Ben Kreimer speaks with Casper Lomayesva (Hopi, Diné)  about his musical career. Lomayesva is a reggae musician from the Hopi Nation in Arizona.  His music contains social and political themes that blend elements of traditional reggae and Hopi culture.

Luke Griswold-Tergis met Cory Mann (Tlinget) while hitchhiking through Alaska—on a sailboat. “Luke and I became friends mainly because he was sleeping on my floor,” explains Mann. During his time spent in Alaska, Griswold-Tergis was struck by the recollection of Alaskan Native peoples’ history and traditions, but realized that the knowledge “is endangered, and people need to work on preserving it more.” As co-producers of the film Smokin’ Fish, Griswold-Tergis and Mann explore the Tlinget tradition of smoking fish from the perspective of Mann.

The new documentary, For the Generations: Native Story & Performance, offers viewers a unique look at today’s most progressive Native American music and dance performers. The film is a joint production of Mary Hager (French-Canadian Cree/Metis) and Arlie Neskahi (Navajo) of Painted Sky, and Sean Hutchinson of Oregon Public Broadcasting. This month’s Producer Profile features Hager and Neskahi of Painted Sky, an organization dedicated to building public awareness of Native American culture, music and dance through performance and education. For the Generations features performers from around North America, chosen for their unique and progressive attitudes toward Native American music and dance in the 21st century.

Listen to our exclusive interview with Buffy Sainte-Marie (Cree).  Buffy is an icon with Native media and music. In 1975, she joined Sesame Street for five years. Buffy's first release was in 1964 and since then, she has been recognized for her music and many accomplishments. She recieved a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for "Up Where We Belong." AIROS talked with Buffy about her career and her great accomplishments.

The new Emmy-nominated men’s health documentary Walking into the Unknown tells the story of Dr. Vainio, as he undergoes a series of medical examinations that will change his life, and the lives of those around him. Directed by Nate Maydole and produced by Ivy Vainio (Grand Portage Band of Ojibwe), Walking into the Unknown takes the viewer into the doctor’s office as Dr. Vainio undergoes health screenings recommended for all men approaching their fiftieth birthday.

Reporter Ben Kreimer speaks with Dr. Arne Vainio about his central role in the new Emmy-nominated American Indian health documentary Walking into the Unknown.  Dr. Vainio is an Ojibwe physician on the Fond du Lac Reservation in northern Minnesota.  In the film, Dr. Vainio, who is approaching the age of fifty, undergoes a series of medical examinations to determine his risk for health conditions such as diabetes, colon cancer and other health problems that have a tendency to appear during midlife.  Be sure to check out the AIROS Producer Profile featuring Ivy Vainio and Nate Maydole, the producer and director of the film, available here.

During the first week of October, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the Cooper Gallery in Morrill Hall opened "A Turning Point: Navajo Weaving in the Late 20th Century," an exhibition showcasing modern Navajo textiles reflecting a culture balancing both tradition and change. The exhibit's opening coincided with the Textile

Society of America's 12th Biennial Symposium in Lincoln. Three Navajo weavers from Arizona were invited to demonstrate the weaving process for exhibition visitors. Martha Schultz, her daughter Lola Cody and granddaughter Melissa Cody, representing three generations of one weaving family, setup their equipment outside the Cooper Gallery and demonstrated for visitors how raw wool is carded, then spun, and subsequently woven.

NAPT Assistant Director Georgiana Lee and Production Assistant Ben Kreimer interviewed the three weavers following their demonstration.

Visit the NAPT Navajo Weavers blog post

Ben Kreimer speaks with Michelle Danforth (Oneida) about her most recent film Sacred Stick. The film explains the origins and spirituality of Lacrosse within Native American cultures, as well as stories from early European contact and adoption of the game. Intertwined with the historical aspect of the film is game footage of the Iroquois Nationals--the modern all Native professional Lacrosse team representing the Six Nations of the Iroquois League--playing at the world level.

NAPT Project Coordinator Brendan McCauley speaks with Gary Farmer, Cayuga, from Canada. Farmer has been a television and film actor since the 80s. He plays the father of the main character in Chris Eyre's Smoke Signals and is also one of the co-stars of Dead Man. He helped create Aboriginal Voices Radio in Canada.

NAPT Project Assistant Tobias Grant speaks with Joey Stylez, Cree Metis, from Canada. Joey Stylez is a Canadian hip hop artist from Moosomin, Canada. He and his friends started their own record label and clothing company. He won 2009 best video and the 2010 best pop cd and songwriter of the year from the Aboriginal Peoples Choice Awards.

Ben Kreimer speaks with actress Diane E. Benson (Tlingit) about her role as Tlingit activist Elizabeth Peratrovich in the film, For the Rights of All: Ending Jim Crow in Alaska. The film tells the story of Alaska Natives and the injustice they experienced after the United States purchased the Alaska Territory from Russia. Facing racism, segregation and discrimination, Alaska Natives staged their own civil rights movement. Peratrovich's impassioned testimony before the Alaska Territorial Senate helped Alaska Natives achieve the legal recognition they desired.

Ben Kreimer speaks with filmmaker Jonathon Stanton. He is the producer, writer and directer of the new documentary, Games of the North: Playing for Survival. The film showcases traditional Indigenous sports of the Arctic from the perspective of the athletes themselves. The sports incorporate physical and mental skills necessary to survive in the extreme Arctic environment.

The Silence, a new documentary by Tom Curran, tells the decades old, untold story of what happened behind church doors in the remote Alaska village of St. Michael. Throughout the 1970s, Father George Endall and his deacon-in-training Joseph Lundowski molested much of the Yup’ik children living in St. Michael, a village on the remote southwest coast of Alaska. In the decades following the abuses, the Catholic Church denied the accusations of molestation from St. Michael, and other Native villages throughout Alaska. In The Silence, four victims, now-grown up, tell their stories from childhood, revealing the events that ravaged their lives and their families.

Devin Whirlwindsoldier is Lakota and Diné. He was raised on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota. He grew up singing with various drum groups on the pow wow trail. Devin was able to stay positive and out of trouble through singing. He united with Stephen Yellowhawk and the duo formed “Buddaz and Stephen” and recorded their first album titled “Northern Lights.” Devin and Stephen also have recorded another project with RSBK (Ricky, Stephen, Buddaz & Kilo) titled RSBK.

Interactive Media Specialist Eric Martin speaks with Raven Chacon (Navajo) an experimental musician, composer and educator. Raven has been building his own instruments for creating new sounds since he was a child growing up in Chinle. Today he teaches Native youth through various programs including the Native American Composers Apprenticeship Project.

Brent Michael Davids (Stockbridge Munsee Band of the Mohican Nation) is a classically trained musician and composer. He has been a long-time fixture in the music scene of the Twin Cities area of Minnesota, but is now building a new home and studio on his reservation in Wisconsin. Through the American Composers Forum (ACF), he's a founder of the First Nations Composer Initiative (FNCI).

Southern Cheyenne and Arapaho filmmaker Chris Eyre is synonymous with Native film. His work includes feature films like Skins and Smoke Signals. He recently directed the film Hide Away featuring Josh Lucas and James Cromwell. Today, Chris shares his experience with his students as the Chair of The Film School at the Santa Fe University of Art and Design. Chris also serves as the host of the upcoming Vision Maker Media production, Growing Native. Growing Native follows Chris on his journeys through Indian Country, highlighting inspiring stories of cultural and physical sustainability. Associate Producer Blue Tarpalechee sat down with Chris after they had just wrapped filming for an upcoming Growing Native episode in Alaska.

Production Assistant Landon Mattison speaks with Hawk Henries.Hawk Henries is a gifted flutist and flute maker from the Nipmuc tribe in southern New England. He has performed at various venues across the United States, as well as several in the United Kingdom. Hawk has been a flute maker for over 20 years, and believes in creating his instruments through traditional techniques and the use of hand tools.

The efforts of one dying woman to preserve her Native culture don't end when she passes, but prompts a renewal in finding pride in that culture. She confronts the violent event over two centuries ago that began the destruction of her people and the shame that colonialism created. Vision Maker Media Assistant Director George Lee speaks with filmmakers behind the documentary Finding Refuage, Torsten Kjellstrand and Jamie Francis.

Rising Voices is an upcoming documentary film by Wil Meya of The Language Conservancy and by Florentine Films Hot Productions. The Language Conservancy is a nonprofit organization that spreads information to the public about the crisis of endangered languages in effort to gain more support for Indigenous languages. They also work with Natives across the U.S. on language revitalization issues. The idea for Rising Voices started three years ago after noticing the great efforts put forth to revitalize the Lakota language by young people and The Language Conservancy. Some of the projects of the program include summer institutes and creating media projects, such as The Berenstain Bears in the Lakota language.

A native of Plano, Texas, Willow Blythe (Muscogee-Creek) is a freelance multimedia creator for K.E.R.A. public media in Dallas, Texas. A member of the Muscogee-Creek Tribe, Willow attended Southern Methodist University where she recently received her degree in Journalism.

In addition to her freelance work, Willow is the head of her own blog, found on her website, which generally focuses on gaming. However, she also has interests in gaming, fashion, art, and photography. She serves as a tutor for students- assisting them with organizational, writing, and homework skills.  

Gyasi Ross is of both the Blackfeet nation and the Suquamish nation, and currently lives on the Port Madison Indian Reservation.  He is a father, lawyer, filmmaker and author.  For many people living on the reservation Ross is the only lawyer they know, he said, and so he gives legal advice as best he can. Above his various vocations, Ross is most passionate about being a father to his son.

Listen in as project coordinator Blue Tarpalechee shares his experiences at Vision Maker Media in an interview with our assistant director Shirley Sneve.

The 1491s are a comedic group that travels the nation telling Native stories and bringing various social issues to light. They describe themselves as a “gaggle of Indians chock full of cynicism and splashed with a good dose of indigenous satire.” The 1491s got their start when the father of Dallas Goldtooth married the mother of Migizi Pensoneau. Growing up, the two boys made videos for fun. Eventually, the three other members asked to join in. Their mission is simply to make themselves and their audience laugh, and to encourage critical discussion about some social norms within the Native community.