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.
Native Lights – Robert Rice’s Gift for Gathering Community around Coffee, Frybread, and Wild Ricing
On today’s show, we talk with Robert Rice (White Earth Nation) the owner and operator of the Pow Wow Grounds coffee shop on Franklin Avenue in South Minneapolis, a hub for gathering for conversation and art, over coffee, frybread, and tacos. Robert also has decades of experience harvesting wild rice and a passion for sharing the tradition with others.
Robert shares how Pow Wow Ground’s parking lot became the staging area for AIM patrols during the uprising in response to the murder of George Floyd, protecting businesses along Franklin Ave, with more than 300 people showing up to help. As food donations poured in, the space transitioned and became a food shelf, serving the needs of residents, as nearby grocery stores shut down amid the chaos and destruction.
We appreciate Robert’s good work creating a thriving business, centered on the values of collaboration and kindness, and for all the good coffee and delicious frybread! Chi Miigwech!
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
- Dr. Samantha Majhor: The Story Collector
Today, we’re excited to welcome Dr. Samantha Majhor to Native Lights. Samantha is a direct descendant of Fort Peck. She’s Dakota and Assiniboine and is an assistant professor in American Indian Studies at the University of Minnesota. She focuses on Native American literature, particularly literature by Dakota and Ojibwe writers around the Great Lakes region. - Aleyna Morales: Baking and Believing in Herself
Today, we’re speaking with Aleyna Morales. Aleyna grew up in the Twin Cities and Somerset, Wisconsin. Aleyna’s heritage includes Ojibwe from the Fond du Lac Band community and Mexican. She is the creator and baker behind Baked to Bliss by Laney. You can catch her selling baked goods at the Carlton County Farmers Market. - Adam Savariego: The Power of Asking Questions
We’re excited today to speak with Adam Savariego. He’s a citizen of the Upper Sioux Community and is the Native American Affairs Advisor with the Minnesota Governor’s Office. Prior to his current work, Adam served on the Upper Sioux Board of Trustees and as the community cultural liaison at Yellow Medicine East High School in Granite Falls Minnesota. He’s also a traveler, a foodie and a cat lover.
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