Today, a lively conversation with Khayman Goodsky (Bois Forte Band of Chippewa) a Duluth filmmaker who creates films exploring Ojibwe teachings side by side with punk music. Khayman tells about how she first found her path, her love of comic books and cosplay, and how she enjoys the whole collaboration process. Khayman also shares her plans for an upcoming sequel to her short film Dream Wanderer. We spoke with her in Spring of 2021.We learn how the Duluth Superior Film Festival is partnering with The American Indian Community Housing Organization (AICHO) for a virtual Indigenous film series, kicking off in April and running through July. Each month, Khayman will host online discussions with Indigenous filmmakers, following the screenings of their films. Khayman Goodsky offers great advice to up-and-coming artists and visual storytellers, urging them to just take those first vulnerable steps, then to keep learning as they go. Miigwech Khayman for sharing your gifts and encouragement!Khayman Goodsky’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf2dwu6dEwssDXZy0ltaxkwLearn more about the Virtual Indigenous Film Series in partnership with the Duluth Superior Film Festival: https://www.ds-ff.com/aicho Native Lights: Where Indigenous Voices Shine is produced by Minnesota Native News and Ampers, Diverse Radio for Minnesota’s Communities with support from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage fund. Online at https://minnesotanativenews.org/

Native Lights: Where Indigenous Voices Shine – Weekly Radio ShowNative Lights is a weekly, half-hour radio program hosted by Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe members and siblings, Leah Lemm and Cole Premo. Native Lights is a space for people in Native communities around Mni Sota Mkoce -- a.k.a. Minnesota -- to tell their stories about finding their gifts and sharing them with the community.Native Lights – Great-Grandmother Mary Lyons’ Gift for Sharing Indigenous Traditions & Spiritual GuidanceOn today’s show, we talk with Great-Grandmother Mary Lyons (Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe) a spiritual advisor, storyteller, activist, wisdom keeper, and revered elder. Mary Lyons is the founder of the Minnesota Coalition on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and serves as a counselor for the women’s sobriety group, which she also co-founded, called Women of Wellbriety International.Mary’s inspiring book, “Wisdom Lessons: Spirited Guidance from an Ojibwe Great-Grandmother,” was published in 2018, and delivers love and advice through stories and perspectives grounded in traditional Indigenous values. Chi Miigwech to Mary Lyons for generously sharing traditional teachings, your wise approach to healing, and life-changing spiritual guidance.Find Mary Lyons’ book here: https://birchbarkbooks.com/products/wisdom-lessonsNative Lights: Where Indigenous Voices Shine is produced by Minnesota Native News and Ampers, Diverse Radio for Minnesota’s Communities with support from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage fund. Online at https://minnesotanativenews.org/

Native Lights: Where Indigenous Voices Shine – Weekly Radio ShowNative Lights is a weekly, half-hour radio program hosted by Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe members and siblings, Leah Lemm and Cole Premo. Native Lights is a space for people in Native communities around Mni Sota Mkoce -- a.k.a. Minnesota -- to tell their stories about finding their gifts and sharing them with the community.Native Lights – Joe Rainey’s Gift for Pow Wow Singing and Collaborative Music MakingOn today’s show, we talk with Joe Rainey (Red Lake Nation), an Ojibwe Pow Wow singer, music archivist, and collaborative music maker.  Joe grew up in south Minneapolis and now lives in Wisconsin with his wife and five children.In this conversation, Joe Rainey shares his love of music, pow wow singing, and appreciation for the many people who have influenced and encouraged his unique journey and career path as a professional music maker. We loved hearing about Joe’s creative process and how his experimental debut LP called “Niineta”, came into being during the pandemic. The release of “Niineta” will be celebrated at a performance party at First Avenue’s 7th Street Entry, on June 27th, 2022. Learn more here: https://first-avenue.com/event/2022-06-joe-rainey/Check out more of Joe Rainey’s music here: https://joe-rainey.bandcamp.com/ and here: https://soundcloud.com/rainmanmnxNative Lights: Where Indigenous Voices Shine is produced by Minnesota Native News and Ampers, Diverse Radio for Minnesota’s Communities with support from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage fund. Online at https://minnesotanativenews.org/

Native Lights: Where Indigenous Voices Shine – Weekly Radio ShowNative Lights is a weekly, half-hour radio program hosted by Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe members and siblings, Leah Lemm and Cole Premo. Native Lights is a space for people in Native communities around Mni Sota Mkoce -- a.k.a. Minnesota -- to tell their stories about finding their gifts and sharing them with the community.Native Lights –Sequoia Hauck’s Gift for Decolonizing the Process of Art-MakingOn today’s show, we talk with Sequoia Hauck (they/them), a Native (Anishinaabe/Hupa) queer multidisciplinary artist based in the Twin Cities. Sequoia’s art-making includes theater, filmmaking, poetry, and performance art, with all of it centered on a decolonized creative process.Sequoia shares details of their upcoming art installation, which is happening as the closing event of Northern Spark. Their project is a large-scale installation of two cloth rivers that span what is now Raspberry Island in Imnížaska Othúŋwe/Ashkibagi-ziibiing (St. Paul). The cloth rivers are replicas of Ȟaȟáwakpa/Gichi-ziibi (Mississippi River) and Mnísota Wakpá/Ashkibagi-ziibi (Minnesota River).Miigwech, Sequoia! We loved hearing about your passion for connecting to ancestors, building community through performance art, and finding healing and resiliency through our relationship to water and its movement and stillness.Northern Spark is happening on Saturday, June 11th from 9p through 5:30a.http://northern.lights.mn/platform/northern-spark-2022/https://2022.northernspark.org/art-and-events/Sequoia Hauck’s website is here: https://www.sequoiahauck.com/Native Lights: Where Indigenous Voices Shine is produced by Minnesota Native News and Ampers, Diverse Radio for Minnesota’s Communities with support from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage fund. Online at https://minnesotanativenews.org/

Native Lights is a weekly, half-hour radio program hosted by Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe members and siblings, Leah Lemm and Cole Premo. Native Lights is a space for people in Native communities around Mni Sota Mkoce -- a.k.a. Minnesota -- to tell their stories about finding their gifts and sharing them with the community.Native Lights – Joseph Nayquonabe Jr.’s Gift for Strengthening Tribal EconomiesOn today’s show, we talk with Joseph Nayquonabe Jr. (Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe) who is the CEO of Mille Lacs Corporate Ventures, a role where he uncovers new business opportunities as well as overseeing the band’s existing businesses.  He is also an avid runner, basketball player, and Ojibwe language learner. Joseph Nayquonabe Jr. shares how his career path went from lobbying to marketing at Grand Casino to his current role in leading economic development for his and other tribal nations.  Joe explains how it’s a “cool time” to be in business in Indian Country right now.We loved hearing about Joe’s passion for this new era of business in Indian county.  He explains how Tribes are tackling problems with new perspectives, leveraging wealth attained through gaming, and bringing forward new and innovative economic opportunities.  Miigwech Joe, for your commitment to sustainable and value-centered businesses that will make a positive impact in our community, long into the future.   Native Lights: Where Indigenous Voices Shine is produced by Minnesota Native News and Ampers, Diverse Radio for Minnesota’s Communities with support from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage fund. Online at https://minnesotanativenews.org/ 

Native Lights: Where Indigenous Voices Shine – Weekly Radio ShowNative Lights is a weekly, half-hour radio program hosted by Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe members and siblings, Leah Lemm and Cole Premo. Native Lights is a space for people in Native communities around Mni Sota Mkoce -- a.k.a. Minnesota -- to tell their stories about finding their gifts and sharing them with the community.Native Lights – Historian Brenda J. Child Responds to the Federal Indian Boarding School System ReportOn today’s show, we talk with Brenda J. Child Ph.D. (Red Lake Nation) about the U.S. Department of Interior’s recently released investigative report on the Federal Indian boarding school system. Brenda J. Child Ph.D. is the Northrop Professor of American Studies and American Indian Studies at the University of Minnesota and was recently awarded a 2022 Guggenheim Fellowship by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation. The Department of Interior’s 100+ page report is a first step in the U.S. government accounting for and acknowledging the harm done to Indigenous people over many decades. From 1819 to 1969, the United States funded 408 boarding schools for American Indian, Native Hawaiian, and Alaskan Native students. These schools were a means to culturally assimilate Indigenous people and to dispossess them of lands across what are now 37 states.Brenda J. Child is the author of many award-winning books including Boarding School Seasons: American Indian Families, 1900-1940; Holding Our World Together: Ojibwe Women and the Survival of Community; and My Grandfather's Knocking Sticks: Ojibwe Family Life and Labor on the Reservation, which won the American Indian Book Award and Best Book in Midwestern History. Her bestselling book for children is Bowwow Powwow.Find the report here: https://www.doi.gov/pressreleases/department-interior-releases-investigative-report-outlines-next-steps-federal-indianAdditional resources suggested by Brenda J. Child: Museum Exhibit: Away from Home - American Indian Boarding School Stories exhibit at the Heard Museum in Phoenix Arizonahttps://heard.org/boardingschool/Journal article: The Boarding School as Metaphor, written by Brenda J. Child https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5749/jamerindieduc.57.1.0037Dr. Charles F. Eastman (Santee Dakota) autobiographies include Indian Boyhood, Soul of an Indian, and From the Deep Woods to Civilization.  Eastman was born near Redwood Falls, Minnesota in 1858. Native Lights: Where Indigenous Voices Shine is produced by Minnesota Native News and Ampers, Diverse Radio for Minnesota’s Communities with support from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage fund. Online at https://minnesotanativenews.org/

Native Lights: Where Indigenous Voices Shine – Weekly Radio ShowNative Lights is a weekly, half-hour radio program hosted by Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe members and siblings, Leah Lemm and Cole Premo. Native Lights is a space for people in Native communities around Mni Sota Mkoce -- a.k.a. Minnesota -- to tell their stories about finding their gifts and sharing them with the community.Native Lights – Binesikwe Means’s Gift for Nurturing the Next Generation of Storytellers On today’s show, we talk with Binesikwe Means who is an enrolled citizen of the Oglala Lakota Tribe in Pine Ridge South Dakota, and a descendant of the White Earth Nation. Binesikwe is the lead instructor for Migizi’s First Person Productions, a youth-led social enterprise that produces videos, design work, and social media campaigns for businesses and non-profits.We loved hearing about Binesikwe’s passion for storytelling and helping Native youth develop their talents through her work at Migizi.  We were moved by hearing how the organization survived the devasting loss of its building, which caught fire and was destroyed during the uprising in the wake of George Floyd’s murder in 2020.  We were inspired by Binesikwe, as she shared how the community continues to support Migizi, so it can help Native youth find their voices, develop skills, share stories, and become experienced media makers.Native Lights: Where Indigenous Voices Shine is produced by Minnesota Native News and Ampers, Diverse Radio for Minnesota’s Communities with support from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage fund. Online at https://minnesotanativenews.org/

Today we are revisiting our conversation with Madonna Yawakie (Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians) who is the President of Turtle Island Communications, Inc. (TICOM). We spoke with her in June of 2021. Together with her husband, Madonna founded this company which provides broadband engineering and consulting services to Tribal Nations. Madonna Peltier Yawakie holds a B.S. in Business Administration, and a Masters in Community & Regional Planning from NDSU.TICOM has provided engineering and consulting services to the first 100% tribally owned Commercial Wireless System in the Nation, and the first 100% tribally owned Fiber to the Home Network which provides 1-gigabit capacity to all residents and businesses within its tribal lands. Madonna Peltier Yawakie has contributed to the FCC’s Telecom/Broadband Policies for Tribal Nations.It is fantastic to hear how Madonna and her company are helping to close the digital divide in Indian Country, by increasing broadband access in education, public safety, and healthcare opportunities for those living and working on tribal lands. Turtle Island Communications, Inc. is online at: www.turtleislandcom.comNative Lights: Where Indigenous Voices Shine is produced by Minnesota Native News and Ampers, Diverse Radio for Minnesota’s Communities with support from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage fund.

Native Lights: Where Indigenous Voices Shine – Weekly Radio ShowNative Lights is a weekly, half-hour radio program hosted by Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe members and siblings, Leah Lemm and Cole Premo. Native Lights is a space for people in Native communities around Mni Sota Mkoce -- a.k.a. Minnesota -- to tell their stories about finding their gifts and sharing them with the community.Native Lights – Documentary Filmmaker Leya Hale’s Gift for Powerful Storytelling On today’s show, we talk with Leya Hale (Sisseton Wahpeton Dakota and Diné Nations), a producer for Twin Cities PBS, who is known for her feature documentary, The People’s Protectors, a Vision Maker Media grant production, and winner of the 2019 Upper Midwest Emmy Award for Outstanding Cultural Documentary. In 2020, Leya was awarded the Sundance Institute Merata Mita Fellowship for Indigenous Artists and attended the 2020 Berlinale European Film Market as a NATIVe Fellow.Most recently, Leya Hale completed her second feature, Bring Her Home, a powerful and hopeful documentary that highlights the stories of three women fighting to vindicate and honor their missing and murdered relatives, while shining a light on this growing epidemic across Indian country. We loved hearing how Leya carved her path to becoming a Director/Producer, how she uncovered her unique voice and vision, and how she shares her gifts by encouraging and mentoring other young Indigenous filmmakers. Bring Her Home premiered at the 2022 Big Sky Documentary Film Festival and is now being distributed nationally by PBS. Find out how you can watch the film here:  https://www.tpt.org/bring-her-home/video/bring-her-home-hf8spa/Native Lights: Where Indigenous Voices Shine is produced by Minnesota Native News and Ampers, Diverse Radio for Minnesota’s Communities with support from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage fund. Online at https://minnesotanativenews.org/

Native Lights is a weekly, half-hour radio program hosted by Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe members and siblings, Leah Lemm and Cole Premo. Native Lights is a space for people in Native communities around Mni Sota Mkoce -- a.k.a. Minnesota -- to tell their stories about finding their gifts and sharing them with the community.Native Lights – Honoring the Life and Legacy AIM Co-Founder Clyde Bellecourt (1938-2022) – Part 1Today, the first of two special editions of our show, honoring the life and legacy of NeeGawNwayWeeDun, The Thunder Before the Storm, who was known by his colonial name Clyde Bellecourt. Bellecourt passed away in his Minneapolis home on January 11th, 2022. He was 85.Clyde Bellecourt was a member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe and was a long-time civil rights advocate and co-founded the American Indian Movement in 1968. Throughout his many decades of activism, Bellecourt and AIM leaders sought solutions to police brutality, treaty rights, housing discrimination, and the loss of Indian children. He fought to create culturally specific education, innovative job programs, against sports mascots, and for human rights for Indigenous people here and around the world. His work was revolutionary and sometimes controversial.  Today we honor NeeGawNwayWeeDun, by hearing from community members who knew him well, and who share stories and shed light on the impact and legacy of Clyde Bellecourt.** We also want to acknowledge the passing of Peggy Bellcourt on March 16, 2022 – Peggy co-founded the American Indian Movement alongside her husband Clyde. They were married for 56 years. Clyde said in his 2016 autobiography that his life with Peggy was inseparable from the Movement… and it was her strength and support that made his work in the Movement possible.Miigwech to the folks who have shared their stories in these shows: Dr. Kate Beane (Flandreau Santee Dakota and Muskogee Creek), Dr. Brenda J. Child Ph.D. (Red Lake Nation), Dr. Antony Stately Ph.D. (Ojibwe and Oneida), Robert Pilot (Ho-Chunk Nation), Bob Rice (White Earth Nation), Steve Premo (Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe), and Bob Blake (Red Lake Nation). Originally published as Episode S3 E50 Native Lights: Where Indigenous Voices Shine is produced by Minnesota Native News and Ampers, Diverse Radio for Minnesota’s Communities with support from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage fund. Online at https://minnesotanativenews.org/

Native Lights: Where Indigenous Voices Shine – Weekly Radio ShowNative Lights is a weekly, half-hour radio program hosted by Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe members and siblings, Leah Lemm and Cole Premo. Native Lights is a space for people in Native communities around Mni Sota Mkoce -- a.k.a. Minnesota -- to tell their stories about finding their gifts and sharing them with the community. Native Lights – Honoring the Life and Legacy AIM Co-Founder Clyde Bellecourt (1938-2022) – Part 2This is the second part of our special edition show, honoring the life and legacy of NeeGawNwayWeeDun, The Thunder Before the Storm, who was known by his colonial name Clyde Bellecourt.  Clyde Bellecourt was a member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe and was a long-time civil rights advocate and co-founded the American Indian Movement in 1968. Bellecourt passed away in Minneapolis on January 11th, 2022. He was 85. On today’s show, we learn more about Clyde’s time in prison as a young man, and how it strongly impacted him uncovered his purpose.  During that time of incarceration, Clyde Bellecourt met key people who helped him connect to Native traditions and spirituality, and together with whom he would co-found AIM.  This time of growth and healing informed every aspect of NeeGawNwayWeeDun’s advocacy work, which he carried throughout his life. Chi miigwech to the folks who have shared their stories in these shows: Dr. Kate Beane Ph.D. (Flandreau Santee Dakota and Muskogee Creek), Dr. Brenda J. Child Ph.D. (Red Lake Nation), Dr. Antony Stately Ph.D. (Ojibwe and Oneida), Robert Pilot (Ho-Chunk Nation), Bob Rice (White Earth Nation), Steve Premo (Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe), and Bob Blake (Red Lake Nation). ** We also want to acknowledge the passing of Peggy Bellcourt on March 16, 2022 – Peggy co-founded the American Indian Movement alongside her husband Clyde. They were married for 56 years. Clyde said in his 2016 autobiography that his life with Peggy was inseparable from the Movement… and it was her strength and support that made his work in the Movement possible.Originally published as Episode S3 E51 Native Lights: Where Indigenous Voices Shine is produced by Minnesota Native News and Ampers, Diverse Radio for Minnesota’s Communities with support from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage fund. Online at https://minnesotanativenews.org/

Native Lights: Where Indigenous Voices Shine – Weekly Radio ShowNative Lights is a weekly, half-hour radio program hosted by Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe members and siblings, Leah Lemm and Cole Premo. Native Lights is a space for people in Native communities around Mni Sota Mkoce -- a.k.a. Minnesota -- to tell their stories about finding their gifts and sharing them with the community.Native Lights – Wayne Ducheneaux’s Gift for Leadership and Native Nation RebuildingOn today’s show, we talk with Wayne L. Ducheneaux, II (Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe) who is the Executive Director of the Native Governance Center, an organization dedicated to strengthening Tribal sovereignty and Indigenous leadership, through its Native Nation Rebuilders program.Wayne shares his path of leadership and commitment to serving the needs of Native nations by helping leaders acquire the skills, training, and resources to support their citizens. Wayne is also dedicated to his family, is an enthusiastic video gamer, and an avid supporter of self-care and work-life balance, even though he hasn’t always practiced it himself. Many thanks to Wayne Ducheneaux for his dedicated leadership in guiding the Native Governance Center’s work supporting and training leaders, and for being a great example of how we thrive by being a good relative and building relationships. We appreciate your inspiring vision for the transformed future for Native nations. Learn more about how the Native Governance Center supports Indigenous Leadership here: https://nativegov.org/Native Lights: Where Indigenous Voices Shine is produced by Minnesota Native News and Ampers, Diverse Radio for Minnesota’s Communities with support from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage fund. Online at https://minnesotanativenews.org/

Native Lights: Where Indigenous Voices Shine – Weekly Radio ShowNative Lights is a weekly, half-hour radio program hosted by Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe members and siblings, Leah Lemm and Cole Premo. Native Lights is a space for people in Native communities around Mni Sota Mkoce -- a.k.a. Minnesota -- to tell their stories about finding their gifts and sharing them with the community.Native Lights – Wayne Ducheneaux’s Gift for Leadership and Native Nation RebuildingOn today’s show, we talk with Wayne L. Ducheneaux, II (Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe) who is the Executive Director of the Native Governance Center, an organization dedicated to strengthening Tribal sovereignty and Indigenous leadership, through its Native Nation Rebuilders program.Wayne shares his path of leadership and commitment to serving the needs of Native nations by helping leaders acquire the skills, training, and resources to support their citizens. Wayne is also dedicated to his family, is an enthusiastic video gamer, and an avid supporter of self-care and work-life balance, even though he hasn’t always practiced it himself. Many thanks to Wayne Ducheneaux for his dedicated leadership in guiding the Native Governance Center’s work supporting and training leaders, and for being a great example of how we thrive by being a good relative and building relationships. We appreciate your inspiring vision for the transformed future for Native nations. Learn more about how the Native Governance Center supports Indigenous Leadership here: https://nativegov.org/Native Lights: Where Indigenous Voices Shine is produced by Minnesota Native News and Ampers, Diverse Radio for Minnesota’s Communities with support from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage fund. Online at https://minnesotanativenews.org/

Native Lights is a weekly, half-hour radio program hosted by Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe members and siblings, Leah Lemm and Cole Premo. Native Lights is a space for people in Native communities around Mni Sota Mkoce -- a.k.a. Minnesota -- to tell their stories about finding their gifts and sharing them with the community.Native Lights – Linsey McMurrin’s Gift for Healing in Community and Remembering ResilienceOn today’s show, we talk with Linsey McMurrin (Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe) who is the Director of Prevention Initiatives and Tribal Projects at FamilyWiseServices, where she leads programs aimed at supporting stronger, healthier, families and communities. Linsey is also a co-host of “Remembering Resilience,” a podcast exploring stories and practices for healing while highlighting Native resilience through and beyond trauma. Linsey shares her story, of when she first learned about ACES or adverse childhood experiences, and how that experience set her on a wider path; leading her to study science, history, medicine, and culture, eventually making her a passionate advocate for healing in community, truth-telling, and systemic change. We appreciate all the work Linsey is doing to help build healthy families and serve our communities in a culturally affirming way promoting truth-seeking, healing, and change. Chi Migwech Linsey!  “Remembering Resilience” podcast is here: https://rememberingresilience.home.blog/season-two/Native Lights: Where Indigenous Voices Shine is produced by Minnesota Native News and Ampers, Diverse Radio for Minnesota’s Communities with support from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage fund. Online at https://minnesotanativenews.org/

Native Lights is a weekly, half-hour radio program hosted by Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe members and siblings, Leah Lemm and Cole Premo. Native Lights is a space for people in Native communities around Mni Sota Mkoce -- a.k.a. Minnesota -- to tell their stories about finding their gifts and sharing them with the community.Native Lights – Brook LaFloe’s Gift for Creating Equity in Early Childhood ProgramsOn today’s show, we’re speaking with Brook LaFloe (Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa) who is an educator and entrepreneur. Brook is the founder of Niniijaanis One of Ones, a social enterprise aimed at creating educational equity in early childhood for Indigenous children. Brook’s enthusiasm for developing culturally-relevant learning materials and curriculum is inspiring. Drawing on the contributions of Indigenous artists, Niniijaanis One of Ones, seeks to revitalize and maintain culture across generations, with a unique business model that pairs critical donations with all product sales.  We loved hearing all the different ways Brook LaFloe is working with parents, educators, and administrators on policies and advocacy to better serve Indigenous children, from the time they are babies throughout their school-aged years.  Find more information about Niniijaanis One of Ones here: https://niniijaanis1of1s.com/Native Lights: Where Indigenous Voices Shine is produced by Minnesota Native News and Ampers, Diverse Radio for Minnesota’s Communities with support from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage fund. Online at https://minnesotanativenews.org/ 

Native Lights: Where Indigenous Voices Shine – Weekly Radio ShowNative Lights is a weekly, half-hour radio program hosted by Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe members and siblings, Leah Lemm and Cole Premo. Native Lights is a space for people in Native communities around Mni Sota Mkoce -- a.k.a. Minnesota -- to tell their stories about finding their gifts and sharing them with the community.Native Lights – Baabiitaw Boyd’s Gift for Sharing the Beautiful and Complex Ojibwe LanguageOn today’s show, we talk with Baabiitaw Boyd (Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe) who is is the Mille Lacs Band’s Deputy Commissioner on language revitalization initiatives. Her work includes the Anjibimaadizing program, which has developed a partnership with Rosetta Stone and published five Ojibwemowin books of stories collected from first speakers. Baabiitaw Boyd was also awarded a Bush Leadership Fellowship in 2017. In our conversation, Baabiitaw shares her path of awakening to her purpose: helping to revitalize the Ojibwemowin language for the benefit of the larger community.  We are inspired by Baabiitaw’s motivation and enthusiasm for learning her ancestral language and the wisdom it carries.  We appreciate Baabiitaw’s deep passion for helping others learn and speak Ojibwemowin, and her efforts to change both habits and systems, to better support and sustain the gifts of our Ojibwe culture. Native Lights: Where Indigenous Voices Shine is produced by Minnesota Native News and Ampers, Diverse Radio for Minnesota’s Communities with support from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage fund. Online at https://minnesotanativenews.org/

Native Lights: Where Indigenous Voices Shine – Weekly Radio ShowNative Lights is a weekly, half-hour radio program hosted by Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe members and siblings, Leah Lemm and Cole Premo. Native Lights is a space for people in Native communities around Mni Sota Mkoce -- a.k.a. Minnesota -- to tell their stories about finding their gifts and sharing them with the community.Native Lights – Leslie Harper’s Gift for Preserving Ojibwemowin by Inspiring Students and Empowering TeachersOn today’s show, we talk with Leslie Harper, who is a member of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, and a passionate advocate for language preservation and revitalization. Growing up, Leslie Harper loved hearing her Grandparents and relatives telling stories in their Native language. This sparked her own path as a language learner, eventually leading her to co-found an Ojibwe language immersion school in Leech Lake.  A self-described policy-nerd, Leslie Harper connects the dots between personal values and public policies and tirelessly fights against oppressive educational systems that are not in alignment with what tribal community members want for the next generation. From classroom teaching to administration, Leslie has worked in many roles, including currently serving as the President of the National Coalition of Native American Language Schools and Programs. Leslie Harper was featured in the Emmy-winning Twin Cities PBS documentary “First Speakers: Restoring the Ojibwe Language”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RooWZc4lLokNative Lights: Where Indigenous Voices Shine is produced by Minnesota Native News and Ampers, Diverse Radio for Minnesota’s Communities with support from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage fund. Online at https://minnesotanativenews.org/

Native Lights is a weekly, half-hour radio program hosted by Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe members and siblings, Leah Lemm and Cole Premo. It's a space for people in Native communities around Mni Sota Mkoce -- a.k.a. Minnesota -- to tell their stories about finding their gifts and sharing them with the community.On today’s show, we talk with Lance Haavisto, a direct decedent of M'Chigeeng First Nation, and the Lead Videographer/Editor for Native Report at WDSE-TV. Lance earned a bachelor’s degree in Media Production from Northern Michigan University and has started working on his Master's in Communication from the University of Wisconsin Superior.Lance Haavisto loves sharing stories on the PBS magazine-style series, Native Report, where he fulfills a childhood dream of working in television.  As the lead videographer and editor, Lance works closely with all the members of the production team, making critical decisions about what goes on the air.  It was great to chat with a fellow media maker and inspiring to hear how Lance continually looks for new and innovative ways to present stories, especially those of our Native relatives. Check out many thoughtful and wonderful stories shared on Native Report, now in its 17th season, here: https://wdse.org/show/native-report/Native Lights: Where Indigenous Voices Shine is produced by Minnesota Native News and Ampers, Diverse Radio for Minnesota’s Communities with support from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage fund. Online at https://minnesotanativenews.org/

Native Lights: Where Indigenous Voices Shine – Weekly Radio ShowNative Lights is a weekly, half-hour radio program hosted by Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe members and siblings, Leah Lemm and Cole Premo. Native Lights is a space for people in Native communities around Mni Sota Mkoce -- a.k.a. Minnesota -- to tell their stories about finding their gifts and sharing them with the community.Native Lights – Allison Waukau’s Gift for Raising Native Representation in Libraries On today’s show, we talk with Allison Waukau (Menominee/Navajo) a community builder who works in library programs, raising Native representation on the shelves and behind the scenes, making libraries more welcoming to Native community members. Allison Waukau started as a liaison at the Hennepin County Library, where her role quickly expanded into creating a Native Employee Resource Group for library and county employees, aimed at recruiting, supporting, and retaining Native colleagues. Allison is a member-at-large with the American Indian Library Association and one of Library Journal’s 2021 Movers & Shakers. We enjoyed talking with Allison about her many professional interests, including exploring library land acknowledgment practices, developing community-led library programs, and elevating the voices and perspectives of the Native community near and far.Allison’s book recommendations can all be found at https://birchbarkbooks.com/Jo Jo Makoons: The Used-to-Be Best Friend by Dawn QuigleyVoices from Pejuhutazizi: Dakota Stories and Storytellers by Teresa Peterson & Walter Labatte Jr.The Seed Keeper by Diane WilsonMoon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig RiceAllison also wants to note a new Minnesota publishing company focusing on Dakota/Lakota authors and voices, launched by Spirit Lake Dakota artist Marlena Myles: http://wiyounkihipi.com/Hennepin County Library events page: https://hclib.bibliocommons.com/v2/eventsThe Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library: https://thefriends.org/calendar-of-events/Native Lights: Where Indigenous Voices Shine is produced by Minnesota Native News and Ampers, Diverse Radio for Minnesota’s Communities with support from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage fund. Online at https://minnesotanativenews.org/

Native Lights: Where Indigenous Voices Shine – Weekly Radio ShowNative Lights is a weekly, half-hour radio program hosted by Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe members and siblings, Leah Lemm and Cole Premo. Native Lights is a space for people in Native communities around Mni Sota Mkoce -- a.k.a. Minnesota -- to tell their stories about finding their gifts and sharing them with the community.Native Lights – Bradley Harrington’s Gift for Transforming through Cultural Connection On today’s show, we talk with Bradley Harrington (Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe) who is an entrepreneur, owner of Wenji-bimaadizing Media, and is currently the Tribal Liaison for the State of Minnesota’s Department of Natural Resources.Bradley is more than ten years sober and explains why he says, “sobriety is an act of Indigenous Resistance.” He tells us about being incarcerated multiple times, and how he finally broke the pattern when he decided to accept treatment, while incorporating Anishinaabe traditional knowledge, history, and language aspects into it.  We loved hearing Bradley’s honest and encouraging story of healing and how his Spiritual path led to him becoming a tribal pipe carrier. Chi Miigwech Bradley, for all you do, including sharing your passion for teaching Ojibwemowin in fun and engaging ways on social media!Wenji-bimaadizing Media website https://www.wenji-bimaadizingmedia.com/Here's an explainer about Midewiwin ceremonies: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VpMNA8z5asBradley’s Facebook language page: https://www.facebook.com/WenjibimaadizingMediaBradley’s MNsure video in Ojibwemowin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1f9YkDWwQQNative Lights: Where Indigenous Voices Shine is produced by Minnesota Native News and Ampers, Diverse Radio for Minnesota’s Communities with support from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage fund. Online at https://minnesotanativenews.org/