This week we revisit an earlier Native Lights episode which highlights Kwe Pack, a spectacular group of Native women supporting each other to run long-distance trail races. Kwe Pack has been featured on Good Morning America, ESPN, Sports Illustrated, and Oprah Winfrey’s World Vision Tour. This group encourages each other to draw on their inner strength; to heal and flourish in all areas of their lives. You can check out this episode, which is part of Native Lights Season Two, to hear more about the significant work being done to build supportive environments for Native people to heal and thrive.
Native Lights
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.
Special Edition: Visiting Vaccines with Antony Stately
This week we kick off a special series of vaccine conversations, starting with Antony Stately (Ojibwe and Oneida). Dr. Antony Stately has a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and is the CEO of NACC, the Native American Community Clinic in South Minneapolis. Antony Stately shares how his clinic is safely administering vaccines, and he speaks to …
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The Gift for Bringing in New Life with Takayla Lightfield
Takayla stands side-by-side with Native women supporting the birth of the next generation as a doula, and as a breastfeeding consultant. Takayla is now working on her Master’s Degree in Public Health, in the U of M’s Maternal and Child Health Advanced-Standing Program.
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Dr. Arne Vainio Cultivates a Gift for Healing
It’s the “Best of Native Lights” as we revisit a wonderful conversation with Respected Anishinaabe elder and well-known physician, Dr. Arne Vainio (Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe). Dr. Vainio tells the story of how he became one of only 3,400 Native physicians in the United States. He is currently a family physician at the Fond …
Ramona Kitto Stately’s Gift for Changing Native Narratives
Ramona Kitto Stately makes the case that Indian Education should be mandatory for all students: when Native history and culture are missing from K-12 curriculum, students are deprived of accurate narratives, and stereotypes continue to thrive.
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The Gift of Amplifying Many Voices with Radio Host Robert Pilot
Robert speaks about the importance of building relationships, whether he’s working as an educator (teaching film and video production at Harding High in St. Paul) or producing and hosting radio shows
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A Gift for Revitalization with Language Warrior Anton Treuer
What does it take to keep the Ojibwe language thriving even as fewer first speakers are available to teach? Anton Treuer embraces this challenge with both timeless wisdom and the latest technology.
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Ashley Fairbanks’ Gift of Bold Vulnerability
Today’s conversation is with Ashley Fairbanks, an Anishinaabe artist, organizer, designer, and digital strategist, and the Creative Director for the 100% Campaign. She shares about growing up in South Minneapolis with a large and loving Ojibwe family. And she shares how she found her voice and harnessed her power, for politics and activism through bold and vulnerable sharing on social media.
Gifts of Culture & Storytelling with Deanna StandingCloud
Today’s conversation is with Deanna StandingCloud (Red Lake Anishinaabe) who is a mom, playwright, organizer, artist, community leader, pow-wow emcee, and advocate for Indigenous people.
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Dalton Walker’s Gift for Sharing Stories
Today’s conversation features Dalton Walker (Red Lake Anishinaabe) who is a National Correspondent, for Indian Country Today. Dalton Walker shares how he followed his teenage dreams of expanding on the kind of coverage he would see in newspapers about Native people.
A Gift for Numbers with Daniel Lemm
Today’s conversation features Daniel Lemm (Lower Sioux Indian Community) who is the Chief Financial Officer at the Charles K. Blandin Foundation, in addition to being Leah’s spouse. Daniel Lemm shares how his love of numbers led to his career in philanthropy, helping get resources out into communities and in a good way.
Listen to Native Lights Season 2
In Native Lights, people in Native communities around Mni Sota Mkoce – a.k.a. Minnesota – tell their stories about finding their gifts and sharing them with the community. These are stories of joy, strength, history, and change from Native people who are shaping the future and honoring those who came before them.