ANCHORAGE, AK – The Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative’s Executive Director, Carly Griffith Hotvedt (Cherokee Nation), joined Native America Calling’s weekly podcast to discuss a potential food crisis that is brewing in Arizona that could be a warning to other states as changes to the Supplemental Food Assistance Program start to take effect. 

Wednesday, August 26, 2026 — Arizona’s dramatic SNAP ordeal may be a bellwether for other states

Federal funding cuts and major changes to state administration of SNAP have caused enrollment in Arizona to drop by half. As many as 200,000 children who once received SNAP benefits now go without. Many of those who were dropped are eligible, even with new work requirements, but they can’t get through the state’s restructured system. State officials estimate one in three Navajo Nation residents receive SNAP benefits. Native Americans in general are much more likely to rely on SNAP than the general population. Arizona has been aggressive in initiating SNAP changes. Those same changes in other states are expected to start rolling out after the midterm elections. 

GUESTS

Chairman Julian Hernandez (Pascua Yaqui Tribe)

Carly Griffith Hotvedt (Cherokee Nation), executive director at the Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative

Mary Greene-Trottier (Spirit Lake Nation), president of the National Association of Food Distribution Programs on Indian Reservations and director of the Spirit Lake Tribe Food Distribution Program

Jaynie Parrish (Diné), executive director of Arizona Native Vote

Michelle Estradé, research associate at the Center for Human Nutrition at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Native America Calling is a live call-in program linking public radio stations, the Internet and listeners together in a thought-provoking national conversation about issues specific to Native communities. Each program engages noted guests and experts with callers throughout the United States and is designed to improve the quality of life for Native Americans. Native America Calling is heard on nearly 90 public, community and tribal radio stations in the United States and in Canada. This program is a production of Koahnic Broadcast Corporation, a Native-operated media center in Anchorage, Alaska.