Native Lights: Where Indigenous Voices Shine
215 episodes - English - Latest episode: 10 days ago - ★★★★★ - 43 ratingsIn Native Lights, people in Native communities around Mni Sota Mkoce - a.k.a. Minnesota - tell their stories about finding their gifts and sharing them with the community. These are stories of joy, strength, history, and change from Native people who are shaping the future and honoring those who came before them.
Native Lights is also 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.
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/
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Episodes
NL: Biidaapi – RJ Dahl
April 15, 2020 18:30 - 10 minutes - 9.67 MBBoozhoo! Today we talk with RJ Dahl of Deer River (Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe) to find out how he is coping and thriving during the pandemic, with humor and connection. RJ works at the White Oak Casino, which has been temporarily shut down, so now he’s focused on homeschooling his four kids. RJ stays connected to his buddies through video games, which has been a great way to joke and lift each other’s spirits in these strange times.
NL: Biidaapi – Rob Fairbanks
April 10, 2020 16:30 - 13 minutes - 12 MBHello! Today we're catching up with our favorite Rez Reporter, Rob Fairbanks (Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe), to find out how the comedian and YouTube star is coping with the pandemic, and whether his homeschooling skills are a pass or a fail. Join us, your hosts Leah Lemm and Cole Premo, for a few minutes of conversation and laughs. Biidaapi: s/he comes laughing. (Ojibwemowin)
NL: Biidaapi – MN Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan
April 08, 2020 17:47 - 12 minutes - 11.9 MBGreetings! Today we’re honored to talk with Minnesota Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan (White Earth Nation). Peggy Flanagan speaks about her daily duties as a state leader, the challenge of helping her first-grader with distance learning, as well as the deep loss felt by many families, including her own, during these times. We laugh over fashion choices during the pandemic. And Peggy shares how the online social distance powwow gives her a lift and a smile.
NL: Biidaapi – Patina Park
April 07, 2020 18:00 - 14 minutes - 13.4 MBGreetings! Today we talk with Patina Park (Mnicoujou Lakota) the Director of Tribal State Relations for Governor Walz and Lt. Governor Flanagan. As the top liaison between the state and Minnesota’s 11 Tribal Nations, Patina Park plays a key role in helping communities face the pandemic. She tells us what her days are like, and we hear how she and her family are coping during these difficult times.
NL: Biidaapi – Tall Paul
April 01, 2020 21:00 - 11 minutes - 10.7 MBHosts Leah Lemm and Cole Premo check-in with Tall Paul (Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe) an Anishinaabe and Oneida Hip-Hop artist. Tall Paul calls in to talk about family life, staying safe and smart, and how to continue with a workout routine while in the comfort of his own home. And, of course, we talk about creating music in times of uncertainty.
NL Biidaapi: Brenda Child
March 31, 2020 18:15 - 14 minutes - 13.6 MBGreetings from Native Lights! Today we’re talking with Brenda Child who also happens to be - Auntie Brenda. She's married to our uncle - Steve Premo. We talk with Brenda Child (Red Lake Nation) about the origin story of the Jingle Dress and how it relates to the 1918 Flu epidemic, and what the past can teach us about our current pandemic. Dr. Brenda J. Child Ph.D. is the Northrop Professor of American Studies and American Indian Studies at the University of Minnesota, and she ...
NL: Biidaapi -Bill Premo
March 27, 2020 17:23 - 15 minutes - 14.6 MBBiidaapi: s/he comes laughing. (Ojibwemowin) Greetings from Native Lights! Sometimes we just want to talk to a parent or elder during uncertain times, and today we chat with our dad, Bill (“Papi”) Premo (Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe). Bill Premo lives at Owl Hoot Station –what he calls home --just Northeast of Hinckley with his dog Kek Kek, and is always full of advice and perspective. He’s an associate judge for District III for the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe and serves on the board f...
NL: Biidaapi -Pilot
March 27, 2020 15:00 - 5 minutes - 8.16 MBBiidaapi: s/he comes laughing. (Ojibwemowin) Greetings from Native Lights! Thanks for listening in. During this COVID-19 pandemic, when we’re encouraged to keep a greater distance from our community members, friends, and loved ones, it’s so important to keep our relationships strong. And that’s what we’re doing here on Native Lights: Biidaapi. To us, “biidaapi” (s/he comes or arrives laughing) reminds us to keep our spirits up through connection and conversations. So, join us as we...
S1 BONUS – Celebrating Our First Season! LIVE from the MN State Fair
August 25, 2019 03:35 - 1 hour - 155 MBBoozhoo everybody! It’s a BONUS episode of Native Lights - We’re celebrating our first season with a LIVE show from the Minnesota State Fair! The theme of Native Lights is to let people’s voices and stories shine, people who have found their purpose and a way to share their gifts with the community. Hosts Leah Lemm and Cole Premo speak with more fabulous guests who are shining bright: 1. Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan - Peggy Flanagan is a citizen of the White Earth Nation a...
S1 EP5 – Media Makers
July 16, 2019 21:01 - 53 minutes - 73.7 MBMany Native people are dissatisfied with the media portrayal of Indigenous communities across Turtle Island. In this episode, we hear from a Native reporter who is changing the very framework for how stories are told. A Native spokesperson talks about how she found her voice and her ability to speak for her community. And a group of Native women talk about the barriers to reaching out to reporters and being heard. Simone Senogles: Development Coordinator for The Indigenous Enviro...
S1 EP4 – Making Safe Spaces
July 16, 2019 20:57 - 44 minutes - 60.5 MBIn the era of #metoo and #timesup many Native women are making culturally specific, safe spaces for each other to heal from sexual violence. In this episode, Native women share their perspectives on healing and building resistance to a mainstream culture that seems to idle in the face of sexual violence against Native women. Ikidowin Peer Education Program and Youth Theater Acting Ensemble presents a play called “Everything is a Circle,” written by Illusion Theater and directed by...
S1 EP3 – Finding Family
July 16, 2019 20:54 - 42 minutes - 58.2 MBThis show is about family — in all its different forms. A lot of Native families have been disrupted one way or another by government sponsored genocide. But there have always been Native women and men working to repair that disruption. This episode features five amazing women doing this incredible work. Heidi Grika: Mother, White Earth Band of Ojibwe Jasmine Grika: Nokomis Circle liaison at Ain Dah Yung Center in St Paul, Cheyenne River Sioux and the Red Lake Nation Lucy Favori...
S1 EP2 – Artistry and Identity
July 16, 2019 20:51 - 54 minutes - 75.5 MBIn this episode the conversation turns toward themes of identity and how Indigenous artists find themselves communicating their identity in their art. Briand Morrison: Guitarist, Musician, Composer, son of the late George Morrison, the well-known visual artist, Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Kayla Aubid: Writer, Lakota, Standing Rock Sioux Tribe Waase Aubid: Painter, artist, Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Hosted by Leah Lemm and Cole Premo Theme Music: Cole Premo Spec...
S1 EP1 – Finding Your Purpose & Sharing Your Gifts
July 16, 2019 20:47 - 44 minutes - 61.1 MBAll the stories in this first episode are about purpose: the idea that we’re all created to do something special. When you do it, you feel fulfilled, because you’re contributing your gifts to your community. We hear from people who are living their purpose and inspiring others to do the same. Rob Fairbanks: Comedian, Social Media Entertainer, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Renee Gurneau: Teacher, Elder, the Red Lake Nation Jody Beaulieu: Activist, Elder, the Red Lake Nation Hosts Le...
Native Lights Podcast Soon!
July 03, 2019 22:16 - 2 minutes - 3.21 MBNative Lights amplifies stories of people within Minnesota’s Native communities. We explore the history, work, strength, and resiliency of Native people who are shaping the future, while appreciating those who came before.