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Association of Minnesota Public Educational Radio Stations

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  • Programs
    • MN Native News
    • Native Lights
      • Biidaapi
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      • COVID-19
      • Helpful Links about COVID19 in Minnesota
    • DeCoded: Native Veterans Who Helped Win World War II
    • A Mile in My Moccasins
  • About Us

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  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Programs
    • MN Native News
    • Native Lights
      • Biidaapi
    • Community Health Conversations
      • COVID-19
      • Helpful Links about COVID19 in Minnesota
    • DeCoded: Native Veterans Who Helped Win World War II
    • A Mile in My Moccasins
  • About Us
  • Programs
    • MN Native News
    • Native Lights
      • Biidaapi
    • Community Health Conversations
      • COVID-19
      • Helpful Links about COVID19 in Minnesota
    • DeCoded: Native Veterans Who Helped Win World War II
    • A Mile in My Moccasins
  • About Us

Native Lights

Native Lights is a weekly, podcast and 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.

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Great-Grandmother Mary Lyons’ Gift for Sharing Indigenous Traditions & Spiritual Guidance (Revisited)

Native Lights July 9, 2025

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.

Great-Grandmother Mary Lyons’ Gift for Sharing Indigenous Traditions & Spiritual Guidance (Revisited)Read More

Rick Haaland: Speaking for the Animals

Native Lights June 19, 2025

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.

Rick Haaland: Speaking for the AnimalsRead More

David Wise: Growing Good Medicine

Native Lights June 12, 2025

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.

David Wise: Growing Good MedicineRead More

Wendy Roy: Beading as Healing

Native Lights June 4, 2025

Today, we are excited to speak with Wendy Roy, a beader and entrepreneur from the White Earth Nation. She mentors other artists and also teaches at White Earth Tribal and Community College.

Wendy Roy: Beading as HealingRead More

Giizh Sarah Agaton Howes: Translating Ojibwe cultural arts into contemporary Ojibwe designs

Native Lights May 22, 2025

Giizh Sarah Agaton Howes, award-winning Anishinaabe creator, artist and organizer from Fond Du Lac reservation and Muscogree Creek is the CEO of Heart Berry.

Giizh Sarah Agaton Howes: Translating Ojibwe cultural arts into contemporary Ojibwe designsRead More

Jonathan Thunder: Finding Joy in Art and Life

Native Lights May 15, 2025

In today’s episode, we welcome back Jonathan Thunder, who last appeared on Native Lights in 2021. Since then, the Red Lake Nation citizen and multidisciplinary artist has become a father and opened an art gallery.

Jonathan Thunder: Finding Joy in Art and LifeRead More

Dan Ninham: Honoring Athletes and Indigenous Sports Traditions

Native Lights May 1, 2025

In this episode, we speak with Dan Ninham, PhD, a retired physical education teacher and coach, co-founder of the North American Indigenous Athletics Hall of Fame and prolific freelance writer.

Dan Ninham: Honoring Athletes and Indigenous Sports TraditionsRead More

BearPaw Shields: Leaving a Legacy for Future Generations

Native Lights April 24, 2025

In this episode, we speak with BearPaw Shields from the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes. She is a Saint Cloud State University alumna and is currently the Indigenous Learning Community Program Coordinator at the University’s American Indian Center.

In her forties, she decided to go to college and get a degree so that she could make the change she wanted to see in the world. She does that now through her work at St. Cloud State’s American Indian Center, helping Native students to succeed in school and connect with their culture through language, field trips and other experiences.

As a board member with the Friends of the Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge, she had been instrumental in teaching park staff and visitors about the land’s Native history. Last year, that included the opening of an amphitheater with art provided by Indigenous artists and the names of park animals provided in Dakota and Ojibwemowin.

BearPaw Shields lives in Zimmerman where she likes to go on hikes and find her serenity at the nearby Refuge.

BearPaw Shields: Leaving a Legacy for Future GenerationsRead More

Allison Waukau: Empowering Native Stories Through Community Service and Podcasting

Native Lights April 17, 2025

In this episode, we speak with Allison Waukau (Menominee/Navajo), who serves as the Tribal Liaison and Native Relations Coordinator at the Metropolitan Council. She previously worked at the Hennepin County Library and the Roseville School District as American Indian Community Liaison.

Last year, she started a new podcast with Odia Wood-Krueger. Through “Books Are Good Medicine,” the co-hosts explore Native literature with the aim of increasing the knowledge of educators and libraries about Native American books and materials.
Allison Waukau lives in Minneapolis with her family, including a young son, and had a dream come true recently when she was selected to participate in Cohort 14 of the Native Governance Center’s Rebuilder Program.

Allison’s podcast with Odia Wood-Krueger can be found at Books Are Good Medicine.

Allison Waukau: Empowering Native Stories Through Community Service and PodcastingRead More

Dr. Amber Annis: Rebuilding Community with the Native Governance Center

Native Lights April 3, 2025

In this episode, we hear from Dr. Amber Annis about the joys and challenges of rebuilding community and finding your voice as a leader. Dr. Amber Annis is a citizen of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and the Executive Director of Native Governance Center. Prior to taking on her role at NGC in December 2024, …

Dr. Amber Annis: Rebuilding Community with the Native Governance CenterRead More

Deven Current: Healing Through the Art of Tattooing

Native Lights March 27, 2025

In this episode, we hear from Deven Current about tattooing, sports and the importance of sobriety, family and faith. Deven is an Ojibwe tattoo artist, who connected with his culture later in life. Deven grew up in the Twin Cities and, at a young age, fell into drug addiction. He ended up incarcerated, but his time …

Deven Current: Healing Through the Art of TattooingRead More

Korina Barry: Leading from abundance with NDN Collective

Native Lights March 20, 2025

In this episode we hear from Korina Barry on her work with NDN Collective and the campaign to free Leonard Peltier, in addition to reflections on her roles as mother, doula, and metal fabricator in training. A citizen of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, Korina Barry manages the organizing, policy and advocacy direct-action arm …

Korina Barry: Leading from abundance with NDN CollectiveRead More

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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.