The launch of Radio Indigena has been a labor of love for our hundreds of volunteers, indigenous leaders and supporters. It all started in 2013 with a suggestion from Hugo Morales, the director of California’s Spanish-language public radio station, Radio Bilingüe. After consulting with Indigenous community members, we received overwhelming support for the project. Fortunately, we secured approval from the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) for our Low Power FM broadcast station permit in 2014. 

Over 200 Indigenous migrants, primarily strawberry farmworkers, were pivotal in setting up the radio station. In our inaugural year, more than 40 leaders also completed MICOP’s 20-hour DJ training program. Through our Indigenous Radio Advisory Board, we raised over $40,000 in ramp-up funding by organizing popular, family-friendly dance parties, with around 500 guests enjoying live music at each event. Radio Indigena launched our online streaming platform in 2015 and we went live on FM airwaves in 2017. 

Since its inception, Radio Indígena has been utilized as a powerful and effective outreach and organizing tool for the indigenous, immigrant, and farmworker communities. Due to their long hours of manual labor mainly in the agriculture fields , farmworkers rely heavily on the radio for information and entertainment. Radio Indígena attempts to merge the two to provide programming that is easy to understand and digest in Spanish and in indigenous languages. Radio Indígena’s unique value proposition lies in the additional programming it can provide in at least seven variants of the Mixteco language, Zapoteco, and Purepecha.

We've received tremendous support from the Ventura County community, with hundreds of residents contributing to Radio Indigena or appearing on-air as guests. Launching Radio Indigena has been a story of hope and perseverance. Despite numerous funding, engineering, and technology challenges over the past 10 years, we have successfully reached this milestone. The radio station has already proven to be an invaluable communication tool and an opportunity for our community leaders to amplify our collective voice.

Radio Indígena 94.1 FM KIND-LP currently hosts 20 hours of weekly live programming, with 15 live radio shows ranging in topics from community organizing, healthcare access and mental health, self-help and wellbeing, as well as native Indigenous musical programs. Also, our radio program has launched a new Indigenous journalism, and art programs for the benefit of our listeners and community. Radio Indígena's educational and musical selection captures indigenous values and culture.