
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.
This week, Leah and Cole chat with Tashia Hart (Red Lake Nation), a culinary ethnobotanist, artist, photographer, award-winning author, and cook. As a multifaceted artist, Tashia’s art reflects the stages of her life, connections to nature and food. She shares about the making of her most recent work, Native Love Jams, a “sweet” romance that explores the relationships of love and food. Tashia also shares how adversity from publishers led to the creation of her publishing company (Not) Too Far Removed Press and how connecting to plants and nature has helped her along her path. Miigwech to Tashia for chatting!

Tashia has a collection of food and love-themed illustrations on display at the American Indian Community Housing Organization (AICHO) titled “Indigenous Expressions Love Culture and Reinvention” – a co-presentation with artist Sam Zimmerman and bead artist Chenoa Williams.
In addition to Native Love Jams, Tashia has authored Girl Unreserved, Gidjie and the Wolves, and The Good Berry Cookbook.
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
- Dan Ninham: Honoring Athletes and Indigenous Sports TraditionsIn this episode, we speak with Dan Ninham, PhD, a retired physical education teacher and coach, co-founder of the North American Indigenous Athletics Hall of Fame and prolific freelance writer.
- BearPaw Shields: Leaving a Legacy for Future GenerationsIn this episode, we speak with BearPaw Shields from the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes. She is a Saint Cloud State University alumna and is currently the Indigenous Learning Community Program Coordinator at the University’s American Indian Center. In her forties, she decided to go to college and get a degree so that she could make the change she wanted to see in the world. She does that now through her work at St. Cloud State’s American Indian Center, helping Native students to succeed in school and connect with their culture through language, field trips and other experiences. As a board member with the Friends of the Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge, she had been instrumental in teaching park staff and visitors about the land’s Native history. Last year, that included the opening of an amphitheater with art provided by Indigenous artists and the names of park animals provided in Dakota and Ojibwemowin. BearPaw Shields lives in Zimmerman where she likes to go on hikes and find her serenity at the nearby Refuge.
- Allison Waukau: Empowering Native Stories Through Community Service and PodcastingIn this episode, we speak with Allison Waukau (Menominee/Navajo), who serves as the Tribal Liaison and Native Relations Coordinator at the Metropolitan Council. She previously worked at the Hennepin County Library and the Roseville School District as American Indian Community Liaison. Last year, she started a new podcast with Odia Wood-Krueger. Through “Books Are Good Medicine,” the co-hosts explore Native literature with the aim of increasing the knowledge of educators and libraries about Native American books and materials. Allison Waukau lives in Minneapolis with her family, including a young son, and had a dream come true recently when she was selected to participate in Cohort 14 of the Native Governance Center’s Rebuilder Program. Allison’s podcast with Odia Wood-Krueger can be found at Books Are Good Medicine.