Commend Chris Spotted Eagle for a job well done with Indian Uprising! [KFAI Radio]
From: Clara NiiSka (niis0001umn.edu)
Date: Wed, 15 Apr 2009 12:30:53 -0700 (PDT)
Aniin!

More than six years ago - and when there was no Native radio in the Twin Cities - Chris Spotted Eagle launched Indian Uprising on KFAI Radio. He has done a remarkable job of, as he put it on his original program website, "seeking to fill a void in regular radio programming on Indian issues in the Twin Cities" [archived at http://web.archive.org/web/20031211200202/www.spottedeagle.org/indianuprising.htm ]. His 'meaningful public affairs' programming has attracted both Indian and non-Indian listeners in the Twin Cities area, as well as a nationwide audience via KFAI's website [www.kfai.org ]. Indian Uprising has been rebroadcast by Alaska Native radio, and brought rave reviews from the /Gallup Independent/ (October 2007), as well appreciation from the Minneapolis /Star Tribune/.

Much of what Spotted Eagle did with Indian Uprising has been, it seems to me, both deep and cumulative. The magnitude of what he has done was re-emphasized to me yesterday, when a non-Indian volunteer - at KFAI to help with the station's current pledge drive - told me at length how much she appreciated Spotted Eagle's program, and how much she has learned.

Researching, planning, producing, and 'being there' for a weekly radio show, every week, year after year, is a heavy commitment, and Spotted Eagle has decided to devote his time to other projects.

Among the changes that Spotted Eagle helped to bring about is a 'commitment to Native radio' at KFAI, and although station rules require re-opening broadcast time to new applicants when the founding programmer leaves, KFAI program committee members have said that they are hoping to continue Native public affairs programming in what has been the Indian Uprising time slot (7-8 p.m. CST, Sundays).

During at least one of the last few broadcasts of Chris Spotted Eagle's Indian Uprising, it seems fitting to invite listeners' comments. If you would like to thank Spotted Eagle for his years of work, express your thoughts about Native public affairs programming, etc.: call the Indian Uprising 'voice mail' at 612-341-3144, extension 818 and leave a message; or you can email IndianUprising [at] gmail.com (or me, at ClaraN [at] umn.edu). I would like to include some of Indian Uprising's listener comments on-air, in appreciation of Spotted Eagle's decades of work.

Mii gwetch,

Clara NiiSka


p.s. Please feel free to forward!

KFAI is a listener-supported community radio station. It costs about $125 to broadcast an hour of radio, and a big part of the station's budget comes from listener-members. If you would like to add your financial support to KFAI's Native programming, you can pledge online [ http://www.kfai.org ]- and you can mention your support for Native radio in the "comments" on the online form.

Also fyi, it is my understanding that the KFAI Program Committee [info at http://www.kfai.org/about/board ] will hold a public meeting on May 5th to decide among the program proposals made for the Indian Uprising time slot. (I did not apply because of the heavy time commitments required to finish my school. It is my understanding that both Rhiana Yazzie and Anette Joy have proposed programs, and that there are also a number of non-Native program proposals.)


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