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 Christina Woods (Bois Forte Tribal Nation) who is the first Anishinaabikwe to be the Executive Director of the Duluth Art Institute. Christina is also currently performing in the play The UnPlugging presented by New Native Theatre in Minneapolis.
We caught up with Christina during a break in the rehearsal of the play, which will be performed on the site of the old Migizi building and the Gandhi Mahal restaurant, both of which were destroyed by fire and water in the uprising following the murder of George Floyd.
Christina shares her path as a teacher, media-maker, and diversity/inclusion consultant and explains how visual arts and advocacy all can work together for positive change and learning. Christina’s enthusiasm for all her cools projects is contagious. Christina was awarded an AARP 50 over 50 most influential people in MN award as a bias buster. Enjoy this fun and hilarious conversation!
More information about the Chesley Antoinette exhibition that Christina mentioned is here: https://www.duluthartinstitute.org/Steffl
Check out the play that Christina is in – The UnPlugging, by Yvette Nolan and presented by New Native Theatre at https://newnativetheatre.org/ Outdoor performances run through Sept 19th.
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.
Reservation Dogs Review: “I Feel Represented”