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 Leslie Harper, who is a member of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, and a passionate advocate for language preservation and revitalization. Growing up, Leslie Harper loved hearing her Grandparents and relatives telling stories in their Native language. This sparked her own path as a language learner, eventually leading her to co-found an Ojibwe language immersion school in Leech Lake.
A self-described policy-nerd, Leslie Harper connects the dots between personal values and public policies and tirelessly fights against oppressive educational systems that are not in alignment with what tribal community members want for the next generation.
From classroom teaching to administration, Leslie has worked in many roles, including currently serving as the President of the National Coalition of Native American Language Schools and Programs.
Leslie Harper was featured in the Emmy-winning Twin Cities PBS documentary “First Speakers: Restoring the Ojibwe Language”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RooWZc4lLok
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.
More from Native Lights
- 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. - Janis A. Fairbanks: Lessons Learned and Memories of Her Ojibwe Grandma
Today, we are excited to welcome Janis A. Fairbanks to Native Lights. Janis is a member of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. She recently released a book called Sugar Bush Babies: Stories of My Ojibwe Grandmother, a memoir in lessons learned from her grandmother during the era of Indian Relocation. - Wookiye Win: Digging for Artistic Inspiration (And Watercolor Pigments) in Nature
Today, we’re thrilled to speak with Wookiye Win. Wookiye Win, Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate, is an artist and educator. She teaches the Dakota language for the Dakota Language Nest Preschool program at the Institute of Child Development on the University of Minnesota campus. She’s also the illustrator of Dakota language children’s books. - Penny Kagigebi: Reclaiming Two Spirit Culture Through Art
On this episode of Native Lights, Leah speaks with Penny Kagigebi. Penny is a direct descendant of the White Earth Nation. She is a Two Spirit queer community collaborator, artist, curator and teacher. She focuses on birch bark basketry and quill boxes and recently curated Queering Indigeneity for the Minnesota Museum of American Art, on exhibit from September 18, 2025 to August 16, 2026. - Heid E. Erdrich: Finding Connections in Creativity and Collaboration
Today, we’re excited to chat with Heid E. Erdrich. Heid is an author, researcher, educator, curator and member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa.
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