "Sioux") from Minnesota. She is an academic, author, activist by education, training and inclination. Waziyatawin is a leading Indigenous intellectual and a sought after speaker on many topics including Indigenous Womens' roles, recovering Indigenous Knowledge and the Dakota Peoples story culturally and historically. She has been a vocal opponent of the State of Minnesota Sesquicentennial Celebration. Her background includes writing or editing six books including her Ph.D thesis, "REMEMBER THIS! DAKOTA DECOLONIZATION AND THE ELI TAYLOR NARRATIVES."

She is the Daughter of Professor Mato Nunpa, formerly of Minnesota Southwest State University. Waziyatawin has a Ph.D in History from Cornell University. She was a tenured Professor at Arizona State University in Tempe, and Research Chair in Indigenous Peoples at the Indigenous Governance Program, University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

You won't want to miss this extraordinary conversation with one of Indian Country's most insightful, provocative and compelling thinkers and presenters.

1:00 P.M. Central Standard Time USA/ -6 UTC & GMT

LIVE Every Wednesday

KFAI Fresh Air Community Radio & Media

Broadcast at 90.3 FM-HD Minneapolis-St. Paul

Streaming/ON DEMAND at KFAI.org

Roy Taylor speaks with Theresa Sheldon, Native American Political Director, Democratic National Committee

Join Host Roy Taylor (Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma) on Wednesday, August 12, 2020, at 1:00 P.M. CDT as he welcomes back to the program, ROBERT PILOT (Ho-Chunk/WI), and for the first time, LINDSEY WEST (Ho-Chunk/WI).

Join them in KFAI Fresh Air Radio "Studio Stronghold", as they talk about schools re-opening and student, teacher safety in the St. Paul and Minneapolis Public Schools.

Robert Pilot is a secondary school teacher in the St. Paul Public Schools for several decades. In that role he has taught and mentored numerous Indigenous/Native students who are now valued and contributing leaders, advocates and community members.

He is also the founder and operator of, "NATIVE ROOTS RADIO NETWORK', a national radio broadcasting/podcasting enterprise born out of his time at Standing Rock, ND in 2016-17.

Lindsey West is a former St. Paul Harding High School student and accomplished athlete, Athena Award winner. She is now a Minneapolis Public Schools teacher.

Together we'll hear from them, their thoughts on the recent decision by St. Paul and Minneapolis Public Schools to "return" to classes this Fall.

Be sure to listen in for their observations and thoughts of insight and inspiration.

Great-GrandMother Mary Lyons is an Ojibwe elder, spiritual advisor, teacher and storyteller, and advocate for Indigenous/Native Women and children. She has been active on issues such as wellness and sobriety, fetal alcohol syndrome, the Indian Child Welfare Act, environmental protection and Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women.

Mary has traveled, spoken and collaborated extensively. Some of her presentations have been at the United Nations, the World Parliament of Religions and at the "Osceti Sakowin Camp" in Standing Rock, North Dakota. She is also the author of, "WISDOM LESSONS: SPIRITED GUIDANCE FROM AN OJIBWE GREAT-GRANDMOTHER."