Native America Calling

Native America Calling Staff Biographies

Susan Braine, Koahnic Broadcast Corporation Chief Operating Officer – National
Susan Braine (Assiniboine & Hunkpapa Sioux) grew up on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation in southeastern Montana and is enrolled on the Ft. Peck Assiniboine-Sioux Res. She has spent more than 30 years working in Native and public radio. She has managed Zuni Pueblo radio KSHI-FM in Zuni, New Mexico, KMXT-FM in Kodiak, Alaska, and KSKO-AM in McGrath, Alaska. Ms. Braine was instrumental in the on-air debut and initial management of the Three Affiliated Tribes' KMHA-FM in Newtown, North Dakota, KNBA-FM in Anchorage, Alaska, and most recently Hopi radio KUYI-FM in northern Arizona. Braine has also worked with the Blackfeet, Northern Cheyenne and Laguna-Acoma Indian communities to help plan local stations for their reservations.

Over the years, Ms. Braine has been a major player in the development of Native radio. She served as the first network manager for AIROS (American Indian Radio on Satellite), and on the boards of the Alaska Public Radio Network, Native American Public Telecommunications, Inc., the Native American Journalists Association and on the Public Radio Satellite System's Distribution and Interconnection Committee.

Harlan McKosato, Host & Producer
Harlan McKosato is a member of the Sac and Fox Nation of Oklahoma and grew up on the Iowa reservation in north central Oklahoma. He recently returned to NAC as the host/producer in December, 2006. He began as an associate producer for NAC in June 1995, and was promoted to producer/director in August 1996. He took over hosting duties in September 1997, serving as host/managing editor before resigning in April 2004.

He has been a columnist for the Santa Fe New Mexican, the oldest newspaper in the West, since 1999. He’s also a special contributor to New Mexico Business Weekly magazine, a commentator for National Public Radio’s talk show All Things Considered, and serves on the screening committee for the Grammy’s Best Native American Album category.

He served as an adjunct professor of journalism at the Institute of American Indian Arts for the spring semester 2006. In 2005, he was recognized by his alma mater, the University of Oklahoma , as a “Distinguished Alumnus of the Gaylord College of Journalism” where he received his degree in Journalism & Mass Communications in 1988.

He was the 2003 reader’s choice for “Best Radio Personality in New Mexico ” by the statewide-circulated Crosswinds Weekly magazine. In 2002, he was appointed as Chairman of the Albuquerque Mayor’s Commission on Indian Affairs.

Just for fun, in 2005 he appeared in his first film role in a short movie titled Sympathy for the Devil. He also appeared in the 2004 PBS documentary Looking Towards Home and in 2003 he served as head of the “McKosato family” on three episodes of TV’s The Family Feud.

Tara Gatewood, Associate Producer
Tara Gatewood (Isleta Pueblo & Navajo) joins the Native airwaves close to the Pueblo of Isleta where she was born. She has more than nine years of experience as a journalist. Her palette of experience includes working in Washington, D.C., South Dakota, Minnesota, Massachusetts and New Mexico. She was a reporter and photographer namely for Knight Ridder. Her past works can be found in the Aberdeen American News, Boston Globe, St. Paul Pioneer Press and Transmission Magazine.

Before stepping on board at Native America Calling, Tara owned and maintained Intu Media which specializes in print, photo and video marketing as well as public relations for Native American organizations and artists. She has also worked on video documentaries about Native Americans.

Jes Abeita , Associate Producer
Associate Producer Jes Abeita (Isleta and Laguna Pueblos) has been an Associate Producer for Native America Calling since 2007.

Abeita holds a B.A. in Native American Studies, minor in Journalism, University of New Mexico, where she was a member of the Native Studies Honor Society. Abeita has experience as a radio, internet and print reporter. Internships at National Public Radio’s “All Things Considered” and Koahnic’s National Native News preceded her current position at NAC.

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