Trump Can’t Keep His Hands Off MBS as Epstein Files Release Is Imminent | Sean Sherman

Summary

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The Daily Show: Ears Edition

Episode: Trump Can’t Keep His Hands Off MBS as Epstein Files Release Is Imminent | Sean Sherman

Date: November 20, 2025
Host: Roy Wood Jr. (standing in), with the Daily Show News Team
Featured Guest: Chef Sean Sherman

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Overview

This episode features Roy Wood Jr. leading a characteristically irreverent and insightful exploration of topical headlines: Trump’s public coziness with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), the political circus around the imminent release of the Epstein files, and technological advances (including "uploading your grandma to the cloud" and the rise of AI in art and music). The episode closes with a deeply engaging interview with James Beard award-winning chef Sean Sherman, who discusses his work revitalizing Native American cuisine and the broader cultural relevance of Indigenous food traditions.

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Main Segments & Key Points

1. Trump & MBS: Awkward Power Handshakes and Mutual Interests

[01:18–03:10]

• Roy/“Ronny” Cheang lampoons Donald Trump’s “play date” with MBS, sarcastically calling the Saudi crown prince "an all-around great guy who definitely doesn't hold a grudge."

  [01:22] Roy: "And the two of them couldn’t keep Trump’s hand off each other."

• The show mocks Trump’s exaggerated handshake:

  [02:04] News Clip/Parody: “Trump doesn’t give a fist pump. I grabbed that hand. I don’t give a hell where that hand’s been.”

• Satirical take on Trump’s business dealings with Saudi Arabia:

  [02:33] Roy: “MBS is giving Trump money, the Trump Organization’s Saudi partner pumping more than $20 million into the family business.”

• The segment highlights the hypocrisy of Trump's alliances, contrasting his Muslim ban with friendly deals with the Saudi regime.

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2. The Imminent Release of the Epstein Files: Congressional Shenanigans and National Security Redactions

[03:10–11:15]

• The House, with bipartisan support, votes to release Epstein-related documents.

• Republicans like Rep. Nancy Mace highlight their distance from elite circles in ways that sound both defensive and inadvertently lonely:

  [03:54] Nancy Mace (clip): “I’m not part of the powerful...I don’t get invited to parties. I don’t have any friends. I have a dog.”

• Roy doubles down on the show's satirical take:

  [04:06] Roy: “Are you fishing for an invite to the sex party? ... There’s a middle ground between Epstein island and friendless loser.”

• The expected political stalling doesn’t materialize; the Senate passes the bill quickly, stunning the team:

  [05:17] News Clip: “The Senate has unanimously agreed to pass the bill to release the Epstein files.” [05:21] Roy: “Wait...How the f--- did it pass this fast?”

• Roy jokes about how "unanimous consent" could be used to pass any bill, riffing on Congressional ineptitude.

• Trump unexpectedly says he’ll sign the bill, shocking even the typically unflappable Roy:

  [06:39] Roy: “My God. What the hell is happening here? Is Trump really gonna release the Epstein files?”

• The show signals the likely cop-out: “national security” will justify redactions:

  [07:16] Roy: “See, that’s how they’re gonna keep these files secret. National security. America’s go-to justification.”

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3. Correspondent Jordan Klepper: Should We Release ALL the Dirt?

[08:05–11:15]

• Jordan Klepper reports from the DOJ, skeptically hoping for a last-minute delay.

  [08:11] Jordan: “We’re all praying our hardest that something happens to delay that outcome.”

• The team riffs on "separating the art from the artist" if beloved celebrities are implicated, culminating in jokes about Kermit the Frog being in the files:

  [09:38] Jordan: “What if Kermit the Frog is in the Epstein files? You think it’s not easy being green? Try being publicly outed as a pedophile.” [10:24] Jordan: “I have to go back to my job waiting tables at P F Chang’s...I’m PF Chang and I’m here to say I hope you have a Changtastic birthday!”

• Roy argues ideally the truth will let us rebuild a better society, while Klepper counters that would take “a lot more work than just not releasing the files”.

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4. "Tech Yeah": AI Grandmas and Digital Cowboys

[12:38–18:23]

Segment host: Grace Kulenschmidt aka "Coolant Tech", delivers a jokey, high-octane tech roundup:

a. Russian Humanoid Robot Fails

[13:28] Grace: “Finally, a robot that feels like a real person. Because I also have a drinking problem...’”

b. Uploading Your Grandma to the Cloud

• A new app lets users create a digital avatar of loved ones:

  [14:53] Grace: “I can’t wait for my grandma to die...so I can turn her soul into data.”

• Jokes about the awkwardness of having a deceased grandma on the same device as your porn:

  [15:13] Grace: “Next time you’re struggling to pick a category, your grandma can chime in, like: ‘Anime MILFs with big naturals.’”

c. AI-Generated Country Star

• “Breaking Rust” is #1 on Billboard’s country digital chart. Grace swoons:

  [16:56] Grace: “A guy named Breaking Rust isn’t real? That makes him so much hotter. I’ve been throwing my panties at my computer just to get his attention.”

• AI can generate on-demand songs about mundane topics ("Inside Edition").

  [18:03] Grace: “You wouldn’t believe how horny I am right now.”

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5. Interview: Chef Sean Sherman — Reviving Indigenous Cuisine

[20:05–33:32]

a. Why Are Native American Restaurants So Rare?

[21:05] Sean Sherman: “It’s unfortunate that Native American restaurants are so rare in Native America. So a lot of this work was really trying to showcase that this was possible, that we could have a modern Indigenous restaurant.”

• Sherman’s ventures aim to source from Indigenous producers, employ Native workers, and keep profits within the community.
• Dishes purposely exclude colonial ingredients (no dairy, wheat, cane sugar, beef, pork, chicken):

  [22:00] Sean: “The philosophy was...we cut out European colonial ingredients...In the last year alone, the Trump Organization, Saudi partner, pumping more than $20 million into the family business.”

b. Making Native Cuisine Tangible & Modern

• Sherman describes the popularity of Owamni, his Minneapolis restaurant:

  [22:37] Sean: “We’ve been sold out every night since we opened in 21.”

• The health-driven, contemporary approach resonates with today’s growing nutrition awareness:

  [24:21] Sean: “There’s so much plant diversity. Again, it’s low carbs...protein diversity...not over processed food by any means, because these aren’t the foods that I grew up with.”

c. The Cultural, Social, and Environmental Dimensions

• Food as a force multiplier for community, health, and empathy.

  [25:11] Roy: “It’s a cultural force multiplier for you.” [25:13] Sean: “It’s something that pulls us together and...helps put a little empathy into things...Why don’t we have more Native food out there?”

• The book Turtle Foods and Traditions of the Indigenous Peoples of North America aims to amplify Indigenous voices and knowledge, not to “mansplain.”

  [26:18] Sean: “It took a community to put this together...we also reached out to this massive network all over Turtle island, in Mexico, US, Canada, up in Alaska...to really get their perspectives.”

• Sherman sees the principles of Indigenous knowledge as applicable to global sustainability and decolonization:

  [27:11] Sean: “Indigenous people had the blueprint to live sustainably anywhere...That’s the point—you can apply these lessons anywhere.”

d. Thanksgiving and Misconceptions

• On Thanksgiving and American mythology:

  [29:31] Sean: “I have a lot of friends and family that don’t celebrate at all, you know, and just completely ignore it. Because it is very damaging to have this mythology...Just remember that time we had dinner together?”

• Sherman also encourages paying respect by supporting Indigenous producers and learning about Native history:

  [30:04] Sean: “If you want to pay respect...think about the land that you’re standing on. Learn a little bit about the history. Learn about the tribes that are living by. Buy food from Indigenous producers.”

e. On Representation and Moving Forward

• Celebrates the increasing visibility of Native chefs, media, arts, and “not being pushed into the shadows.”

  [31:41] Sean: “We are starting to see more Native chefs come out...just everything...I think it is time for us to not be pushed into the shadows...”

• Historical trauma and the ongoing effects of forced assimilation:

  [32:23] Sean: “History can be really hard to read sometimes...My tribe, Lakota, we were still battling the US Government till the turn of the century...boarding schools, having to cut their hair, learn English, learn Christianity, and just changing everything...layering on so much trauma to those generations.”

[33:16] Roy: “Thank you so much for preserving it. And thank you for providing a rally point for people who want to be an ally.”

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Notable Quotes & Moments with Timestamps

• [02:15] Roy (on Trump & MBS): "That was the worst handshake I’ve ever seen. That was like the 9/11 of handshakes. And once again, Saudi Arabia is involved."
• [03:54] Nancy Mace (mocked): “I don’t get invited to parties. I don’t have any friends. I have a dog.”
• [05:52] Roy: “Unanimous consent. Well, then why don’t you do that with every bill? ... In that case, we might need to pass the Jeffrey Epstein Universal Healthcare Epstein Act featuring Jeffrey Epstein.”
• [09:38] Jordan Klepper: "What if Kermit the Frog is in the Epstein files? You think it's not easy being green? Try being publicly outed as a pedophile."
• [15:13] Grace (Tech Yeah): “Maybe you're nervous to have grandma live on the same device you watch porn on. But next time you’re struggling to pick a category, your grandma can chime in, like, anime, milfs with big naturals.”
• [22:00] Sean Sherman: “No dairy, no wheat flour, no cane sugar, no beef, pork, and chicken, no jello. No ranch dressing.”
• [31:41] Sean Sherman: “We see Native American names and culture everywhere, but we never hear from them.”
• [33:16] Roy: “Thank you so much for preserving [Native cuisine and culture]... for providing a rally point for people who want to be an ally.”

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:18] Trump & MBS Handshake
• [03:10] Epstein Files in Congress
• [05:17] Senate Passes Bill Unanimously
• [08:05] DOJ “Live” with Jordan Klepper
• [12:38] “Tech Yeah!” Segment Begins
• [14:43] Upload Your Grandma to the Cloud
• [16:34] AI-Generated Country Singer
• [20:05] Interview: Chef Sean Sherman begins
• [22:00] Philosophy of Owamni’s Cuisine
• [29:31] On Thanksgiving & Erasure
• [31:41] Increased Native Representation

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Tone & Style

The episode follows The Daily Show’s classic formula: sharp, satirical, and irreverent, blending genuine journalistic insight with rapid-fire jokes and absurd hypotheticals. The interview with Sean Sherman stands out for its warmth, intellectual substance, and respectful engagement, giving listeners a nuanced view of Indigenous food, culture, and resilience.

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Useful For

• Casual listeners or fans who missed the episode and want a comprehensive highlight reel.
• Anyone interested in Indigenous foodways, American politics, or topical technology trends.
• Educators and advocates seeking engaging ways to introduce complex social topics.

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End of summary.

Transcript

[A]

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When cool, creamy ranch meets tangy, bold buffalo, the whole is greater than the sum of its sauce. Say howdy, partner. To new buffalo ranch sauce only at McDonald's for a limited time at participating McDonald's. You're listening to Comedy Central. From the most trusted journalists at Comedy Central. It's America's only source for news. This is the Daily show with your host.

[C]

Welcome to the Daily Show. I'm Roy Chang. We got so much to talk about tonight. You can upload your grandma to the cloud now. Someone paid for expediter shipping on the Epstein files. And Trump and MBS do hand stuff. So let's get into the headlines. Yesterday was a big day at the White House because Donald Trump got to have a play date with Mohammed bin Salman, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, an all around great guy who definitely doesn't hold a grudge. And I, Ronny Chag, have no problems with. And the two of them couldn't keep Trump's hand off each other.

[A]

We work with all presidents.

[B]

Does Trump blow them all away? Son of the.

[A]

Leave Mr. President.

[B]

And Trump doesn't give a fist pump. I grabbed that hand. I don't give a hell where that hand's been. I grabbed that hand.

[C]

What the hell was that? That was the worst handshake I've ever seen. That was like the 911 of handshakes. And once again, Saudi Arabia is involved. Okay, and Trump, why are you wondering where his hand has been? You're the one whose hand is decomposing.

[B]

I mean.

[C]

Now you might be wondering, wait, how is Donald Trump best friends with mbs? Isn't Trump the Muslim band guy? Didn't he just spend a month calling Zoram Mandani a terrorist? Well, the difference is that Zoram Mandani is a Shia Muslim whose family comes from Uganda by way of India. But whereas MBS is giving Trump money, the Trump Organization already has multiple projects in Saudi Arabia, including Trump Towers and Jeddah and Riyadh and a Trump Plaza in the works in the last Year alone, the Trump Organization, Saudi partner, pumping.

[D]

More than $20 million into the family business.

[C]

Wow. Three Trump Towers in Saudi Arabia. See, America can up your skyline, too. But enough about collusion between global elites. Let's move on to the Epstein fil. Where my air's at? Just me. Yesterday, the House of Representatives voted to release the files, thanks to brave Republicans like Nancy Mace, who was very clear about not being a part of the Epstein network.

[A]

The Epstein email suggests that, in fact, there is a widespread code among people with power and money who support one another.

[C]

But does that exist in Washington?

[D]

I'm not part of the powerful. I'm not part of the elite. I'm an island of one. I don't get invited to parties. I don't have any friends. I have a dog.

[C]

Wait, are you. Are you fishing for an invite to the sex party? Like, why did you make not being a part of a pedophile ring sound so sad? There's a middle ground between Epstein island and friendless Loser. Like, walk the middle path. I mean, she doesn't go to parties. She doesn't have friends. She does have a dog, but after a day with her, even the dog's like, where's Kristine Gnome when you need her? But thanks to these Republicans, the House voted to release the Epstein files. And I just cannot believe this is going to happen. Trump has been trying to stop us from seeing these files for months now. I mean, they must have some plan to drag this thing out.

[D]

House Speaker Mike Johnson says he expects the Senate to amend the bill, which would then send it back to the House.

[C]

Of course that's the plan. Yeah, it's obvious they're gonna let it pass the House because they know it'll go to the Senate, AKA where the legislation and senators go to die.

[B]

Breaking Tonight in Washington, D.C. the Senate has unanimously agreed to pass the bill to release the Epstein files.

[C]

Wait, what? Wait, hold on, hang on, hang on.

[B]

Wait.

[C]

How. How the did it pass this fast? I thought a bill in the Senate had to go through amendments and committees and floor votes and Mitch McConnell's neck folds, and. And they have to add some unrelated earmarks that somehow make Lindsey Graham millions of dollars. Like, how'd they get around all that?

[B]

Senate Democrats pressured their Republican counterparts to.

[D]

Pass the Epstein Files Transparency act by something that's called unan, meaning the Senate accepts the House version of the bill as written.

[C]

Wait, you can do that? Unanimous consent. Well, then why don't you do that with every bill? I mean, does it only work on bills of Epstein's name. In that case, we might need to pass the Jeffrey Epstein Universal Healthcare Epstein act featuring Jeffrey Epstein. No, don't. Why are you cheering Jeffrey Epstein? But back to this bill. There's no way they're gonna let this pass. Okay, yeah, I got through the House and Senate, but I'm sure Donald Trump will veto this bill as soon as it reaches his desk.

[D]

President Donald Trump says he's ready to sign the bill as soon as it reaches his desk.

[C]

Wait, My God. What the hell is happening here? Is Trump really gonna release the Epstein files? He's not gonna burn them or hide them or put them on Barron's head so no one can reach them. I. I can. Look, there's just no way that this man is going to release the Epstein files that he is in. I mean, he must have a plan to get out of this.

[B]

We should note the legislation as it stands clearly says, quote, the Attorney General may withhold or redact personally identifiable information of victims or victims personal and medical files and any material that would jeopardize.

[C]

An active investigation or national security. Yeah, there we go. See, that's how they're gonna keep these files secret. National security. America's go to justification. It stops us from bringing shampoo on a plane. It puts terrorists on bananas. And soon it can prevent you from seeing if the President is a pedophile. And by the time Pam Bondi is done with these files, they'll be more censored than the airplane version of an aura. Now, I'm not saying we'll never see the Epstein files. I'm not saying we will. All I'm saying is we need to find other clues that the President inappropriately touches people. All right, now for more on the release of the Epstein files, we go live to the DOJ with Jordan Klepper.

[B]

Klepper.

[C]

Klepper. How close are we to seeing these files?

[B]

Well, Ronnie, it looks like these files might be released next week, but we're all praying our hardest that something happens to delay that outcome.

[C]

Wha.

[B]

Wait, what?

[C]

What do you mean? Like, I want to know who the perverts are?

[B]

Do you, Ronnie? You think you do? We all talk a big game about wanting to know who all the pervs are, but then you find out it's America's sweetheart economist Larry Summers, and you're devastated. I mean, was he my favorite economist? No, but top three for sure.

[C]

Dude, who gives a shit about Larry Summers?

[B]

You're telling me you're not into Larry Summers? Not even his early stuff? I mean, his Clinton era Treasury Meetings redefined the genre, man. But now I feel gross even looking at inflation numbers from the mid-90s.

[C]

Clipper, separate the art from the artist, okay? And no one gives a shit about Larry Summers.

[B]

It's not just Larry Summers. Epstein had a lot of friends, and we haven't thought through how wide his network was. I mean, what if. What if Dolly Parton's in there? You want me and my wife to stop singing Islands in the Stream at karaoke? It's the only thing holding my marriage together. I mean, what if. What if one of your favorite people was on Epstein Island? Give me someone you love.

[C]

Oh, I'm. I'm pretty dead inside. But if you force me to say something, I guess I do love the Muppets.

[B]

Okay, all right. What if. What if Kermit the Frog is in the Epstein files? You think it's not easy being green? Try being publicly outed as a pedophile.

[C]

Jordan, please don't ruin the Muppets for me.

[B]

Let me tell you about having things ruined for you, Ronnie. Years ago, every Thanksgiving, I would sit down with my favorite Jared Fogle approved turkey sandwich. Crab, coconut, a big Jell O pudding pop. And I'd watch Matt Lauer host the parade and Big Kevin Spacey balloon. But no, no, no. I gotta eat turkey with my family and watch Savannah Guthrie host the parade. Do you have any idea how that is, man?

[C]

Ok, ok, ok, that sounds terrible. I agree. But these rich famous people shouldn't be protected just because they happen to have fans.

[B]

It's not just some people. This is every perv everywhere all at once. It's gonna destroy the country. The banks go under, the economy. I have to go back to my job waiting tables at P F Chang's. I'm not doing that, Ronnie. I'm not spending every Saturday walking up to 14 year olds talk, rapping. I'm PF Chang and I'm here to say I hope you have a changtastic birthday. No. Okay. No, no, Jordan, it's not gonna happen. It's not gonna happen.

[C]

Jordan, I. Look, I know there might be some short term pain, but it will let us do the work of rebuilding a society from the ground up that doesn't put us under the rule of elite perverts.

[B]

That sounds like a lot more work than just not releasing the files.

[C]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, actually, you're right. I got tired just saying that. Yeah. Jordan Clapper, everybody. When we come back, we find the latest in tech. So don't go away.

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Find your next [e-mail] powered by Auto Intelligence. Welcome back to the daily. Technology will one day kill us all. But until then, it's pretty cool. To find out more, we turn to Grace Coolensmith in our ongoing segment. Tech yeah.

[D]

What's up, my techno nerds?

[B]

Grace.

[D]

I'm Grace Kulenschmidt, AKA Coolant Tech, AKA Gracie Gizmos, AKA Lil Wire Fraud. This is Tech yeah. Where I tell CPU all about the biggest stories in tech. And to our future robot overlords watching, I say, ba da ba ba ba ba ba da bo. I can say that because I slept with one robot. But let's hop into warp and fly over to Russia for the release of a robot that'll blow your teckin mind.

[B]

Russia's first humanoid AI robot made its debut in Moscow this week, and it definitely did not go as planned.

[D]

That's so teckin cool. Finally, a robot that feels like a real person. Because I also have a drinking problem, and it's not the robot that's. He fell. He took 27 shots of machine oil. You should see me after three. I'm literally in the hospital bimonthly because the human body cannot handle machine oil. I was in a coma for weeks. And for all the people worried about robots taking our jobs, relax. For every job this robot takes, they have to hire two guys to pick it up off the. Sometimes I get sad that I'll miss out on the robots taking over our planet. But good news. Here's something that'll keep us technophiles alive. For Tekken Ever, a tech company offering an app that allows you to keep a grandparent or other loved one alive for generations. To create a digital granny, you record three minutes of video while they are sitting still alive. The AI app copies their image, mannerisms, and voice.

[C]

Hey, Charlie. How was school today? It was really fun.

[D]

I made this crazy shot in basketball.

[C]

I don't really care that much about basketball.

[B]

Yes.

[D]

This is awesome. She tells me to shut up about my interests. Just like a real grandma. I can't wait for my grandma to die. So I can't and turn her soul into data. And yeah, maybe you're nervous to have grandma live on the same device you watch porn on. But next time you're struggling to pick a category your grandma can chime in, like grace, anime, milfs with big naturals.

[B]

Or a family tradition.

[D]

Carry it on. Love you, Gigi. But the most beautiful part of this technology is that it lets you say things to your dead relatives that you regret not saying while they were alive. Like, I'm sorry I unplugged your ventilator to charge my phone. And I'm sorry I kept charging my phone so I could post about you dying. And I'm sorry for deleting the post after it didn't get enough likes. I just. I just wish this technology was around a few years ago so my grandpa could have attended my wedding. People said our love wouldn't last because she's a robot and I'm white. But love conquers all. And finally, all this new technology is so tech and beautiful, it makes me want to sing. But luckily, AI can do it for me.

[A]

He's a ruggedly handsome country singer with a strong voice, destined for stardom.

[B]

Ain't no shame in a world I belong.

[A]

Well, hold on to your cowboy hat. He's 100% all AI generated. His name is Breaking Rust. And now his song Walk My Walk is number one on Billboard's country digital song sales chart.

[D]

I am shocked. A guy named Breaking Rust isn't real. That makes him so much hotter. I've been throwing my panties at my computer just to get his attention. This is exactly what country music is all about. Dirt roads, blue jeans, and decimating the power grid of a small Midwestern town. Yee haw. And I know you're probably wondering, can this technology write a song about anything? Yes.

[A]

Just how easy is it to create a song completely generated by AI intelligence?

[B]

What I'm gonna do is create a.

[A]

Song about the TV show Inside Edition simply by typing in here. Make a song about the TV show Inside Edition.

[B]

Inside Edition. Shining light all the shadows we hide all the secrets of night.

[D]

This is literally the song I make love to. You wouldn't believe how horny I am right.

[A]

Now.

[D]

I know some of you might be thinking, wow, I do not like the idea of AI Replacing human creativity with digital slop. And that's a good point. But here's a counterpoint.

[B]

Inside Edition. Shouting alive.

[D]

That's all the time we have on tech. Yeah. See you next time, where I'll teach you how to turn any car into a driverless car by simply letting go of the steering wheel.

[C]

Where's Cool. And tonight everyone, when we come back, chef Sean Sherman will be joining me on the show. Don't go away.

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[C]

Welcome back to the Daily Show. My guest tonight is James Beard award winning chef whose new book is called Turtle Foods and Traditions of the Indigenous Peoples of North America. Please welcome Chef Sean Sherman. Warm New York welcome, Chef.

[A]

Thanks for coming. Thank you.

[C]

My first time meeting you, but I ate at your restaurant years ago in Minneapolis and I remember walking in and I passed by it and it was a Native American restaurant serving Native American cuisine. And I remember going, I have never seen this before in America, which is really sad. Let me go in and eat it. And it was amazing. What was the. Why aren't there more Native American restaurants?

[A]

That's a long story and we talk a lot about that. But you know, it's unfortunate that Native American restaurants are so rare in Native America. And so a lot of this work was really trying to, you know, showcase that this was possible, that we could have a modern indigenous restaurant, you know, and we have a lot of values. We try to purchase from indigenous producers as much as we can. We change very seasonally. The restaurant's owned by a non profit, you know, so we hire a lot of native workers with us and we have an amazing staff. We move a lot of money towards those indigenous producers and we're just kind of showcasing because we, we never want to be stuck in the past, you know, we don't want to. We've been through all this erasure, we've been through all this misunderstanding, but there's so much beauty here. And you know, there's, you know, the food really kind of speaks for itself.

[C]

Absolutely. And I mean the thing that struck me was some of the hallmarks of your interpretation of Native American food. There's certain no's in the restaurant that you don't have, which I found interesting.

[A]

Absolutely. Because basically the philosophy was in order to showcase and highlight modern indigenous foods in. In Native America, we cut out European colonial ingredients that European immigrants had brought over. So there's no dairy, no wheat flour, no cane sugar, no beef, pork, and chicken, no jello. No jello. No ranch dressing.

[B]

You know what I mean?

[C]

Ranch dressing.

[A]

We won a James Beard Award for best restaurant in the US without ranch dressing.

[C]

Yeah, it's good. You beat the white people at their own wool.

[B]

That's true.

[A]

That's true.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

But I mean, no ranch dressing in Minneapolis. How do you get people in the door?

[A]

Oh, well, they're coming. We've been sold out every night since we opened in 21.

[C]

Yeah, it's impossible.

[B]

Yeah, it's impossible to get in.

[C]

I had to. I had to pull strings to try to have lunch there. But that's also kind of what's cool, is that you gave people kind of rally point, because I think there's a lot of people out there who probably want to support Native American things.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

And there's no. There's no outlet to do it. And the restaurant, I think Owami.

[A]

Owamini.

[C]

Yeah, Owamini is a great place where it's a great rally point, where it's like, oh, I want to support not just Native American culture and people. You know, I actually want to try what this is. And you can just go there and try it.

[A]

Absolutely. I mean, it's very tangible. And, you know, people can experience this philosophy. And we're pushing healthy food because, like, everything in the restaurant's gluten free, dairy free, sugar free, soy free, pork free, you know, and it's just because of us, just the philosophy of how we're cooking and we're normalizing not only indigenous foods, but eating healthier, a lot more plant diversity, a lot more protein diversity, and just kind of showcasing what's possible, you know. And plus, we're looking at all of North America from Mexico through Alaska, which kind of are reflected in this book that we just put out. But, like, we see, like, this whole situation because these borders crossed us, you know, and it's silly that we're seeing, like, so much demonization of people because they're coming from south of the border and they're speaking Spanish. But English is also a foreign language in North America, Right?

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Go in. I'm down yeah. And I mean, just back. Back on that idea of healthy. It feels like we kind of as a species, humans, we kind of know more about nutrition than ever before, I think. And everyone is trying to eat healthier now. And it feels like Native American food just fits perfectly into that mindset.

[A]

Absolutely. I mean, there's so much plant diversity. Again, it's low carbs, it's just a lot of minerals and nutrients. There's a lot of this protein diversity. It's not over processed food by any means, because. Because these aren't the foods that I grew up with, because I grew up on a reservation. So I'm from Pine Ridge Reservation, which is third largest reservation. It's in South Dakota, you know, and we have horrible statistics. You know, we have really high rates of type 2 diabetes, obesity, heart disease. Our unemployment rates are like through the, through the roof. You know, they're probably over 70% still today. And so there's a lot of issues out there. And that's what we're trying to address is because as indigenous peoples, we've been, you know, not only lost a lot of our land spaces, but we've were so much of our culture was stripped from us, which is a big reason why we don't see native restaurants everywhere. You know, and so there's a lot of work and the power of food is really important because it's a huge voice that we all understand. We all eat, we all connect.

[C]

It's a cultural force multiplier for you.

[A]

Yeah, yeah. And I just think that it's just gonna. It's something that pulls us together and it makes people curious and it, you know, helps. Helps put a little empathy into things for people to think about. Why don't we have more Native food out there? Why don't we have more Native restaurants out there? And what can we do to make that happen?

[C]

Yes. And so getting to. I guess this crowd doesn't support what you just said, but it's ok. I know the colonizer crowd, so. But let's talk. But that brings me to your book. Yeah, yeah. Which is that it's a book about Native American cuisine. Yep. And what's interesting, which I feel is kind of a burden on you, is that you, one man from Pine Ridge is forced to kind of represent all of Native America here. And you do a good job of it. You go to a different region, it split up the different regions on Turtle island, which is the North American continent. And you talk a little bit about each region and the cuisine there, the type of people how they live there. How difficult was it to kind of gather the information for this book? Because it's not just.

[A]

It was immense amount of work. And, you know, it took a community to put this together, you know, so the two co authors with Kate Nelson and Kristin Donnelly, we all played a certain role through helping people to put this all together. But we also reached out to this massive network all over Turtle island, you know, in Mexico, in the US In Canada, up in Alaska, and just talked to people to really get their perspectives, you know, so it wasn't me trying to mansplain everybody's native foods out there, but it was really just allowing these voices to come through to talk about it and showcasing all of this massive diversity. Because there's so much to talk about, you know, and there's so little that people know about Native America in, you know, across the United States. And a lot of that's because of our. Our colonial US History books that teach us nothing about Indigenous peoples, you know, and there's so much to learn, and there's so much knowledge about the plant usage for medicine, for food, for crafting, and there's just so much diversity to explore out there, you know.

[C]

And this also offers you the environmental angle.

[A]

Absolutely. Because it's just showcasing, like, indigenous people had the blueprint to live sustainably anywhere, you know, like, pick a space around the world. And so because we had, you know, thousands and thousands of generations of knowledge of what to do with the world around us, with the plants and how to live sustainably around there, there's a lot of amazing lessons that we could pull. Because really, this isn't just about Native Americans in America. This is looking at Indigenous peoples, and we can apply this anywhere. This could be South America, Africa, India, Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand. Because we can just like, dismantle colonization and the values that. That brought and really focus on, like, this massive global intellect and knowledge base of Indigenous peoples of being sustainable with the world around us and all this diversity of food and culture that's out there.

[C]

Sure, yeah. Which is a worthy goal. And also, what's cool about your restaurant and recipes here, I think your interpretation of Native American food to me is that it's not like. And you make a point of this at the start of the book, is that you're not trying for historical accuracy here.

[A]

Yeah. We're not a museum, Right.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

You're not trying to eat what they ate back then. You're so. For me, it's almost like if Native American culture had been allowed to modernize till Today, if it had been allowed to develop. This is the outcome.

[A]

Absolutely. Because we have this moment now that we can evolve all of our food moving forward. So for me, this is a book for the future, because I feel like I'm a futurist. I'm seeing a better way that we can celebrate diversity, not try to homogenize it. We can understand how to live closer. We can have a lot more plant diversity instead of calling everything a weed, but starting to learn the names of everything. I always tease that kids can name more Kardashians than tree species because our education system sucks and there's so much more that we can do.

[C]

That's not fair. Some of these trees are called Kim. But yeah, all the recipes in here look beautiful and just in time for Thanksgiving, I guess. Well, I don't know about you, but I didn't grow up with Thanksgiving. I feel nothing about Thanksgiving. If you tell. I mean, how are Native Americans, you know? Well, I mean, how do they deal with this slaughter Thanksgiving?

[A]

I have a lot of friends and family that don't celebrate at all, you know, and just completely ignore it. Because it is very damaging to have this mythology, you know, that just focuses on this made up moment of history of, you know, Native and pilgrims coming together. And so it's just like, you know, so people just be like, well, you know, we're paying respect to Native peoples, but, you know, but you're also just saying, like, forget about like these centuries of land, like moving you off of your land, genocide, all these things that happen throughout US History. And just. But remember that time we had dinner together?

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

It's not good. It's not good. But I feel like. I feel like it is an important holiday that we do get a moment to come together, you know, and if you want to pay respect and you want to, you know, be an ally and, you know, understand indigenous culture, you know, pay respect, think about the land that you're standing on. Learn a little bit about the history. Learn about the tribes that are living by. Buy food from indigenous producers, buy a native cookbook. You know.

[C]

I love it. I was very lucky to go visit the Native American Museum in D.C. yeah.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

And what I loved about it was, it was kind of what you're describing, your vision of Native American culture, which is this kind of what if Native American culture had been allowed to modernize into today. And the building, the architecture is all Native American inspired. And you go in there and what I loved about it was that it's not just misery porn.

[A]

Right.

[C]

It's celebratory as well. And one of the rooms in there that was. It's a very bright room. I don't know if the exhibit's still there. The undertones are obviously upsetting, but the overtones. It's a bright room. And it was saying how everything in America is Native American. We use the names everywhere. Chicago, Illinois.

[A]

Yeah. Minnesota. Yeah.

[C]

You know, Washington. Professional football team. Like, even the logos of, like, American Spirit cigarettes. We put them in logo and we see. We actually, in America, see Native American names and culture everywhere, but we never hear from them. Right.

[A]

Yeah. And again, like, there's so much amazing stuff going on in crowd Native America, you know, because we are starting to see more Native chefs come out. We're seeing a lot more Native media with TV shows and movies and a lot more representation of Native peoples doing what they're doing. A lot more arts, a lot more just everything, you know, And I think it is time for us to, like, not be pushed into the shadows and not just be, you know, pretending like we're just on these reservation systems, these segregated communities, but, you know, allowing us to be a part of everything, too, you know, And I do expect this book to be banned in Florida. But it's important because we should learn these histories because it's American history. Like, we all share the history here, you know, and we shouldn't be afraid of history. We should learn from it. And history can be really hard to read sometimes, you know, But I feel like we should understand the pain and trauma that some people had to go through, especially, you know, indigenous peoples, like my tribe, Lakota. Like, we were still battling the US Government till the turn of the century because, like, Wounded Knee massacre happens in 1890, and that's not ancient history. You know, that's the point when we started losing a lot of our culture, because that's when we're being really forced onto the reservation systems. My grandparents generation are going through boarding schools, having to cut their hair, learn English, learn Christianity, and just changing everything that they were from Lakota into something different, you know, but it's just layering on so much trauma to those generations that we still feel a lot of that coming through, you know, so if when you really look at what happened to indigenous peoples and, you know, other people, like, black and indigenous in American history especially, like, they're so. They're so interwoven together with the stuff that we had to go through that, you know, food can help us pull through this. You know, I think it's important we understand our histories it's also important that we see the future.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Thank you so much. Thank you so much for preserving it. And thank you for providing a rally point for people who want to be an ally. And thank you for sharing your knowledge with us. And I hope you can keep sharing it because there's a lot to learn. Thank you, chef. Thanks for having me.

[B]

Appreciate it. Thanks.

[C]

Turtle Island. It's available now. Chef Sean Sherman.

[B]

We're gonna take a quick break.

[C]

We'll be right back after this. Thanks so much.

[B]

The who's down and who Newville were making their list, but some didn't know Walmart has the best brands for their gifts. What about toys?

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Do they have brands kids have been wanting all year?

[D]

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Do you mean they have all the brands I adore?

[D]

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[B]

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[C]

Hey, that's our show for tonight. But before we go this Thanksgiving, please consider supporting Feeding America. They are the largest hunger relief organization in the United States. United States. If you can support them in their work, please donate at the link below. Now, here it is, your moment of Zen.

[B]

I'm all for the environmental everything. I'm all for climate change. You know they have new word climate change. Used to be global warming. It's global warming. Well, that didn't work because it started coming down. They did the global cooling thing. Then they just said, we can't keep up with this. It's too much. So we'll go perfect words climate change. Explore more shows from the Daily show podcast universe by searching the Daily Show. Wherever you get your podcasts, watch the Daily show weeknights at 1110 Central on Comedy Central and stream full episodes anytime on Paramount.

[C]

Plus.

[B]

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