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.
In this week’s show Leah and Cole are live from the Minnesota State Fair with two great guests. We discuss Native representation at the fair and beyond.
Our first guest today is Andy Vig! Andy is an enrolled member of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, who is the director of SMSC’s community center, called Hoċokata Ti, which opened in 2019. We talked with him about Hoċokata Ti and SMSC’s exhibit at the Minnesota State Fair. SMSC is in its second year of being involved at the state fair. Their exhibit included information about the tribe, including their initiatives; Understand Native MN and Native Green. In addition, fairgoers were able to take home a beautiful calendar featuring Dakota seasons and language.
We also catch up with Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan (White Earth Band of Ojibwe), who appeared on our first State Fair show back in 2019. We talk with her about Native representation at the fair, and the growing representation in film and TVs, including Lt. Gov’s personal favorite Rutherford Falls.
Chi-Miigwech to Andy Vig and Lt. Gov Peggy Flanagan for stopping out for our live show. We chatted with them live at the Minnesota State Fair on Sunday September 4th 2022.
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/
Subscribe to Native Lights wherever you get your podcasts
More from Native Lights
- Indigenous lifeways as solutions: Wakinyan LaPointe on staying grounded in the cultural teachings of song and the intelligence of Indigenous youth activists
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 … - Building bridges through story: Ajuawak Kapashesit on playing with genre, the power of story, and making action figure movies as a kid
In this episode, we sit down with Minneapolis-based actor, writer, and director Ajuawak Kapashesit. Ajuawak, who is Ojibwe, Cree, and Jewish, grew up in Ontario and on the White Earth Reservation. His acting credits include Indian Horse (2017), Once Upon a River (2019), Indian Road Trip (2020), Bad Blood (CityTV/Netflix), and Outlander (Starz/Sony). Ajuawak’s short … - Making Books Accessible: Talia Miracle and Little Free Library
In this episode, we’re joined by Talia Miracle, an enrolled member of the Ho-Chunk Tribe of Winnebago and Program Manager at the Little Free Library. She opens up about her impactful work leading the Indigenous Library Program, which increases access to Indigenous literature and fosters stronger, more inspired communities across the U.S. and Canada. Talia …
AIM Begins 11-Week Walk for Leonard Peltier