NATIVE NEWS HEADLINES

At first officials identified Navajo, Apache, and other Arizona tribal members as among those who were victims of a massive Medicaid fraud scam. Now tribes in Montana, North and South Dakota, and other states are taking stock of their members who were also caught up in the fake substance abuse treatment con that reaches into the hundreds of millions of dollars. The Blackfeet Nation declared an emergency to help gain resources to repair the fallout for its citizens. We’ll find out the latest on the efforts to help the people who were harmed and hold those responsible accountable. GUESTS Reva Stewart (Diné), grassroots advocate with the #StolenPeopleStolenBenefits campaign  Jeri Long (Diné), Native American advocate and director of business development at Milestone Recovery  Melissa Lonebear (Northern Cheyenne), member of the Northern Cheyenne Tribal Council Shelly Hall (Blackfeet), member of the Blackfeet Tribe Business Council  

Until this month, one of Colorado’s highest peaks was named for the former state governor who fostered and supported what became known as the Sand Creek Massacre in 1864. It took years of pressure and an awareness campaign to get the name changed. Still, support is not universal. We’ll get the story on changing the Mount Evans name to Mount Blue Sky – and some updates on other important place name changes. GUESTS Fred Mosqueda (Southern Arapaho), Arapaho Language and Culture Program Coordinator for the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma Chester Whiteman (Southern Cheyenne), Cheyenne coordinator of the Culture Program of the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes Dr. David Lewis (Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde), assistant professor of Anthropology and Indigenous Studies at Oregon State University and blogs at NDN History Research  Roman Rain Tree (Dunlap Band of Mono Indians, Choinumni, Wukchumni), chief impact officer for Seeds of Sovereignty and community organizer for the Industrial Areas Foundation Tom Rodgers (Blackfeet), senior advisor for the Rocky Mountain Tribal Council

Neighbors are helping each other rebuild after the historic deadly fire on Maui. The community is in line for hundreds of millions of dollars in federal and state funds, in addition to private donations from all over the world. More than a month after the blaze swept through the city of Lahaina and the surrounding area, officials are still sorting out the cause and the factors that contributed to its severity. And, while not as bad as originally feared, the death toll approaches 100 people. We’ll check back in with the rebuilding effort in Hawaii and what some of the major challenges are as residents look to the future.

The newest survey from the Pew Charitable Trusts concludes suicide is an urgent public health issue. Their data shows that while the suicide rate increased an alarming 30% across the board over a 20-year span, the rate for Native American and Alaska Native females rose a staggering 135% over the same time. The number for Native males is close behind. At least half of those people had contact with the health care system within a month of taking their own lives, indicating an opportunity for trained professionals to intervene. It’s Suicide Awareness Month, and we’ll look at the promising work to turn around a dire trend.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruling denying race-conscious college admissions has Native business owners on alert over the far-reaching implications beyond higher education. A recent federal judge’s decision puts an additional hurdle in front of Native businesses when it comes to a program in place to diversify federal contracts. Some experts and Native small business owners worry it’s only the beginning of a new system that will mean fewer successful Native entrepreneurs.