Native Lights: Where Indigenous Voices Shine

Today, we’re excited to speak with Alexandra Buffalohead. Alex is from the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate and is the Director of Communications and Partnerships at the Native American Community Development Institute (NACDI). She’s also an artist, curator and musician. Alex talks about what drives her work in the nonprofit world at NACDI and how she strives to find a good work/life balance to leave time for her many outside pursuits. At 15, she was a disinterested piano student when her parents gave her the opportunity to join their blues-rock band Blue Dog. That’s when she caught the music bug and has been playing keys, performing and recording with them ever since. As a visual artist, Alex has created works on canvas, paper and in sculpture. She is a curator and has put together shows for Twin Cities galleries that celebrate the voices of today’s young and established Native artists. She also talks to us about how important it is to have venues that consistently make space for Native artists to share and develop work.-----Hosts / Producers: Leah Lemm, Cole PremoEditor: Britt Aamodt Editorial support: Emily Krumberger Mixing & mastering: Chris Harwood 

Today, we are excited to welcome Sharon Day to the Native Lights Podcast. Sharon is enrolled with the Bois Forte Band of Ojibwe, and she serves as the executive director of the Indigenous Peoples Task Force. She's also a grandmother, an artist, a musician and writer, and she leads Water Walks, or Nibi Walks. A deep reverence for all living things underpins the decades she has devoted to Nibi Walks. She and fellow walkers gather water at the source and carry it the length or perimeter of the body of water. This can last weeks. They undertake these journeys to show respect for the water and to support its health. And because humans are mostly made of water, she is reminded that its health is our health too. Sharon makes her home on a farm, which is also a home and sanctuary for many kinds of wildlife. Spending so much time outdoors, she is attuned to the seasons and the impacts of climate change. Every morning, she wakes with gratitude for the land and a hope that she can be a little more kinder that day.-----Hosts: Leah Lemm, Cole Premo Editor: Britt Aamodt Editorial support: Emily Krumberger Mixing & mastering: Chris Harwood

Today, we're excited to speak with Teresa Peterson. Teresa is Sisseton Wahpeton Dakota and a member of the Upper Sioux Community. She is a passionate gardener, gatherer, lover of the land and author of several books, most recently the award-winning Perennial Ceremony. Teresa talks to us about her love of growing things. That includes tending a large garden, where she forages for tossed salads and asparagus on the grill, and taking care of her land. She chips her own mulch. She plants perennials to sequester carbon and prevent erosion. And she's working on getting a couple goats to eradicate invasive plants. One of her mottos is: When you know who you are, no matter where you go, you belong. Writing has been part of that journey of self-knowledge. Her latest book, Perennial Ceremony: Lessons and Gifts from a Dakota Garden (2024), is an invitation to readers to join her on a seasonal journey of stories, poetry and recipes. The mother of three, Teresa lives with her husband Jay on just over seven acres overlooking the Mni Sota River Valley. -----Hosts: Leah Lemm, Cole Premo Editor: Britt Aamodt Editorial support: Emily Krumberger Mixing & mastering: Chris Harwood 

On this week's show, we revisit our conversation from June 2022 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. Find Mary Lyons' book here: https://birchbarkbooks.com/products/wisdom-lessons Chi Miigwech to Mary Lyons for generously sharing traditional teachings, your wise approach to healing, and life-changing spiritual guidance.  Native Lights: Where Indigenous Voices Shine 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: 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.

Today, we’re excited to speak with Rick Haaland, an animal rescuer and advocate who is the Pets for Life community outreach manager for the Leech Lake Tribal Police.  Rick shares the story of the most memorable dog of his childhood, a stray that showed up one day and never left. Even when Rick spent the summer with his grandparents, Drifter, unwilling to be left behind, walked two days to reunite with him. A lifelong animal lover, Rick only came to animal rescue after 40 years in various jobs and as a small business owner. Through Pets for Life, he helps Leech Lake pet owners to keep their animals healthy with access to affordable vet care. This also includes the future building of a Leech Lake Animal Wellness Center to address the lack of nearby veterinarian services. Rick is currently 5th district commissioner and Board Chair for Cass County. He and his family share their home with three dogs and one cat.

Today, we're very excited to speak with David Wise, descendant of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and founder of Native Wise, a farm which is focused on soil health, restorative farming and Indigenous agricultural practices. David started his bison herd after a dream with Chief Buffalo, who told him to bring back his namesake. Starting with twelve, he now has a herd that numbers close to sixty, including Renegade and Brutus, two bulls that have become best buddies. The ranch is also home to three Ojibwe Spirit Horses. David and wife Patra teach their kids that good food is good medicine. They share that good medicine with the community through Native Wise's seasonal CSAs and online store. 

Today, we are excited to speak with Wendy Roy, a beader and entrepreneur from the White Earth Nation. She mentors other artists and also teaches at White Earth Tribal and Community College. Wendy learned beading from her grandmother, who shared the trick to knowing which bead colors go together. Her grandma would pour beads on a tray to see which beads grouped together and wanted to be friends with each other. She also taught her granddaughter that every bead you sew is a prayer for the person who will wear the object. For Wendy, beading is not just a way to share her culture and make a living but also a form of healing. She talks about dealing with depression and coming back from a recent wrist injury that kept her from her beadwork. In her free time, Wendy likes to read books, spend time with family and ride Harley Davidsons.

Today we are speaking with Giizh Sarah Agaton Howes. Howes is an award-winning Anishinaabe creator, artist and organizer from Fond Du Lac reservation and Muscogree Creek. She’s the CEO of Heart Berry, a contemporary Ojibwe Design brand that offers wool blankets, apparel, gifts and accessories rooted in Howes’s beadwork and Ojibwe floral designs. Giizh was raised by an artist mother but never thought about herself as one until she realized art wasn’t just paintings in a museum but the cultural traditions from her Ojibwe community. She started with beading and moccasin making. That led to her teaching workshops so others could become cultural makers too. She shares the origin story of Heart Berry, which grew out of a desire to see Ojibwe designs translated into contemporary apparel and to take back the wool blanket as a Native craft.  She also talks about a recent mural project on the Cloquet bandshell, finding art that we love and that loves us back, and course correcting after a wrong turn.  Giizh lives in Sawyer with her family. These days, she’s experiencing the bittersweet emotions of a parent who has recently seen her first child graduate from high school.

In today’s episode, we welcome back Jonathan Thunder, who last appeared on Native Lights in 2021. Since then, the Red Lake Nation citizen and multidisciplinary artist has become a father and opened an art gallery. He talks about how fatherhood has changed his approach to art and why lately he’s shifted his creative focus from sociopolitical ideas to joy. Thunder also shares the experience of creating a special work of art with his son. The artist’s dreamy images have found their way onto canvases and murals and into animated films. Now you can also find them at Mishi Bizhaw Art Gallery. Thunder opened the gallery spring 2025 in Duluth, where he lives with his wife, author Tashia Hart, and their three-year-old, Minnow.

In this episode, we speak with Dan Ninham, PhD, a retired physical education teacher and coach, co-founder of the North American Indigenous Athletics Hall of Fame and prolific freelance writer.  Dan, Wolf Clan from the Oneida Nation in Wisconsin, has had a lifelong interest in sports. This 6'10" college basketball player devoted his working life to coaching and teaching sports. Even though he's retired, he stays on the road much of the year, giving presentations at schools on Indigenous sports and foods and filing freelance stories for multiple outlets.  With wife Susan, he co-founded the North American Indigenous Athletics Hall of Fame in 2022. The couple live in Red Lake and have recently celebrated the birth of a sixth granddaughter. 

In this episode, we speak with BearPaw Shields from the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes. She is a Saint Cloud State University alumna and is currently the Indigenous Learning Community Program Coordinator at the University’s American Indian Center.In her forties, she decided to go to college and get a degree so that she could make the change she wanted to see in the world. She does that now through her work at St. Cloud State’s American Indian Center, helping Native students to succeed in school and connect with their culture through language, field trips and other experiences. As a board member with the Friends of the Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge, she had been instrumental in teaching park staff and visitors about the land’s Native history. Last year, that included the opening of an amphitheater with art provided by Indigenous artists and the names of park animals provided in Dakota and Ojibwemowin.BearPaw Shields lives in Zimmerman where she likes to go on hikes and find her serenity at the nearby Refuge 

In this episode, we speak with Allison Waukau (Menominee/Navajo), who serves as the Tribal Liaison and Native Relations Coordinator at the Metropolitan Council. She previously worked at the Hennepin County Library and the Roseville School District as American Indian Community Liaison.  Last year, she started a new podcast with Odia Wood-Krueger. Through “Books Are Good Medicine,” the co-hosts explore Native literature with the aim of increasing the knowledge of educators and libraries about Native American books and materials.Allison Waukau lives in Minneapolis with her family, including a young son, and had a dream come true recently when she was selected to participate in Cohort 14 of the Native Governance Center’s Rebuilder Program. Allison’s podcast with Odia Wood-Krueger can be found at Books Are Good Medicine.

In this episode, we hear from Dr. Amber Annis about the joys and challenges of rebuilding community and finding your voice as a leader. Dr. Amber Annis is a citizen of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and the Executive Director of Native Governance Center. Prior to taking on her role at NGC in December 2024, she worked at the Minnesota Historical Society as Associate Vice President of Tribal Nation Relations and Native American Initiatives. She was also a member of NGC's Native Nations Rebuilder Program for Cohort 11.  In her position at NGC, she supports efforts to rebuild Indigenous communities and empower leaders to find their strengths and their unique voices. A mother of two, she lives in St. Paul with her husband, a citizen of Turtle Mountain, and their dogs.

In this episode, we hear from Deven Current about tattooing, sports and the importance of sobriety, family and faith. Deven is an Ojibwe tattoo artist, who connected with his culture later in life. Deven grew up in the Twin Cities and, at a young age, fell into drug addiction. He ended up incarcerated, but his time in prison introduced him to an unrealized talent - tattoo art. He turned that talent into a career and recently into his business, LuckyDuck Ink and Art in Atwater. Through his business and tattoo career, Deven honors a friend who passed away.  Deven also spent time as a competitive mixed martial artist. In 2025, Deven and his wife Sabrina are celebrating six years of sobriety and enjoying family time with their 11 children.Producers/Hosts: Leah Lemm & Cole PremoEditors: Britt Aamodt and Chris Harwood  

In this episode we hear from Korina Barry on her work with NDN Collective and the campaign to free Leonard Peltier, in addition to reflections on her roles as mother, doula, and metal fabricator in training. A citizen of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, Korina Barry manages the organizing, policy and advocacy direct-action arm of NDN Collective, which, in January 2025, led the successful campaign to free Leonard Peltier from prison.  She divides her creative energies between metal fabrication and sewing. It is her role as mother to a young daughter that trains her energies on creating a better world for the next generation to inherit. She also discusses how her childbirth experience led her to seek out training as a doula to help Indigenous mothers impacted by the medical system.Producers/Hosts: Leah Lemm & Cole PremoEditors: Britt Aamodt and Chris Harwood 

In this episode, we talk with Indigenous Affairs journalist and author Allison Herrera. Allison’s indigenous ties are from her Xolon Salinan tribal heritage. Her family's village is in the Toro Creek area of the Central California coast. She didn’t take the traditional route into journalism with a degree. She just decided she wanted to do it and did it. Starting out at Minneapolis community station KFAI, she brought her talents and desire to report on indigenous stories to various media outlets. With Association for Independents in Radio (AIR), she had the opportunity to collaborate with an Oklahoma radio station that wanted to cover indigenous stories but didn’t have the resources for a producer. Immediately, she fell in love with the area and now splits her time between Minneapolis and Oklahoma. She is a journalist with APM Reports and is the author of Tribal Justice: The Struggle for Black Rights on Native Land, produced as an audiobook in 2024.  Producer Hosts: Leah Lemm & Cole PremoEditors: Britt Aamodt and Chris Harwood

In this episode, we talk with grantmaking officer and former educator and historian Mattie Harper DeCarlo, PhD.  Mattie, a Bois Forte Band of Ojibwe citizen who grew up on Leech Lake Reservation, works in philanthropy at the Bush Foundation, focusing on Indigenous communities. She speaks with us about the nuance of supporting 23 Native nations through philanthropy, how to provide context to non-Native donors on what investment can look like, and her affection for Ojibwe language revitalization. Mattie also shares how journey of learning about herself and the history her people, and how it helped her fostered a sense of awe for the beauty of Ojibwe community. Tune in for an engaging conversation about investing in Indigenous self-sustainability through philanthropy!Producer Hosts: Leah Lemm & Cole PremoEditor: Britt Aamodt

In this episode, we talk with artist, public speaker, and community organizer Moira Villiard. Moira, a Twin Cities-based visual artist and Fond Du Lac direct descendent, is a 2023 McKnight Foundation Community-Engaged Practice fellow and a 2024-2026 Bush Fellow. We chat with her about her current projects, Waiting for Beds, a traveling exhibition that explores the experience of waiting while in crisis, and a soon-to-be-released children’s book about the Ojibwe practice of prescribed fires that she illustrated.Moira shares about her study of human rights, creating work for her inner child, and her rumination about the social-political bubbles many of us live in. For Moira, art is a venue to elicit these disconnects and ultimately birth understanding between people so that harmful histories don’t repeat. She also describes the process of creating art at the scale of mural, finding artistic courage from her father, and incorporating animals that cross her path into her art.Tune in for an engaging conversation about Moira’s intentionality behind her creative practice.Producer Hosts: Leah Lemm & Cole PremoEditor: Britt Aamodt

In this episode, we chat with author and retired school counselor Colleen Baldrica. Colleen, a White Earth Nation citizen, authored the book Tree Spirited Woman in 2006. During the pandemic, she recorded the audio version, so that her grandchildren could have an archive of her voice when they’re older.Colleen shares the experience - central to her story - of being directed towards a life of writing as a young single mother. She describes how this spiritual experience shaped her personal framework and inspired her book. She also talks about her current joy of mentoring new authors, teaching writers to develop the courage to promote their work, and participating in a women’s writing group.Tune in for an engaging conversation about the gift – and lesson – of listening with another talented Indigenous writer! 

In this episode, we chat with human rights advocate, singer, storyteller, and University of Minnesota-Twin Cities American Studies doctoral student Wakinyan LaPointe. Wakinyan, a Sicangu (Burnt Thigh) Lakota citizen of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, focuses his studies on Indigenous rights, human rights, and youth organizing. He describes how his work with Indigenous young people, Indigenous people across the globe, and water scholars has informed his understanding of how to generate a sustainable future. One strategy he shares is the deepening of Indigenous youth’s relationship with their ancestral waterways, which has shown to improve water and land health. For Wakinyan, having his parents share stories and cultural traditions with him during his childhood – spent in Washington, California, and the Rosebud reservation before landing in Minneapolis – was foundational to his understanding of self and the world. Today, Wakinyan uses these teachings and those embedded within the songs he sings to reclaim his time from the “weeds of academia” and establish a healthy grounding to his days.  Tune in for an engaging conversation with one of today’s most vibrant, Indigenous artist scholars!