Duane Goodwin: Expressing Culture Through Sculpture

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.

Today Leah shares her conversation with artist Duane “Dewey” Goodwin (White Earth Nation). Duane is known for his sculptures, including large-scale rock sculptures that stand beside rivers and in parks across Minnesota. Duane’s latest sculpture was Oganawedan Nibi, “She is Blessing Spirits in the Water,” was unveiled on Indigenous People’s Day in Grand Rapids. Duane has been creating for more than five decades. He shares parts of his journey with Leah, including his early years, his first large scale creations, finding other mediums, and the toll of working with stone.

You can visit his sculptures along the Mississippi River in Grand Rapids, at Indian Mounds State Park, and at the University of Minnesota Morris campus. Chi Miigwech to Duane for inviting Leah to his home for the conversation! https://www.deweygoodwin.com/

–

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

• 
  BearPaw Shields: Leaving a Legacy for Future Generations
  In this episode, we speak with BearPaw Shields from the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes. She is a Saint Cloud State University alumna and is currently the Indigenous Learning Community Program Coordinator at the University’s American Indian Center. In her forties, she decided to go to college and get a degree so that she could make the change she wanted to see in the world. She does that now through her work at St. Cloud State’s American Indian Center, helping Native students to succeed in school and connect with their culture through language, field trips and other experiences. As a board member with the Friends of the Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge, she had been instrumental in teaching park staff and visitors about the land’s Native history. Last year, that included the opening of an amphitheater with art provided by Indigenous artists and the names of park animals provided in Dakota and Ojibwemowin. BearPaw Shields lives in Zimmerman where she likes to go on hikes and find her serenity at the nearby Refuge.
• 
  Allison Waukau: Empowering Native Stories Through Community Service and Podcasting
  In this episode, we speak with Allison Waukau (Menominee/Navajo), who serves as the Tribal Liaison and Native Relations Coordinator at the Metropolitan Council. She previously worked at the Hennepin County Library and the Roseville School District as American Indian Community Liaison. Last year, she started a new podcast with Odia Wood-Krueger. Through “Books Are Good Medicine,” the co-hosts explore Native literature with the aim of increasing the knowledge of educators and libraries about Native American books and materials. Allison Waukau lives in Minneapolis with her family, including a young son, and had a dream come true recently when she was selected to participate in Cohort 14 of the Native Governance Center’s Rebuilder Program. Allison’s podcast with Odia Wood-Krueger can be found at Books Are Good Medicine.
• 
  Dr. Amber Annis: Rebuilding Community with the Native Governance Center
  In this episode, we hear from Dr. Amber Annis about the joys and challenges of rebuilding community and finding your voice as a leader. Dr. Amber Annis is a citizen of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and the Executive Director of Native Governance Center. Prior to taking on her role at NGC in December 2024, …