Resistance Radio with John and Regan: Recent Episodes
John Kane & Regan de Loggans
"Resistance Radio” is where Native voices are offered to the public discourse on Native issues and issues that affect us all. “Resistance Radio" airs live every Thursday at 3:00 PM EST on WBAI 99.5 FM in NYC. "Resistance Radio" is the only Native hosted, live, call-in radio talk show in a major market.
So much has enter both the Native vernacular and the dominant narrative ABOUT Native people that is NOT accurate. We suggest some word swaps and understanding of what is currently being used.
In the wake of the US celebration of their Declaration of Independence, let's talk about the guy who wrote it!
Eve helps run the Mexica Izkaloteka/Tontierra Cultural Embassy of Indigenous Peoples in Phoenix, Arizona and is headed to Atlanta to stand with others in offering a counter narrative to the celebration of Independence Day,
The Tiohateh or Two Row Wampum was about peaceful coexistence and respect for independence.
Any time I hear anyone claim the Declaration of Independence is the greatest thing ever written, I got to wonder.... Has anyone read this pack of lies?
We'll spend the next few weeks in the run up to Trump's Independence Day circus stating some of the obvious to anyone who ever read the Declaration of Independence.
According to the "Handbook on Federal Indian Law", Native people came under US authority by force and by treaty. They would have been more honest if it had said by force and by fraud!
The vast majority of US holidays are some celebration of war. Memorial Day is just one of many. But it kicks off the Summer season and revs us up for the 250th celebration of the United States' first war; the war for independence! But still no justice for all and still no "all men are created equal."
I am not an "Indian" and I am not a "member" of a "tribe." Not my words and not my identity!
We continue to wreak havoc on the planet as we pretend 250 years of this behavior is something to celebrate.
DNA cannot determine ethnicity, origin stories or nationality. and why is it romantic for country singers to sing about refusing to sell land to developers. THAT was one of the reasons the US claimed for taking our lands.
Allegiance is literally in the definition of "citizen." But left out of the processes in the 14th Amendment, the takeover of Hawaii and the Indian Citizenship Act!
I try once again to explain why more should be outraged over Native people being cast as a subclass of human existence in the US. That is exactly what "ward" status is!
Being a "citizen" is about having an allegiance to a government in exchange for protections. Freedom is not in the definition of citizenship.
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The entire Me Too movement, every clergy sex abuse claim and everyone in the Epstein files can't come close to the number of children abused in 150 years of "Indian Boarding Schools!"
The Seneca people organized, researched and educated each other to rise up and oppose the policing agreement that their "leaders" entered into. They forced the Seneca Nation to rescind the agreement!
Some have suggested that our Kaianerehkowa (Great Law of Peace) was the foundation and basis for the US Constitution. Well, I'm here to say NOT EVEN CLOSE! Our ways rejected hierarchies! Yours created them based purely on being a rich white man. Ooh! What a coincidence! That's EXACTLY what you have now!
Don't blame us! You didn't listen!
As Native communities struggle with their autonomy, the symbol of the Haudenosaunee autonomy is the Two Row. But many of our communities struggle to stay on our path.
Trump and his ED Secretary don't really care if these mascots stay or go. Their presence here on this issue is strictly performative. This is about political alignment. It's about the base! It's about votes, congress, campaign contributions; it's about securing footholds at the school and community levels.
From a holy book covered in human flesh to both the North and the South engaged in the American Holocaust, the US and Americans refuse to own their true history.
Ross was the co-producer and he funded the production of THE LONG HOPE, our full length documentary. We discuss the film and its growing relevance in these trying times.
We are literally only one week into the New Year and the news cycle is INSANE. Trump hasn't even logged in a full year yet!
My emphasis in 2026 will be regarding Native identity; defending it, promoting it, defining it and protecting it.
If you take a racist bigot who abuses his wife, is angry and feels like his white privilege is under constant assault and make him rich and evil, you just turned Archie Bunker into Donald Trump. The trouble is that MANY Americans are fine with that.
We live in troubling times but much of it is history repeating itself. There is NOTHING happening now that hasn't been going on for a very long time. We must remember that.
2025 has proven to be an incredible year by almost any measure. 2026 may be an even bigger run off the cliff or a tipping point. This show is more important than ever in the world we are now living in.
The effort to dismantle the illegal doctrines of the US legal and legislative system is quite simply about rejecting being singled out simply for being Native people and cast as wards of the government. We are NOT incompetent! We are NOT inferior! We will NOT beheld in some twisted state of perpetual political and legal purgatory! But some are scared of taking such a bold stance. Some believe the current status somehow protects us. This isn't protection! It's a protection racket designed to oppress us.
Sam Alito has questioned this power and now Thomas and Gorsuch are challenging its constitutionality and general legality. To be clear the UN has called doctrines, policies and practices like this, racist, scientifically false, legally invalid, morally condemnable and socially unjust. So where are Kagan, Jackson and Sotomayor?
Last Tuesday was the 231st anniversary of the Canandaigua Treaty! Why celebrate broken promises. And don't get me started on the Washington belt.
In town for a screening of THE LONG HOPE so I had a chance to broadcast Resistance Radio from the WBAI studio this week, We do a little catch up and go to callers.
The Long Hope is our film that we are in the early stages of rolling out. I talk about why we made the film ans why we hope people will watch it.
The US has been more tyrannical and authoritarian than the king they revolted from Day 1 to the present. Trump or no Trump!
Almost twenty hours of Amtrak and the LIRR to get out to Hofstra and back but it was all worth it!
WPFW in Washington DC was kind enough to offer me a two-hour slot not only for Indigenous Peoples Day but to kick off their Fall Fund Drive.
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Conquest, wards of the government, free checks, free college... yeah! Let's debunk some of this crap!
These special days and acknowledgements miss the mark. They blur what should be our message. We know what you did and we are fighting to make it right!
Only Sam Alito and Clarence Thomas have questioned the Trust Doctrine and Plenary Powers Doctrine. They all call themselves "justices", so where is the justice and where are Jackson, Kagan and Sotomayor?
The Doctrine of Christian Discovery was literally cited in a federal court ruling less than four weeks ago!
Tiana Morano is Shinnecock and lives in the Connetquot School District. She joins me to discuss the settlement agreement between the school district and NYSED over their use of T-Birds for their mascot.
I the early 60s while Kennedy and Nixon were locked in a tight race for the White House, both needed Pennsylvania badly. So both viewed the Senecas as a sacrifice they were willing to make. As a result, ten thousand acres of Seneca land were condemned to a flood plain by a dam constructed to solve flooding problems for Pittsburgh.
We must reject the narratives we have been spoon fed. The answer to the cognitive dissonance we have been forced to live with is changing our behavior and rejecting what has been drilled into our heads for generations.
Trump has taken over DC with the military. 35 years ago Canada tried that on my hometown.
From Dick Wilson and his FBI backed GOON Squad to land claims and bad gaming compacts, we see more and more that real change comes from the people.
The mascot issue is easy to point to in this regard. The fact is that many believe they own us and our images, and they have every right to mock or portray us as their mascots. But it doesn't end there.
Trump is trying to force the Washington NFL team to restore its previous racial slur of a name and is threatening to kill their stadium deal if they don't.
Trump is trying to force the Washington NFL team and Cleveland MLB team to bring back their racist mascots.
The Real ID Act prohibits boarding domestic flights without proof of US citizenship or "lawful permanent US residency." I am neither a US citizen or lawful permanent resident of the US!
Ann Coulter channels some L. Frank Baum after she laments the deficiency in the number of us that they killed.
We were insulted and lied about in thee foundational document of the United States.
The NY Post published some good lies this week. I'll unpack that a bit as well.
Yesterday was the anniversary of Custer's defeat at Little Big Horn. But what came after? Beyonce wore a Buffalo Soldier shirt in Paris. What's the message? And what is THAT history. Mamdani defeated Cuomo in the NYC mayoral primary so recent history factors in but how far back is too far back?
I am all for creating a holiday for Black people but celebrating a fuzzy end to US slavery seems a bit awkward to me. Lets do some history.
Most Americans don't know what the Tulsa Massacre was or what the Osage Murders were. They don't know about residential schools or the Dakota 38.
US citizenship was NOT granted. It was imposed! Well, some of us reject this imposition. So Kathy Hochul wasn't apologizing for the State's mascot ban. Oh no. She did the ole, "It wasn't me!" duck on this one. A just pointed at the Education Department. "It was THEM!"
The wrestling lady is going out to fight for Massapequa's Native mascot! And so are the folks from Shinnecock and Poospatuck but to oppose her!
I know it's not guilt but more likely arrogance that allows these guys to admit the BS they are promoting. Ironically, it's the justices on the right who are lifting their skirts.
I did two shows this week; NYC and DC. If you just haven't been able to get enough John Kane this week, well here you go.
I did interviews with NPR, Native America Calling, Brian Lehrer as well as the AP, the NY Post, the Long Island Press and several more. All because the Orange Menace stepped up for the white folk of Massapequa.
With Trump standing up for schools using Native peoples for mascots, the media has finally covered the issue. But much of the real messaging still remains lost.
I took the 8 hour train ride to NYC for a Resistance Radio show from our Brooklyn studio and heading out to Long Island to screen Sugarcane at the Cinema Arts Centre in Huntington NY.
As I prepare to head out to Long Island to screen "Sugarcane" I hope some of those Long Islanders upset with Brodie's ruling come out to see the film and confront me on mascots.
The shady side of not-for-profits securing grants for Native peoples, Pretendians and hostile work places.
Nettie Gould and Sarai Cook join me!
We'll screen "Sugarcane" at the Cinema Arts Centre on April 10th at 7:30pm in Huntington, NY.
David Harmony joins me to discuss our "Timeline" project.
Emily Pike leads my conversation on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. Then I turn to the impact the current White House administration is having on Native communities.
Many people believe we live on easy street; no taxes, free money, free college, free food. Oh! And Casinos, Smoke Shops and Cannabis Dispensaries! NOT!!
To this day, the most racist policies, legal doctrines and laws of the US target Native people.
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This may be my most comprehensive explanation on just what Native people, particularly the Senecas, have faced with casino gaming under IGRA.
Great to back in the WBAI studio and screening "Fighting Indians" at the CAC in Huntington, NY.
Joe Biden and Deb Haaland bid farewell and Governor Kathy Hochul delivers her State of the State Address for New York.
My thoughts on them all!
A battle with NYS over the Shinnecock Nation's signage has raged on since 2019 but it looks like the end is near as a precedent setting victory seems at hand.
We talk national monuments, Peltier, Native battles with NYS over gaming and tobacco, and boarding schools.
It is definitely going to be an interesting next few years. I wish everyone the best but I know things have to get worse before they get better. $5 for a dozen eggs was enough to get Trump elected. What will it take for the ignorance to subside?
December 26th of 1862, 38 Dakota were hanged in Mankato, Minnesota in the largest mass execution in US history. The execution order was signed by Abraham Lincoln and carried out less than a week before his Emancipation Proclamation.
As I complete another trip around the Sun and close out another calendar year, I offer my thoughts and explanation on why I do what I do. I cling to the hope that some message will catch fire and become contagious enough to affect change.
My good friend Tekarontake joins me for the program to give a basic explanation on how we council. Just how do we reach consensus? What is the process?
Three false political entities have signed an agreement to extinguish claims to Mohawk land. It's illegal and will not stand no matter how much US support this agreement has.
Tekarontake joins me to let the truth prevail.
December is not a good month for Native people, historically speaking. Some of the most tragic events of US history occurred in December. Let's hope we get through this one.
Our special day on our special month! Again, who knew? So this year our special day falls on Black Friday and the Sand Creek Massacre anniversary. Guess what gets the most attention? The least anyone could do is order me one of those 85" televisions from Walmart! I mean, it is our special day!
My phone never rang once this month to invite me to speak during our "special" month. It's almost like no one cares!
Well, it's a good thing for Resistance Radio!
Reggie and I try to put things into perspective after another hyped election. Just more of the same for people accustomed to oppression.
One day before what many are calling the most consequential in modern history and the last day of WBAI's Fall Fund Drive. Oh! And the start of National Native American Heritage Month. As if you didn't have enough reasons to give!
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I delve into a case that went before the Supreme Court back in 2004 that specifically deals with jurisdiction and highlights the plenary powers doctrine.
Welcome to a special broadcast of Resistance Radio with Jacquie Luqman joining me for the program.
This year's Seneca election is poised to produce an administration that opposes revenue sharing and will no longer lie down for NYS.
I'll admit I am not a big fan of these special days. I think most of them miss the mark. That's not to say that I won't try to use them to be heard. I will!
The often overlooked victims of oppression and colonization are children. I will not wear an "Every Child Matters" orange shirt on Monday any more than I would wear an "All Lives Matter" t-shirt. OUR CHILDREN MATTER! Native Children Matter! Your history would suggest otherwise but we reject all that. Join us for a discussion on the Children of Oppression!
We target educators and those pursuing education in these areas because context is necessary to understand this history.
Shenendehowa High School in the Albany NY area FINALLY has agreed to drop its mascot. I take the opportunity to engage with some of the unhappy customers associated with them. I also point out the specific law passed just as the US was going all-in with residential schools.
Your "Kill the Indian - Save the Man" policy was just one of the genocidal strategies.
Let's put your numbers to all of it from massacres to removal to starvation and the whole thing!
Can you even imaging that instead of assessing the damages committed in perpetrating a crime that you only assess what was paid out to commit the crime? Well, here you go!
They low-balled the deaths at these schools to under 1000 and only could identify 18,000 kids forced into these schools. The true numbers are closer to 20,000 deaths and 100,000 total victims.
I will not voting in any US election. I never have and never will. I reject US citizenship and refuse to participate in the systems of my own oppression. BUT! I am not telling others not to vote. Just don't ONLY vote!
I won't vote in your election. You have stretched the notion of the lesser of two evils to the breaking point.
From "merciless Indian Savages" to forced citizenship. Scalp bounties, massacres, and theft of our lands and our children. This day marked not a declaration of independence but of a war against anything in their way!
On June 19th 1865, Native people were improsoned in open air prisons called "reservations." Native children we being ripped away from their families and communities, and sent to child prisons called "residential schools," where they were abused, beaten, raped and killed for who they were.
Informing some of the last enslaved human beings in the US that slavery was supposed to have been ended two years prior, was not the same as granting freedom.
I do not speak for all Native people; not by a long shot! But more and more Native people are coming around. My goal is to empower the next generation of activists. We need allies and accomplices.
But what about the 150 years prior? From Merciless Indian Savages to incompetent wards of the state to forced citizenship. We'll take a look.
The majority of legal battles Native people have with the state and federal governments is over taxation!
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If you believe Native people deserve land back, you must also believe we deserve space on air and in print.
Any "deal" that extinguishes Native title to our homelands is unacceptable and NO ONE has the authority to sellout the birthright of our children.
Native people were driven off our lands at gunpoint by armies. We were defrauded, lied to and cheated in every way possible. Today we are robbed by lawyers trying to "settle" land claims; which are really just lopsided land sales to extinguish our land titles.
The US passed the Indian Citizenship Act in 1924, declaring all Native people to be US citizens. So, are we? What does that mean? Dual citizenship? Voting rights. Taxable. Doe the US hold the underlying title to our lands?
56 years after the assassination of the country's most famous peace activist, the list of unarmed Black people killed by police continues to grow. And any suggestions of police reforms, if anything are being rolled back in the midst of America's culture wars. Bureaucrats create paper to address Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and NEVER address quality of life issues.
The Indian Citizenship Act was not a grant for a pathway to citizenship. It was a declaration with no choice or option associated with it. It was NOT the creation of dual citizenship. It was the erasure of ours and the imposition of theirs.
We lack any true sense of identity if we don't know or carry our past forward. But going forward with a distinct identity requires a knowledge of how to fight and defend that identity.
I offer my thoughts on what many have called an Oscar snub to one of the most incredible stories ever told on film. The Reservation Economic Summit was this week in Vegas. The theme was "Strength In Unity." Sounds good! I share some thoughts.
The disproportionate suffering of women and children in Gaza or at the US Southern Border seeking refuge. Or the on-going epidemic of Missing and Murdered Indigenous women. Can we celebrate women as we ignore these crises?
201st anniversary of Johnson v M'Intosh. Coming up on 100th of the Indian Citizenship Act. WPFW's birthday this week and the birthday of Harry Belafonte tomorrow.
The US prides itself in asserting the rule of law.... but not always! The tyranny of authoritarian rule is known by Native people too well.
Many of the most egregious legal doctrines used to oppress Native peoples were created and affirmed by the US Supreme Court. They have been doing this for over 200 years. It is nothing new.
In this consequential episode of "Resistance Radio" with advocate John Kane, an in-depth discussion takes place about the historical misconceptions and inaccuracies surrounding Native Americans and the fight for their rights. The talk challenges listeners to rethink a narrative that labels Native Americans as "wards of the state," highlighting the implications such assumptions hold for their rights and sovereignty. Kane fervently challenges the legitimacy of laws like the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) which infringe on the autonomy of Native communities and treats Native people as too incompetent or trustworthy to0 run their own businesses.
The episode serves as an enlightenment platform where Kane intricately explores the historical events and legal decisions shaping the current narratives about Native Americans. His impassioned call emphasizes the need for changing these misrepresentations, advocating for the autonomy, dignity, and respect of Native communities. This conversation further delves into the controversial subjects of misrepresented native identities, ongoing acts of genocide, and the public's obsession with presidential politics.
The episode doesn't shy away from highlighting the systemic abuse and exploitation of Native American resources, discussing the overlooked, yet impactful grievances like the "Cobel Suit" where malfeasance against Native American communities went under-compensated. We also touch on the shortcomings of international powers like the US, Canada, UK, and Australia in respecting the rights of indigenous populations, and shed light on the commonly held misconceptions about indigenous sovereignty.
As such, the episode stands as a call-to-action for everyone to critically assess their position in governance structures, encouraging a shift from federal intervention to local governance systems. Listeners are urged to understand the impact of local events on their lives and participate actively in their communities rather than depending solely on casting ballots every four years. In conclusion, this eye-opening narrative implores listeners to move beyond mainstream discourse and understand the world from a native perspective, thus fostering a society of justice, equality, and inclusivity.
In this revealing episode, John Kane navigates listeners through the intricate history and legal complexities endured by Native American communities concerning land rights in the United States. Providing a thorough exploration of the historical contradictions and affronts that have influenced Indigenous and non-Indigenous relations, Kane clarifies perspectives on American Indigenous rights.
He guides us through intricate legal cases that underscore the continuance of disagreement over land ownership and occupancy, clarifying that the struggle isn't simply about possession- but also about the dignity, autonomy, and the right for Indigenous identity assertion.
The discussion involves the United States' obscure "trust responsibility" towards Native communities, debunking outmoded 'ward-trustee' implications. This episode ends with a pressing call to arms urging Native communities and allies to challenge harmful assumptions as Kane explores a blend of historical and contemporary issues.
By highlighting the misguided legal narratives surrounding relationships between the U.S government and Native peoples, Kane urges the audience to learn, challenge, resist and incite change.
Many of King's quotes and speeches have been white washed and misinterpreted. Let's talk about some of his thoughts and words as they relate to Native people and the true "original sins" of the USA.
The news media outlets refuse to say why Native mascots are banned and simply say schools are being forced to change them because of a State ban. All this does is feed the "culture war" frenzy.
But it's not just killing people that makes it genocide. Let's talk about land claims, indigeneity, ancestry, history and who is from where.
A bit of a recap of the year and some scary foreboding for the year we are coming into.
Lance is the former Chairman of the Shinnecock Nation and current Regional VP of the National Congress of the American Indian. We talk "recognition", NCAI, Montaukett, mascots and pretendians.
My old school that I took on over their mascot lost their appeal to the State Supreme Court. This fight led to the statewide ban. The Senecas and NYS agree to extend the current gaming compact as the Governor continues her squeeze on Seneca gaming revenue. And Governor Hochul vetoed a bill that would have restored State recognition to the Montaukett Nation.
This was Peter d'Errico's first appearance on my show in New York. Shawnee Rice was co-hosting. We covered a wide range of issues and hit them hard.
We are not fighting for civil rights, constitutional rights or even treaty rights. We are fighting for our sovereignty and autonomy.
Author of "Federal Anti-Indian Law", Peter d'Errico joins me to talk about his work as it relates to the Osage Murders, Native gaming and US domination.
If you were appalled by the racism displayed in Killers of the Flower Moon, you must understand that it still continues today. The federal government considered Native people as incompetent and too ignorant to manage our own funds and our own businesses. That designation continues today with the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.
I promoted a PBS series that featured a 15 year old boy who committed suicide shortly after filming the segment. We need to address Native youth suicide!
We take listener calls to address the outing of Buffy Sainte Marie.
Justin Schapp, Seneca and Professor of Native American Studies at St Bonaventure joins me for the hour. We talk about Buffy Sainte Marie and Pretendianism and the Osage murders depicted in the Scorsese film Killers of the Flower Moon.
I saw the film and I was disappointed. We need to question what info is fed to us. Buffy Sainte Marie on the hot seat. Last show of the Fall Fund Drive!
The murder of the Osage is an unprecedented massive conspiracy of murder, marriage and theft. No where in the history of US criminal activity has this level of premeditation occurred. But the theft continues as other means have been employed by the powerful and greedy.
It's impossible for me not to see the similarities in the Israeli treatment of Palestine and its people to what Native people have experienced with the United States and its predecessors.
Michael G invites me to discuss the new Martin Scorsese film, Killers of the Flower Moon. I encourage folks to see the film but offer my caveats about "creative license" the distinction between facts and fabrication.
Four NYS schools are suing to keep their Native race-based mascot against the State's statewide ban. Identity theft at its finest!
A friend of mine says "all skin folk are not kin folk." What she means is that even those who look like us, may not be "with" us. We can be distracted by the sellouts who grab headlines as they stand with our enemies. But our enemies remain the real problem. They love seeing us attack each other. We need to stay focused on the real powers who oppress us.
It's not a competition. And I am not trying to rate the horrors of whose racism experience is or was worse. My point is that much of the racism we experience is acceptable to Americans. It's not acknowledged.
Yep! I broke the rules and I got charged, convicted and sentenced; TWICE! Catch the show and learn about my egregious behavior.
The "mainstream media", social media, print media, TV, Cable, smart speakers, smart phones, smart TVs. It's all media. But so was every film, TV show, comic book, novel, newspaper, history book and radio. All this information yet ignorance persists.
The Washington Commanders' team president Jason Wright said of bringing the racial slur back to the team, "It is NOT being considered. Period!" Alrighty then! Let's be done with this conversation.
But we're not done with the conversation/negotiation over a gaming compact between the Seneca Nation and New York State; not by a long shot. And the current compact is set to expire on December 9, 2023. So what does that mean?
A group of silly losers are trying to bring back the Washington NFL team's racist slur of a name and the media is eating it up. And why is Oprah taking heat over the Maui fires? The question is: who has displaced more Native Hawaiians? This fire or rich people from the continent buying up all the land?
I can't ignore that "Pretendianism" isn't a problem. According to the 2020 US Census, those identifying as "Native Americans" increased by 87%. Not only is that impossible, I don't even know how many real Native people participate in the US Census. So to say there is a problem is an understatement. But getting pulled into the Pretendian Battlefield is something I won't do.
Don't talk to me about "healing" or "reconciliation" without proper redress and restoration of what your Genocide took! Residential Schools were Genocide!
Can you teach Black history without teach about slavery, Jim Crow, or the battle for civil rights? Well, what Native history and what about contemporary Native issues and life?
When we lose a loved one we feel a deep sense of personal loss. But when we lose an elder in a Native community, we lose an invaluable source of history, culture and language.
No matter how many lawyer, judges or scholars say it, even the Native ones, the claim that Congress has plenary powers over the affairs of Native people is just false. There is no legal or historical basis for the claim. We never agreed to this transfer of power and sovereignty and there was neither a taking of it by force nor even the slightest mention of it in the US Constitution. It actually says just the opposite.
We cannot find justice in a legal system based on the Doctrine of Christian Discovery and the Plenary Powers Doctrine. Our only solutions are achieved through political means. We don't need laws passed by colonial powers to protect us because they don't. All their laws are about domination and dominion.
After 21 years of getting screwed by New York State, Seneca leadership laid down for the State once again with terrible terms for a new gaming compact with the State. The State Legislature refused to give the Governor authorization to proceed with the current proposal and the Seneca People are livid.
The Indian Child Welfare Act is touted as having ended Residential Schools and stemming the flow of Native children to white families through foster care and adoption. Well... That's not entirely true. And any claim that ICWA recognized our sovereignty? THAT is completely untrue. If it were true, the law would have told states that WE are the only ones authorized to remove Native children from their homes and parents and that our Nations would be responsible for placement of these children.
It doesn't and we aren't!
But far worse than the law was the challenge before the Supreme Court.
There are always a lot of issues facing Native people and many of them tie directly back to our identity and distinction and the battle against assimilation. I continue to speak on the Native mascot issue but there is a growing list of topics that are beating at our doors. The SCOTUS is about to rule on a challenge to the Indian Child Welfare Act in "Haaland v Brackeen." This case challenges whether we are merely an inferior race of Americans rather than a distinct, autonomous people. A new gaming compact is set for debate and approval with the Seneca Nation and New York State. Another sellout and payoff to the State? We'll cover that. And an on-going battle over the New York State Thruway as it cuts through the Cattaraugus Territory of the Seneca Nation is a show coming soon.
A the entertainment industry is all abuzz over this book becoming a major motion picture, I hope people will actually read the book or at very least catch this interview.
For a donation of $75 or more to WBAI, I'll send a copy of The Mohawk Warrior Society: A Handbook On Sovereignty And Survival.
I discuss Killers Of The Flower Moon; the book and the film.
I live and do this show on the Cattaraugus Territory of the Seneca Nation. This week I take a departure from taking on tough issues and just talk about home.
Pitching for WPFW "Jazz and Justice Radio and learning a little more on what is a "Good Indian."
I made my long overdue trip back to NYC this week for our Manhattan book launch of "The Mohawk Warrior Society: A Handbook On Sovereignty And Survival." It was a great event and trip. I look forward to hosting and participating in more live events.
Philippe Blouin joins me to talk about The Mohawk Warrior Society and our NYC book launch on May 2nd. We also take calls from listeners for the first time in a long while.
This one is tough. We clearly need to root out frauds making livings off false claims. They not only advance themselves but some are literally taking opportunities from others. But where is the line and who decides who is real? The Feds? The states? Others federally recognized "tribes?"
The latest on ending New York's use of Native mascots in their public schools. A harsh critique of the Vatican's repudiation of the Doctrine of Discovery. And my announcement that I'll be coming to New York City for a book launch of "The Mohawk Warrior Society", featuring a small piece by yours truly. That's May 2nd at the Judson Memorial Church!
But with this racist doctrine codified in US law, what does this mean? It's the one year anniversary of New York Governor Kathy Hochul extorting $560 million our of the Senecas. And some updates on my work on the Indigenous Mascot Advisory Council for the State Education Department.
Schools in New York are scrambling to save their beloved Native mascots. The trouble is it ain't happening. I detail some of the attempts.
It's mostly a pitch show but in doing so I talk about the importance of being heard particularly in places like Washington DC.
Some may have wondered where my social media presence has been, including this podcast. Well! here is the low down.
Keith R. Burich, Ph.D. is my guest. we talk about his new book which puts race and racism at the front of the history between colonization and the Native people of this hemisphere. But through it all We Remain.
We must understand these historical event in context. 2 years after the Wounded Knee Massacre and the continuation of US imperialism beyond the Western Hemisphere. I visit both the attempt to make Native Hawaiians into "Indian tribes" and the ongoing attempts to diminish the autonomy and distinction of Indigenous Peoples.
A look back at the Idle No More movement and what is required to keep movements like Idle No More or Black Lives Matter moving.
Proving one more time that Republicans do not have a monopoly on racism, Kathy Hochul defies a unanimous vote by the State legislature to pander to the billionaire class over Native peoples' concerns.
December marks some painful anniversaries for US/Native history. On December 26th of 1862, 38 Dakota were hanged in the largest mass execution in American history. That Execution Order was signed by Abraham Lincoln. In December of 1890, Sitting Bull was murdered by US backed police. Later that month, the Massacre at Wounded Knee would occur. Join me as I put these events into historical context and talk of the legacy of these events.
My old friend Doc Shya joins me on the program to talk about the common ground shared in slavery and in racism; how Black and Native people survived together.
We are in a tough spot but all roads led us here. We need change. We need activism to make those changes. Sure! Go ahead and "Vote for Change", pray for change; do what has always been done. But for some of us, we need to throw out the old roadmaps and rule books. We need to break a few rules and chart some new paths.
After three weeks, the word has spread. Every small town and city newspaper has run the story and every media platform with a comment section has been flooded with people losing their minds over it.
John and Valerie go deep into the Bureau of Indian Affairs from two very different perspectives and take on the agency that is now almost completely run by Native bureaucrats.
After a two year fight with my old high school which went from the school board to the New York State Education Department (NYSED) and then to State Supreme Court, NYSED has ordered all schools to remove Native mascots by the end of the school year.
Well, we are more than half way through our "special" month. Did anyone notice. Join me for a run down on what another November has brought us.
The Supreme Court heard arguments this week on a challenge to the constitutionality of the Indian Child Welfare Act.
The bill has passed both chambers of the NY State legislature but the Governor has failed to sign it into law. 47 other states have such a law.
First let me remind people that Native people are not characters to be mocked even for Halloween. Just don't do it!
And NO! I don't vote! I suspect the final chapter of a successful genocide is when the victims line up to cast a ballot for who will oppress them next. I will not voluntarily submit to assimilation.
The chickens have truly come home to roost! Everything from climate change to political unrest, gender inequality and racism are all direct results of the legacy of colonialism.
We are broadcasting a special Indigenous Peoples Day program on WPFW. Sharing the holiday with the originator of the American Holocaust almost forces us to talk about Columbus and to do the show in the District of Columbia, a whole other bit of irony.
This podcast comes sandwiched between last week's National Remembrance Day for Victims of Indian Boarding Schools and Indigenous Peoples Day. and even with this attention, I'm not sure people, including Native people, fully grasp the scope, scale and harm associated with these federally funded and church run institutions.
There is a saying that says "Our existence is the resistance." And that is because our existence is not guaranteed. We fight to survive. Our population was eliminated by 99% by colonization. No other population has survived such an onslaught.
It was recently said that for the first time in 230 years Congress will have full indigenous representation. No! Not even close. If a Native person is successful at gaining enough white support to get elected, it's those people that they represent. Their loyalty is with party and the people who elected them, NOT with Native peoples who they may be related to.
One of our major tobacco manufacturers settled a fight with NYS by paying $56 million. The State just never stops coming after us!
There seems to be a persistent aversion to acknowledging that the centuries of atrocities that Native people have experienced is the result of racism.
Dr. Philip Zimbardo joins me for the program to refute those using his name and misrepresenting his work to promote the use of Native mascots and to discuss his years of research, including his famed Stanford Prison Experiment and his current Heroic Imagination Project.
My sister in arms, Donna Fann-Boyle, joins me to update me on her fights from PA and to compare notes.
I haven't given a whole show to explaining what the Doctrine of Discovery is in quite a while. So here we go. Feel free to do your own research but allow me to explain how we were and are impacted by this racist church doctrine.
What a mockery it was to place a headdress on this guy's head. And NO! He didn't apologize for the role of the church or the clergy in the abuse and genocide of Canada's "residential schools."
If a morally bankrupt organization like the Washington NFL team can change its race-based name, why can't all these little white towns with their little white schools do the same?
Are these acknowledgements done to make white folks feel better? Don't just acknowledge that we once lived in a space; give us some space!
The Supreme Court continues to empower and embolden states as they promote evangelical ideology on everything from abortion to prayers at school to the Doctrine of Christian Discovery.
No. Not Cambridge, Mass. Cambridge, NY; my home town. The school board appealed to State Supreme Court to overturn a ruling by the State Education Commissioner forcing the school to retire its "Indians" name and mascot.
If you are taught about something that was done to Native people; that is not our history. It's yours!
After the killing of 10 Black people by a white supremacist in Buffalo, NY; there is plenty of talk about racism. But if we reduce racist acts to only acts of violence and hate, we are missing the breeding grounds of racism. If we only see victims of racism as Black, we are missing what white supremacy really is.
We need to spell out just what racism is and what acts are racist acts.
While I don't believe people of color can be racists, that comes from the fact that racism is about power and is institutional. But people of color sure can support white supremacy, especially if that white supremacy has shined well on them.
A short story I read many years ago in K-12 haunts me now as mass shootings have become a part of daily life. Or death.
Sorry but this one gets an F. Nothing new or revealing, just some early superficial reduced numbers, lots of "cultural assimilation and more commitment to language revitalization. No talk of land restoration or recognizing our autonomy and distinction.
Leon Siu makes a return visit to update us on the fight to restore the Hawaiian Kingdom, including the fight for Mauna Kea.
Photo ops, public comment hearings and political appointments are NOT a seat at the table. "Consultation" is NOT consent. The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples calls for "free, prior and informed consent" on matters by the state affecting Native people; NOT just checking a box in a rigged process.
On the the Pope's apology for the Doctrine of Christian Discovery? APOLOGY NOT ACCEPTED! As for Deb Haaland? We are still waiting for that seat at the table. Please prove me wrong and do the right thing on this Seneca gaming dispute with NYS.
Many words placed on us have specific meaning even if we don't use them that way. "Indigenous Peoples" is an expression framed in colonialism and for some it means the descendants of the people who predate colonialism. But I am NOT just a descendant of those original people; I am of one of those original people.
Governor Kathy Hochul extorted half a billion dollars out of the Seneca Nation by freezing all its bank accounts, affecting the livelihoods of every Seneca and every employee, vendor and contractor. She literally strangled the second largest employer in WNY for a ransom payment that she plans to use for the new Buffalo Bills stadium.
Kevin Prego joins me to talk about the services provided by the New York Indian Council.
We need to start at the beginning but don't think for a minute that we suffer today only from the lingering effects of old racist laws. They are STILL being passed today and both the laws are racist and the enforcement and oversight of them are racist.
The Indian Child Welfare Act, passed in 1978, will be challenged before the US Supreme Court that it violates the states' right to take and place Native children into non-Native homes.
We need to stop putting history into silos. You cannot talk about Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation and omit the execution of the Dakota 38 whose order he signed and occurred only a week before his "historic achievement."
60 Minutes did a story last week on Canadian Indian Boarding Schools with barely a mention of the reckoning the US has to do on their much bigger role in this genocide.
Some thoughts on Black History Month, the Washington Commanders and small towns digging in on their Native race-based school mascots.
Haaland dumps the S-word for all federal lands and the racist statue has been removed from NY's Museum of Natural History.
The Seneca Nation has been fighting New York State for over four years over gaming revenue the State has been trying fleece from them. Last night the Senecas hoisted the white flag and surrendered. They will pay half a billion dollars to the State and continue to pay. Why? Because this is how Native people have ALWAYS been treated by the State.
Karma Ain't Fixing This! Is 2022 the year we step up and begin to topple the hierarchy?
December sucks for Native people. From the executions of the Dakota 38 at Mankato to the Wounded Knee Massacre and the personal tragedies including the loss of my friend to Covid, this month of holidays and celebrations for some is anything but to others.
Unheard of killer tornados, 65 degrees in Buffalo with two weeks left in the year. This isn't just denying science; it's denying reality!
Our resistance is not futile. We may not win many of our fights but our resistance matters. The mascot fight is one that we are winning and I connect it to many of our other battles.
The NYS Commissioner of Education Dr. Betty Rosa ruled this week that Cambridge Central School in upstate New York is ORDERED to eliminate its Native mascot.
No Thanks Given. Canada is heading for another Indigenous shutdown! And the US better be paying attention!
Well COP26 sucked! The US pointed finger and patted their own back but what role does the insatiable consumer apatite play in CO2 emissions?
The mascot debate goes full critical race theory at my old school's BOE meeting and writer Frederick Joseph has his latest book targeted.
It's our "special month!" Welcome the National Native American Heritage Month! Not really.
Our land is NOT a church. Defending ourselves and the land does not require that we constantly compare ourselves to white men and their beliefs.
As we approach another holiday that sucks for Native people, we make one Halloween request: NO NATIVE COSTUMES!!
Today Is Orange Shirt Day! What's That All About? How about a hundred years of Indian Boarding Schools and the genocide they were responsible for?
Is Sorry Enough? Don't apologize for Residential Schools if you are not prepared to recognize our distinction and autonomy.
"Rising Together For A World Beyond War" is an event planned for September 19th in NYC's Foley Square. Zool Zulkowitz joins us to talk about the event and its mission.
Regan is on the road in Minnesota on the way to Line 3! Thoughts on coverage of Afghanistan and the fight over Line 3.
It just never ends. With no process for addressing our objections to their laws, we find ourselves fighting in their courts.
Some folks are losing their minds over the Cleveland Guardians. I hate to borrow a phrase but; Get Over It!
Rather than giving us a seat at the table, colonial powers just grab one of our people and plug them into their colonial systems. Mary Simon was sworn in as the Governor General of Canada this week and Deb Haaland is the US Secretary of the Interior. The problem is: they work for them, not us.
White folk again are losing their mind but this time over Simone Biles withdrawing from Olympic competition. Whatever took her out of her game, I have a similar scenario that has struck Native men working in high steel.
Your courts are NOT our remedy. The US once claimed they were afraid the UNDRIP would disrupt the long standing remedies in place to resolve conflicts between the US and Native peoples. The trouble is: there wasn't any. Only their courts and they are anything but a remedy for us.
We start with the horrific news that more unmarked graves were discovered at another "Indian" Residential School. Then we move onto an update on a school mascot battle. And Yes! These two issues are connected.
Critical Race Theory (CRT) is the new bogey man scaring white folks from their positions of privilege to such white fragility they don't even want to hear any truth that might conjure up white guilt. 6 states have banned CRT from being taught in schools.
215 remains of children discovered in unmarked graves at an Indian Residential School in Canada. Oh! It's even worse on the US side!
We are NOT environmentalists! We are Land Defenders; Land Protectors! We are NOT a movement. This is the fight we have been fighting for 500 years!
Italian Americans in elected offices from the boroughs of NYC to the State Capitol lost their collective minds when their white fragility was triggered by canceling their false hero's holiday. They demanded and received swift action. And guess what? It's worse!
This is National Week of Action for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. We explain what MMIW is and some of the causes. We also discuss the NYC Department of Education cancelling Columbus Day!
Historian and author Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz joins Regan and John to discuss her new book due out in August, "Not A Nation Of Immigrants" and her collaboration with Raoul Peck on the HBO mini-series, "Exterminate All The Brutes."
We cannot condemn the celebration of the conviction of the killer cop in Minneapolis but we need to put it into perspective.
We are criminalized because of the lens we are viewed through. Native people have lived for thousands of years without a system of hierarchy. Our rights are birthrights, not handed down from above. Yet judges, cops, elected officials; all see us with only the rights they give us. It's not just that we reject authority; we reject the concept of authority.
Regan takes this one on her own and welcomes Eileen Janis and Tiny DeCory from the Bear Program of Pine Ridge and the featured community organizers in the new documentary, "The Bears On Pine Ridge."
Regan is on the streets of DC fighting to end the Enbridge Line 3 Pipeline so John goes through some of the weak arguments made for keeping Native mascots.
Lots of talk about "Stop Asian Hate!" That's good but let's be clear; Racism and hate crimes aren't about Black, Asian or Native people. It's about White Male Supremacy!
Native people are getting some backlash over $31Billion of the Covid Stimulus Bill going to Native territories. This is NOT reparations and it is certainly not Native people suddenly being pushed to the head of the line. This isn't even enough to back fill the gross underfunding of federal obligations. This is a drop in a leaky bucket! And can you say "Cobell Settlement?" Yeah! A $3.4 Billion settlement for $150 Billion loss!
Bob Hennelley from Salon and the Chief Leader join John and Regan to discuss the Dems' betrayal on the "Fight for 15." As a $15 minimum wage was sacrificed for Biden's Covid Stimulus Bill it's a good time to look poverty by policy.
Regan and John go through the racism and misogyny Ms Haaland endured during her hearings, some of her low points and the failings of the Interior Department historically.
Robert Hennelly of the Chief Leader and Insider NJ join the program to discuss the talk of a return to a "pre-pandemic normal." Frankly, the pre-pandemic normal paved the way for the pandemic, Trump, George Floyd and and much of what we face today.
The mainstream media and US officials are condemning Russia for its crackdown on protestors but it doesn't look much different that what BLM and NODAPL protestors experienced. Perhaps the US should take and hard look and see themselves in what they are condemning.
Joe Biden promising to reestablish respect for "tribal" sovereignty. Reestablish? That implies there WAS respect. If that was "respect" then what the Hell is "tribal" sovereignty?
(Reuploaded on 2/1/21 to fix an audio issue with the MP3 file.)
Cops and the Capitol! Regan and John talk about some the aftermath of white fragility reaching a tipping point.
The first episode of 2021! John and Regan discuss the riot and attempted coup at the U.S. Capitol building.
John is out of town for this episode so Regan has a special guest on to talk about the Brooklyn pipeline.
For all those who want to dance in the street and celebrate a political victory; it’s time to realize that NOW is the time for action. Social equity and justice are not won at the ballot box. What will you do to make those newly elected officials tackle the real issues?
Regan and John discuss the 2020 U.S. election results and what a new administration means for Native resistance!
Catch the show live every Thursday at 3:00 PM EST on WBAI 99.5 FM in NYC!
Regan and John pick up the conversation about revenge, justice and equity. Journalist and reporter Robert Hennelly joins the program to talk about Trump's gutting of Atlantic City and racial injustice and its impact on COVID-19, first responders and economic recovery.
Catch the show live every Thursday from 3 to 4 PM on WBAI 99.5 FM in NYC!
Regan and John take a look back at this year's Indigenous People's Day and Indigenous People's Day of Rage. They also give their thoughts on the mob of white people in Nova Scotia destroying the property of Mi'kMaq lobster fishers.
Catch the show live every Thursday from 3 to 4 PM on WBAI 99.5 FM in NYC!