Heather Tanana (Diné), a law professor at the University of Denver and associate faculty member with the Center for Indigenous Health at Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health, joins host Farina King to discuss her chapter in COVID-19 in Indian Country: Native American Memories and Experiences of the Pandemic. Her chapter, “The Intersection of the Law and Health: Water (In)security in Indian Country,” asserts that access to clean water is essential for health, culture, and community well-being, yet nearly half of Native American homes lack safe drinking water or basic sanitation compared to less than 1% nationwide. This episode examines the ongoing crisis of tribal water insecurity and the work still needed to close the gap.

Resources:

• tribalcleanwater.org is a website that contains a lot of resources, including some reports such as "Universal Access to Clean Water for Tribal Communities"
• In the episode, Heather makes a reference to this grassroots and community organization: https://tonizhoniani.org/
• "Water Is Life: Law, Systemic Racism, and Water Security in Indian Country," an article by Heather Tanana, Julie Combs, and Alia Hoss: https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/hs.2021.0034
• "Abandoned Mines, Abandoned Treaties: The Federal Government's Failure to Remediate Abandoned Uranium Mines on the Navajo Nation," an article by Nadine Padilla: https://lawreview.colorado.edu/print/volume-96/abandoned-mines-abandoned-treaties-the-federal-governments-failure-to-remediate-abandoned-uranium-mines-on-the-navajo-nation-nadine-padilla/
• Heather Tanana, "The Intersection of the Law and Health: Water (In)security in Indian Country," in COVID-19 in Indian Country: Native American Memories and Experiences of the Pandemic, eds. Farina King and Wade Davies (Palgrave Macmillan, 2024).

At age 40, Robert Collins realized that the Potawatomi language was still alive, which changed the course of his life. Now a dedicated language instructor for the Citizen Potawatomi Nation and various universities across Oklahoma, Collins shares his journey from machinist to language protector. In this episode, he emphasizes the sacredness of Bodwéwadmimwen (Potawatomi language), innovative teaching methods, and his dream of creating future generations of Potawatomi speakers and educators. This episode is a part of the special series on Native Language Protectors and Carriers, tracing how one man’s calling ignites a community’s hope.

Dr. Farina King narrates this episode, and special thanks to Brian D. King for editing the Language Protectors and Carriers series.

Robert Collins is a Citizen Potawatomi Nation member of the Delonais family and Thunder Clan. He serves as the Interdepartmental Potawatomi Language Lead at the Citizen Potawatomi Nation Cultural Heritage Center and teaches Potawatomi at the University of Oklahoma and other institutions. Collins designs curriculum for early childhood, college-level, and community language programs. He is a lifelong student of Bodwéwadmimwen that he now helps others reclaim.

Learn more about the efforts to protect and support the study of Native American languages (and all languages) at the University of Oklahoma through the following petitions:

Oppose the Removal of Foreign Language Gen Ed requirements at the University of Oklahoma

Keep Indigenous Languages Alive at OU

For more information about the Oklahoma Native American Youth Language Fair, see the hyperlink.

Learn more about Native American Languages at the University of Oklahoma.

Additional Resources:

Citizen Potawatomi Nation Language Department- https://www.potawatomiheritage.com/language/

"Collins Speaks on Learning Potawatomi Language" (December 2024)

Tina Bridenstine, "Program helps build Potawatomi language resources," Native Oklahoma (May 2025)

On this episode of the special series featuring Native Language Protectors and Carriers, we reflect on the legacy of the Native American Languages Act of 1990 through the stories of Michael Elizondo, Jr. and Chaz Meadows. They are two citizens of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes who are reclaiming their languages, one word and one conversation at a time. From learning with elders and attending ceremonies to immersive master-apprentice programs and digital classes, they share how language connects to culture, humor, and identity—and why its survival is essential for future generations.

Dr. Farina King narrates this episode, and special thanks to Brian D. King for editing the Language Protectors and Carriers series.

A Native of Oklahoma, Michael Elizondo, Jr. received his BFA from Oklahoma Baptist University (2008) and his MFA at the University of Oklahoma (2011). Elizondo has participated in numerous solo and group exhibits regionally and nationally. He has been a professor of fine art and art history at colleges and universities statewide, recently serving as the Director of the School of Art at Bacone College and Executive Director of Language and Culture with the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes. Elizondo is currently focusing on his studio practices full-time.

Jonathan (Chaz) Meadows is a citizen of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes and a dedicated advocate for Indigenous cultural and linguistic revitalization. He earned dual bachelor's degrees in Native American & Indigenous Studies and Sociology from Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado, graduating with Cum Laude and Dean’s List honors. Jonathan is currently a graduate student at the University of Oklahoma, pursuing a master’s degree in Native American Studies. A former president of the Pujuta Tipi Society RSO, his academic and community work is deeply rooted in cultural preservation, language revitalization, and intergenerational knowledge transfer. He is an alumnus of the Wells Fargo, Indigenous Land & Language, American Indian Service, and Cheyenne & Arapaho Higher Education scholarship programs, and a former apprentice in the Cheyenne Language Master Apprenticeship Program. His work is grounded in a lifelong commitment to sustaining Indigenous lifeways for future generations.

Learn more about the efforts to protect and support the study of Native American languages (and all languages) at the University of Oklahoma through the following petitions:

Oppose the Removal of Foreign Language Gen Ed requirements at the University of Oklahoma

Keep Indigenous Languages Alive at OU

For more information about the Oklahoma Native American Youth Language Fair, see the hyperlink.

Learn more about Native American Languages at the University of Oklahoma.

We honor Cheyenne and Arapaho speakers of all generations of the past, present, and future such as Joyce Twins (1943-2020) who taught Cheyenne language for over 20 years, including for some time at the University of Oklahoma.