Today on American Indian Airwaves (AIA), listeners will hear our special guest discuss the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), its history and January 2024 modifications along with its implications for Native Americans. In addition, our guest will provide an in-depth analysis about the increased aqua or ocean mining by non-renewable extractive industry companies for rare minerals - as part of the Green Economy – potentially jeopardizing, threatening, and/or destroying Native American sacred sites currently under the ocean. Our guest addresses what this situation means for Native American sacred sites off the coastal shorelines of Indigenous people’s traditional territories?  Are there protections in place for these sacred sites? What happens when private companies encounter these sacred sites, and Native American ancestors, sacred items, and forms of cultural patrimony? What roles does NAGPRA play in these situations or does it? 

The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act was enacted by the U.S. Congress in 1990 with the intended purposes to protect and return of Native American ancestors, funerary objects, sacred objects, and objects of cultural patrimony. By enacting NAGPRA, Congress recognized that Native American ancestors "must at all times be treated with dignity and respect." Congress also acknowledged that Native American ancestors and other cultural items removed from Federal or tribal lands belong to the lineal descendants, Native American nations, and Native Hawaiian organizations. 

Guest:
•	Shannon O’Loughlin is a citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and serves the Association on American Indian Affairs as its Chief Executive and Attorney. Shannon has been practicing law for more than 24 years and is a lecturer at Johns Hopkins University. Shannon serves as Vice Chair of the Board at Native Ways Federation, which educates about informed giving to Native-led nonprofits. 

•	She is a former Chief of Staff to the National Indian Gaming Commission, where she assisted in the development and implementation of national gaming policy, and oversaw the agency’s public affairs, technology, compliance and finance divisions. Shannon was appointed by Secretary of the Department of the Interior, Sally Jewell to the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act Review Committee in 2013; and was appointed by President Barack Obama as the first Native American to the Cultural Property Advisory Committee within the State Department in 2015. 

Archived programs can be heard on Soundcloud at: https://soundcloud.com/burntswamp

American Indian Airwaves streams on over ten podcasting platforms such as Amazon Music, Apple Podcast, Audible, Backtracks.fm, Gaana, Google Podcast, Fyyd, iHeart Media, Mixcloud, Player.fm, Podbay.fm, Podcast Republic, SoundCloud, Spotify, Tunein, YouTube, and more.


NAGPRA, Protecting Sacred Sites from Ocean Mining in Green Capitalism’s Expanded Violence

On May 8th, 2025, at the Vatican, the Conclave elected Robert Francis Cardinal Prevost as the 267th Bishop of Rome. Known as Pope Leo XIV, he succeeds Pope Francis, and inherits a long, violent and unresolved legacy of the Vatican’s role in committing intergenerational settler colonial violence and genocides against Indigenous peoples, clans, communities, and nations throughout the world. The Vatican’s complicity can be traced back to the 15th century issuance of three papal bulls, the first two decreed by Pope Nicholas V in 1452 and Romanus Pontifex (1455); and third by Pope Alexander VI's Inter caetera in 1493.

Known as the Doctrine of Dominion or Discovery, the Papal bulls authorized colonial powers such as Spain, Portugal, and other European monarchies and countries to seize lands and subjugate people in Africa and the western hemisphere so long as Indigenous peoples were not Christians. In the United States, the Doctrine of Dominion/discovery, indeed, is the foundation of America’s property law and federal Indian law that violently ensures Native Americans dispossession of their traditional and treaty homelands – a situation established by the Vatican in the 15th century. 

Over the centuries, the Vatican and its missionaries have been responsible for the theft of thousands and thousands of Indigenous peoples sacred or ceremonial items and other forms of cultural patrimony, which have either been on display at the Vatican Museum, or remain hostage at the Vatican and possibly other religious institutions. To date, the Vatican has not repatriated Indigenous ceremonial items back to Indigenous peoples and nations in violating the UNDRIP and denying Indigenous peoples fundamental rights. 

So, what does Pope Leo XIV mean for Indigenous peoples throughout the world? Pope Leo inherits Pope Francis’s legacy which includes: in 2022, the Vatican issuing an apology for the “catastrophic” legacy of residential schools in Canada; in 2023, the Vatican repudiated the “Doctrine of Discovery” without calling for settler colonial countries to do the same, and in 2023, Pope Francis, despite the formal protest of 50 California Indian nations, was responsible for the canonization of the Spanish missionary Junipero Serra who masterminded the 18th-century Alta Spanish mission system that functioned as violent theological network attempting to vanquish Indigenous peoples along the coast of California and parts of the western hemisphere. 

Guest:
Valentin Lopez, Amah Mutsun Nation, is Chairman of the Amah Mutsun Nation, one of three historic California Indigenous Nations that are recognized as Ohlone. Valentin is Mutsun, Awaswas, Chumash and Yokuts (http://amahmutsun.org/governance/tribal-council).  

Archived programs can be heard on Soundcloud at: https://soundcloud.com/burntswamp

American Indian Airwaves streams on over ten podcasting platforms such as Amazon Music, Apple Podcast, Audible, Backtracks.fm, Gaana, Google Podcast, Fyyd, iHeart Media, Mixcloud, Player.fm, Podbay.fm, Podcast Republic, SoundCloud, Spotify, Tunein, YouTube, and more.


The Vatican’s Transition, the Doctrine of Domination, & Possession of Indigenous Sacred Items/Cultural Patrimony

For the first time ever Turning Earth was broadcast live from the DDR studio. This month I was joined by David from Slí Eile to discuss their upcoming Day of Resistance in the Sperrin Mountains, to support to people there who have been fighting off an international mining company.

We were joined as well by Conor McCabe, to bring a broader analysis to the discussion and help us understand the nature of the colonial and neocolonial exploitation of Ireland by foreign capital.

https://www.instagram.com/sli_eile/

https://www.facebook.com/p/Greencastle-Peoples-Office-100063579042613/

DDR E.020 Day of Resistance in The Sperrins with Sli Eile and Conor McCabe

Race ideology does not want other races to exist.

Death Wants More Death 08-14-25

With today’s changing global political landscape, with nationalism coming into focus once again, Tracy DW looks back and dives in to the tumultuous history of Zimbabwe, exploring the complex interplay of colonialism, nationalism, and the struggle for liberation. Tracy highlights the significant roles of the two main political parties, ZANU and ZAPU, as they fought for the rights and freedoms of their people amidst the backdrop of British colonial rule and the subsequent fight for independence. Through examining the origins, strategies, and ideologies of both parties, Tracy sheds light on their contrasting approaches to achieving liberation. She reflects on the internal divisions and external pressures that shaped their paths, illustrating how these dynamics influenced the broader narrative of decolonisation across Africa. Visit the website and purchase your copy of &nbsp;   If you enjoy these podcasts, you can&nbsp;&nbsp;for more information.   You can also contact Tracy via audio on the&nbsp;&nbsp;or email Tracy&nbsp;&nbsp;

Divided We Stand: ZANU & ZAPU's' quest for Zimbabwe's Independence

In this episode of 'Stories to be tolled', Tracy DW embarks on an exploration of the evolution of America from 13 colonies to a global superpower. She delves into the remarkable journey that began with the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and the establishment of a constitutional republic, highlighting the foundational principles of liberty, democracy, and the American Dream. As she examines the complexities of American democracy, she raises critical questions about the current state of civil liberties and the alarming signs of democratic backsliding. &nbsp;Listeners are invited to reflect on whether the United States can reclaim its status as the land of the free and the home of the brave, or if it is destined to confront a potential nightmare. This episode serves as a compelling reminder of the ongoing struggle for democracy and the importance of civic engagement in safeguarding the ideals upon which the nation was built.   If you enjoy these podcasts, visit the website   for our stories (poetic narratives) as well as more information about what we do.   You can also purchase you own copy of the poetic narrative  &nbsp;&nbsp;which shares Tracy’s interpretation of this famous city through a glimpse at America’s colonial history.   You can also contact Tracy via audio on the   or email Tracy  &nbsp; &nbsp;

The American Dream: democracy or autocracy?

Nations:  What are they?  Are they defined by language, by “culture,” by blood, or something else?    How do you know if you are part of one? —and  is everyone in the world a member of one nation or another?
We follow how the rise of medieval kingdoms and universities and the print revolution made it possible for people in the West to imagine themselves as part of extended kinship groups united by a common language and ancestry, how these abstract “nations” differed from all earlier social groupings, how nations have developed a standard template for national history and mythology, and how since the French Revolution, “nationalism” has inspired the loyalties and fired the passions of millions.
Finally,  we consider how scholars and critics have torn the concept of the nation to shreds, and then have tried to account for the profound transformations in consciousness and time made it possible for people to conceive of themselves as belonging to nations in the first place.

Apologies for the osprey squawking in the background of the lecture!

Suggested further reading: B. Anderson, "Imagined Communities"; Ernest Renan, "Qu'est-ce qu'une nation?"; Grosby, "Nationalism: A Very Short Introduction"; Potter, "The Historian's Use of Nationalism and Vice Versa"

Music:  “Danse du Grand Calumet de la Paix” / “Forets Paisibles,” from the opera-ballet “Les Indes Galantes,” by Jean-Philippe Rameau & Louis Fuzelier, 1735, performed by Les Arts Florissants, with vocalists Patricia Petibon & Nicolas Rivenq -- used with the kind authorization of Les Arts Florissants

Please sign up as a patron at any level to hear patron-only lectures, including the series on the Epic of Gilgamesh! -- https://www.patreon.com/c/u5530632

Myth of the Month 25:  Nations

How many meals do you have time for? Why do sweets make you happy? Does fruit sugar (fructose) need insulin? Why does sugar spike? Are oranges and grapes differently sweet? Has sugar always been a transnational commodity? How did Europe get sugar? How did the first sweet shops come up? How did we end up milking animals? Is time the fourth factor in nutrition? Are apples autochthonously sweet? Do sweet making techniques travel easily? What travels first – people or food? What does grinding do to grains? Where do you get your samosas and croissants? Does your tea have blood in it? Is your diet carbohydrate heavy? Might you crave ‘more’ food if you consume less sweets? What has the relatively recent non-seasonal abundance done to human bodies? Have our metabolic systems evolved to fight abundance as well as scarcity? Do all blood pressure patients need to restrict salt? How important is the sensation of sweetness? What exactly do sugar-free sweets do? What is monk fruit’s future? Is greater industrialization of our food systems inevitable? &, would sweets continue to embody the spirit of indulgence (& excess) in the future? SynTalk thinks about these & more questions using ideas from endocrinology (Dr. Hemraj B. Chandalia, Jaslok Hospital, Mumbai), culinary anthropology (Dr. Kurush F. Dalal, Gyaan Factory, Mumbai) & sociology (Dr. Ishita Dey, South Asian University (SAU), New Delhi). Listen in...

#TEST (The Entangled Sweet Tooth) --- SynTalk

White sacrifice which mutilates feminine tribal women is hidden purposefully by race ideologists because laws of nature must not be invoked by Jewish prophetesses who worship them.

Holy Sonnet 09-04-25

The stunning conclusion to the duology that began with the internationally bestselling Sun of Blood and Ruin, this gender-flipped Zorro reimagining weaves Mesoamerican mythology and sixteenth-century Mexican history into a swashbuckling historical fantasy filled with magic, intrigue, treachery, and romance. 

 They call her many things. Witch, Nagual warrior, lady, Pantera. And after defeating the Obsidian Butterfly, Leonora carries a new name: Godslayer.

Peace in Mexico City is fragile. Rebellion brews in the North, and with the people’s safety at risk, Pantera must once again become the demure viceregent Leonora to stop a war before it begins. But her friends are scattered, Tezca is gone, and one wrong move could seal her fate. Caution is her ally, for the real Prince of Asturias – her former betrothed – has arrived at court, reigniting rumours Leonora and Pantera are one.

Meanwhile, a greater threat looms in the mountains, where a false king seeks to summon the god of night using a weapon of untold power. It’s up to the Godslayer to confront this enemy… and the one growing within her. Only by embracing her divine origins can Leonora triumph over the forces of darkness – and maybe even spark a revolution that could change Mexico’s fate forever. But in doing so, she risks losing herself forever…

Dawn of Fate and Fire, By Mariely Lares, Read by Victoria Villareal

American Indian Airwaves (AIA), an Indigenous public affairs radio porgram and, perhaps, the longest running Native American radio program within both Indigenous and the United States broadcast communication histories. Also, AIA broadcast weekly every Thursday from 7pm to 8pm (PCT) on KPFK FM 90.7 Los Angeles (http://www.kpfk.org).  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aiacr


American Indian Airwaves is produced in Burntswamp Studios and started broadcasting on March 1st, 1973 on KPFK in order to give Indigenous peoples and their respective First Nations a voice about the continuous struggles against Settler Colonialism and imperialism by the occupying and settler societies often referred to as the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the Latin and South America countries located therein.

American Indian Airwaves operates as an all-volunteer collective with no corporate sponsorship and no underwriters.

Publishers of award-winning fiction and non-fiction audiobooks for adults and children. Listen to exclusive clips from our books and free audioook extracts here on Soundcloud.

History lectures by Samuel Biagetti, a historian (and antique dealer) with a Phd in early American history; my dissertation was on Freemasonry in the 1700s. I focus on the historical myths and distortions, from "the Middle Ages" to "Race," that people use to rationalize the world in which we live.   More info at www.historiansplaining.com

Please see my Patreon page, https://www.patreon.com/user?u=5530632, if you want to keep the lectures coming, and to hear the patron-only materials.

Dublin-based podcast documenting grassroots activism in Ireland

'Brilliantly mixing strong electronica elements with the warm and welcoming nature of Gospel, Tracy DW's brilliant genre-melding, synth-riddled gospel track "Blessed" is an intriguing concoction consisting of Tracy's beautifully angelic vocal presence, groove-heavy rhythms, and sonically exciting synth layers that gives listeners a particularly different kind of Gospel inspired
listening experience. One that is both wildly creative and wonderfully retro in nature.'     Andre Avanessian (Radio Airplay)

'Blessed' was originally written in 2019 to celebrate a milestone birthday for Tracy DW. She began recording the song but due to COVID it
was placed 'on the shelf' for more than a year. As the lockdown went by the song became a metaphor and anthem for the undying and unwavering faith that Tracy had in her ability to celebrate life and remain optimistic and resilient during a period of fear, instability and uncertainty. Tracy says 'The lyrics covey my gratitude for the simple things in life that we so often take for
granted, such as being able to sleep in a warm, comfortable bed at night and waking up in the morning to make a cup of coffee…and during lockdown, I made many cups of coffee!’

Tracy, from Watford UK, decided to take the first steps in beginning her own journey as an independent artist back in 2018, working with
Guess Productions in East London to produce her music. Her first two tracks ‘He’s Alive’ (January 2020) and ‘Last Hour’ (August 2020) received
airplay on the Caribbean Broadcast Network and requested airplay on Nam Radio’s Global station throughout 2021 and 2022. 'Blessed' has a different vibe to Tracy's previous releases and leads the listener in a new direction, one that introduces us all to Tracy's unique brand of the Christian and Gospel genres

f(q) = Is soil a definitive sign of life? (#TCAFG)

SynTalk is a freewheeling interdisciplinary talk show with a philosophical approach to understanding the world from a long term perspective.

New tracks tagged #Colonialism