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 Travis Zimmerman, whose family is from the Crane Clan of Grand Portage. He is the site manager for the Mille Lacs Indian Museum and Trading Post.
Travis also hosted “DeCoded: Native Veterans In Minnesota Who Helped Win World War II” — produced by Minnesota Native News and Ampers.
Travis talks about his love for Native American history, specifically Ojibwe history and culture, and his path to the museum and trading post.
You can find out about the Mille Lacs Museum and Trading Post events here.
Miigwech, Travis, 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.
Subscribe to Native Lights wherever you get your podcasts
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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. - Ryan Dixon: Making Friends with the Dakota Language
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