In the pre-dawn hours along the Colorado River, as the desert sky transforms from indigo to amber, a radio signal pulses across the Colorado River Indian Reservation. “Good morning, relatives,” the announcer greets listeners in Mojave, before switching seamlessly to Chemehuevi, then English. This multilingual dawn greeting has welcomed the day in Parker, Arizona for decades, carried by BINA—Broadcasting Information to Native Americans—a pioneering Indigenous media institution that transformed how Native communities connect, communicate, and preserve their cultures in the modern age.
The Birth of Indigenous Broadcasting
The story of BINA begins in the tumultuous era of the late 1960s and early 1970s, when Native American activism was reshaping the relationship between Indigenous peoples and the United States government. The Colorado River Indian Tribes (CRIT)—comprising the Mojave, Chemehuevi, Hopi, and Navajo peoples—recognized that controlling their own narrative through media was essential to sovereignty and cultural preservation.
In 1972, CRIT leadership, working with federal grants designed to improve communication in underserved communities, established what would become one of the first tribally-owned and operated radio stations in the United States. The vision was revolutionary: create a broadcasting system that would serve the 300-square-mile reservation while preserving and promoting the languages and cultures of four distinct tribal nations.
“We needed our own voice,” recalled former CRIT Chairman Daniel Eddy Jr. in a 1985 interview preserved in the tribal archives. “The newspapers didn’t tell our stories. The radio stations in Phoenix and Los Angeles didn’t play our music or speak our languages. We had to build something that was ours.”
The technical challenges were formidable. The reservation’s location along the Colorado River, straddling Arizona and California, created unique geographic obstacles. The signal had to reach not only the town of Parker but also the more remote areas of the reservation where many elders lived—often the very people most fluent in traditional languages and most in need of culturally relevant programming.
Initial broadcasting equipment was housed in a modest building near the tribal headquarters in Parker. The first transmitter, donated by a Phoenix television station upgrading its equipment, required constant maintenance in the harsh desert environment. Early BINA engineers often joke about using traditional irrigation techniques to cool overheating equipment during the brutal summer months when temperatures regularly exceeded 110 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cultural Preservation Through the Airwaves
What set BINA apart from mainstream radio wasn’t just its ownership structure but its revolutionary approach to programming. While commercial stations focused on top-40 hits and advertising revenue, BINA prioritized cultural education and community service. Morning programs featured elders sharing traditional stories in Mojave and Chemehuevi—languages that linguists had warned were in danger of disappearing within a generation.
The station’s early program directors made the bold decision to require all on-air staff to undergo language training. Young tribal members who had grown up speaking primarily English found themselves sitting with elders, learning not just vocabulary but the cultural contexts that gave words their deeper meanings. This intergenerational exchange, facilitated by the radio station, helped reverse decades of language loss inflicted by boarding school policies that had forbidden Native children from speaking their ancestral tongues.
By 1975, BINA was broadcasting a mix of content that would have seemed impossibly diverse to mainstream programmers. Morning drive time might feature traditional bird songs followed by agricultural reports for reservation farmers, then transition to a Navajo storyteller sharing winter tales. Afternoon programming included homework help in multiple languages, country music (enormously popular on the reservation), and live broadcasts of tribal council meetings—making government transparent and accessible to all community members.
The station also became a crucial emergency communication system. When flash floods threatened low-lying areas along the Colorado River, BINA broadcast warnings in all four tribal languages. During the scorching summer months, the station coordinated cooling center information and wellness checks for elders living in remote areas.
Expanding Influence and Innovation
As BINA entered the 1980s, its influence extended far beyond the CRIT reservation boundaries. Native communities throughout the Southwest tuned in via increasingly powerful transmitters, and the station began syndicating programs to other tribal radio stations emerging across Indian Country. The “BINA model”—community-owned, multilingual, culturally focused broadcasting—became a template for Indigenous media nationwide.
The station pioneered the use of radio for distance education, partnering with Arizona State University and the tribal education department to broadcast college-level courses. Students in remote areas could listen to lectures and participate via call-in sessions, earning credits toward degrees without leaving the reservation. This innovation was particularly important for young mothers and working adults who couldn’t afford to relocate for education.
BINA also became an incubator for Native media talent. Journalists, technicians, and producers trained at the station went on to careers at National Public Radio, the Native American Journalists Association, and major market stations across the country. Yet many chose to stay, viewing their work at BINA not just as a job but as a cultural responsibility.
The station’s music programming deserves special recognition for its role in promoting Indigenous artists. Long before streaming services made niche music accessible, BINA provided a platform for Native musicians working in genres from traditional to rock, country to hip-hop. The station’s annual music festival, launched in 1982, continues to draw thousands of visitors to Parker each spring, generating significant economic benefits for the tribal community.
Technological Evolution and Digital Age Adaptation
The advent of the internet age posed both challenges and opportunities for BINA. Rather than viewing digital technology as a threat to traditional radio, station leadership embraced it as a tool for expanded cultural preservation. In 1998, BINA became one of the first tribal radio stations to stream online, suddenly making Colorado River Indian Tribes’ languages and cultures accessible to tribal members living in urban areas far from the reservation.
The station’s digital archives project, launched in 2005 with support from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, has digitized thousands of hours of irreplaceable cultural content. Elders’ stories recorded in the 1970s, when many fluent speakers were still alive, are now preserved for future generations. These archives have become an invaluable resource for language revitalization efforts, with teachers incorporating historical broadcasts into contemporary curriculum.
BINA’s adaptation to social media has been particularly innovative. The station maintains active presence on multiple platforms, sharing short language lessons, historical photographs, and community announcements. During the COVID-19 pandemic, when many elders were isolated for protection, BINA’s Facebook Live sessions became a vital connection point, featuring everything from traditional cooking demonstrations to virtual powwows.
Modern Legacy and Community Impact
Today, BINA continues to broadcast from its expanded facilities in Parker, reaching an estimated 50,000 regular listeners across the Southwest and countless more via online streaming. The station operates on a budget that would seem impossibly small to commercial broadcasters, yet its impact on cultural preservation and community cohesion is immeasurable.
The economic impact of BINA extends beyond its role as an employer and cultural institution. The station’s promotion of local businesses, particularly Native-owned enterprises, has helped create a more robust reservation economy. Its agricultural programs, delivered in culturally appropriate ways, have supported the revitalization of traditional farming practices along the Colorado River, contributing to food sovereignty efforts.
Educational partnerships remain central to BINA’s mission. The station works closely with Parker High School and the tribal Head Start program, providing internships and introducing young people to careers in media. Several former interns have returned with communications degrees to lead the station into its next era, ensuring continuity of vision while embracing new technologies.
The station’s role in public health has evolved from those early emergency broadcasts to sophisticated health education programming. During the diabetes epidemic affecting Native communities, BINA partnered with Indian Health Service to produce culturally sensitive nutrition programs. The COVID-19 pandemic saw the station become a trusted source for vaccine information, with messages delivered by respected elders in traditional languages proving far more effective than government public service announcements.
Challenges and Future Directions
Despite its successes, BINA faces ongoing challenges. Funding remains a constant concern, with the station relying on a patchwork of tribal support, federal grants, and listener donations. The technical infrastructure requires constant updates to meet FCC requirements and listener expectations. Perhaps most critically, finding young people willing to commit to learning traditional languages deeply enough to become on-air personalities grows more difficult each year.
Yet the station’s leadership remains optimistic. Plans are underway for a multimedia cultural center that would house BINA alongside a museum and language learning laboratory. This ambitious project, still in the fundraising phase, would create a comprehensive cultural preservation hub for the Colorado River Indian Tribes.
The station is also exploring podcasting and on-demand audio as ways to reach younger audiences who may not tune in to traditional radio. A pilot program featuring young tribal members interviewing elders about everything from traditional ecological knowledge to dating advice has shown promising engagement rates.
A Living Monument to Cultural Sovereignty
BINA represents more than just a radio station; it embodies the principle of cultural sovereignty—the right of Indigenous peoples to maintain, protect, and develop their cultural heritage. In an era when Indigenous languages disappear at an alarming rate and young Native people often feel disconnected from their traditional cultures, BINA provides a bridge between past and future.
The station’s success has inspired similar projects across Indian Country. From the Navajo Nation’s KTNN to the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs’ KWSO, tribal radio stations following the BINA model now serve Indigenous communities from Alaska to Florida. These stations form an informal network, sharing programming and supporting each other’s cultural preservation efforts.
For visitors to Parker, BINA offers a unique window into contemporary Native American life. The station welcomes guests to tour its facilities and observe live broadcasts, though advance arrangements are necessary. Many visitors are surprised to discover that tribal radio sounds both utterly distinctive—where else might you hear traditional bird songs followed by death metal performed in Mojave?—and completely familiar, with community announcements, weather reports, and local news that would fit any small-town station.
The Continuing Voice
The Colorado River Indian Tribes have built something remarkable in the desert along the Colorado River. In an age of media consolidation and cultural homogenization, BINA stands as a testament to the power of community-controlled media. Every morning, as that multilingual greeting goes out across the airwaves, it carries more than just words—it carries the continuing vitality of peoples who have called this land home for millennia and intend to do so for millennia more.
Visit the History
BINA Radio Station
📍 Address: 13995 Rodeo Drive, Parker, AZ 85344
📞 Phone: (928) 669-8161
🌐 Website: critnews.com/bina-radio
📻 Frequency: 89.7 FM
🌐 Online Stream: Available at website
🕒 Tour Hours: By appointment only, Monday-Friday, 9 AM – 4 PM
💰 Tours: Free, donations accepted
♿ Accessibility: Fully wheelchair accessible facilities
Colorado River Indian Tribes Museum
📍 Location: Corner of Agency and Mojave Roads, Parker, AZ 85344
📞 Phone: (928) 669-9211
🕒 Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 8 AM – 5 PM
💰 Admission: Free
Additional Resources
For those interested in learning more about Indigenous broadcasting and the Colorado River Indian Tribes, the CRIT Museum and Library maintains an extensive archive of BINA broadcasts and oral histories. The Native American Journalists Association (naja.com) offers resources on Indigenous media history, and Arizona State University’s Labriola National American Indian Data Center holds academic papers on BINA’s influence on tribal broadcasting nationwide.
