Native Lights

Today Misty Blue, White Earth Nation citizen and coordinator of the TRUTH Project, chats with Leah and Cole about some of the report’s findings, the importance of Indigenous-led research, and what the TRUTH project recommends the UMN do to take steps toward healing.

Misty Blue & Indigenous-led Research Toward Healing and RecognitionRead More

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. …

Gerilyn Lopez, Supporting Access to Energy Efficient Practices and Renewable EnergyRead More

Today we’re chatting with Alicia Smith, Alicia is Yupik from Pitkas Point Village in Alaska, and is the Deputy Director of the Economic Assistance and Employment Support Division at the MN Dept of Human Services. She shares how family, community, and Yupik values have guided her along her path.

Alicia Smith’s Gift for CaringRead More

Today Leah and Cole speak with Wayne Somes, a citizen of the Sault Ste Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians. Wayne shares how his passions for family, early childhood development, and Ojibwemowin have led him along a path to Northern Minnesota

Wayne Somes: Growing Family and Cultural Bonds Through OjibwemowinRead More

She specializes in large-scale murals; her work can be seen on the sides of buildings throughout the Twin Cities and the country.

Thomasina TopBear: Empowering Community Through ArtRead More

Leah and Cole chat with Tabitha Chilton, a White Earth Nation member who serves as Sanford Health’s Native American patient advocate in Bemidji, Minnesota. Tabitha’s focus on outpatient care at the Joe Lueken Cancer Center helps Native communities access healthcare throughout Northern Minnesota

Tabitha Chilton’s Gift for Building Access & Trust in Healthcare SystemsRead More

Jewell is a community activist and the Executive Director for Wicoie Nandagikendan, an Ojibwe and Dakota language immersion preschool in Minneapolis. There, she pursues her commitments to early childhood education, language revitalization and addressing intergenerational historical trauma.

Jewell Arcoren: Healing With Language and The Next GenerationRead More

Sasheen Goslin and Deanna Reder from the American Indian Community Housing Organization (AICHO) in Duluth. They are two members of the small team at AICHO that is dedicated to all aspects of wellness for the Indigenous communities in Duluth.

Sasheen Goslin & Deanna Reder Bring Their Distinct Abilities to the Team at AICHORead More

Annie talks about her latest album Eat What You Kill, building a hemp house, and the upcoming benefit show for the American Indian Community Housing Organization (AICHO)’s Dabinoo’Igan Domestic Violence Shelter expansion.

Annie Humphrey’s Gift for Living With Care and EmpathyRead More

Today we chat with LeAnn Littlewolf, a Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe citizen and co-Executive Director for the American Indian Community Housing Organization (AICHO) in Duluth. AICHO’s community-informed programs aim to create a stronger, healthier, more stable Native community in Duluth. 

LeAnn Littlewolf: Creating Vibrant Community Through Informed LeadershipRead More

Today, we’re speaking with Rebekah Fineday, a Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe citizen and Air Force veteran who serves as Sanford Health’s Native American community advocate in Bemidji, Minnesota.

Rebekah Fineday’s Gift for Building Trust in Healthcare Systems & Native CommunitiesRead More

Today we’re speaking with Levi Brown, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe citizen and Director of Tribal Affairs at the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDot). Levi talks with Leah and Cole about acknowledgement on a person-to-person level and on an institutional level. In his current position at MnDot, Levi helped facilitate the highway signs marking the 1854 Treaty boundaries in Northern MN, a step toward acknowledgment and a point of education. Levi is also a part of the Tribal State Relationship Training Program that helps develop collaboration and understanding between tribes and Minnesota state departments.

Levi Brown’s Gift for Building Relationships Across the TableRead More