There are many Indigenous people in this country working on food sovereignty. The best known member of this movement is Chef Sean Sherman, founder and CEO of The Sioux Chef, which specializes in pre-colonization cuisine. Host Charity Nebbe talks with Sherman about his latest co-authored book, 'Turtle Island: Foods and Traditions of the Indigenous Peoples of North America,' and he will be speaking at the inaugural Iowa Culinary Conference on June 22 in Coralville. Also, the 50th Loess Hills Prairie Seminar takes place May 29-31, hosted by Monona County Conservation. This free event started in 1977 as a modest, back to nature event for local educators, and has now expanded to include dozens of activities for conservationists, families and beyond.
Sheila Brummer
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Iowa Public Radio
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Black Future Fest is a month-long celebration focusing on Afrofuturistic art, fashion and community imagination in Iowa City. On this episode, Black Future Fest organizer Latasha DeLoach and professor of journalism and African American Studies Venise Berry join to discuss Afrofuturism and the upcoming events. Later, reflecting on the legacy of Lee Swearengin, who spent decades of his life institutionalized, but made tremendous contributions to Iowa archeology. -
'Warrior Girl Unearthed' is a young adult thriller that gives readers insight into Ojibwe culture, the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, missing and murdered Indigenous persons and teenage shenanigans. On this episode of 'Talk of Iowa,' host Charity Nebbe talks with author Angeline Boulley about her inspiration for the novel, then turns to three expert readers. (This episode was originally produced June 10, 2025.)
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Two new exhibitions at the Dubuque Museum of Art rethink representation through Indigenous, Latinx and community-centered storytelling. Then, two sisters organize an annual Thanksgiving day giveaway of pies, no questions asked.
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A Native American woman from Arizona was nearly deported by federal immigration officials after a clerical error at the Polk County Jail. The woman's family had to scramble to prove she was Indigenous and shouldn't be turned over to ICE. -
The book Red Earth Nation: a History of the Meskwaki Settlement tells that story. On this Talk of Iowa, host Charity Nebbe speaks with Meskwaki tribal historian Johnathan Buffalo and author Eric Steven Zimmer.
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The number of people identifying as Native Americans in the U.S. nearly doubled between 2010 and 2020, according to the U.S. Census.
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Experts discuss the process of repatriating Indigenous cultural items and why it's important.
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The student's research found that the statue, which had been part of the Mount Vernon college's art collection for over a century, had been taken from the Etowah Indian Mounds in Georgia in 1886. It was returned to the Muscogee (Creek) Nation on Sept. 30. -
We tour the Corriell Nature Preserve with Robin Wall Kimmerer and talk about the tools of land preservation.
