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.
Today we’re chatting with Alicia Smith, Alicia is Yupik from Pitkas Point Village in Alaska, and is the Deputy Director of the Economic Assistance and Employment Support Division at the MN Dept of Human Services.
After working as an American Indian advisor for the state, she now oversees the state’s anti-poverty support programs that include food stamps, food banks, shelters, and community action programs. She shares how family, community, and Yupik values have guided her along her path. Miigwech to Alicia for taking some time to chat!
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.
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- Great-Grandmother Mary Lyons’ Gift for Sharing Indigenous Traditions & Spiritual Guidance (Revisited)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.
- Rick Haaland: Speaking for the AnimalsToday, 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.
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