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. Antony Stately: Building Health Equity in Indigenous Communities
Today, we’re excited to welcome Dr. Antony Stately to Native Lights. Antony Stately is a transformative leader dedicated to health equity in Indigenous communities. He’s enrolled with the Oneida Nation, and he’s a descendant of both the Red Lake and White Earth nations here in Minnesota, and he has two sons. He’s currently the Executive Officer and President for the Native American Community Clinic in South Minneapolis, providing primary care, dental care and behavioral health services to the Native American community in the Twin Cities. - Gary Farmer: Living Life on Screen for 50 Years
Today, we’re excited to be joined by one of the most recognizable faces in Indigenous film. Gary Farmer is from the Cayuga Nation and has a long career in movies and TV, and he’s a musician, performing with his group Gary Farmer & The Troublemakers. - David Amitrano: Witnessing
Today, Leah speaks with David Amitrano, the owner of Midwest All-Star Wrestling, a Minnesota-based, Native-owned independent wrestling organization in Woodbury.
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