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Robert Lilligren’s Gift for Indigenizing Leadership, Politics, and Policy Making

Native Lights May 13, 2021

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 show, part one of Leah and Cole’s rich conversation with the visionary leader Robert Lilligren (White Earth Ojibwe Nation) who is the President and CEO of the Native American Community Development Institute, and who serves the 7th District (South Minneapolis, downtown, North Minneapolis and Robbinsdale) on the Metropolitan Council.

Robert Lilligren shares stories and wisdom from his extensive experience in local government (he was the first tribal member to serve on the Minneapolis City Council), he has served on numerous boards for non-profit organizations, and his expertise and impact spans from housing, transportation, community development, and community engagement. Robert Lilligren is an avid reader, a classically trained singer, a year-round bike commuter, and he lives in south Minneapolis with his husband, Steve. 

Please enjoy this deep conversation with this thoughtful public leader, who has done so much to bring Indigenous perspectives about leadership, community, and collaboration to everything he does. 

Next week we will present part two of our conversation, and learn more about the elders and mentors who influenced Robert Lilligren’s early years, how he overcame his natural shyness and burst into politics, so he could fully embrace his life’s purpose of service.  

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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    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. …
  • Shaun Chosa: Reimagining Indigenous Presence in Pop Culture
    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. …
  • Tashia Hart: Art, Nature and The Path to Growing Joy
    This week, Leah and Cole chat with Tashia Hart (Red Lake Nation), a culinary ethnobotanist, artist, photographer, award-winning author, and cook. As a multifaceted artist, Tashia’s art reflects the stages of her life, connections to nature and food. She shares about the making of her most recent work, Native Love Jams, a “sweet” romance that explores the relationships of love and food.
  • Sam Zimmerman’s Journey Back to Painting and the Homelands
    His artwork explores his Ojibwe heritage, as well as his learnings and experiences in nature after returning to his ancestral homelands. Sam shares about learning language and culture through community collaborations, illustrating books for Native authors, and collaborating with family.
  • Rhiana Yazzie: Empowering Indigenous Creativity
    Leah and Cole are joined by the multi-talented Rhiana Yazzie (Diné Nation), a remarkable theatre artist, filmmaker, playwright, and the visionary force behind New Native Theatre.
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