Native Americans

RadioActive

'We're trying to save who we are': The Kituwah language is endangered, but my sister and our elders keep it alive

Indigenous languages are under threat. In 2019, there were only about 2,000 Cherokee speakers left, with the vast majority of remaining speakers over the age of 70. RadioActive youth reporter Jared Lam talks to his sister, Rachel Lam, who has been learning an Indigenous language commonly known as Cherokee. She is working on a children's book to help younger generations learn the language.

KUOW Newsroom

'The resilience of native women': These Navajo matriarchs heal and educate through dance

Thousands of American Indian and Alaska Native women and girls are missing - many presumed murdered, their families denied the dignity of laying their bodies to rest. "Art Heals: The Jingle Dress Project" honors these women and their land, and educating non-native people along the way.

KUOW Newsroom

'This came from a dream.' How this Navajo family is healing with dance

Eugene Tapahe never dreamt the coronavirus pandemic would bring the world to a stop. Nor could he have known when the virus struck that another pandemic a century earlier - and a tradition that grew out of it - would send his family on a 30,000-mile journey to heal.

'Bring us your dreams.' This Native-led fund aims to 'decolonize philanthropy' in the Northwest

Many levels of government, private foundations and charities are handing out economic recovery grants these days. A Native-led nonprofit serving the Pacific Northwest is carving out a niche by offering grants specifically to help Indigenous communities and artists rebound from the uneven effects of the pandemic.

The Record

May 27th | Why you might see a fridge when you walk through your neighborhood

Take a stroll around your neighborhood and you might come across a refrigerator on the street. It's not waiting to be recycled, it's part of the mutual aid group Seattle Community Fridge. Ross Reynolds spoke to one of the group's volunteers. Plus, last Monday Governor Inslee signed a sweeping set of environmental bills into law. But one provision he didn't pass was requiring consent from local tribes, and tribal leaders aren't happy. And Ross Reynolds speaks to Heart band member Nancy Wilson.