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.
Today, we’re talking with Syngen Kanassatega (Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe) who is a lawyer – his job is the Legal and Policy Counsel for the Mille Lacs Band’s Office of the Chief Executive, a drum keeper, and he’s also well-known on Tik Tok, the video-sharing social media site, with thousands of followers.
Syngen Kanassatega shares why he decided to go to law school, what he loves about practicing law, and how culture and tradition are woven into policymaking and government for the tribe. Syngen shares insights from a few of his favorite mentors, and reminisces about Mille Lacs Band Member “Amik” Larry Smallwood, who deeply influenced him in so many ways. (Leah shares how Amik’s wisdom helps shape this podcast too!)
We also hear how Syngen Kanassatega found a creative outlet on Tik Tok, by bringing tidbits of legal information (about Tribal Sovereignty and more) along with jokes and stories, to the popular social media platform. One recent video took aim at politician Rick Santorum’s ignorance about Native peoples’ contributions to the founding of our country. Check it out here:
Chi Miigwech Syngen for spending time chatting and sharing your humor, legal knowledge, and inspiration!
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.
Subscribe to Native Lights wherever you get your podcasts
More from Native Lights
- Kent Estey: The Art of Survival
On this episode, we speak with contemporary artist and White Earth Nation citizen Kent Estey. Kent paints at his home studio in Naytahwaush, in the heart of the White Earth Reservation. He’s known for really bold abstract landscapes, acrylic, oil, ink, and metal. He’s also an author. In 2025, he released the children’s book Picking Sweetgrass. His latest exhibit, “Mino-Bimaadiziwin: The Good Life” runs through Labor Day weekend in Detroit Lakes. - Rafael Gonzalez, aka, Tufawon: How a Minneapolis Rap Artist Learned How to Sing and Make a Difference
We are very excited to speak with Rafael Gonzalez, aka, Tufawon. He is a Mdewakanton Dakota and Boricua (Puerto Rican). He’s a rapper, singer-songwriter, and producer who calls South Minneapolis home. In addition to his music making, he’s an educator. He teaches youth music production, songwriting, and recording through his music production program “.WAVWARRIOR”. - Alexandera Houchin: Life on Two Wheels
Today, we’re very excited to Welcome Alexandera Houchin to the Native Lights podcast. Alexandera is a citizen of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa (Ojibwe). She resides in her reservation community in northern Minnesota. She’s an ultra racer, bike packer, mountain biker, outdoor adventurer, storyteller, and writer. And she is currently working on her memoir for Penguin Random House and is the subject of a documentary.
New Productions for Spring