Technology is a means, not an end, and no one knows that better than Joseph Orozco, station manager at KIDE 91.3 FM. Orozco points out that the Hupa word K'ide, and KIDE's logo, is a removed deer's antler, a tool symbolizing the Hoopa Tribes' age-old relationship with technology. The only Native-owned and -operated non-commercial station in California, KIDE's concerns and strengths are intertwined with the Hoopa Valley Tribe in Northern California.

There are many ways KIDE uses the "Riverine people's resourcefulness" exemplified in the logo of the Hoopa Valley Tribe. The Tribe's graphic depicts a traditional home in the valley, in front of wooded mountains. The house displays ingenuity from the roof -- which can be opened to let out smoke, to the subterranean level -- which defies seasonal extremes, and it's all built with long-lasting cedar.

KIDE is leading the way in modern resourcefulness in terms of solar power. Four years ago, the then 20-year-old station went solar. In fact, the station is the only native station functioning with solar energy. When operating at peak, the solar power system provides 60 percent of the 195-watt station's energy needs, saving ever-increasing dollars each year. KIDE was the first solar-powered radio station in California.

With a staff of three in offices "behind Ray's Food Place, in the Hoopa Valley Shopping Center," KIDE is centrally involved in its community of 3,000. But Orozco realized that KIDE would do well to team up with other, more equipped stations when it came to dealing with the world beyond the Klamath-Trinity River Basins. The question was what could he offer other stations? Orozco saw an opportunity when all coastal communities from the Oregon border to Sonoma County would want to connect. A particularly important political race caused people from three other stations to want to tune in to the same talk shows about the First Assembly District, and Seven Rivers Radio Network (SRRN) was born. All audiences benefit from the wider focus.

Two of the other stations, KHSU at Humboldt State University and KZYX in Philo, have ISDN lines enabling them to join the common conversations on the air. KIDE and KMUD in Garberville can only receive the broadcasts via a standard phone line. They cannot patch in to contribute audio. The station's next hurdle is to get technology to be able to add live comments and ask questions during the on-air discussions.

An engineering study determined ISDN would work best. Satellite would be too expensive. Orozco believes that all that would be required would be a single rack- mounted receiving unit in the shack where all the phone lines are downloaded from microwave. But Verizon of California has said "no" to putting in lines for KIDE and KMUD, even though the Humboldt Area Foundation is ready to provide the less than $10,000 necessary.

In the meantime, Orozco and the staff are using other technology to address the particular needs of their community. For example, they put a lot of effort into their interactive calendar on their website, kidefm.org, working without a Webmaster. "When you have a community of 3,000, having two major events planned for the same night causes a lot of stress," explains Orozco.

KIDE also provides detailed talk show topic descriptions that draw thoughtful attention well in advance of the shows.

The stations lineup includes a mix of local and national special programs such as live remote coverage of local basketball, tribal elections and events, Native America Calling, Q, The River Revolution Network, Ed Info, Speaking Out, National Native News, Earthsongs, NDN Country, and The Indian Radio Club, as well as NPR News, Democracy Now!, and other regional and national shows.

To Orozco, the most important offering at the station is The California Indian Radio Project, including "Dying for Water" (see AIRWARES). "Our original series was a 13 half-hour series. We quickly realized there is no end to this project. It is the only series that gives voice to California Indians, therefore it can never end," says Orozco. "If I could do only one job the rest of my life, I'd do only California Indian Radio productions. It's important."