Native Edge

Any questions or comments please send here!In the latest episode of the Native Edge podcast, Chris welcomes (returning!) guest Mark Trahant to talk about the upcoming midterm election. Mark, who is a (semi)retired legendary journalist in Indian Country, has closely tracked Native candidates running for office at all levels across the United States.Chris and Mark discuss some of the candidates running for office, what is motivating voters, what to look out for on election night, and what the results could mean for Indian Country. This episode is a preview of the conversation that they will have on election night, when both Chris and Mark will be on Indian Country Today's Native Vote 2026 election night broadcast, streamed live on FNX and available on PBS affiliates across the country.This episode is sponsored by our friends at Aambé Health. Learn more on their website, or from a recent Q&A we did with President and CEO Ron "Hawk" Spoerl. Thanks to Aambé for its work and for being such a great supporter of The National Center.Mark Trahant  |https://www.linkedin.com/in/trahant/Mark's Substack |https://marktrahant.substack.com/Indian Country Today's Native Vote 2026 |https://ictnews.org/politics/election-2026/make-ict-part-of-your-election-night/Support the showSupport The National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development |https://ncaied.org/get-involved/make-a-gift-today.htmlWatch on YouTube |https://www.youtube.com/@TheNationalCenterThis podcast is brought to you in part through the generous support of the Rich Davis and Tylynn Gordon Charitable Fund.Stay Updated 👇👇@NCAIED 📲 Web | Monthly Newsletter | Facebook | Instagram |YouTube | LinkedIn | X | TikTok |     

Any questions or comments please send here!In our 60th episode, we welcome journalist Debra Krol of the Arizona Republic. Debra, a member of the Xolon (also known as Jolon) Salinan Tribe in California, has had a storied career covering some of the most important topics in Indian Country, including Standing Rock and the intense debate over mining development of Oak Flat in Arizona.Chris and Yvette chatted with Debra about her path to journalism, and in particular covering environmental and resource stories important to Tribes and Native Americans across the West. They also discuss some of the races to watch in the upcoming midterm election - including one involving a member of Congress who sat next to Chris on a recent flight from DC to Phoenix.We hope you enjoy this episode. Make sure to check it out on YouTube, subscribe, and tell your friends!Debra Krol |https://www.azcentral.com/staff/2684011001/debra-utacia-krol/Support the showSupport The National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development |https://ncaied.org/get-involved/make-a-gift-today.htmlWatch on YouTube |https://www.youtube.com/@TheNationalCenterThis podcast is brought to you in part through the generous support of the Rich Davis and Tylynn Gordon Charitable Fund.Stay Updated 👇👇@NCAIED 📲 Web | Monthly Newsletter | Facebook | Instagram |YouTube | LinkedIn | X | TikTok |     

Any questions or comments please send here!We're back with another episode of the Native Edge podcast! It's election season across the United States, so we brought in someone who understands the importance of voting and standing up for what you believe in.Our guest is Jennifer Jermaine, a Justice of the Peace in Maricopa County, Arizona. Judge Jermaine, who is a first generation descendant of the White Earth Nation, is in her first term in that position after serving in the Arizona State Legislature for two terms.Judge Jermaine has a background in international trade, as well as non-profits. She was inspired to run for office for the same reason that many are: she saw a problem and wanted to do something to change it. We hope you enjoy this episode - and make sure you make your voice heard and have a plan for how to vote in November! As always, this episode is available on our YouTube channel. Make sure to subscribe and tell your friends!Judge Jennifer Jermaine |https://justicecourts.maricopa.gov/about-us/our-judges/judge-jennifer-jermaineSupport the showSupport The National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development |https://ncaied.org/get-involved/make-a-gift-today.htmlWatch on YouTube |https://www.youtube.com/@TheNationalCenterThis podcast is brought to you in part through the generous support of the Rich Davis and Tylynn Gordon Charitable Fund.Stay Updated 👇👇@NCAIED 📲 Web | Monthly Newsletter | Facebook | Instagram |YouTube | LinkedIn | X | TikTok |     

Any questions or comments please send here!It's Labor Day week, so who better to join the podcast than someone who knows the ins and outs of tribal workforce? That expert is HR consultant Karla Bylund. Karla is now the Principal for Tribal HR Support for REDW Advisors and CPAs, which bought the company Karla founded n 2015 - Soaring Bird Solutions, LLC. Karla is also one of the National Center's consultants and trusted advisors.Karla shares her journey from graduating college as a single mother, to working in tribal gaming, starting her own business, and along the way becoming a sought-after consultant for Tribes and tribally owned enterprises seeking values-aligned HR solutions.Karla is also the driving force behind the Tribal Leadership and Management Conference, taking place in Las Vegas on October 15 and 15. The conference is designed for Tribal council members and executive leaders who are committed to strengthening Tribal governance, leadership, and organizational performance. Learn more and register for the conference at the link below.Thanks for listening - and watching on YouTube! Stay tuned for upcomin episodes.Karla Bylund |https://www.linkedin.com/in/birdwhosoars/REDW Advisors and CPAs |https://www.redw.com/Tribal Leadership and Management Conference |https://www.tlmconference.com/Support the showSupport The National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development |https://ncaied.org/get-involved/make-a-gift-today.htmlWatch on YouTube |https://www.youtube.com/@TheNationalCenterThis podcast is brought to you in part through the generous support of the Rich Davis and Tylynn Gordon Charitable Fund.Stay Updated 👇👇@NCAIED 📲 Web | Monthly Newsletter | Facebook | Instagram |YouTube | LinkedIn | X | TikTok |     

Any questions or comments please send here!In episode 57, Navajo ultramarathoner Greg Secatero joins Chris and Yvette in studio. Greg is the first Indigenous runner to complete the "Grand Slam of 200s" - four 200+ mile races that include 150,000 feet of climbing, done in just six months. He was also the first Indigenous athlete to reach the "1,000 mile club" by completing the famed Cocodona 250 four times.Greg discussed the training that goes into competing in such a grueling sport, as well as his background growing up on the reservation and learning Navajo as a first language. He is also a veteran of the U.S. Army. When Greg isn't running, he is a police officer on the Navajo Reservation.Learn more about Greg and his amazing journey. Make sure to catch the episode on YouTube, too!Greg Secatero |https://www.instagram.com/secateroendurance/Support the showSupport The National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development |https://ncaied.org/get-involved/make-a-gift-today.htmlWatch on YouTube |https://www.youtube.com/@TheNationalCenterThis podcast is brought to you in part through the generous support of the Rich Davis and Tylynn Gordon Charitable Fund.Stay Updated 👇👇@NCAIED 📲 Web | Monthly Newsletter | Facebook | Instagram |YouTube | LinkedIn | X | TikTok |     

Any questions or comments please send here!Chef Kris Harris, owner of Kris Fresh Frybread in Phoenix, joins the podcast for Episode 56. Kris, who has been a client of The National Center, shares her journey from welder to owner of an exciting new restaurant known for - you guessed it - its frybread.Born on the Tohono O’odham Reservation, Kris learned to cook at age nine under the tutelage of her grandmother. The recipes she learned as a child inspire the menu at her restaurant, which she opened in October 2025. A lifetime of experience, including homelessness, working her way up from dishwasher, to utilizing a Native CDFI to launch her business, helped her get to where she is today.Take a listen to this episode and get inspired by Kris's journey. As always, make sure to check out the episode on our YouTube channel!Kris Fresh Frybread |https://krisfreshfrybread.com/Chef Kris Harris |https://krisfreshfrybread.com/chef-kris-phoenix-az/Support the showSupport The National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development |https://ncaied.org/get-involved/make-a-gift-today.htmlWatch on YouTube |https://www.youtube.com/@TheNationalCenterThis podcast is brought to you in part through the generous support of the Rich Davis and Tylynn Gordon Charitable Fund.Stay Updated 👇👇@NCAIED 📲 Web | Monthly Newsletter | Facebook | Instagram |YouTube | LinkedIn | X | TikTok |     

Any questions or comments please send here!For episode 55 we're back in our Mesa studio with Katie Oyan, President and CEO of IndiJ Public Media, the parent company of Indian Country Today. Katie shares her story of growing up in rural South Dakota to becoming an editor at one of for foremost media brands in the world - the Associated Press. She has now been CEO of IndiJ for about a year, where her job is telling the story of Indian Country. Katie discusses the current and future state of media, its various business models, and her impressions of her first time at RES. Plus she shares an awesome story about arranging for Indigenous journalists to ask Nicole Mann, the first female Native American astronaut, questions while she circled the Earth from space.We hope you enjoy this episode, and stay tuned for more. On a sad note, this was the last episode recorded by our longtime producer, Mikaela Garcia. Mikaela was instrumental in the creation and success of the Native Edge. We will miss her and wish her well in her new endeavors.Katie Oyan |https://www.linkedin.com/in/katie-oyan-a78007141/IndiJ Public Media |https://indijpublicmedia.org/Support the showSupport The National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development |https://ncaied.org/get-involved/make-a-gift-today.htmlWatch on YouTube |https://www.youtube.com/@TheNationalCenterThis podcast is brought to you in part through the generous support of the Rich Davis and Tylynn Gordon Charitable Fund.Stay Updated 👇👇@NCAIED 📲 Web | Monthly Newsletter | Facebook | Instagram |YouTube | LinkedIn | X | TikTok |     

Any questions or comments please send here!And last but not the least of our RES 2026 interviews, we welcome journalist (among many other professions) and 40 Under 40 program alumni Kate Nelson (Tlingit). Chris and Yvette sat down with Kate to talk about her fascinating career and journey of self discovery. This includes collaborating with renowned Indigenous chef Sean Sherman on his new cook book, Turtle Island, and co-founding a new film production company called Parallel.Kate discovered a love of writing as a child, and her talent and passion led to being published in some of the largest publications in the world. One of her newest ventures is modeling, where she takes the time to impart life lessons on her younger colleagues.We hope you enjoy the conversation and make sure to check out Kate's work in the links below!Kate Nelson |https://www.linkedin.com/in/katenelson/https://www.kateanelson.com/Turtle Island cookbook |https://sites.prh.com/turtleislandParallel |https://www.parallel.film/Support the showSupport The National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development |https://ncaied.org/get-involved/make-a-gift-today.htmlWatch on YouTube |https://www.youtube.com/@TheNationalCenterThis podcast is brought to you in part through the generous support of the Rich Davis and Tylynn Gordon Charitable Fund.Stay Updated 👇👇@NCAIED 📲 Web | Monthly Newsletter | Facebook | Instagram |YouTube | LinkedIn | X | TikTok |     

Any questions or comments please send here!We're continuing our series of conversations from RES with DJ Carrasco (Tewa-Puebloan), a former professional baseball pitcher who is now the founder and CEO of Native Nations. Native Nations is a nonprofit that seeks to boost Native American participation in diamond sports (baseball and softball) through programming, training, hosting tournaments, and focusing on the health and wellbeing of its participating athletes.DJ talks about his eight-year career in Major League Baseball (plus a year in Japan), and how the Māori's approach to cultivating Indigenous athletes was a partial inspiration for Native Nations. HIs ultimate goal is to have Native American athletes compete as a sovereign nation in international baseball or softball competitions.Check out this great conversation here or on our YouTube page - and find out how you can support DJ and Native Nation's work at the link below!DJ Carrasco |https://www.linkedin.com/in/dj-carrasco-2aaa4470/Native Nations |https://na7ivena7ions.com/Support the showSupport The National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development |https://ncaied.org/get-involved/make-a-gift-today.htmlWatch on YouTube |https://www.youtube.com/@TheNationalCenterThis podcast is brought to you in part through the generous support of the Rich Davis and Tylynn Gordon Charitable Fund.Stay Updated 👇👇@NCAIED 📲 Web | Monthly Newsletter | Facebook | Instagram |YouTube | LinkedIn | X | TikTok |     

Any questions or comments please send here!In the latest Native Edge, Chris and Yvette welcome Amber Schulz-Oliver, Executive Director of the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians (ATNI). Based in Portland, Oregon, ATNI is a nonprofit organization representing 57 Northwest tribal governments from Oregon, Idaho, Washington, southeast Alaska, Northern California and Western Montana.Amber shares her journey from Peace Corps volunteer, to working for Native American-owned engineering firm Akana, to ATNI (including a stint with ATNI's CDFI). Amber also discusses ATNI's work with other Native organizations, in particular the work of the Coalition for Tribal Sovereignty.As we say, you always learn something new on The Native Edge. In this episode, despite knowing each other for many years, Chris learns for the first time that Amber was in the Peace Corps and spent time in Romania.Take a listen and tell your friends - and stay tuned for upcoming episodes. As always, check out and subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch the interview.Amber Schulz-Oliver |https://www.linkedin.com/in/amber-schulz-oliver-b0675719/ATNI |https://atnitribes.org/Support the showSupport The National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development |https://ncaied.org/get-involved/make-a-gift-today.htmlWatch on YouTube |https://www.youtube.com/@TheNationalCenterThis podcast is brought to you in part through the generous support of the Rich Davis and Tylynn Gordon Charitable Fund.Stay Updated 👇👇@NCAIED 📲 Web | Monthly Newsletter | Facebook | Instagram |YouTube | LinkedIn | X | TikTok |