About Us

Minnesota Native News is a weekly radio segment covering ideas and events relevant to Minnesota’s Native American communities since 2014. MNN is produced and distributed by AMPERS and airs on tribal and community stations across Minnesota. MNN reaches more than 124,000 listeners each week. The team is comprised of majority of Native reporters/producers, who share editorial and story-telling duties.

Executive Producer: Travis Zimmerman

Producers: Dan Ninham, Deanna StandingCloud, Laurie Stern, Chaz Wagner, and CJ Younger.

Host: Marie Rock

Contact & tip line: mnnteam@ampers.org

Find Minnesota Native News on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Minnesota Native News also produces the weekly radio show and podcast Native Lights: Where Indigenous Voices Shine. Native Lights is a weekly, podcast and 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.

If there’s someone you’d like to hear us catch up with or if you have comments about the show, please send us an email at nativelights@ampers.org.

Native Lights and Minnesota Native News is produced by AMPERS, diverse radio for Minnesota’s communities with support from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage fund.

Subscribe to Minnesota Native News in your favorite podcast app

• The Native American Community Clinic Moves into a New Building, and Native Running Clubs Are Growing Fast
  This week, a Native clinic gets ready to move into its new building, and running clubs are promoting health and healing.
• MNN Extended Interview: Senator Mary Kunesh on Legal Protection for Wild Rice
  This week, we revisit reporter C.J. Younger’s interview with Minnesota State Senator Mary Kunesh about why she is trying to pass legislation to protect the Minnesota state grain, wild rice.

• Kent Estey: The Art of Survival
  On this episode, we speak with contemporary artist and White Earth Nation citizen Kent Estey. Kent paints at his home studio in Naytahwaush, in the heart of the White Earth Reservation. He’s known for really bold abstract landscapes, acrylic, oil, ink, and metal. He’s also an author. In 2025, he released the children’s book Picking Sweetgrass. His latest exhibit, “Mino-Bimaadiziwin: The Good Life” runs through Labor Day weekend in Detroit Lakes.
• Rafael Gonzalez, aka, Tufawon: How a Minneapolis Rap Artist Learned How to Sing and Make a Difference
  We are very excited to speak with Rafael Gonzalez, aka, Tufawon. He is a Mdewakanton Dakota and Boricua (Puerto Rican). He’s a rapper, singer-songwriter, and producer who calls South Minneapolis home. In addition to his music making, he’s an educator. He teaches youth music production, songwriting, and recording through his music production program “.WAVWARRIOR”.

Subscribe to Native Lights wherever you get your podcasts

Listen to MN Native News and Native Lights on your local station!

Job Opportunities

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Producer, Minnesota Native News 
Association of Minnesota Public Educational Radio Stations 
Contract – Freelance position 

www.AMPERS.org 

AMPERS is the largest statewide association of community radio stations in the United States, currently comprised of 17 independent community radio stations in Minnesota. The stations primarily serve underserved populations including greater Minnesota, tribal nations, diverse communities, and students. From Grand Marais and Thief River Falls, to Mankato and Winona, and just about everywhere in between, we’ve got Minnesota covered.  AMPERS helps member stations serve their diverse communities by generating revenue, developing and sharing programming, and works to correct the narrative regarding historically underrepresented communities through accurate storytelling and reporting.  

Minnesota Native News is a is a weekly radio segment covering ideas and events relevant to Minnesota’s Native American communities since 2014. MNN is produced and distributed by AMPERS and airs on tribal and community stations across Minnesota. MNN reaches more than 124,000 listeners each week. The team includes a majority of Native reporters/producers all sharing in the editorial and story-telling duties. 

AMPERS is seeking Minnesota-based contract Producers to pitch and produce quality, thoughtful, and impactful stories for the Minnesota Native News newscast. The ideal candidate has significant experience working in and with Indigenous communities. 

Duties may include: 

• Generating story ideas for the weekly Minnesota Native News broadcast  

• Scripting readers for newscasts using news writing 

• Interviewing community members  

• Editing recorded audio into sound-rich, informative, and engaging stories  

• Attending team meetings – when scheduled – to discuss and plan newscasts  

• Ensuring the timely completion and quality of stories  

• Upholding journalistic ethics  

• Working closely with the Minnesota Native News Executive Producer  

• Other duties as assigned by the VP of Programming  

Required Qualifications: 

• Experience with storytelling and/or journalism   

• Some experience with either recording, voicing, and/or audio production   

• Experience with media storytelling  

• Organized and detail oriented  

• Excellent communications skills  

• Willing to participate in training and receive feedback during the production process 

• Able to deliver on deadline 

Desired Qualifications: 

• Experience working with and reporting about Indigenous communities  

• Experience covering Minnesota Indigenous issues across regions of the state 

• Experience with audio editing  

Work Environment 

• 100% remote 

• Family-friendly environment  

• Strong commitment to diversity  

• Candidate must provide their own computer and equipment  

• Candidate will report to the Minnesota Native News Executive Producer  

Commitment to Diversity, Inclusivity, and Equal Employment   

AMPERS strongly encourages women, people of color, Native Americans, LGBTQIA2S+ individuals, people with disabilities, members of ethnic minorities, foreign-born residents, and Veterans to apply. Applicants will not be discriminated against because of race, creed, color, religion, sex, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, political affiliation, veteran status, medical condition, national origin or ancestry, or any protected category prohibited by state and federal laws. 

Compensation & Benefits 

• $350.00 per fully produced 90-second — 120-second audio story 

• $75.00 per scripted 30-second reader 

• Additional pay tiers based on work assignment 

Length of contract  

Present – January 2026 (with the possibility for extension).   

Application Process 

AMPERS will accept applications for News Producers on a rolling basis. All interested candidates should submit a cover letter, resume, and three professional references via e-mail to mnnteam@ampers.org.