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 episode, Leah and Cole speak with Mathew Holding Eagle III, a citizen of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation – federally recognized as the Three Affiliated Tribes – in western North Dakota.
Mathew started his career in construction before pivoting to journalism! He now works at MPR News as a reporter. He’s extensively covered Indian Country in Minnesota, and recently received a National Native Award from the Indigenous Journalist Association for his reporting.
He speaks with us about how he found his way to doing what he does, the philosophy behind his journalistic endeavors, and much more.
Mathew received his bachelor’s in mass communication from Minnesota State University Moorhead and he worked as a producer on the 2015 PBS documentary “Black Gold Boom,” about the oil boom in western North Dakota.
Miigwech, Mathew, for taking the time to share your words and perspective!
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.
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More from Native Lights
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Today we’re joined by Budd Parker and Tim “Pete” Fairbanks. Budd is a Navy veteran and descendant of the White Earth Nation. He lives in Osage and was raised by grandparents who knew Civil War soldiers. He and his crew, including cousin Pete Fairbanks, dig through records. They clear forgotten cemeteries and set corrected headstones so families can hear their ancestors’ names again. Pete, an Army veteran, is also from the White Earth Nation, and he works with Budd to restore headstones and graveyards. - Alex Kmett: Culture as Curriculum, Language as Medium
Today, we’re speaking with language revitalization leader and cultural educator Alex Kmett. Alex is a citizen of the Red Lake Nation and a descendant of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe. He’s a 2026 Bush Fellow and a co-founder of a charter school in Red Lake Nation.
Headline 10/26/23