Podcasts about mille lacs band

Tribal nations and native communities across North America are consistently one of the highest-risk population groups for a range of health and safety issues, including fire incidents and casualties. And yet, developing and implementing community risk reduction programs in native communities can be daunting, especially for non-native fire departments that don't understand native traditions, sensitivities, or histories.  Our guest today, Monte Fronk, has been the lone fire safety expert in his native American tribe, the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, for over 30 years. On today's podcast, I talk to Monte about his job, the challenges of poverty, generational trauma, and mistrust among native communities, and how he is working to turn the tide in his community one program and one conversation at a time.  Links:  Read the NFPA Journal Perspectives article featuring Monte Fronk Learn about Fronk's upcoming presentation at the NFPA Conference & Expo Check out new Summer 2025 issue of NFPA Journal

Today's episode is all about the best breakfast topping, the sap that slaps…maple syrup! If you've ever had maple syrup on your pancakes or waffles, you have the Native people of what's now called North America to thank for that. Native people have been making maple syrup for hundreds, if not thousands of years.Tag along with Joy and cohost Marvin as they explain how syrup is made. Minnesota Public Radio reporter Chandra Colvin also drops by to share how Native communities continue this centuries-old syrup tradition. Plus, you won't want to miss a new First Things First, so stick around!Featured Experts:Chandra Colvin is a reporter for Native News at Minnesota Public Radio. She's also a member of the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa. You can find more of her work here.Forest Hunt is a plant scientist with the East Phillips Neighborhood Institute. They are a direct descendant of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians in North Dakota.Shirley Boyd and Bette Sam are elders in the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe.

Vanessa Weyaus is a member of the Lynx clan of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe. Her name in Ojibwe translates as The Shining Light in the Sky Woman. Vanessa spent years in addiction, eventually living on the streets and running from the law. When she tired of it all, she turned herself in during a routine traffic stop. She was offered treatment, but chose to serve her prison sentence instead and has now been clean and sober for more than six years. Her recovery date is January 8, 2019. She now works as a substance use disorder counselor for the tribe.Many thanks to the Minnesota State Arts Board and the arts and cultural heritage fund for supporting this work.John Noltner is a fiscal year 2025 recipient of a Creative Individuals grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

Patrick Kruse is a member of the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and a descendant of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe. He lives and works along the shore of Mille Lacs Lake and has been creating birchbark art since the late ‘80s.  As a young adult, he says his mother had a dream where he worked with birchbark.  “My mom, kind of, not scolded, but warned me of the cultural significance of birchbark and not to be wasting it, because it's sacred,” he said.  He creates wall hangings and baskets, with scenes and images of nature. Kruse has even made birchbark cradles with colorful Ojibwe floral designs. Kruse says birchbark has always been used to tell stories. A prominent figure in several of his pieces is the Thunderbird, a spiritual figure in Ojibwe culture. He depicts the Thunderbird, using birchbark of various tones, surrounded by florals to show the changing of seasons. “When Native Americans hear the first thunder and lightning coming, they understand that it's the change of season — spring, flowers and rain. So, everything, instead of frozen ground, frozen tundra, everything starts growing,” Kruse said.  Melissa Fowler is a birchbark artist from the Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. She began working with birchbark 14 years ago after becoming more involved in learning cultural traditions.  She fears that working with birchbark could become a lost artform someday.  Fowler has created elaborate pieces, including contemporary ones. She hopes to inspire younger people with pieces, such as earrings and a crossbody handbag. “I know that we don't preserve our food in it [birchbark] anymore but maybe wearing it as an adornment is something that really excites people and makes people feel good about themselves as a way to push that forward into our contemporary society,” Fowler said.  Kruse shares those sentiments. He says he doesn't know many other people who work with birchbark. Alongside his work as an artist, he shares the knowledge of birchbark with those wanting to learn. “I'm trying to teach a better way about the birch and the forest, the water and the rice, different things I promote them things because it's important,” Kruse said. “I'm not going to be here, but these children, and the children's children are going to be here.” According to Fowler, the Ojibwe word for birchbark is “wiigwaas.” She says the wiigwaas and birch tree are referred to as the tree of life, an important part of the survival of Ojibwe people.  “We would use birchbark on a daily basis, from gathering to preserving our food and water, our canoes, our shelter.  We'd use it for medicine. We'd even use it to record our teachings and stories on birchbark scrolls,” she said.   Not a single piece of bark goes to waste either. Kruse says he uses leftover pieces to create smaller artworks or to make baskets.  “I learned that even the most smallest birchbark can be used to make a nice little piece of art,” Kruse said. “So, we try not to waste nothing.” He says learning about culture and participating in traditional crafts gives people strength.  “It brings hope, and it gives you better strength, because you're actually doing some work in whether it's small, big, medium." Fowler currently has an exhibit at the MacRostie Art Center in Grand Rapids, titled, “Endazhi-Dabendaagoziyaan - The Place Where I Belong.” She says her artwork will be at the Dr. Robert Powless Cultural Center in Duluth in August.  Kruse's artworks are featured in various collections and locations, including but not limited to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, the Science Museum of Minnesota and Minnesota Historical Society in downtown St. Paul and the Mille Lacs Indian Museum and Trading Post in Onamia.  

House Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Date: Tuesday, February 25, 2025 – 1:30 PM Location: Capitol Complex, 2008 RHOB, Washington, DC, 20515, USA WITNESSES Panel one Jeffrey Stiffarm President Fort Belknap Indian Community Harlan Baker Chairman Chippewa Cree Tribe Business Committee and Rocky Boy Health Center Ryan Rusche Citizen Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of Fort Peck Panel two Carole Lankford Councilwoman Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation Gene Small President Northern Cheyenne Tribe Panel three Bruce Savage Chairman Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Darrell Seki Sr. Chairman Red Lake Band Chippewa Indians Leonard Fineday Secretary Treasurer Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Virgil Wind Chief Executive Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Panel four J. Conrad “JC” Seneca President Seneca Nation Wena Supernaw Business Committee Chair Quapaw Nation Jeff Wacoche Chief United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians Panel five Ken Ahmann Tribal Utility Authority Director Colusa Indian Community Council Jose Simon III Chairman Middletown Rancheria of Pomo Indians Panel six Josh Cook Director of Intergovernmental Affairs Mooretown Rancheria of Maidu Indians Lester “Shine” Nieto Chairman Tule River Indian Tribe of California James Naranjo Governor Pueblo of Santa Clara More on Indianz.Com: https://indianz.com/News/2025/02/24/video-american-indian-and-alaska-native-public-witness-hearing-day-1-afternoon-session/

Kelly Applegate, Commissioner for Natural Resources with the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, talks about the Water Over Nickel Campaign, and about a newly proposed nickel mine near Tamarack, Minnesota

In Navajo origin stories, the turkey is a hero. He gathers up all the seeds from the third world and brings them to the fourth world we live in today. Many other tribes revere turkeys and make use of their feathers. Anishinaabe journalist Leah Lemm documents her own cultural reconnection by gathering wild rice, or manoomin, in her home reservation in Minnesota for the first time. Salmon are coming back to the tributaries of the Klamath River in California for the first time in a century after tribes helped bring about the largest dam removal project in history. And a Diné entrepreneur creates an unlikely fusion of traditional flavors and the increasingly popular boba drink craze. Those are the topics all on The Menu, our regular feature on Indigenous food stories and news. GUESTS Kenneth Brink (Karuk), vice chairman of the Karuk Tribe Sheldon Blackhorse (Diné), cultural advisor, actor, and math tutor Kevin Wilson (Diné), owner of Native Boba Tea Co. Leah Lemm (citizen of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe)

In Navajo origin stories, the turkey is a hero. He gathers up all the seeds from the third world and brings them to the fourth world we live in today. Many other tribes revere turkeys and make use of their feathers. Anishinaabe journalist Leah Lemm documents her own cultural reconnection by gathering wild rice, or manoomin, in her home reservation in Minnesota for the first time. Salmon are coming back to the tributaries of the Klamath River in California for the first time in a century after tribes helped bring about the largest dam removal project in history. And a Diné entrepreneur creates an unlikely fusion of traditional flavors and the increasingly popular boba drink craze. Those are the topics all on The Menu, our regular feature on Indigenous food stories and news. GUESTS Kenneth Brink (Karuk), vice chairman of the Karuk Tribe Sheldon Blackhorse (Diné), cultural advisor, actor, and math tutor Kevin Wilson (Diné), owner of Native Boba Tea Co. Leah Lemm (citizen of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe)

Leah Lemm, a citizen of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, explores the history and significance of manoomin, or wild rice, a food sacred to her people.Leah has spent her career making radio, making music and helping tell stories. She's a mom and spouse who lives in the north woods of Minnesota.Leah practices her culture in many ways. She's been slowly learning Ojibwemowin, the Ojibwe language. She helps share Native stories in her work as an MPR News editor who leads our Native News team. She stays active and attends community events. And every couple of years she harvests maple sap for syrup.But aside from cooking her famous Ojibwe fried rice, Leah didn't feel connected to the significance of manoomin — a sacred plant revered for its sustenance and deep connection to Indigenous identity and heritage. So, she set out with a film crew to connect with her cultural roots through the tradition of wild rice harvesting.Join her on her journey as she shares moments from the film, “Finding Manoomin: A Search for the Spirit of Wild Rice.” Finding Manoomin

We expect to hear in the next day who will be Vice President Kamala Harris' running mate. Minnesota Gov. Walz, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, and Arizona Senator Mark Kelly are top contenders. We spoke to three reporters who know each of these lawmakers.Do you know anyone with COVID right now? Dr. Jon Hallberg shared some advice for navigating the recent uptick in infections.Suni Lee is bringing home three medals from the Paris Olympics. We recapped her remarkable comeback.We visited a parcel of land recently restored to the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe. Minnesota Fringe Fest is bringing offbeat theater to venues across the Twin Cities — we heard about a horror comedy from the height of the 1990s Beanie Baby craze.Our Minnesota Music Minute was “Wondering Too” by the Penny Peaches.

 This week, two examples in Minnesota that support the larger “Land Back” movement across Indian Country, Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe's new Chief Executive, urban Native-led organizations celebrate during a collaborative open house, and a new tribally operated recreational marijuana dispensary now open in Minnesota.  

Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe v. Erica Madore

There's controversy over the upcoming graduation ceremony for Hinckley-Finlayson High School. On Monday, the school board announced the Native American Student Association will no longer have the opportunity to play the Ojibwe Honor Song with its drum group at graduation next Friday. More than 40 students walked out of class Wednesday in protest. They say that their culture is being silenced, even as Native American students make up about a quarter of the student body. Students say they'll continue walkouts and silent protests until graduation day. The district superintendent said in a statement that the reason is to ensure that graduation focuses on graduating students rather than extracurricular student activities. Melanie Benjamin Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe chief executive joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer with perspective on the situation.

Kelly Applegate, the Commissioner of Natural Resources for the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, discusses his efforts to restore declining purple martin populations in Minnesota. This segment is a follow-up to "Bird Declines" — a series produced by Mark Jacobs, that investigates the causes and complexities of bird population decreases in Minnesota.

Brandon Baity is Anishinaabe and a descendant of the White Earth Nation. He grew up in Brooklyn Park, MN and currently lives in Moorhead, MN with his 3 children, partner, and mother-in-law. He graduated with a degree in social work from the College of Saint Scholastica in 2013. After graduation he worked as a youth mental health practitioner, school social worker, program coordinator for youth suspended from school, and a program manager for youth experiencing homelessness. He was a founding board member and is the current Executive Director of the Indigenous Association in Fargo, ND.  In today's episode, Brandon shares the inspiring story behind the foundation of the Indigenous Association, delving into the deep-seated motivation driving its mission. We explore the pivotal moments of his journey from his involvement on a plethora of boards and planning committees, to his profound realization of the importance of cultural connection in leadership work. Discover what fuels Brandon's dedication to empowering community and learn how the Indigenous Association provides a platform for healing, art, community connection, and cultural revitalization. Native Lights: Where Indigenous Voices Shine 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. 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.https://minnesotanativenews.org/ https://www.indgns.org/ 

Counter Stories cofounder and cohost Donald Eubanks unexpectedly passed away in March. He was laid to rest next to his mother in the traditional Ojibwe way on the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Indians reservation. On April 13, 2024, the Counter Stories crew was honored to cohost a Celebration of Life event in the Twin Cities. Today, we bring you some of the stories shared at the event. 

This week, Minnesota Lynx draft part Samoan, part Alaska Native Alissa Pili, the Red Lake Nation College opens its new urban site in Minneapolis; and a celebration of Donald Eubanks' life – an Indigenous-Black community member who, during his life, worked for the State, the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Indians Tribe, Metro State University, among others, and was a founding member of the Counter Stories program. 

Bryce Premo is a Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe citizen and brother of Native Lights hosts Leah Lemm and Cole Premo. Bryce on the cusp of an exciting transition in his career. With a bachelor's degree in social work almost under his belt and poised to pursue a master's degree in the same field, Bryce shares his journey with us. He is member of the Social Work Honors Society, and a board member as a student representative with the National Association of Social Workers. In March 2024 Bryce was awarded student of the year from the NASW-MN (National Association of Social Workers).  In today's episode, Bryce delves into his current focus on decolonizing Euro-centric approaches within the social work industry. He discusses his research and studies aimed at reshaping tools and methodologies to better serve not only American Indian communities but other marginalized groups worldwide. His insights shed light on the importance of cultural sensitivity and inclusivity in social service practices, paving the way for a more equitable and effective approach to community care. Stepping away from his role as a youth worker, Bryce has gained invaluable experience in various social service positions. With a vision for positive change and a commitment to serving diverse communities, Bryce's journey exemplifies the protentional impacts of dedicated individuals in shaping the future of the social work industry. 

Meet Eldayshun Big Bear, known in the Minnesota hip-hop community as Day Dayz. He's a 22-year-old emerging hip-hop artist from the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe's reservation. On Wednesday, he dropped a new video for the song in partnership with the Dream Warriors Collective, a non-profit working to support and amplify Indigenous artists across the country. Day Dayz joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer to talk about the collaboration, what led him to a music career, and his new album coming out this summer.

"Misi-zaaga'iganiing" Shoe Design by Adrienne Benjamin of Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe. Courtesy of Adrienne Benjamin 

Historian Brenda J. Child stares at a buttery yellow sky framed by converging treelines reflected upon a lake. The scene is a painting by Duluth-based artist Jonathan Thunder and it's called “On the Grave of the Giant.” Below the sky's glow is a couple harvesting wild rice from a canoe. On the lake bottom are the skeletal remains of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox.The painting is on public view for the first time as part of the new exhibition “Dreaming Our Futures: Ojibwe and Očhéthi Šakówiŋ Artists and Knowledge Keepers” at the Katherine E. Nash Gallery at the University of Minnesota. Child is a Northrop Professor of American Studies and former chair of the Departments of American Studies and the Department of American Indian Studies, co-curated the exhibition with gallery director Howard Oransky. It features paintings by 29 mid-century and contemporary Ojibwe and Očhéthi Šakówiŋ (Dakota and Lakota) artists from, or connected to, the region. It is the inaugural exhibition of the George Morrison Center for Indigenous Arts, an “interdepartmental study center to support the creation, presentation and interpretation of Indigenous art in all its forms.” Child is the founder of the new center, which was sparked by the success of the 2016 Nash gallery exhibition that she curated, “Singing Our History: People and Places of the Red Lake Nation.” The center is named in honor of the internationally renowned abstract expressionist, a member of the Grand Portage Ojibwe from Minnesota, who died in 2000. Morrison also taught art at the University of Minnesota in the 1970s and 1980s.“We tend to think in Minnesota, ‘Oh, George Morrison. He's like a local guy who's done well in the art world,'” Child says. “But he's a very important figure in American abstract expressionism.”Back in the gallery, Child is focused on that yellow sky. “What I really like about this work, and I wouldn't have known this unless Jonathan had told me,” Child begins. She pauses and walks to the opposite gallery wall, which features a string of paintings by the famous mid-century painter Patrick DesJarlait. Like Child and Thunder, DesJarlait was from the Red Lake Nation in northern Minnesota. DesJarlait is one of their heroes, she says.In addition to paintings like “Red Lake Fisherman” (also on view), DesJarlait is also famous for his 1950s redesign of the Land O'Lakes maiden, adding an Ojibwe floral pattern to her attire. “So Jonathan's nod to Patrick is the bright butter yellow that he used in this painting,” Child says. Over the phone from his Duluth studio, Thunder says Land O'Lakes discontinued DesJarlait's design, and the maiden, in 2020, soon before he began working on the painting in 2021.“With the yellow sky in that painting and the two points of land that come together, that's obviously a nod to the Land O'Lakes butter box,” Thunder says. “From what I understand, the two points of land that come together, they can be seen in Red Lake where the upper and lower Red Lake kind of join.”That year, Thunder had gone to see the Red Lake vista.“It was like seeing a cartoon come to life or something,” Thunder says. “It's very much a tribally significant image with or without the butter maiden.”Thunder says the painting was also inspired by the time when he and his wife decided to learn how to harvest wild rice around Walker, Minn. In the painting, a pipeline takes the shape of a tentacle reaching into the canoe above the watery grave of Bunyan and Babe.“At the time, the Line Three protests were happening across Minnesota and I was starting to see some of the division it was creating in the communities there,” Thunder explains. ”You see statues of Paul Bunyan kind of littered throughout the landscape, which is significant of a time when they were coming through clearing forests. Paul Bunyan was the noble face of that cause. In the wake of all that, it's nice to see that people can still go out and rice and practice those traditional ways.”Thunder says he's excited to be placed in the gallery next to DesJarlait, an artist “I've seen my whole life.” He adds that, when he was growing up in the Twin Cities, he used to play basketball at the Minneapolis American Indian Center. It was there he discovered the 94-foot-long wood mural “Turning the Feather Around” that Morrison created in 1974 (and which was recently restored and reinstalled).“That's a huge development for the campus,” Thunder says of the new center.“Dreaming Our Futures” is a web of these overt and covert dialogues and relationships between artworks, artists and generations.On view, of course, are the abstracted rainbow-colored canvases of Morrison himself, as well as the paintings of other blue chip artists such as Dyani White Hawk, Frank Big Bear, Jim Denomie, Oscar Howe and Andrea Carlson.“This exhibit shows the history of American Indian art, fine art, in the United States and where it's been in the last half-century, especially with Howe, Morrison and DesJarlait,” Child explains.“Dreaming Our Futures” acts as an important marker in time, too: Fifty years ago, Morrison, DesJarlait and Howe participated in an exhibition of contemporary Indian painting in Washington, D.C.Child says that “Dreaming Our Futures” also shows how contemporary artists “have been very influenced by those foundational figures.”These include artists like Thunder and Dakota artist Holly Young, of Bismarck, N.D. Young uses the mediums of beadwork, quillwork, and ledger art, an art form that originated in cave and hide painting that has evolved to also use parchment and actual historical “ledger” documents as a canvas. Young also created the illustration for the cover of “The Seed Keeper,” the 2021 novel by Minnesota Native writer Diane Wilson, the wife of Denomie. Denomie died in 2022. Wilson wrote an essay, “Jim Denomie at Home,” for the exhibition catalog.Four of Young's ledger-style watercolor paintings are on view, featuring Native women dressed in a combination of historical regalia and contemporary attire.“A lot of what I draw is kind of based off of real life,” Young says. “I enjoy the look of the old things, but I'm also living in today's world as a contemporary artist.”Young is self-taught. Many of her artist influences — White Hawk, Bobby Wilson, Francis J. Yellow, Thomasina TopBear — have work on display in the same room. The ledger art of Yellow, a Minneapolis-based Lakota artist who died in August, hangs right next to Young's.“He was also somebody that I looked up to as a ledger artist. His work was very emotional,” Young says. “I always wanted to meet him, and I've been in the Minnesota area over the years, but we never crossed paths.”Flanking the other side of her paintings is a large spray-painted canvas by TopBear. In 2022, Young and TopBear painted a mural together in Young's hometown of Fort Yates, S.D.“I really gravitate towards Thomasina's work,” Young says. “She does a lot of nature-inspired work: Flowers, the prairie and the plant helpers, as I call them, like insects and bugs, things that I really enjoy myself.”In another room, three paintings by St. Paul figurative painter and muralist Steven Premo, of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, hang facing three surrealist and spiritual paintings by fellow Ojibwe artist Joe Geshick, who died in 2009. Premo is the husband of Child, and was a good friend of Geshick, she says. Premo inherited Geshick's easel, which Child says will be on display with a list of artists who have died in recent years. Another Minnesota Native author, Louise Erdrich, will be speaking about Geshick's art at the gallery on Feb. 4.“Each of these individuals takes their place in a lineage of Indigenous painters that stretches back centuries,” Oransky, the gallery director and curator writes in his essay, “A Vast Field of Feathers,” for the exhibition catalog. He also points to the Jeffers Petroglyphs, the 7,000-year-old sacred rock carvings Native people made in southwestern Minnesota.“This exhibition of paintings, like all the exhibitions that came before it and will come after it, beautifully and forcefully demonstrates that the need for drawn and painted images is a universal need,” Oransky writes.At the end of a gallery tour, Child pauses again, pondering the timing of the exhibition. The pandemic set back its original opening date years.“We need to show American Indian art every year and all the time,” Child says. ”But thinking as I do, as a historian, I've been thinking about the anniversary of American Indian citizenship in the United States 100 years ago.”President Calvin Coolidge signed the Indian Citizenship Act on June 2, 1924. Morrison, Howe and DesJarlait were all born years before they were legal citizens of the U.S.They were working in a different era, Child says. “And that's why I particularly wanted to include these figures like Oscar Howe, Patrick Desjarlait and George Morrison in the exhibit.” There will be “Dreaming Our Futures: Art and American Indian Citizenship, 1924 – 2024” panel discussions Feb. 2 at the Regis Center for Art.“Dreaming Our Futures” runs through March 16. The opening reception is Feb. 3 at the Regis Center for Art. Speakers include Child, Erdrich, Wilson, Minnesota Museum of Art executive director Kate Beane and Harvard professor Christopher Pexa.On Feb. 15, Patricia Marroquin Norby, the inaugural associate curator of Native American art at the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art, will read her catalog essay “Painting Medicine: George Morrison's Big Water Magic.”On March 14, artist Fern Cloud will present “The Spirit of My People: Traditional Dakota Hide Painting.”

One of the largest food banks in the country aims to cut Minnesota's hunger crisis in half. MPR News reports how they hope to do it.MPR News has a new health series with Dr. Jon Hallberg. This month's episode talks about the value of finding a medical home.Children across Minnesota are taking to a story booth to talk about what it's like to be a kid these days.Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe's chief executive is not seeking another term in office. MPR News has her insights on her last six terms.Plus, hear what Minneapolis chef Jorge Guzman is eating for lunch — and the latest on his new restaurant.Correction (Jan. 30, 2024) A previous version of this story had the incorrect number of terms for Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe's chief executive. The above version is correct.Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation. Subscribe to the Minnesota Now podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.   

Join us on a journey to the heart of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, where Monte Fronk, a tribal first responder, opens up about the painful loss of his daughter, Nada, and the ongoing struggle of indigenous communities against a backdrop of violence and neglect. As we discuss the history and impact of the missing and murdered indigenous people, Monte's powerful narrative is a sobering reminder of the deep-rooted issues facing Native American communities and the urgent need for awareness and action.Learn more by visiting our website and follow along with us on Instagram.Join our Silver Linings Fireside Chat Facebook group and join us on Patreon.

The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe plans to open a cannabis growing facility. In her annual State of the Band address Tuesday, chief executive Melanie Benjamin said the decision to get into the cannabis industry was not made lightly, but a majority of band members said they support it.That story and more in today's evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.

In the news, we have not heard of the many heartbreaking situations taking place where there has been an attack on indigenous women and Monte Fronk, who serves as an emergency management coordinator for the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe and he joined us to share his heart wrenching story of how his daughter was murdered in Brooklyn Park and how he is taking action alongside Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan is pushing for a better response to this issue and this epidemic is taking place seemingly under the radar and not receiving enough awareness and attention. 

A heartbreaking loss took place among the indigenous community in 2022 alongside the Gabby Petito case and mixed in the chaos of that, this story received not enough attention, therefore there is what appears to be an increase in attacks towards indigenous women and girls. Monte Fronk who serves as an emergency management coordinator for the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, shared the heart wrenching story of how his daughter was murdered and he has helped bring this epidemic to the forefront. Hear his story, what he is doing to bring attention to this and his experience on how far he has come. 

Estelle Timar-Wilcox: Native and non-Native audiences have been raving about “For the People.”  Colin Cash is a big theater fan and a member of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe. When he saw it, he forgot he was even watching a play. He even offered to pay for people's tickets so they could go, too. Colin Cash: In my eyes, for me, it wasn't just a play, it was an experience, and a look into the urban natives trying to find acceptance, community. There's so many nuances, the writing is just brilliant and there's layers to it. I've been recommending it to a lot of different people, because representation does matter. ETW: “For the People” premiered at the Guthrie in October and ran through November 12th. The show follows April Dakota, a young Native woman with big dreams of opening a wellness center on Franklin Avenue. April means well, but she's a little misguided. Her plans for vegan regalia and new-age Indigenous yoga get some eye-rolls from her elders. She lands in a tangle of neighborhood politics and a partnership with a rich developer that goes very wrong.  The Guthrie commissioned this show from playwrights Ty Defoe and Larissa FastHorse. FastHorse is a member of the Sicangu Lakota nation; her mom is from Minnesota, and she grew up in South Dakota. Defoe has Ojibwe and Oneida heritage, and grew up on Anishinaabe territory. But they weren't the only voices behind it. FastHorse said they developed the play using story circles – meetings with local Native people to see what they wanted to watch a play about.  Larissa FastHorse: It's really about making sure that we aren't writing what we want to write, we're writing what the community wants us to write, and we're asking the community again and again, ‘hey, whoever wants to tell us what you want a play to be about — come on, let us know.' ETW: The show mentions a lot of local landmarks and history — from the start of the American Indian Movement to Owamni. And the biggest note they got: it has to be funny. The result is a hilarious 90 minutes. The final battle features a yoga competition and a paintball bow-and-arrow. The comedy weaves through some really touching moments, too.  Co-writer Ty Defoe was responsible for writing a lot of the jokes.  Ty Defoe: That kind of comedy allows a type of a healing. When people either see themselves portrayed on stages or are a part of that process, I think there's something that allows the collective soul of Native people to come together in an urban environment that settler colonialism has so affected so that we can have a joy and a type of perseverance working together. ETW: Lindy Sowmick is Saginaw Ojibwe. She grew up in Michigan and moved to Minnesota for college. She called “For the People” the greatest play she's ever seen.  Lindy Sowmick: There's that feeling, deep in your heart, or in your stomach, when you're like, this is healing for my community. That's what art is meant to do, art's meant to tell a story. And you know, Indigenous folks have been storytellers for our entire generations. I think that this is just such a beautiful result of generations of us being storytellers. ETW: The Guthrie advertised the show as the first Native-written play on its main stages. FastHorse said she's glad it reached a wide audience.  LF: That's the beauty of theater. It's a live experience where you go with people that are having completely different experiences, and then you get to talk about it. It makes you have to interrogate things in a different way, which we really love. We're very aware that we're writing for a predominantly white institution, with a dominantly white subscriber base, but there was so much work being put into making sure we had a broader audience coming to this. And we made sure that this play was for the people, right?  There were a lot of things that didn't read to the white people, and we were like, that's okay. That part's not for you, and that's fine. (Laughter).  TD: For! The! People!

Today, Leah and Cole chat with artist Shaun Chosa. Shaun's art boldly blends Indigenous heritage, counterculture, and pop culture influences, echoing his self-described nomadic upbringing.  Currently, his pieces are on display at the Friedli Gallery through October 2023, where he weaves Indigenous traditions into the fabric of popular culture. Shaun shares captivating stories from his travels across Indian country, offers unique insights into Indigenous representation in pop culture, and his journey as an artist.  Miigwech, Shaun, for sharing your journey! Native Lights: Where Indigenous Voices ShineNative 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.   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. Online at https://minnesotanativenews.org/

Leah and Cole chat with artist Sam Zimmerman (Grand Portage). After two decades on the east coast in public education, Sam moved back to Minnesota to rededicate himself to his passion for painting and to be closer to his family and community. His artwork explores his Ojibwe heritage, as well as his learnings and experiences in nature after returning to his ancestral homelands. Sam shares about learning language and culture through community collaborations, illustrating books for Native authors, and collaborating with family. He tells Leah and Cole about his path, which began with a college-age passion for painting, and then a love for teaching, and has now come full circle as he returns home. Sam discusses his experience venturing into watercolor painting for the first time, which is showcased in his latest gallery exhibition titled "Indigenous Expressions Love Culture and Reinvention" at the American Indian Community Housing Organization (AICHO). This exhibition is a collaborative effort with author and illustrator Tashia Hart, as well as bead artist Chenoa Williams. Native Lights: Where Indigenous Voices ShineNative 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.  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. Online at https://minnesotanativenews.org/

Leah and Cole are joined by the multi-talented Rhiana Yazzie (Diné Nation), a remarkable theatre artist, filmmaker, playwright, and the visionary force behind New Native Theatre. Rhiana shares the latest developments at New Native Theatre, delves into her award-winning feature film ""A Winter Love," and shares about her lifelong passion for storytelling that has shaped her journey from childhood to becoming a leading voice in Indigenous creativity.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.   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. Online at https://minnesotanativenews.org/

Cole and Leah meet and chat with high school basketball coach John Villebrun (Bois Forte Band). John coaches girls' basketball at Mountain Iron-Buhl High School on the Iron Range. The team was recently crowned the Minnesota Class A State Girls' Basketball Champions, and John received the honor of Assistant Coach of the Year! Now as a decorated coach, John remains modest and continues to lead with perseverance and determination, setting an example for the next generation. Miigwech to John for chatting with us! Native Lights: Where Indigenous Voices Shine 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.   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. Online at https://minnesotanativenews.org/

Leah and Cole take a trip to Four Sisters Farmers Market in Minneapolis! It's the first market day of the year, and our hosts chat with poet, playwright, and author Marcie Rendon; Janet Court from the East Phillips Neighborhood Institute (EPNI); and The Pretendians who played music at the Farmers Market! We also hear Pretendians songs “For the Sun” and “The 38” from their upcoming album Stories From the Fire Four Sisters Farmers Marketis every Thursday 11am to 3pm during the summer and fall at The Native American Community Development Institute (NACDI) in Minneapolis. Native Lights: Where Indigenous Voices ShineNative 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.   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. Online at https://minnesotanativenews.org/

Leah and Cole take a trip to Four Sisters Farmers Market in Minneapolis! It's the first market day of the year, and our hosts chat with nature-inspired jewelry designer Lali Aguilar from Corn Silk Daughter; food and plant loving Rivianna Zeller, a Farmer & Distribution Coordinator with Dream of Wild Health; Native book publisher Tom Peacock from Black Bears and Blueberries Publishing; and Destiny Jones, Food Sovereignty Coordinator and Farmers Market Manager at Four Sisters Farmers Market at NACDI.  Stay tuned for part two of our trip to the market! The Four Sisters Market is every Thursday 11am to 3pm during the summer and fall at The Native American Community Development Institute (NACDI) in Minneapolis. Native Lights: Where Indigenous Voices ShineNative 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.   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. Online at https://minnesotanativenews.org/

Today Leah and Cole chat with An Garagiola, a descendent of the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa, and the University Coordinator and a Lead Researcher on the TRUTH Project. An shares about researching archives from the University of MN and the MN Historical Society, findings from the TRUTH Project, and how she's bringing Indigenous values to Academia and research.The Towards Recognition and University-Tribal Healing (TRUTH) project has released a report detailing the “persistent, systemic mistreatment” of Indigenous people by the University of Minnesota. As a land grab/grant university, the U of MN received stolen land as investment capitol from the US Government through the Morrill Act in 1862. The TRUTH project looks at different points of history within the U of MN and how it affected Native people, with input and research from the 11 Tribal nations in Minnesota.This is the third episode of a series with some of the leaders of the TRUTH research project: Listen to our interview with Misty Blue, and Audrianna Goodwin as well. Find out more about the TRUTH project: https://mn.gov/indian-affairs/truth-project/ In a statement to MN Native News, the University of Minnesota said “In recent years the University has committed to acknowledging the past and doing the necessary work to begin rebuilding and strengthening relationships with Tribal Nations and Native people. Openly receiving this report is another step toward honoring that commitment. While documenting the past, the TRUTH Report also provides guidance as to how the University can solidify lasting relationships with Tribes and Indigenous peoples built on respect, open communication and action. As we engage in the important discussions that will now follow, that guidance will be invaluable.”Native Lights: Where Indigenous Voices Shine 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.    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. Online at https://minnesotanativenews.org/

Today Leah and Cole chat with Audrianna Goodwin, a Red Lake Nation citizen and part of the core research team for the TRUTH Project where she has been appointed tribal research fellow for Red Lake Nation. Audrianna shares her outlook as a ‘dreamer' and how family and community helped her along her path. She explains her TRUTH Project research that examines medical research done to Red Lake children by the University of Minnesota and how Indigenous-led research is vital to healing and recognition The Towards Recognition and University-Tribal Healing (TRUTH) project has released a report detailing the “persistent, systemic mistreatment” of Indigenous people by the University of Minnesota. As a land grab/grant university, the U of MN received stolen land as investment capitol from the US Government through the Morrill Act in 1862. The TRUTH project looks at different points of history within the U of MN and how it affected Native people, with input and research from the 11 Tribal nations in MinnesotaThis is the second episode of a series with some of the leaders of the TRUTH research project: Listen to our interview with Misty Blue. Find out more about the TRUTH project: https://mn.gov/indian-affairs/truth-project/ In a statement to MN Native News, the University of Minnesota said “In recent years the University has committed to acknowledging the past and doing the necessary work to begin rebuilding and strengthening relationships with Tribal Nations and Native people. Openly receiving this report is another step toward honoring that commitment. While documenting the past, the TRUTH Report also provides guidance as to how the University can solidify lasting relationships with Tribes and Indigenous peoples built on respect, open communication and action. As we engage in the important discussions that will now follow, that guidance will be invaluable.”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.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. Online at https://minnesotanativenews.org/

Today Leah and Cole chat with Gerilyn Lopez, a member of the White Earth Nation. Gerilyn works as a weatherization auditor and inspector at MAHUBE-OTWA Community Action Partnership. She connects low incomes families to energy-efficient practices and materials in Northern Minnesota. In addition, she is an advocate for women and diverse communities getting into the clean energy and home improvement industries. Her work led her to speak at the Aspen Ideas: Climate conference in March. She shares her experiences at the conference, what she does as a weatherization auditor and how her interest in solar energy has lead her down this path. Native Lights: Where Indigenous Voices Shine 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.    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. Online at https://minnesotanativenews.org/

Today we're chatting with Alicia Smith, Alicia is Yupik from Pitkas Point Village in Alaska, and is the Deputy Director of the Economic Assistance and Employment Support Division at the MN Dept of Human Services. After working as an American Indian advisor for the state, she now oversees the state's anti-poverty support programs that include food stamps, food banks, shelters, and community action programs. She shares how family, community, and Yupik values have guided her along her path. Miigwech to Alicia for taking some time to chat!  Native Lights: Where Indigenous Voices ShineNative 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.  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. Online at https://minnesotanativenews.org/

Today Leah and Cole speak with Wayne Somes, a citizen of the Sault Ste Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians. Wayne shares how his passions for family, early childhood development, and Ojibwemowin have led him along a path to Northern Minnesota.  Wayne is also the Tribal Liaison for MAHUBE-OTWA Community Action Partnership, a community support non-profit serving Mahnomen, Hubbard, Becker, Otter Tail and Wadena counties. In his role, he works on outreach, tribal collaboration efforts, Ojibwe education, and increasing cultural practices. Wayne shares how his passions for family, early childhood development, and Ojibwemowin have led him his path to Northern Minnesota. More about MAHUBE-OTWA at : https://mahube.org/ Native Lights: Where Indigenous Voices ShineNative 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.  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. Online at https://minnesotanativenews.org/

Today we're speaking with artist Thomasina “Tomie” TopBear. She is a self-taught artist, muralist, published illustrator and organizer from the Oglala Lakota & Santee Dakota Nations. She specializes in large-scale murals; her work can be seen on the sides of buildings throughout the Twin Cities and the country. Cole talks with her about City Mischief Murals, which she co-founded. It's an all Indigenous, Black & Pacific Islander artist collective centered on healing through art. She had some great things to say about how murals can build a stronger community, the process of painting a mural, and much more. You can get a taste of her art at: https://www.instagram.com/tomierae  Native Lights: Where Indigenous Voices ShineNative 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.  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. Online at https://minnesotanativenews.org/

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 ShineNative 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.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. Online at https://minnesotanativenews.org/

Today Leah and Cole chat with Jewell Arcoren (Sisseton Wahpeton Nation). Jewell is a community activist and the Executive Director for Wicoie Nandagikendan, an Ojibwe and Dakota language immersion preschool in Minneapolis. There, she pursues her commitments to early childhood education, language revitalization and addressing intergenerational historical trauma. Jewell talks about how cultural integration is a key to healing and moving forward, including language revitalization and traditional foods. She shares about her journey with Wicoie Nandagikendan, the school's hope to expand and how culture can put people onto a path of healing. Wicoie Nandagikendan is language immersion pre-school that teaches through Ojibwe and Dakota languages. They are located along Franklin Avenue in Minneapolis within the American Indian corridor. Since 2006, they've been a national leader in language immersion. https://www.facebook.com/WicoieNandagikendan/  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. Online at https://minnesotanativenews.org/Native Lights: Where Indigenous Voices Shine 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.

Today is a special episode of Native Lights. We have two guests! Sasheen Goslin and Deanna Reder from the American Indian Community Housing Organization (AICHO) in Duluth. They are two members of the small team at AICHO that is dedicated to all aspects of wellness for the Indigenous communities in Duluth. Sasheen (Prairie Band Potawatomi, Red Cliff Ojibwe and Kickapoo) is the Indigenous Health Coordinator at AICHO and Deanna serves as the Legal Advocate for Dabinoo'Igan Domestic Violence Shelter ran by AICHO. Sasheen and Deanna share their a little about their journey to AICHO, what makes AICHO special, and the upcoming benefit for Dabinoo'Igan.AICHO is in the process of fundraising for an expansion of Dabinoo'Igan, including a benefit concert at the NorShor Theatre featuring performances by Annie Humphrey and Keith Secola. Find out more about the Dabinoo'Igan Domestic Violence Shelter expansion benefit show happening April 6th in Duluth: https://www.aicho.org/funddvshelter.html#/ 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. Online at https://minnesotanativenews.org/Native Lights: Where Indigenous Voices Shine 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.

Chandell Boyd, LADC, joins host Andrew Williams to discuss her work with the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, where she's an associate director for the Substance Use Disorders Department. Boyd is also an alumnus of the Hazelden Betty Ford Graduate School of Addiction Studies. And although she dreams of the day when addiction no longer affects her community, she's using her master's to coordinate new patient services and facilitate change in her community and among her people.

Today we chat with Annie Humphrey (Leech Lake Ojibwe). She's an Anishinaabekwe mother, grandmother, and an award-winning musician who's been a presence on the music scene for decades. We have a wide-ranging conversation with Annie that highlights her wisdom, her path to music, her care for her family and empathy for community. Annie talks about her latest album Eat What You Kill, building a hemp house, and the upcoming benefit show for the American Indian Community Housing Organization (AICHO)'s Dabinoo'Igan Domestic Violence Shelter expansion. Find out more about the Dabinoo'Igan Domestic Violence Shelter expansion benefit show happening April 6th in Duluth: https://www.aicho.org/funddvshelter.html#/Annie Humphrey's website: https://www.anniehumphreymusic.com/Native Lights: Where Indigenous Voices ShineNative 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. 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. Online at https://minnesotanativenews.org/ 

Today we chat with LeAnn Littlewolf, a Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe citizen and co-Executive Director for the American Indian Community Housing Organization (AICHO) in Duluth. AICHO's community informed programs aim to create a stronger, healthier, more stable Native community in Duluth. As co-Executive Director, LeAnn brings three decades of experience in community leadership and advocacy, culturally informed strategies for community and economic development. She shares about her path to leading at AICHO, how her work and AICHO's service are built around community needs and engagement and what is next for AICHO.AICHO's programs include emergency and transitional housing; health equity and food sovereignty initiatives; and community arts and cultural programming. Learn more about AICHO at: https://www.aicho.org/ 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. Online at https://minnesotanativenews.org/ 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. 

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. Rebekah Fineday's Gift for Building Trust in Healthcare Systems & Native Communities Today, we're speaking with Rebekah Fineday, a Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe citizen and Air Force veteran who serves as Sanford Health's Native American community advocate in Bemidji, Minnesota. She is also a Registered Nurse and has worked at Indian Health Service (IHS) in Cass Lake and Red Lake for more than a decade. Through her work, she's been advocating to improve health care in Native American communities which include community-minded patient relations, building relationships with other tribal health groups, and in-person patient advocacy. She shares a little about her time in the Air Force, working in Indian Health Services, and the importance of community and culture in the health care system. Miigwech to Rebekah 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. Online at https://minnesotanativenews.org/

Native Lights: Where Indigenous Voices ShineNative 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.  Levi Brown's Gift for Building Relationships Across the Table Today we're speaking with Levi Brown, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe citizen and Director of Tribal Affairs at the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDot). Levi talks with Leah and Cole about acknowledgement on a person-to-person level and on an institutional level. In his current position at MnDot, Levi helped facilitate the highway signs marking the 1854 Treaty boundaries in Northern MN, a step toward acknowledgment and a point of education. Levi is also a part of the Tribal State Relationship Training Program that helps develop collaboration and understanding between tribes and Minnesota state departments.   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. Online at https://minnesotanativenews.org/

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.Elaine Fleming: Celebrating and Sharing the Culture of Leech LakeToday Leah and Cole chat with Elaine Fleming. She teaches and preserves Leech Lake Ojibwe culture, history, and language. Elaine proudly lives in Cass Lake, where she has been an instructor at Leech Lake Tribal College for 29 years. Elaine has immense gratitude and care for Leech Lake's natural gifts. At the tribal college, she has taught through hands-on experiences rooted in Leech Lake history and tradition, including manoomin harvesting, historical theatre, and knowledge bowl. She teaches several subjects including Leech Lake history, Anishinaabe studies and Indigenous American Women. Elaine shares her journey to working at the tribal college, her experiences teaching the next generation, and how through teaching she is still learning.Elaine is also an Army veteran; was the mayor of Cass Lake from 2003 to 2006; and is the host of the History of Leech Lake Show on KOJB Radio. Chi miigwech to Elaine for sharing with us!Find the Leech Lake Tribal College online at: https://www.lltc.edu/Native Lights: Where Indigenous Voices Shine. Native Lights is produced by Minnesota Native News and Ampers with support from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage fund. Online at MinnesotaNativeNews.org/NativeLights

Native Lights: Where Indigenous Voices ShineNative 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. Amber Annis: Nurturing & Protecting Authentic Narratives Today Leah and Cole chat with Amber Annis, a Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe citizen who is currently the director of Native American Initiative at the Minnesota Historical Society. Amber has a long history not only as a public historian, but as an educator, tribal nation liaison, community engagement specialist and collaborator.  She also talks about her experience teaching “Topics in Contemporary Native North America” at Metro State University; the process behind reframing historical archives of Indigenous people; and how her and the Minnesota Historical Society are helping reframing how K-12 teach the history of Minnesota.  Pidamayaye and Miigwech to Amber for sharing with us today!  Native Lights: Where Indigenous Voices Shine. Native Lights is produced by Minnesota Native News and Ampers with support from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage fund. Online at MinnesotaNativeNews.org/NativeLights

Native Lights: Where Indigenous Voices ShineNative 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. Jada Brown: Expression and Affirmation Through Singing Today Leah and Cole have a conversation with Jada Brown. Jada is a Minneapolis-based singer, songwriter and spoken word poet who is affiliated with the Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwe. She just released her debut solo album Admiration this month. Jada is also in the band Willows who are releasing an EP at Icehouse in January. Jada has been singing since her teen years and moved to Minneapolis from St. Michael. Jada is also studying Global Studies, American Indian Studies and Gender studies at the University of Minnesota. Chi Miigwech to Jada for talking with us today.  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. Online at https://minnesotanativenews.org/