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 Bradley Harrington (Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe) who is an entrepreneur, owner of Wenji-bimaadizing Media, and is currently the Tribal Liaison for the State of Minnesota’s Department of Natural Resources.
Bradley is more than ten years sober and explains why he says, “sobriety is an act of Indigenous Resistance.” He tells us about being incarcerated multiple times, and how he finally broke the pattern when he decided to accept treatment, while incorporating Anishinaabe traditional knowledge, history, and language aspects into it.
We loved hearing Bradley’s honest and encouraging story of healing and how his Spiritual path led to him becoming a tribal pipe carrier. Chi Miigwech Bradley, for all you do, including sharing your passion for teaching Ojibwemowin in fun and engaging ways on social media!
Wenji-bimaadizing Media website https://www.wenji-bimaadizingmedia.com/
Here’s an explainer about Midewiwin ceremonies:
Bradley’s Facebook language page: https://www.facebook.com/WenjibimaadizingMedia
Bradley’s MNsure video in Ojibwemowin:
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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- Levi Brown’s Gift for Building Relationships Across the TableToday we’re speaking with Levi Brown, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe citizen and Director of Tribal Affairs at the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDot). Levi talks with Leah and Cole about acknowledgement on a person-to-person level and on an institutional level. In his current position at MnDot, Levi helped facilitate the highway signs marking the 1854 Treaty boundaries in Northern MN, a step toward acknowledgment and a point of education. Levi is also a part of the Tribal State Relationship Training Program that helps develop collaboration and understanding between tribes and Minnesota state departments.
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