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 have a fun conversation with Amber Buckanaga (Leech Lake Band) who is an artist, fashion designer, and mother. Amber left her career in education, to follow her artistic dreams, which led to sewing, then designing fashions, and eventually the runways of NYC’s fashion week!
We hear how Amber’s passion for creating unique and colorful clothing grew into the creation of her in-demand fashion brand called the Buckanaga Social Club: an innovative artist collective producing high-quality Indigenous art, fashion, clothing, accessories, home décor, and more.
Amber shares how she balances the (sometimes conflicting) demands of family and work and family, and how her art helps her to stay grounded, enthusiastic, and clear on her priorities. Miigwech Amber Buckanaga for sharing your beautiful art and thoughtful perspectives.
Find the Buckanaga Social Club on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buckanaga_social_club/
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.
Subscribe to Native Lights wherever you get your podcasts
More from Native Lights
- Victoria Marie: Learning to Surrender
Today, we’re excited to present Victoria Marie, an enrolled tribal member of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate. She’s the founder and owner of Indigenous Lotus, a wellness program that combines yoga classes, tribal dance, exercise and meditation with an emphasis on helping people cope with stress and trauma. Those stressors can include PTSD, homelessness, sexual exploitation and poverty. - Cole Redhorse Taylor: Creating Contemporary Work Through Connection to Traditional Art Forms
Today, we’re excited to welcome Cole Redhorse Taylor to the Native Lights podcast. Cole is Mdewakanton Dakota and a member of the Prairie Island Indian Community. He’s an artist, and has worked in many mediums: drawing, painting, beadwork, quill work, hockey helmets. He’s created contemporary and traditional pieces heavily inspired by the artwork of his ancestors. And of course, if you’re a sports fan, you may have seen his collaborations with the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Minnesota Wild. - Carl Gawboy: Remembering the Fur Trade Through Art
Today, we welcome Carl Gawboy to the Native Lights podcast. Carl, born to a Finnish mother and an Ojibwe father, was raised in Ely and is a member of the Bois Forte Band of Ojibwe. Carl is an artist, whose primary medium is watercolors. But he turned to pen and ink for his recent graphic book Fur Trade Nation: An Ojibwe’s Graphic History.
Young People Need to Get Vaccinated Too, Including Healthy Teens