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 conversations with Karen Jones and Stephanie Longfield from White Earth Nation’s cohort of Indigenous Parent Leadership Initiative (IPLI). As graduates of the initiative, they’ve begun projects to deepen connections between their communities and culture.
Karen’s project, “Traditional Healing Home for Young Adults” plan to create two traditional healing home for young adults that have aged out of foster care or have nowhere else to go. Stephanie’s project “Preparing Our Youth” focuses teaching “life” skills to young adults in the White Earth community, from opening a bank account, to building credit and even maintaining vehicles.
Chi-Miigwech to Karen and Stephanie for sharing with us today!
The Indigenous Parent Leadership Initiative is a 21-week course for parents that integrates Ojibwe culture, child development and leadership. To find out more about the next cohort at IPLI, visit https://www.indigenousvisioning.com/ or on their Facebook page: https://m.facebook.com/Indigenous-Parent-Leadership-Initiative-104913428664845
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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/
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Today, we’re excited to be joined by one of the most recognizable faces in Indigenous film. Gary Farmer is from the Cayuga Nation and has a long career in movies and TV, and he’s a musician, performing with his group Gary Farmer & The Troublemakers. - David Amitrano: Witnessing
Today, Leah speaks with David Amitrano, the owner of Midwest All-Star Wrestling, a Minnesota-based, Native-owned independent wrestling organization in Woodbury. - Nikki Love (Pieratos): Keeping Relatives and Neighbors Safe in Uncertain Times
Today, we are honored to welcome Nikki Love (Pieratos) to the Native Lights podcast. An enrolled citizen of the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa, Nikki is the executive director of the Tiwahe Foundation, which is a community organization serving Native people around Minnesota. She’s also a part of the Metro Urban Indian Directors. Nikki shares her insight on what keeps her grounded and how keeping a prayerful attitude and a focus on the present helps keeps her from dwelling in fear and negativity.


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