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 Great-Grandmother Mary Lyons (Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe) a spiritual advisor, storyteller, activist, wisdom keeper, and revered elder. Mary Lyons is the founder of the Minnesota Coalition on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and serves as a counselor for the women’s sobriety group, which she also co-founded, called Women of Wellbriety International.
Mary’s inspiring book, “Wisdom Lessons: Spirited Guidance from an Ojibwe Great-Grandmother,” was published in 2018, and delivers love and advice through stories and perspectives grounded in traditional Indigenous values.
Chi Miigwech to Mary Lyons for generously sharing traditional teachings, your wise approach to healing, and life-changing spiritual guidance.
Find Mary Lyons’ book here: https://birchbarkbooks.com/products/wisdom-lessons
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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More from Native Lights
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- Great-Grandmother Mary Lyons’ Gift for Sharing Indigenous Traditions & Spiritual GuidanceOn today’s show, we talk with Great-Grandmother Mary Lyons (Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe) a spiritual advisor, storyteller, activist, wisdom keeper, and revered elder. Mary Lyons is the founder of the Minnesota Coalition on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and serves as a counselor for the women’s sobriety group, which she also co-founded, called Women of Wellbriety International.
- Joe Rainey’s Gift for Pow Wow Singing and Collaborative Music MakingOn today’s show, we talk with Joe Rainey (Red Lake Nation), an Ojibwe Pow Wow singer, music archivist, and collaborative music maker. Joe grew up in south Minneapolis and now lives in Wisconsin with his wife and five children.
- Sequoia Hauck’s Gift for Decolonizing the Process of Art-MakingOn today’s show, we talk with Sequoia Hauck (they/them), a Native (Anishinaabe/Hupa) queer multidisciplinary artist based in the Twin Cities. Sequoia’s art-making includes theater, filmmaking, poetry, and performance art, with all of it centered on a decolonized creative process.
- Joseph Nayquonabe Jr.’s Gift for Strengthening Tribal Economiesband’s existing businesses. He is also an avid runner, basketball player, and Ojibwe language learner.