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.
On today’s show, we talk with Allison Waukau (Menominee/Navajo) a community builder who works in library programs, raising Native representation on the shelves and behind the scenes, making libraries more welcoming to Native community members.
Allison Waukau started as a liaison at the Hennepin County Library, where her role quickly expanded into creating a Native Employee Resource Group for library and county employees, aimed at recruiting, supporting, and retaining Native colleagues. Allison is a member-at-large with the American Indian Library Association and one of Library Journal’s 2021 Movers & Shakers.
We enjoyed talking with Allison about her many professional interests, including exploring library land acknowledgment practices, developing community-led library programs, and elevating the voices and perspectives of the Native community near and far.
Allison’s book recommendations can all be found at https://birchbarkbooks.com/
Jo Jo Makoons: The Used-to-Be Best Friend by Dawn Quigley
Voices from Pejuhutazizi: Dakota Stories and Storytellers by Teresa Peterson & Walter Labatte Jr.
The Seed Keeper by Diane WilsonMoon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice
Allison also wants to note a new Minnesota publishing company focusing on Dakota/Lakota authors and voices, launched by Spirit Lake Dakota artist Marlena Myles: http://wiyounkihipi.com/
Hennepin County Library events page: https://hclib.bibliocommons.com/v2/events
The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library: https://thefriends.org/calendar-of-events/
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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More from Native Lights
- Dani Pieratos’ Journey to Reclaiming Food Sovereignty.
Her passion for reclaiming Native food sovereignty leads her work and is driven by a care for community health and undoing the effects of historical trauma and colonization. - Corey Medina: Connecting With Community Through Music
Today we chat with Corey Medina, a blues-rock artist from Shiprock, NM, and member of the Áshįįhí clan of the Diné Nation. His band, Corey Medina & Brothers, has a reputation as an on-stage powerhouse, bringing its blues-tinged rock and roll to stages across Minnesota. - Native Representation at the Great Minnesota Get-Together
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 also catch up with Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan (White Earth Band of Ojibwe), who appeared on our first State Fair show back in 2019. - Jamie Becker-Finn’s Path to Bringing Community Together
Today we’ll chat with State Representative and Entrepreneur Jamie Becker-Finn (Leech Lake). Recently she celebrated the opening of her coffee shop – Makwa Coffee. We talk with Jamie about the first few weeks of Makwa Coffee, how she got the idea amidst the pandemic and how the community has supported Makwa so far. - Marisa Miakonda Cummings’ Gift for Leadership and Empowering Native Women
On today’s show, Leah and Cole chat with Marisa Miakonda Cummings (Umonhon). She’s the President/CEO of the Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center. The MIWRC empowers Native women and families to exercise their cultural values and integrity, and to achieve sustainable lifeways, while advocating for justice and equity.
Bradley Harrington’s Gift for Transforming through Cultural Connection