Sk’aliCh’elh-tenaut is a southern resident orca who was captured from the Salish Sea in the 1970s. The whale is at the Seaquarium in Miami, Florida, where advocates say her health is rapidly declining. Lummi Nation citizen Raynell Morris joins us to the talk about the many years she spent advocating to free her relative.

Public and private sectors rely on good data to make decisions. Tribes are no different and the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis wants to help with that. Vice President and Director of the Center for Indian Country Development Casey Lozar walks us through this initiative.

Racial disparities plague the criminal justice system in Rapid City, South Dakota. Natives only make up a fraction of the city’s residents but are more than half the jail population. A circle of elders are trying to change that. Reporter Stewart Huntington has more.

A slice of our Indigenous world:

  • Changes are coming to the correctional program at the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
  • More on the National Congress of American Indians’ State of Indian Nations address and executive council winter session. 
  • A Venice, California lifestyle brand is under fire for claims of cultural appropriation. 
  • People across Indian Country are celebrating the contributions of a civil rights champion.

Find more details on these headlines at the top of today’s show

Today’s newscast was created with help from:

Aliyah Chavez, Kewa Pueblo, is the anchor of the ICT newscast. On Twitter: @aliyahjchavez.

Shirley Sneve, Ponca/Sicangu Lakota, is vice president of broadcasting for Indian Country Today. Follow her on Twitter @rosebudshirley She’s based in Nebraska and Minnesota.

R. Vincent Moniz, Jr., NuÉta, is a producer for the ICT newscast. Have a great story you’ve just got to share? Pitch it to vmoniz@indiancountrytoday.com.

Patty Talahongva, Hopi, is senior correspondent for Indian Country Today. Follow her on Twitter: @WiteSpider.

Kaitlin Onawa Boysel, Cherokee, is a producer/reporter for Indian Country Today. On Instagram: @KaitlinBoysel Boysel is based in South Carolina.

Drea Yazzie, Diné, is a producer/editor for the ICT newscast. On Twitter: @quindreayazzie Yazzie is based in Phoenix.

Maxwell Montour, Pottawatomi, is a newscast editor for Indian Country Today. On Instagram: max.montour Montour is based in Phoenix.

Mary Grace Pewewardy, Hopi/Comanche/Kiowa, is an intern at Indian Country Today. On Instagram: @mgpewewardy. Pewewardy is based in Phoenix, and enjoys playing video games.

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