Association of Minnesota Public Educational Radio Stations

Vern Northrup Honors the Spirit of Fire and Shares His Gift for Visual Storytelling

Native Lights

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 on Native Lights, we speak to Vern Northrup (Fond du Lac Band of Ojibwe) who is a visual storyteller and a retired wildland firefighter. He shares his knowledge and cultural perspective of fire – from the spirit of fire to the practice of controlled burns. This is a timely conversation, as wildfires are impacting precious areas, air quality, and lives across North America.

We also talk deeply about how Vern Northrup shares his environment and what The Creator shows him through his photography. Additionally, Vern, who is one of his tribe’s Rice Chiefs, gives us an update on how the wild rice beds are doing in the Fond du Lac area.

Chi-miigwech, Vern, for taking time to share with us your words, your art, and your connection to fire.

Vern Northrup’s ‘Akinomaage’ exhibit is now showing at the Reif Gallery at the Reif Performing Arts Center.

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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