WKAR Celebrates Native American Heritage Month

November was first declared a national month celebrating Native American heritage in 1990, under President George H. W. Bush. In 2008, the theme for the national celebration of Native American Heritage Month is "Celebrating Tribal Nations: America's Great Partners." | more at Library of Congress

According to the latest U.S. Census figures, Michigan has the 18th largest Native American population, with more than 25,000 residents of Native American heritage.

On TV
During November, WKAR-TV celebrates Native American Heritage Month with a variety of program offerings, beginning on WKAR World with "Four Directions and the Waganakising Odawa," a program featuring the Odawa of Michigan's Northern Lower Peninsula.

Many of these programs air multiple times on the WKAR channels. The first air date/time is listed here. For additional air dates, please follow the 'view more times' link for each program.

Four Directions and the Waganakising Odawa
Monday, Nov. 3 at 8:00 PM on WKAR World | view more times

The Medicine Wheel is explained by members of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa, which live in Michigan's Northern Lower Peninsula. Also: the tribes' cultural events; such Anishinaabe stories as the "Origin of the Snowsnake," "Jingle Dress Dance."

Stories In Stone
Monday, Nov. 3 at 8:30 PM on WKAR World | view more times

The history behind stone walls found in southern New England is explored. Included: insights from elders of the Narragansett tribe, whose ancestors built them; two modern Narragansett mason families.

Weaving Worlds
Wednesday, Nov. 5 at 10:00 AM on WKAR World | view more times

How Navajo rug weavers fit into the global economy. Included: interviews with Navajo weavers; the link between weaving and family relations; the interdependency between indigenous artisans and Anglo traders.

Maria Tallchief
Wednesday, Nov. 5 at 8:00 PM on WKAR World

An untold story on the life and artistry of Maria Tallchief, who rose from an Indian community in Oklahoma to become America’s first prima ballerina. Her partnership with Balanchine helped create the New York City Ballet and changed the course of ballet in America. Rare archival clips and stills from the 1940’s through her retirement in the mid 1960’s trace this important period of ballet and American Indian history.

Tattoo On My Heart: The Warriors of Wounded Knee
Friday, Nov. 7 at 11:00 AM on WKAR World | view more times

The 1973 Native American occupation of Wounded Knee, S.D., and the government siege that followed is recounted in this documentary.

Seasoned With Spirit
Friday, Nov. 7 at 6:30 PM on WKAR World | view more times

Seasoned with Spirit is a five part series that offers viewers a culinary celebration of America's bounty combining Native American history and culture with delicious, healthy recipes inspired by indigenous foods.

Much more than simply a cooking series, it's a visually stunning, cultural adventure across the American landscape where viewers meet Native American peoples, see their breathtaking environs, learn their history and traditions, and, best of all, taste their cuisine.

Loretta Barrett Oden, a renowned Native American chef, food historian and lecturer, and proud woman of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, hosts the series. With her infectious humor and unstoppable enthusiasm, Loretta travels around the country to immerse herself in the lives and traditions of numerous Native American tribes.

P.O.V.: Standing Silent Nation
Friday, Nov. 7 at 9:00 PM on WKAR World

See one family's struggle for economic and tribal sovereignty on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Resourcefulness, resistance, spirituality, love of family, and a sense of humor are values embodied by Alex White Plume (Oglala Lakota), head of the Wacini Ska tiospaye (clan). The prosperity of Alex's 86-member extended family hangs in the balance as he prepares to defend himself in front of a federal judge for growing industrial hemp.

Long Walk: Tears of the Navajo
Monday, Nov. 10 at 8:00 PM on WKAR World

Recalling the forced relocation of some 8000 Navajo to Bosque Redondo in Southern New Mexico in 1864. Peter Coyote narrates.

Way of the Warrior
Monday, Nov. 10 at 11:00 PM on WKAR-HD/23

One-hour documentary about the warrior ethic in Native American communities. Its purpose is to explore how Native communities have traditionally viewed their warriors and why, during the 20th century, Native men and women have volunteered for military service at a rate three times higher than non-Indians. The documentary also explores how the dominant culture has viewed and used this warrior ethic.

True Whispers: The Story of the Navajo Code Talker
Tuesday, Nov. 11 at 11:00 PM on WKAR-HD/23

Independent Lens: Trudell
Wednesday, Nov. 12 at 5:00 AM on WKAR World | view more times

Native American activist and poet John Trudell fuses his radical politics with music, writing and art. Combining images and archival footage with interviews and performances, this biography reveals the philosophy and motivations behind Trudell's work and his relationship to contemporary Indian history.

Oceti Sakowin: The People of the Seven Council Fires
Wednesday, Nov. 12 at 8:00 PM on WKAR World

Across the rolling plains of the Midwest, a great nation was created by a people who had their own system of government and a livelihood that was forever changed by settlers. The Oyate, the people, tell their own story in this new, hour-long documentary, Oceti Sakowin: The People of the Seven Council Fires.

The Oneida Speak
Monday, Nov. 17 at 8:00 PM on WKAR World

In 1935, while the country was deep in the depression, a group of Oneidas in Wisconsin took advantage of a federal writing program designed to employ Americans and offer economic relief. Many, who wrote in their own language, recorded their daily life on the farm to a federal infiltrator sent to drive people off the land to a devastating small pox epidemic

Independent Lens: March Point
Tuesday, Nov. 18 at 10:00 PM on WKAR-HD/23| view more times

The Swinomish Tribe is a clamming, crabbing and fishing community that has relied on the natural resources of Skagit Valley for centuries. In the late 1950's, two oil refineries were built on March Point, eventually effecting the health of the water, land and the very fabric of cultural tradition itself.
Visit the website.

Brule, Live At Mt. Rushmore: A Concert For Reconciliation Of The Cultures
Wednesday, Nov. 19 at 8:00 PM on WKAR World

The concert combines beautiful music with breathtaking Native American rhythms and dance, while delivering the unmistakable message of peace, hope, and reconciliation.

Blackfeet Encounter
Monday, Nov. 24 at 8:00 PM on WKAR World | view more times

This program traces the consequences of the Lewis & Clark expedition's arrival and investigates the struggles and triumphs of the Blackfeet today. Co-Produced by Curly Bear Wagner (Blackfeet), founder of the Going-to-the-Sun Institute and Dennis Neary, Native View Pictures in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Water Haulers
Tuesday, Nov. 25 at 8:00 PM on WKAR World