We’re Putting the “Radio” Back into “Kwatsan Radio”!

After a nearly two-year hiatus from broadcasting its unique mix of music and cultural content, the crew at Kwatsan Radio is once again using the Internet to reach fans through their computers, notepads, and smartphones.  The relaunch is set for 12 midnight on March 1, 2013.  That’s 0000 hours, fans!

You can access Kwatsan Radio’s online signal in several ways.  In fact, if you’re reading this blurb, then you’re already engaged in one effective way—visiting our website!  Look on the right-hand side of the page and you’ll see “KWATSAN RADIO 24/7″, with a list of the top players available.  Click on the link appropriate for your device and you’ll be rocking with Kwatsan Radio in no time.

The other ways of getting at Kwatsan Radio’s indigenous-minded content is through devices many fans find indispensible—notepads and smartphones.  Kwatsan Radio is now truly mobile, allowing you to take care of business while remaining connected to all the shows and personalities that you enjoyed.  The music is back with shows such as “Modern Mischief”, hosted by DJ BGS, bringing indie rock back full-force, and new shows such as “Island Smash” by DJ K-Rock and ”Three Little Indians” by Mic Titan, Thrillhouse, and Divine Wind.  And don’t forget about connecting with Kwatsan culture through shows like “REZalution Solution” by Dan Golding.

The Kwatsan Radio crew is also hooking up its fans with some of Native America’s favorite content, with the assistance of Native Voice One.

This means fans can now hear “Native America Calling”, “National Native News”, and “American Indian Living” by tuning into Kwatsan Radio.

The Kwatsan Radio crew also knows that many, many fans appreciate the convenience of viewing Kwatsan Radio’s wall on Facebook.  With so much information and interesting dialogue between fans, it’s no mystery why.  So next time you’re there, try out the new pop-out Kwatsan Radio player!

So give the new and improved Kwatsan Radio a listen.  We’re sure you’ll find something that you’ll like.  And be sure to tell your friends, too!

KWATSAN RADIO—TOGETHER WE CONNECT!!!

Vote for Hope Festival III Helps Kwatsan Voters Learn About the Candidates

On Saturday, November 24, 2012, Kwatsan Radio produced the Vote for Hope Festival III, providing an opportunity for candidates in the upcoming Tribal Council election to share their perspectives and plans with the Tribe’s voters.  Kwatsan Radio also streamed the event over the Internet in an effort to help our off-Reservation family learn more about those candidate who seek their votes.  Unfortunately, we ran into some technical difficulties and the video quality was poor with a lot of drops.  We’ve got Part One of the event here as an audio file for you to listen to, without all of that jerky video.  There are some skips, though, as a result of the drops.  But there’s quite a lot here that you may find helpful as you make your choices in this election.

Click on the icon below to listen to Part One:

Here’s an index to Part One:

2:11 - Lucinda Polk

5:35 - Claudette’s question to Lucinda (Should the Elder Plan payments be cut?)

6:56 - Lucinda’s answer

8:21 - Claudette’s introduction for opening statements

8:34 - Kenrick Escalanti

12:49 - Virgil Smith

13:57 - Emilio Escalanti

16:28 - Wayne Chaipos, Jr.

19:41 - Shawn Porter

22:51 - Cody Hartt

24:50 - Claudette reads candidate list

We’re working on additional parts, and we’ll be posting them up here so keep checking back for more!  Get informed, share with your family and friends, and GO VOTE!

JUST ADDED!  Two more parts are ready for YOU!

Click on the icon below to listen to Part Two:

Part Two features Fort Yuma’s own Willard Golding, Sr., and the Roadrunners, singing some bird songs to keep us all grounded and connected to our culture.

Click on the icon below to listen to Part Three:

Here’s an index to Part Three:

0:03 – DJ BGS

1:52 – Claudette’s first question (Should the Elder Plan payments be cut?)

2:55 – Emilio’s answer

5:03 – Wayne’s answer

6:57 – Kenrick’s answer

7:52 – Virgil’s answer

8:45 – Shawn’s answer

9:19 – Cody’s answer

10:30 – Claudette’s second question (What skills, education, and experience do you have and how have they prepared you to serve on the Council?)

11:23 – Cody’s answer

12:08 – Shawn’s answer

13:46 – Virgil’s answer

15:32 – Kenrick’s answer

16:04 – Wayne’s answer

17:47 – Emilio’s answer

18:32 – Claudette’s third question (Who knows who the Secretary of the Interior is?)

19:50 – Claudette’s fourth question (Who has read the Tribal Constitution?)

 

More parts to be added as soon as we can get ‘em edited, converted, and uploaded!  Be sure to let your family and friends know that NOW they have more access to the candidates than ever before!

KWATSAN RADIO—TOGETHER WE CONNECT!!!

So Who’s Got the Best Frybread? Let’s Find Out!

Come join us and many more fans of frybread on Saturday, June 16, 2012, beginning at 1:00 pm at the Paradise Casino Event Center on the Fort Yuma Indian Reservation, for a taste-tempting event.  Your pals at Kwatsan Radio have put together an event that features as many as 10 of your favorite frybread makers, competing for the title of the King or Queen of Frybread, Fort Yuma Region!

Our contestants will be offering for sale their tasty treats for you to sample and taste, so you can pick your own favorites, and then enjoy a full-sized frybread sprinkled with powdered sugar and honey, or go for the gusto with a big, delicious Indian taco.  Frybread sales will begin at 1:00 pm and continue until 4:45 pm, or as sometimes happens, when the dough runs out!

There will be four awards, including the “People’s Choice” award that YOU can help select.  There will be an award for “Best Fry Bread” and another for “Best Creative Fry Bread”.  And the most coveted award will be the “Overall Grand Champion Fort Yuma Region”.  Judging will take place at 4:00 pm.

The screening of “More Than Frybread” will begin at 5:00 pm inside the Paradise Event Center.  “More Than Frybread” is a funny, unique feature film just released in May 2012.  Come on out with your friends and family and join in the fun!

For more up-to-the-minute coverage, be sure to follow us on Facebook!

Kwatsan Radio — Together We Connect!!!

Brush Fire Gets a Little Too Close for Comfort!

View of the smoke plume, rising from behind and east of the New Subdivision, Fort Yuma Indian Reservation.

This afternoon, at approximately 4:00 pm, a brush fire ignited east of the New Subdivision on the Fort Yuma Indian Reservation.  The fire is burning a combination of arrowweed, salt cedar (tamarisk), and quail bush, thickly growing at the bottom of the old Colorado River channel.  Kwatsan Radio’s DJ BGS, host of ”These Days on the Rez”, was on the scene and took some pics to give you a sense of how the fire looked.

Fire appears to surround this old shack, while a BIA firefighting team approaches.

While on the scene, DJ BGS noticed the presence of firefighters and equipment from the Winterhaven Fire Department and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.  As of this writing, the fire continues to burn, but no evacuations of the New Subdivision were required.

A wall of fire rises up into the evening sky.

And Now…Something for the Band Geeks!

DJ BGS here!  Over the past couple of days on Kwatsan Radio’s Facebook wall, you can find mention of the Quechan Indian Band and a documentary film, “Sousa on the Rez”, which looks at Indian bands of the past and present.  These subjects interest me as an old band geek, and I’m inspired to share a little clip of my trombone playing.  Sure, it’s a little rusty, but go ahead, have a listen!  Can you name that tune?

If you haven’t yet heard about “Sousa on the Rez”, you can learn more about this movie and its planned release in late 2012 on Facebook (www.facebook.com/SousaOnTheRez) or at www.sousaontherez.com.

Do you play a band instrument?  Shake the shyness and share a snippet of your talent, right here on Kwatsan Radio!

Artist Profile – Dustin Warner

DJ BGS here!  Miss me?  Well, I’m back, and I’m stoked to share with you another Artist Profile, exclusively for Kwatsan Radio and fans like you!

Dustin Warner is a Quechan/Navajo Indian whose love for playing music is currently expressed through Selanum, a hard rock band that he’s played with since 2010.  DJ BGS recently caught up with Dustin in cyberspace and wanted to know a bit more about him, his band, and his music.  Here’s what went down during our digital conversation.

DJ BGS:  Hey, Dustin!  Let the people know something about you and your music.

Dustin:  Sure, DJ BGS!  I am Quechan and Navajo on my dad’s side and French, German, and English on my mom’s side.  I live in Riverside, California, which is just a few hours from the Rez.

DJ BGS:  Cool!  How about this rockin’ band?  What’s going on with that?

Dustin:  My band is called Selanum. They formed in early 2010 and I joined in late 2010, with me playing bass and providing back-up vocals. We are a hard rock group and our songs and lyrics are pretty much an open forum. No topic is off-limits!

DJ BGS:  Wow!  Sounds like something expressive and real.  Something we need more of.  Tell us more about your songs.

Dustin:  Personally I tend to write songs that deal with personal, sociological, or political fallacies that I feel need to be addressed in order to progress the human race.

DJ BGS:  You also enjoy performing and playing live shows, right?  Any special places you’ve performed at with Selanum?

Dustin:  Playing live is what it’s all about.  We rocked the infamous Whiskey a Go Go in Hollywood last year.  Now that was a cool gig!

DJ BGS:  Has music always been a part of your life?

Dustin:  Oh, yeah.  I began playing music in the 5th grade (17 years ago), and I played through high school. While there, I got to play in different parts of the US as well as Australia. In those years, I was exposed to all kinds of music from all kinds of people. From classical to rap to rock to metal to bird songs, I listened to it all and just took it all in. All of that influences me one way or another. Music is a huge part of my life and I embrace it fully.

DJ BGS:  It’s clear that music truly affects you.

Dustin:  For me, it’s the best way to communicate ideas and emotions because I’m not very good otherwise.  Hahaha!

DJ BGS:  Hahaha!  I hear you on that, Dustin!  Okay, Dustin.  Thanks so much for talking with me and helping Kwatsan Radio fans learn more about some of the amazing Quechan artists we’ve got out and about in the world.  Best of luck to you!

Dustin:  Thank you, DJ BGS.  Kwatsan Radio ROCKS!

There you have it, Kwatsan Radio fans!  Check out Dustin’s band Selanum on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/selanum.  They’ve got music there, as well as more about the band and upcoming shows.

We’ve also got a couple of Selanum’s tunes RIGHT HERE for you!

“Trust”

“My Day”

Artist Profile – Fredrick Andrews

Kwatsan Radio is pleased to share with you some of wonderful flute music being made by Fredrick Andrews, a Quechan/Hopi Indian who is also the owner of Yaapa’ Studio, based in Second Mesa, Arizona.  Fredrick recently spent some time on the Fort Yuma Indian Reservation to visit family and he made a point of contacting Kwatsan Radio’s very own DJ BGS so we could let everyone know what Fredrick and Yaapa’ Studio is up to these days.

DJ BGS:  Hi, Fredrick!  Please tell me about yourself, your Tribal background, your music, and your studio.

Fredrick:  Hello, DJ BGS!  Glad to have a chance to share with you and the Kwatsan Radio fans.  I am Quechan and Hopi, and I live out in Hopi Country, Second Mesa, Arizona.  My Grandmother is Myra Andrews.  I have a couple of CDs to share.  The first CD is entitled, “Yoi Mas-sa, Wings of the Rain”, and it contains my original flute music.  The other CD, ”Break-up to Make-Up”, features the music of Edward Nequatewa, a nephew of mine who is also from Hopi Country.  Edward is Hopi, 20 years old, and sings with the Hopi pow-wow group, The Sun Star Singers.  And ladies, he’s single!  He has been singing for about 8 years.  This is his first solo album and is working on his second.

DJ BGS:  How about sharing a little bit about your studio?

Fredrick:  Okay!  I have started up a little recording studio out here in Second Mesa called “YAAPA STUDIO”. It’s already been going for 3 years now.  I have recorded an artist by the name of “Moontee Sinquah”, and I just recently worked with the pow-wow group, “Cathedral Lakes Singers”.  My studio has a page here on Facebook, so be sure to “Like” it!

DJ BGS:  I really enjoy your music.  Have you been playing long?

Fredrick:  I have been performing for nearly 18 years and have performed at the University Of Notre Dame in 1997, then in Chihuahua, Mexico, in 2004, and also performed for Bishops of the Catholic Church, Tibetan Monks, and Tribal dignitaries.  In March 2012, I will be traveling to Osaka, Japan, to perform at the Minpaku Museum of Ethnology.  Oh, and remember that CD of mine I shared with you?  That CD is my second, and I’m currently working on my third CD, and it’s scheduled to be released in 2012.  I would like it if you did put up a clip from each of CDs I left with you.

DJ BGS:  You got it, Fredrick!  Thanks for the info and the music.  I’ll try to get this written up in the next few days and posted.

Fredrick:  Thank you!  I look forward to seeing it on Kwatsan Radio. Thanks again!

For more information about Yaapa Studios, be sure to visit their wall on Facebook here: 
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Yaapa-Studios/203366683032042

Here’s a beautiful song from Fredrick’s CD, “Yoi Mas-sa, Wings of the Rain”.  The song is called, “Mah-si Kwa-yoo”, and it’s Track 13 from that CD.

Download:

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And here’s something unique from Edward Nequatewa’s CD, “Break-up to Make-Up”.  Here’s “All Dem Girlz”.  Enjoy!

Ocotillo Wind Energy Facility – Is It a Lot of Hot Air?

If Ocotillo Express, LLC, the proponent behind the proposed Ocotillo Wind Energy Facility, has its way, this is what the valley floor surrounding Ocotillo on the western edge of Imperial County would look like in a few years.

The Draft EIS/EIR for the proposed project is now available for public review.  The visual simulation pictured above is one of many figures included in this extensive report.  Under federal and state environmental and related laws, the backers of the wind energy facility must analyze the impacts likely to be caused by the proposed project, relative to other alternatives including the “no action” alternative.  This process is important because it provides the public with the opportunity to review the Draft EIS/EIR and to offer comments and criticism to help the proponent and the federal, state, and local agencies better understand the costs and benefits that woud likely result from the proposed project.

What some Kwatsans may not know is that this project is just down the road from the Tessera Solar’s Imperial Valley Solar Energy Project that came to a halt as a result of the Quechan Indian Tribe’s lawsuit.  The Ocotillo area is not only a relatively undisturbed desert region, but it also is replete with cultural resources—artifacts, trails, circles, and the like.  If you care about cultural resources of the Hokan people and their friends, we invite you to take a look at the Draft EIS/EIR and share your thoughts.  The Bureau of Land Management has established 10/06/2011 as the deadline for written comments.

Here’s the link to the Draft EIS/EIR at the Imperial County Planning & Development Services’ website: 
http://www.icpds.com/?pid=2843
.  You can also access the Draft EIS/EIR at the Bureau of Land Management’s website: 
http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/elcentro/nepa/ocotillo_express_wind.html
.  Don’t worry…both of these links take you to a page from which you can choose the chapter or Appendix of the Draft EIS/EIR that you want to look at.

Also—for you newshounds—here’s a Reuters story published on 06/03/2011 about Tessera Solar and its sale of the Imperial Valley Solar Energy Project to AES Solar: 
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/06/03/idUS37305160020110603
.

Psssst…Another “Modern Mischief” is available RIGHT NOW!

Hello!  DJ BGS here, letting you know about Show 4, originally broadcast on 04/26/2010 — only on Kwatsan Radio — is now available on our website for you to access any time you need to satisfy your fix for some of the best and freshest alternative indy rock out there.  So listen up, share it with your friends, and let us know how we’re doing!

Part 1:  “Neon Noose”, by Golden Triangle; “Mary Entertaining”, by Rob Laufer; “Surrender”, by Cheap Trick; “Drunk Girls”, by LCD Soundsystem.

Part 2:  “Killing Kind”, by Shark Speed; “See Waves”, by Nice Nice; “Transparent”, by Awesome Color; “May Day Revisited”, by Mojib.

Part 3:  “Tongue Twister Typo”, by Black Market; “Alright (Sha-La-La)”, by Burnt Ones; “Mixtapes”, by Plushgun.

Part 4:  “Come Saturday”, by The Pains of Being Pure at Heart; “Process of Elimination”, by The Endtables; “Dark Days”, by Chin Chin; “Ceremony”, by New Order.

Keep checking in with us here at Kwatsan Radio!  We’re bringing you more of what you want — more music, more culture, more news, and more more!

This Day in Quechan History – July 17, 1781

Axot oovaak, pipa Kwatsan?  Out of frustration with the usurpations by Spanish colonists,  the Quechan and their allies, beginning on July 17, 1781, attacked and within two days destroyed two Spanish missions established within Quechan territory, Mission La Purísima Concepcion and Mission San Pedro y San Pablo de Bicuner.  After 230 years, historical markers at each site serve as reminders of Quechan tenacity of spirit.

Here is the text inscribed on each of the markers:

California State Historical Landmark #350 – Mission La Purísima Concepcion:

“In October 1780, Father Francisco Garcés and companions began Mission La Purísima Concepción. The mission/pueblo site was inadequately supported. Colonists ignored Indian rights, usurped the best lands, and destroyed Indian crops. Completely frustrated and disappointed, the Quechans (Yumas) and their allies destroyed Concepción on July 17-19, 1781.”

California State Historical Landmark #921 – Mission San Pedro y San Pablo de Bicuner:

“To protect the Anza Trail where it forded the Colorado River, the Spanish founded a pueblo and mission nearby on January 7, 1781. Threatened with the loss of their land, the Quechans (Yumas) attacked this strategic settlement on July 17, 1781. The Quechan victory closed this crossing and seriously crippled future communications between upper California and Mexico.”

Although 230 years have passed, the need for vigilance remains, as we are subject to incursions upon our territory and soveriegnty every day.