The Last "Mitakuye Oyasin"

After informing the program director at KBOO of my leaving the show, "Mitakuye Oyasin," I was informed that the show will then have to be cancelled. This opened up a big issue with me knowing that Native programming has been cut by 40% since I've been at KBOO, there is no more National Native News, and Indian programming is often pre-empted especially during pledge drive. Shusli was willing to give up time, energy, and finances, in order for me to come up every other week to insure that Indians stay on the air. It had been made clear to me that KBOO can put whatever the heck they want in that time slot and if they want, they don't have to put in native programming. This being made clear to me is what gave me the panic, but after some internet discussions with the program director, chances are, in two weeks after the last "Mitakuye Oyasin," you'll hear a different Native program by David Liberty. This is not a guarantee, however.

For 12 years I've been asking, often begging, for folks to come down and help out with Native programming. I've received such a minimal amount of interest. There have been six folks who have helped out with "Mitakuye Oyasin" over those 12 years, and I want to thank them. Jim Craven who was a co-host for a while, David Liberty another co-host, Leigh Anne Kranz who got us announcements, Warren Robinson the now missing co-host, Shusli Baseler-Johnson, and now Adam White Stone. Thank you all.

Now this is what I have been thinking now having a nominal guarantee that Indian programming will still be on the air. Having done this for so many years, I am now offering the gift of an opening for others to join in. After years of bothering the Native American Youth Association, they are actually interested now that I'm leaving in getting some of their folks on the air. You see, for me to come down, it took FEAR of losing the time slot for Indians to something else. Shortly after I joined, Indians lost one of their two time slots when "Indian World" and "Mitakuye Oyasin" were combined. We have since never regained that time slot and Indians for the most part at least with "Mitakuye Oyasin" are not interested in keeping that time slot open. Now that I'm leaving KBOO, if you Indians are not worried about losing more air time and having less representation of any kind, you now have a tiny opening and you can make that tiny opening much bigger and maybe regain that hour a week we no longer have and then some. But that is up to you. My only responsibility in all of this is to create room for you to join in.

And it has been a fun and fantastic run. We've called out the cops, we've harassed the FBI and the governor of Washington, we've discussed armed struggle, we've compared indigenous issues here with indigenous issues around the world and have on occasion given voice to those indigenous communities. We've played music you will never hear anywhere else and some of which you will probably never hear again at the closing of this show. We've discussed racism so much so that many times folks would call up and tell me, "You're making me feel uncomfortable," to which I would ask, "what about the comfort of others?" We've talked about the Israeli's torpedoeing the USS Liberty in '67. We've talked about war. We've talked about subjects that make most worried. And now, it is up to you to create more, and you can get David Liberty's help if you want it. He is a good mentor.

So, on March 27, 2008 from 1:30 to 3:00pm, will be my (Eugene Johnson) last "Mitakuye Oyasin," and in fact, THE LAST "Mitakuye Oyasin." My voice may occasionally be on the air in the future, but more importantly, you will have room for YOUR voice to be on the airwaves.

It has been a good run, and I thank you all for your participation and help. I am greatful to have had the opportunity to cheer you all on in your activism. I am greatful to have had the opportunity to teach you things. I am greatful to have been here at the BOO for 12 years. Now it is time to move on. I will be getting my CNA and working my way into nursing school down in Coos Bay. If you ever get down there, look Shusli and I up. We'll be around. We'll still be doing our part. We still have a Revolution to work on. We still have our parts to play in the bigger picture. And we will see you all there.

Thank you all for being a part of this whole big fat project over all of these years. Thank you!