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.
Native Lights – Briand Morrison’s Gift for Combining Jazz Guitar and Anishinaabe Heritage
On today’s show, we revisit our conversation with Briand Morrison (Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa) a renowned jazz guitar player, composer, and son of the late George Morrison, the well-known visual artist. We talk with Briand about his music and his path to reclaiming his Anishinaabe Heritage, and how culture and identity inspires his artistry.
Chi-Miigwech Briand for sharing very personal stories about your relationship with your father, your journey to sobriety, and how connecting to the ancestors helps you create such beautiful music.
Learn more about Briand Morrison’s music here:https://www.briandmorrison.com/
We first spoke with Briand on Native Lights podcast season 1 here:https://minnesotanativenews.org/listen-to-native-lights-season-1/
Listen to Briand on our Biidaapi podcast, recorded during the early months of the pandemic. https://minnesotanativenews.org/biidaapi-with-briand-morrison/
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. Online at https://minnesotanativenews.org/
Subscribe to Native Lights wherever you get your podcasts
More from Native Lights
- Deven Current: Healing Through the Art of Tattooing
In this episode, we hear from Deven Current about tattooing, sports and the importance of sobriety, family and faith. Deven is an Ojibwe tattoo artist, who connected with his culture later in life. Deven grew up in the Twin Cities and, at a young age, fell into drug addiction. He ended up incarcerated, but his time … - Korina Barry: Leading from abundance with NDN Collective
In this episode we hear from Korina Barry on her work with NDN Collective and the campaign to free Leonard Peltier, in addition to reflections on her roles as mother, doula, and metal fabricator in training. A citizen of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, Korina Barry manages the organizing, policy and advocacy direct-action arm … - Allison Herrera, Indigenous Affairs Journalist and author of Tribal Justice: The Struggle for Black Rights on Native Land
In this episode, we talk with Indigenous Affairs journalist and author Allison Herrera. Allison’s indigenous ties are from her Xolon Salinan tribal heritage. Her family’s village is in the Toro Creek area of the Central California coast. She didn’t take the traditional route into journalism with a degree. She just decided she wanted to do … - Mattie Harper DeCarlo on Making Change in Indian Country Through Philanthropy
In this episode, we talk with grantmaking officer and former educator and historian Mattie Harper DeCarlo, PhD. Mattie, a Bois Forte Band of Ojibwe citizen who grew up on Leech Lake Reservation, works in philanthropy at the Bush Foundation, focusing on Indigenous communities. She speaks with us about the nuance of supporting 23 Native nations … - From Children’s Books to Murals: Moira Villiard on Examining and Bridging Disconnection Through Art
In this episode, we talk with artist, public speaker, and community organizer Moira Villiard. Moira, a Twin Cities-based visual artist and Fond Du Lac direct descendent, is a 2023 McKnight Foundation Community-Engaged Practice fellow and a 2024-2026 Bush Fellow. We chat with her about her current projects, Waiting for Beds, a traveling exhibition that explores …
- Deven Current: Healing Through the Art of TattooingIn this episode, we hear from Deven Current about tattooing, sports and the importance of sobriety, family and faith. Deven is an Ojibwe tattoo artist, who connected with his culture later in life. Deven grew up in the Twin Cities and, at a young age, fell into drug addiction. He ended up incarcerated, but his time …
- Korina Barry: Leading from abundance with NDN CollectiveIn this episode we hear from Korina Barry on her work with NDN Collective and the campaign to free Leonard Peltier, in addition to reflections on her roles as mother, doula, and metal fabricator in training. A citizen of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, Korina Barry manages the organizing, policy and advocacy direct-action arm …
- Allison Herrera, Indigenous Affairs Journalist and author of Tribal Justice: The Struggle for Black Rights on Native LandIn this episode, we talk with Indigenous Affairs journalist and author Allison Herrera. Allison’s indigenous ties are from her Xolon Salinan tribal heritage. Her family’s village is in the Toro Creek area of the Central California coast. She didn’t take the traditional route into journalism with a degree. She just decided she wanted to do …
- Mattie Harper DeCarlo on Making Change in Indian Country Through PhilanthropyIn this episode, we talk with grantmaking officer and former educator and historian Mattie Harper DeCarlo, PhD. Mattie, a Bois Forte Band of Ojibwe citizen who grew up on Leech Lake Reservation, works in philanthropy at the Bush Foundation, focusing on Indigenous communities. She speaks with us about the nuance of supporting 23 Native nations …
- From Children’s Books to Murals: Moira Villiard on Examining and Bridging Disconnection Through ArtIn this episode, we talk with artist, public speaker, and community organizer Moira Villiard. Moira, a Twin Cities-based visual artist and Fond Du Lac direct descendent, is a 2023 McKnight Foundation Community-Engaged Practice fellow and a 2024-2026 Bush Fellow. We chat with her about her current projects, Waiting for Beds, a traveling exhibition that explores …
Madonna Peltier Yawakie’s Gift for Connecting Tribal Communities through Technology