Native America Calling

Koahnic

Interactive, daily program featuring Native and Indigenous voices, insights, and stories from across the U.S. and around the world.

  1. 4D AGO

    Tuesday, March 31, 2026 — The Menu: “A Feather and a Fork” cookbook and preserving ooligan (smelt fish)

    Kickapoo chef Crystal Wahpepah documents the intertribal flavors and characteristics of contemporary Native American cuisine and her upbringing in Oakland, Calif. in her debut cookbook, “A Feather and a Fork: 125 Intertribal Dishes from an Indigenous Food Warrior.” Woven through the recipes and gorgeous food photos, Wahpepah gives readers and cooks a tour of her restaurant, Wahpepah’s Kitchen, and present Oakland Native food sovereignty initiatives — and poignant personal and cultural stories that ingredients and flavors hold. Near the end of winter, ooligan (eulachon or smelt), a small oily fish, would come rushing up rivers by the millions in the Pacific Northwest, according to historical accounts and elders’ stories. Today, ooligan are listed as a threatened species with sporadic springtime runs that more often do not support subsistence fishing. We’ll hear from the Nuxalk Nation in British Columbia about their ooligan studies and restoration, and from fishermen in Metlakatla, Alaska about this spring’s ooligan haul. GUESTS Crystal Wahpepah (Kickapoo), chef and owner of Wahpepah’s Kitchen and author of “A Feather and a Fork: 125 Intertribal Dishes from an Indigenous Food Warrior” Cindy Wagner (Tsimshian and Haida), fisherman Louie Wagner (Tsimshian and Tlingit), fisherman Jason Moody (Nuxalk), Nuxalk fisheries and wildlife planning coordinator and owner of Nan Adventure Tours   Break 1 Music: Boujee Natives (song) Snotty Nose Rez Kids (artist) Trapline (album) Break 2 Music: Save the World (song) Tribz (artist) Trimmed (album)   Editor’s Note: The publisher of “A Feather and a Fork” is a sponsor of Koahnic Broadcast Corporation. That plays no role in Native America Calling’s editorial coverage decisions.

    57 min
  2. 5D AGO

    Monday, March 30, 2026 – Understanding the Jack Abramoff Indian gaming scandal 25 years later

    In the early 2000s, an investigation found a handful of tribes in at least four states were paying exorbitant fees to a lobbying firm headed by Jack Abramoff. The tribes were looking to gain ground in the rapidly evolving Native gaming political landscape. The investigation and the resulting fraud and bribery trials would convict Abramoff and a dozen others, including congressional staffers, in a scheme that totaled at least $80 million. One tribal official called them “the contemporary faces of the exploitation of Native peoples“. While he was taking their money, Abramoff privately referred to the tribal officials he was dealing with as “monkeys” and “morons.” A Blackfeet tribal member was instrumental in exposing Abramoff’s crimes. We’ll look back at this significant event in tribal gaming history and what has changed in the 25 years since. GUESTS Philip Hogen (Oglala Lakota), former chairman of the National Indian Gaming Commission and of counsel for Hogen Adams PLLC Tom “One Who Rides His Horse East” Rodgers (Blackfeet), founder of Carlyle Consulting and named one of Politico’s most powerful people on race, culture and politics in 2023 Monica Lubiarz-Quigley, attorney and former lawyer for the Saginaw Chippewa Tribe   Break 1 Music: Thick as Thieves (song) Blue Moon Marquee (artist) Scream, Holler, and Howl (album) Break 2 Music: Save the World (song) Tribz (artist) Trimmed (album)

    57 min

Ratings & Reviews

3.7
out of 5
12 Ratings

About

Interactive, daily program featuring Native and Indigenous voices, insights, and stories from across the U.S. and around the world.

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