Native Edge

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We are joined by Quinton Carroll, Executive Director of the Native American Contractors Association. Quinton is the last in a series of interviews we conducted from our Washington, DC office in May, and he's a fitting guest as NACA also shares office space in the Indian Gaming Association's headquarters.

Quinton shared stories of growing up in the northernmost city in the United States - Utqiagvik, Alaska (formerly Barrow) - as the son of the first Executive Director of the Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commissioner and a "cowboy from Wyoming."...

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For Episode 25, Chris and Yvette interviewed Corey Blankenship, Executive Director of NAFOA. This episode is the second of three we recorded from our Washington, DC office in May.

Cory and Chris have known each other for decades, both hailing from Cherokee, NC - home of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI). Cory shared his story, starting with working in finance for his tribe to leading a national organization that focuses on growing tribal economies by strengthening tribal finance. He was also an advocate at a young age...

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Episode 24 is the first of three interviews from The National Center's Washington, DC office, conducted over several days in May. And it just happens to be with the executive director of the organization (Indian Gaming Association) that owns our office space! 

Chris sat down with Jason Giles to learn more about his story - from growing up in "sleep farm town" as the son of a CIA analyst father and Attorney General of the Seminole Tribe of Oklahoma mother, to offensive lineman at West Point, to Marine, to a...

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In Episode 23 we welcome Chef Denella Belin, Owner of Nella's Innovative Kreations in the Phoenix area. Nella's is a catering service that integrates Denella's Navajo heritage and professional culinary training. It also offers cooking classes and private dinners.

Chris and guest host Nicole Watson from The National Center's tourism team chatted with Denella about her career, including being the only Native American chef in her class at the famed Le Cordon Bleu culinary school. As she was ready to launch Nella's, Project DreamCatcher at ASU was instrumental in...

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We have a VERY special guest for Episode 22 - actor Martin Sensmeier! You may know Martin from productions like The Magnificent Seven, West World, or 1883, and soon you can watch him on Season Two of The Terminal List.

Chris first met Martin in 2020 when he keynoted the Reservation Economic Summit, and he joined us as a guest at RES 2025. In the episode, Martin shares more about his career journey, from a welder and roustabout working for Doyon Drilling in interior Alaska to a sought-after actor collaborating with some...

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We're back! Episode 21 of The Native Edge podcast is a conversation with Holland and Knight attorney James Meggesto that took place during the closing general session at RES 2025. This was our first-ever live recording, and we hope you enjoy the conversation that Chris and Yvette had with James. 

James discussed his career journey, first thoughts about the new Trump Administration, how Indian Country can advocate for its interests, and potential opportunities for tribes. This episode will be available on our YouTube page - so please make sure to w...

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For episode 20, we're joined by Bobby Martin, Program Manager for Navajo Nation Tourism and Tony Skrelunas, Director of the Navajo Nation Division of Economic Development. Yvette and guest host Kyia Jackson sat down with Bobby and Tony during a recent Native Edge Institute in Flagstaff, Arizona.

Bobby and Tony shared some of the Navajo Nation's incredible work in tourism, which has become an important part of its economic development portfolio. They also discuss Navajo Tourism's support for local small businesses and eagerness to partner for future endeavors.

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We're just six days from the Reservation Economic Summit, and that means back-to-back episodes of the Native Edge podcast. Special guest host Nicole Watson steps in for Yvette for a great conversation with Dr. Traci Morris, Executive Director of the Center for Tribal Digital Sovereignty, located within the American Indian Policy Institute at Arizona State University's Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law.

Dr. Morris discusses her career path, starting out as a hairdresser and ultimately completing three degrees and becoming a go-to expert on all things related to...

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We're back for season 2 of the Native Edge podcast! And we have a great guest to kick off the new season: Onawa Haynes, CEO/Founder of Hozhonigo Consulting - "team of problem solvers."

Since 2015, Onawa and Hozhonigo have helped clients secure over $50 million in vital grant funding for transportation, water infrastructure, education, language revitalization, cybersecurity, and more.

Learn more about Onawa's career, which started in pageantry, and her tireless work to help Indian Country. Plus, you'll hear more about the upcoming Reservation Economic Summit, where Onawa...

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For Episode 17 of The Native Edge podcast, E. Skye Byrd and Kyia Jackson sub in for Chris and Yvette to talk about shopping Native, particularly around the holidays. They welcomed the founders of Scottsdale, AZ-based Native Art Market Denise Rosales and Heather Tracy to talk about their business and career journey - and of course to share some of their amazing products.

Plus, everyone brought in some of their favorite Indigenous-made apparel and discussed some of their favorite artisans, all of whom are listed below. Of course, listening...

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For episode 16, we welcomed renowned journalist Mark Trahant to the studio for a conversation about his storied career, from a tribal high school basketball radio announcer to interviewing a President of the United States. Mark is currently Editor-at-Large at Indian Country Today, and over his five-decade career he has worked across both Native and mainstream media, and even had stints in government and academia. 

We hope you enjoy the discussion and learn about the future of journalism, and what to expect from a new administration taking over in W...

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In Episode 15 - and the fourth installment in our Native American Heritage Month series - we welcome Dr. Jeremy Garcia and Dr. Valerie Shirley from the Indigenous Teacher Education Program at the University of Arizona.

Chris and Yvette lead a wide-ranging conversation about Indigenous education and the origins of ITEP, as well as Dr. Garcia and Dr. Shirley's book Indigenizing Education. They share their approach on how they prepare undergraduate students to create culturally-rooted curriculum, drawn from their own culture, origin stories, philosophies, and languages. We hope you...

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For episode 14, we welcome Sherry Black, who has a long history in advancing economic development throughout Indian Country. Sherry talks about her early involvement with Native Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), the importance of board representation and networking, and her extensive work across Native organizations and philanthropy, including the Johnson Scholarship Foundation.

This is the third episode in our Native American Heritage Month series. We hope you check them all out - and also learn more about some of the organizations with which Sherry is involved. Looking for...

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On Episode 13 of The Native Edge podcast, Chris and Yvette welcomed Fawn Sharp to The National Center's headquarters in Mesa, Arizona. Fawn is well-known throughout Indian Country from her time as President of the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) and leadership in Quinault Indian Nation and Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians.

Fawn shares her path to leadership; her incredible local, regional, and national efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic; advocacy in combatting climate change; current role as a board member of the Nature Conservancy; and how the rest...

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Thank you for listening to The Native Edge, and Happy Native Heritage Month! We will be releasing shows weekly, starting with episode 12 featuring a conversation that Chris and Yvette had with Hud Oberly during a recent Native Edge Institute in New York.

Hud, a Ralph Lauren model and Founder and Creative Director at Here's to You, is no stranger to The National Center. He is a 40 Under 40 honoree, speaker at RES, and was on a panel at the New York NEI.

Learn more about Hud's journey...

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Episode 11 is a continuation of episode 10, featuring our amazing tourism team. During our recent Lake Tahoe NEI, Chris and Yvette lead a conversation - our largest yet - with the six people who will be leading our tourism efforts across five regions.

Learn more about our team and what they have planned as we expand Native Edge Tourism. If you want to learn more, please check out a press release when the cooperative agreement was announced.

Guests on the episode are:

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Episode 10 of The Native Edge podcast is all about tourism. Yvette solo hosts (with an assist from producer Mikaela Garcia) this episode, which features a conversation with Ed Hall. Ed is a consultant for The National Center working on our new tourism program.

Ed and Yvette talk to the tremendous potential for tourism in Indian Country, as well as some challenges and regional differences. This is the beginning of the conversation about tourism; a future episode will feature the rest of our tourism team representing five regions across...

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Election Day is just around the corner! To get you ready to cast your ballot and answer some questions about our voting process, we invited Maricopa County, Arizona Recorder Stephen Richer to join us in studio. Stephen has established himself as one of the foremost experts on voting systems and the election process in the country.

Chris and Yvette talk to Stephen about his background, why he decided to run for Recorder, how he withstood and fought back against unfounded attacks after the 2020 election, the importance...

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On Episode 8 of the Native Edge Podcast, Chris and Yvette sat down with actor and producer John Ambrosino. John recently played the role of "Uncle Ernie" in the hit Broadway remake of the musical Tommy. Members of The National Center's team had the opportunity to see John under the bright lights when they were in New York for a recent Native Edge Institute.

John talks about his career, going from behind the stage to a leading role in an iconic rock opera. He also talks about the business...

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Episode 7 of The Native Edge podcast returns to a familiar subject - advocacy - with an in-person interview with Tylynn Gordon, a longtime friend of and former consultant for The National Center. Tylynn has a wealth of knowledge about politics and federal lobbying and advocacy across many fields, including Native American and Alaska Native policy.

Tylynn was on the cutting-edge of the changing dynamics of federal lobbying, with Fortune Magazine calling her a “a new breed” of in-state grassroots lobbyists. She shares her observations with Chris and Yvette, incl...

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Welcome back Native Edge Listeners!

In this episode, Chris James and Yvette Fielder sit down with Lance Morgan, CEO of Ho-Chunk Inc., for an insightful conversation about his journey in building a diversified company, changing the law on Indian gaming, and eventually evolving into sports betting.

Lance shares advice through the challenges and successes of government contracting, creating a diversified enterprise, and building a system of checks and balances. He also mentions how he used modules like the Tribal Leverage...

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Episode 5 of the Native Edge Podcast is all about advocacy!

Hosts Chris James and Yvette Fielder welcome guest Clara Pratte, who has a long and distinguished history of advocacy across Indian Country. They discuss Clara's background and experience, the importance of advocacy and making your voice heard, Native representation and tribal consultation, voting, and work-life balance.

Check it out - and make sure to tell your friends to download! Thank you for your support of the Native Edge Podcast.

Clara Pratte | Founder and Principal...

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What's up Native Edge listeners!

On Episode 4, we share more of the conversation from Episode 2 between Chris James, President and CEO of The National Center, and Tedd Buelow, the Tribal Relations Team Lead for USDA's Office of Rural Development. This interview was recorded in April.

Buelow gives insight into USDA programs related to telecom infrastructure, rural housing development, commodity foods programs, and more. They also discuss the improvements in USDA programs and how these changes are helping Indigenous-owned businesses bid in the...

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Thank you for tuning in to the Native Edge!

In our latest episode, Program Director Yvette Fielder, Business Development Specialist Kyia Jackson, and Producer Mikaela Garcia talk about Native Edge Institutes - the free, one-day training business training sessions The National Center hosts across the country.

One of the participants in NEIs is CEO of Turtle Island Protection Services Shawntay Negrete. We share some of her remarks and her business's story, including its incredible growth.

From...

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Welcome back to the Native Edge podcast!

Join us as we explore the world of agriculture through business, philosophy, and clips from awesome entrepreneurs and experts.

On episode 2, The National Center's Chris James and Yvette Fielder take a deep dive into Indigenous agriculture, with perspective from sisters  Andi & Alisha Murphy of the Toasted Sister Podcast; USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack; Tedd Buelow, Tribal Relations Team Lead for the USDA's Office of Rural Development; and renowned Indigenous chefs and restauranteurs

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Welcome to the very first episode of our new podcast, Native Edge! 

Native Edge will explore a wide array of topics across Indian Country, as well as more about the work of and the people behind The National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development.

In our pilot episode, National Center President and CEO Chris James and Program Director Yvette Fielder discuss the organization's programs, some highlights from the 2024 Reservation Economic Summit, and provide information on how you can get involved.

Get ready for some l...