Association of Minnesota Public Educational Radio Stations

Native Lights

Leah Lemm talks to educators at SouthWest Metro Intermediate District 288 about sharing Native voices in Minnesota.

Reclaiming Native Truth: https://rnt.firstnations.org/

Black Bears and Blueberries Publishing: http://www.blackbearsandblueberries.com/

Birchbark Books: https://birchbarkbooks.com/collection…

The “Sharing Gifts Through Story: Native Lights Podcast” presentation was made possible in part by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and SouthWest Metro Intermediate District 288.

More from Native Lights

  • Carl Gawboy: Remembering the Fur Trade Through Art
    Today, we welcome Carl Gawboy to the Native Lights podcast. Carl, born to a Finnish mother and an Ojibwe father, was raised in Ely and is a member of the Bois Forte Band of Ojibwe. Carl is an artist, whose primary medium is watercolors. But he turned to pen and ink for his recent graphic book Fur Trade Nation: An Ojibwe’s Graphic History.
  • Janis A. Fairbanks: Lessons Learned and Memories of Her Ojibwe Grandma
    Today, we are excited to welcome Janis A. Fairbanks to Native Lights. Janis is a member of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. She recently released a book called Sugar Bush Babies: Stories of My Ojibwe Grandmother, a memoir in lessons learned from her grandmother during the era of Indian Relocation.
  • Wookiye Win: Digging for Artistic Inspiration (And Watercolor Pigments) in Nature
    Today, we’re thrilled to speak with Wookiye Win. Wookiye Win, Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate, is an artist and educator. She teaches the Dakota language for the Dakota Language Nest Preschool program at the Institute of Child Development on the University of Minnesota campus. She’s also the illustrator of Dakota language children’s books.
  • Penny Kagigebi: Reclaiming Two Spirit Culture Through Art
    On this episode of Native Lights, Leah speaks with Penny Kagigebi. Penny is a direct descendant of the White Earth Nation. She is a Two Spirit queer community collaborator, artist, curator and teacher. She focuses on birch bark basketry and quill boxes and recently curated Queering Indigeneity for the Minnesota Museum of American Art, on exhibit from September 18, 2025 to August 16, 2026. 
  • Heid E. Erdrich: Finding Connections in Creativity and Collaboration
    Today, we’re excited to chat with Heid E. Erdrich. Heid is an author, researcher, educator, curator and member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa.