• Menu
  • Skip to left header navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Minnesota Native News

Association of Minnesota Public Educational Radio Stations

  • Programs
    • MN Native News
    • Native Lights
      • Biidaapi
    • COVID-19
      • Helpful Links about COVID19 in Minnesota
      • COVID-19 Community Conversations
      • Health Report
      • COVID-19 Daily Update
  • About Us

Header Right

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Programs
    • MN Native News
    • Native Lights
      • Biidaapi
    • COVID-19
      • Helpful Links about COVID19 in Minnesota
      • COVID-19 Community Conversations
      • Health Report
      • COVID-19 Daily Update
  • About Us

Michael Lyons’ Gift for teaching Ojibwe Language with Puppets, Cartoons, and Song

Native Lights June 10, 2021

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.

Native Lights – Michael Lyons’ Gift for teaching Ojibwe Language with Puppets, Cartoons, and Song

On today’s show, we talk with Anishinaabe author and artist, Michael Lyons, who is the creator of “Boozhoo Nanaboozhoo,” a daily live-streamed, “puppet podcast” on YouTube.  The program explores Ojibwe language and culture, through skits, music, and conversations.  This show also airs on KAXE/KBXE community radio in Northern Minnesota.

Michael Lyons has written and illustrated many publications, including comic books and several children’s books in Ojibwe including: “Dog and Ma’iingan”, “Boozhoo Ajidamoo” and “Little Cutie: A Teddy Bear’s Vision Quest.”

Michael Lyons, along with his puppets Nanaboozhoo and Natasha, creates shows that are funny and whimsical, but the show and its characters also contend with topics that are sad and even tragic.  We asked Michael about the heartfelt way he recently addressed the news of the remains of 215 children recently found at the Kamloops Boarding School in British Columbia.

Chi Miigwech Michael Lyons for sharing your passion for puppets, songs, humor, and heartfelt conversations.

Here’s a link to the “Boozhoo Nanaboozhoo” show on the recent events in Canada and the residential school on YouTube: 

Here’s a link to the “Boozhoo Nanaboozhoo” radio show on KAXE/KBXE radio:  https://www.kaxe.org/term/boozhoo-nana-boozhoo#stream/0

Boarding School survivors’ resources mentioned in the show

National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition

National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation

Subscribe to Native Lights wherever you get your podcasts

Apple PodcastsSpotifyRadio PublicRSS


More from Native Lights

  • Megan Lhotka’s Gift For Teaching and Family Empowerment
    On today’s show, we talk with Megan Lhotka, a descendant of the White Earth Nation. Megan is a Facilitator for the White Earth Indigenous Parent Leadership Initiative (IPLI), a training program that guides parents to become leading advocates for children using a cultural lens.
  • Tadd Johnson’s Gift of Leadership and Advocating
    Tadd was recently appointed to the University of Minnesota’s Board of Regents, where he is serving the 8th Congressional District and as the first Native person to be a part of the school’s governing body. Tadd talked about how he got to be appointed to the board; what the board does and why it’s important for the school to finally have Native representation and dialogue with tribal nations.
  • Juliet Rudie Leads Minnesota’s new Office of Missing And Murdered Indigenous Relatives
    She talks about how culture leads the work she does and how Native teachings help empower, educate, and mentor Native families, children, and childcare providers. Barb has led numerous projects that aim to improve childcare systems throughout Indian country.
  • Barb Fabre’s Gift for Empowering Native Families and Children
    She talks about how culture leads the work she does and how Native teachings help empower, educate, and mentor Native families, children, and childcare providers. Barb has led numerous projects that aim to improve childcare systems throughout Indian country.
  • Emma Needham’s Gift For Uplifting Indigenous Perspectives
    We talk with Emma about the impacts of environmental issues locally and nationally, and how caring about those issues led her on her journey of storytelling. Emma co-hosts and reports on Indigenous issues as a part of Native Roots Radio’s daily radio show “I’m Awake” and for us at Minnesota Native News. 
Previous Post: « Braiding Our Stories Together at Northern Spark
Next Post: The Impact of Illegally Killing a Red Lake Bear and Water Protectors Continue their Work »

Site Footer

SUBSCRIBE NOW

Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle PodcastsRadio Public

Copyright © 2022 Association of Minnesota Public Educational Radio Stations. All rights reserved. | Site Design by Flying Orange.
Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage FundFunding for Minnesota Native News and Native Lights is made possible by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and the citizens of Minnesota.