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The Gift of Listening: Colleen Baldrica on writing, being guided, and mentoring others

Native Lights December 19, 2024

In this episode, we chat with author and retired school counselor Colleen Baldrica.

Colleen, a White Earth Nation citizen, authored the book Tree Spirited Woman in 2006. During the pandemic, she recorded the audio version, so that her grandchildren could have an archive of her voice when they’re older.

Colleen shares the experience – central to her story – of being directed towards a life of writing as a young single mother. She describes how this spiritual experience shaped her personal framework and inspired her book. She also talks about her current joy of mentoring new authors, teaching writers to develop the courage to promote their work, and participating in a women’s writing group.

Tune in for an engaging conversation about the gift – and lesson – of listening with another talented Indigenous writer!

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More from Native Lights

  • Alex Kmett: Culture as Curriculum, Language as Medium
    Today, we’re speaking with language revitalization leader and cultural educator Alex Kmett. Alex is a citizen of the Red Lake Nation and a descendant of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe. He’s a 2026 Bush Fellow and a co-founder of a charter school in Red Lake Nation.
  • Ryan Dixon: Making Friends with the Dakota Language
    Today, we’re speaking with Ryan Dixon. Ryan is an enrolled member of the Oglala Lakota Tribe from Pine Ridge in South Dakota and has spent over two decades immersed in the Lower Sioux community in southern Minnesota. He trained under First Language Dakota speakers, and he now teaches Dakota. An educator and Indigenous language activist, he co-founded a Dakota Immersion Head Start programming and works to keep the language alive for future generations.
  • Michael Kurtz: Tales of a Wildlife Photographer
    Our guest today is a photographer who takes some stunning photos of wildlife. We’re very excited to speak with Michael Kurtz (Tasunka Opi). He’s Sicangu Lakota, enrolled in the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe. He runs Lakota Photography, blending wildlife photography, tracking, and cultural education. He’s also a naturalist and has volunteered with groups like the National Park Service and Project Coyote. He has spent countless hours across the Dakotas, Minnesota, and beyond, capturing wildlife in its natural habitat. Currently, he’s supervisor of programming and interpretation with Hoċokata Ṫi Cultural Center at the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux community.
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