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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More from Native Lights
- Bradley Harrington: The United States 250th Anniversary from an Anishinaabe Perspective
On this episode Leah and Cole speak with Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe citizen Bradley Harrington who recently penned an article in the Mille Lacs Band newspaper, Ojibwe Inaajimowin, about 250 years of US occupation as the country marks the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. - Dr. Samantha Majhor: The Story Collector
Today, we’re excited to welcome Dr. Samantha Majhor to Native Lights. Samantha is a direct descendant of Fort Peck. She’s Dakota and Assiniboine and is an assistant professor in American Indian Studies at the University of Minnesota. She focuses on Native American literature, particularly literature by Dakota and Ojibwe writers around the Great Lakes region. - Aleyna Morales: Baking and Believing in Herself
Today, we’re speaking with Aleyna Morales. Aleyna grew up in the Twin Cities and Somerset, Wisconsin. Aleyna’s heritage includes Ojibwe from the Fond du Lac Band community and Mexican. She is the creator and baker behind Baked to Bliss by Laney. You can catch her selling baked goods at the Carlton County Farmers Market.
Fond Du Lac Band Of Lake Superior Chippewa’s Proposal To Expand Elk Population