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.
Leah and Cole chat with Tabitha Chilton, a White Earth Nation member who serves as Sanford Health’s Native American patient advocate in Bemidji, Minnesota. Tabitha’s focus on outpatient care at the Joe Lueken Cancer Center helps Native communities access healthcare throughout Northern Minnesota. She works with Tribal communities to help build trust and understanding in the healthcare system and emphasizes the need for preventative care and primary care. Tabitha chats with us about her current position at Sanford Health, helping youth through trauma-informed care and her path to serving communities.
Miigwech to Tabitha for sharing about what has led her along the path of advocating for Native Americans in Healthcare systems!
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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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. - 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.


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