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
- Great-Grandmother Mary Lyons’ Gift for Sharing Indigenous Traditions & Spiritual Guidance (Revisited)
On this week’s show, we revisit our conversation from June 2022 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. - Rick Haaland: Speaking for the Animals
Today, we’re excited to speak with Rick Haaland, an animal rescuer and advocate who is the Pets for Life community outreach manager for the Leech Lake Tribal Police. - David Wise: Growing Good Medicine
We speak with David Wise, descendant of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and founder of Native Wise, a farm which is focused on soil health, restorative farming and Indigenous agricultural practices.
Headline 10/26/23