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, Leah and Cole chat with Marisa Miakonda Cummings (Umonhon). She’s the President/CEO of the Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center. The MIWRC empowers Native women and families to exercise their cultural values and integrity, and to achieve sustainable lifeways, while advocating for justice and equity.
Marisa shares about her journey to becoming the CEO/President of MIWRC, she tells how her family empowered her from a young age, and how she leads with traditional knowledge in her work.
The MIWRC will soon hold its inaugural Red Dress Gala, the Gala is September 9, 2022. More information about the Gala and the MIWRC at https://www.miwrc.org/
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
- From Lattes to Legacy: The Grand Opening of MiigWitches BrewIn this episode, we sit down with Jackson Ripley, a member of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation, enrolled at the Fort Berthold Reservation. Jackson shares the inspiring story behind MiigWitches Brew, a cozy gourmet coffee kiosk he recently opened with his wife. Operating from an 8×10 ft. building, MiigWitches Brew is more than just …
- Creating Representation: Nicholas DeShaw’s Path in Fiction and StorytellingIn this episode, we sit down with Nicholas Bimibatoo Mishtadim DeShaw, an Ojibwe author, father, and educator. Nicholas masterfully blends his Indigenous heritage with imaginative fiction across a wide range of genres, from sci-fi and horror to children’s picture books. He shares his journey as a writer, discussing his latest projects, including a new graphic …
- Stitch by Stitch: Janice LaFloe’s Journey of Indigenizing Montessori EducationIn this episode, we speak with Janice LaFloe, a citizen of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa and Executive Director of the Montessori American Indian Childcare Center (MAICC) in St. Paul. Janice shares her remarkable journey from being a Montessori parent to establishing one of the largest Montessori centers dedicated to American Indian children. Her …