Native Edge

Any questions or comments please send here! In our second episode of Native American Heritage Month, Chris and Yvette welcome Maria Dadgar, Executive Director of the Inter Tribal Council of Arizona (ITCA), to The National Center's headquarters. It's a familiar location for Maria, who spent many years working for The National Center, culminating with a stint as acting President and CEO. M...

Any questions or comments please send here! In episode 34, guest hosts Nicole Watson and Mikaela Garcia welcome Eunique Yazzie to the studio. Eunique (Diné) has a background in graphic arts, and is a founding member of Cahokia, LLC. Cahokia, located in downtown Phoenix, is a cultural space created for Indigenous artists and entrepreneurs to collaborate, innovate, and increase the collective wealth...

Any questions or comments please send here! We head back to the State of Arizona for episode 33 of The Native Edge podcast, where Chris and Yvette welcome Sebastian Aleman, Legislative and Tribal Liaison for the Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity. Sebastian discusses his office's role in economic and workforce development in Arizona, in particular tribal communities. You'll hear abou...

Any questions or comments please send here! For Episode 32 of the Native Edge Podcast, Chris is joined by guest co-host Nicole Watson for a conversation with UNITY Executive Director Mary Kim Titla. UNITY and The National Center have long had a close relationship, including sharing office space in the same building in Mesa, Arizona and UNITY co-hosting events and programming at the annual Reservat...

Any questions or comments please send here! We're back in our Mesa studio for Episode 31 of The Native Edge podcast, and Chris and Yvette welcome a special guest - Jason Chavez, Director of Tribal Affairs for Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs. Jason has a background in voting and election administration, having previously served under then-Secretary of State Hobbs. We was also the voter outreach c...

Any questions or comments please send here! Congress is back from its August recess, so we thought it would be a great time to introduce our policy team! Chris sat down with Kate Boyce and Ryan Seelau, who along with Dr. Ian Record lead The National Center's policy and advocacy efforts. Kate has worked for The National Center for decades, and has unmatched experience in and knowledge of India...

Any questions or comments please send here! For episode 29, we welcome back Chef Denella Belin of Nella's Innovative Kreations for a first on The Native Edge - a cooking demonstration! Guest host Nicole Watson sat down with Chef Denella to talk about the growing food sovereignty movement and tips for incorporating Indigenous foods into your diet. Later, we go in the kitchen with Chef Denella...

Any questions or comments please send here! We're back in DC for Episode 28, where Chris chats with National Center Board Vice Chair Lillian Sparks Robinson. Chris and Lillian have known each other since they were both officials in the Obama Administration and continue to work together to move The National Center forward. Lillian had a fascinating career before becoming the Commissioner for t...

Any questions or comments please send here! We're continuing our series of interviews with leaders of Native organizations with an episode featuring Nicole Borromeo, President of the ANCSA Regional Association (ARA). Nicole and Chris caught up in our DC office while they were both in town for advocacy meetings. Nicole shared her extensive background in Alaska Native issues, including serving...

Any questions or comments please send here! 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...

Any questions or comments please send here! 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 wor...

Any questions or comments please send here! 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 "s...

Any questions or comments please send here! 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 te...

Any questions or comments please send here! 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...

Any questions or comments please send here! 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 ab...

Any questions or comments please send here! 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'...

Any questions or comments please send here! 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...

Any questions or comments please send here! 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, lang...

Any questions or comments please send here! 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 a...

Any questions or comments please send here! 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 main...

Any questions or comments please send here! 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. Shirl...

Any questions or comments please send here! 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,...

Any questions or comments please send here! 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 sh...

Any questions or comments please send here! 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...

Any questions or comments please send here! 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 le...