This week we speak with some of the descendants of the original occupants of the stolen land we live on. We learn about traditional harvesting and processing of wild rice, preservation of Indigenous language and culture, and the harm done by appropriating Native culture for sports team mascots.
The Ojibwa and Wild Rice
Daniel Poler discusses relationship between the Ojibwa Nation and wild rice, and how a proposed copper mine threatened that way of life.
Oral History and Language
Tracy Littlejohn of the Ho-Chunk Nation discusses the importance of oral history to the Ho-Chunk culture, and of efforts to preserve the Ho-Chunk language.
Culture, Sovereignty, and Statehood
Matt Stewart, a young activist with the Ojibwa Nation, discusses the preservation of culture, and how American culture of consumerist capitalism is destroying other cultures around the world.
The Racism of Sports Logos
We meet Barbara Munson of the Oneida Nation, who chairs the Wisconsin Indian Education Association’s “Indian Mascot and Logo Taskforce”. She explains why the use of First Nations imagery for school mascots and logos is a harmful form of racism, especially in the K-12 school districts.
The Origins of May Day
We briefly summarize the results of our research on the origins of May Day the springtime celebration of fertility, and May Day the celebration of organized labor and workers’ rights.