“Cruel Joke”, the new album by Cherokee singer-songwriter Ken Pomeroy, scored celebratory reviews from Rolling Stone and NPR’s World Café among many other outlets. Chickasaw classical composer Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate puts an Indigenous twist on classical music, teaming up with the Dover Quartet, which BBC Music magazine calls one of the greatest quartets of the last 100 years. And the popular First Nations powwow group Northern Cree released two singles with Juno-award winning blues duo Blue Moon Marquee. They are among the countless talented Native musicians who are mastering their craft and reaching new audiences in 2025. We’ll review some of the notable music from this past year.

GUESTS

Brett Maybee (Seneca), host of “The Mainstream”, “Gaënö’”, and Full Moon Radio; multi-instrumentalist; and singer- songwriter

Larry K (Ho-Chunk), CEO and program host of “Indigenous in Music”

Tory J (Quinault), host of “Sounds of Survivance” on KEXP

The prime minister of Denmark apologized for the forced contraception of thousands of Indigenous women in Greenland dating back to the 1960s. The Danish government is also ending problematic parent competency tests associated with disproportionately high numbers of babies being taken away from Indigenous mothers. Both milestones come as Greenland — an autonomous territory of Danish rule — is making strides toward independence. The Trump administration has also made public comments about exerting U.S. control over the mineral-rich territory occupied almost entirely by Indigenous Inuit residents. We’ll talk with Greenlanders about how these developments address Denmark’s complicated past and what remains to be done.

GUESTS

Najannguaq Hegelund, chair for SILA 360

Johannes Geisler (Inuk), Greenlandic parent

Aki-Matilda Høegh-Dam, Member of the Parliament of Greenland

Ujammiugaq Engell, museum director for the Nuuk Local Museum

Break 1 Music: Ikitaa (song) PIQSIQ (artist)

Break 2 Music: Hug Room (song) Chuck Copenace (artist) Oshki Manitou (album)

During the brief time it was open, the Turtle building in Niagara Falls, N.Y. served as the Native American Center for the Living Arts. It was designed by Northern Arapaho architect Dennis Sun Rhodes. Now it stands vacant and is in the way of a proposal for a high-rise hotel. It is on the most recent list of Most Endangered Places by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Another place on the list is the Pamunkey Indian Reservation. Tribal leaders say their land will be underwater within the next 65 years. We’ll hear about some of the threatened historic places and the efforts to save them.

GUESTS

Chief Kevin Brown (Pamunkey)

Shaun Wilson (Mohawk), president of the board of directors for the Friends of the Niagara Turtle

Emma Wilson (Mohawk), student and social media manager for the Friends of the Niagara Turtle

Charles Vaughn (Hualapai), council member and former chairman of the Hualapai Tribe

Break 1 Music: Stomp Dance (song) George Hunter (artist) Haven (album)

Break 2 Music: Hug Room (song) Chuck Copenace (artist) Oshki Manitou (album)