Native Lights: Where Indigenous Voices Shine

Biidaapi: s/he comes laughing. (Ojibwemowin)

Hello Relatives!  Today we talk with Shelbie Shelder (Little River Band of Ottawa Indians), a 4th year medical student at the University of Minnesota. Shelbie talks about how the Coronavirus pandemic has impacted her rigorous academic load but also re-invigorated her desire to be a physician. Shelby is also focused on Native youth mental health during this time and recording the health disparities amplified by Covid-19.

Biidaapi: s/he comes laughing. (Ojibwemowin)

Boozhoo! Today we catch up with Marie Rock (White Earth) who is the Program Manager at KOJB-FM “The Eagle” Radio which broadcasts to the Leech Lake Reservation, where she hosts the morning show.  Marie is also the host of MN Native News, so her voice is familiar throughout the state.  Enjoy our fun and lively chat with Marie who shares how she copes and keeps spirits high during the pandemic.

Biidaapi: s/he comes laughing. (Ojibwemowin)

Hello! Connecting with friends and family during this pandemic is incredibly important.  So today, we are catching up with our brother Bryce Premo (Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe). Bryce works in mental health advocacy and suicide prevention, and he manages a Sober House. Bryce tells us some of the ways he and the residents help each other maintain good mental health, even while facing the challenges and uncertainty of these times. 

Greetings!  Today we catch up with Deb Foster (St. Croix Ojibwe), Executive Director of the Ain Dah Yung Center which provides a healing place of safety and support for Native youth.  We first met Deb Foster in our Native Lights Podcast (S2 EP4) when we talked about how Mino Oski Ain Dah Yung came to life. Now Deb shares how the youth and staff are faring during the pandemic, and how traditional practices offer strength and hope.

Biidaapi: s/he comes laughing. (Ojibwemowin)

Boozhoo!  Today we meet Maggie Thompson (Fond du Lac Ojibwe) the owner/designer/artist at Makwa Studio, a small knitwear business. When the pandemic hit, she answered the call and fired up her sewing machine. Maggie and her team crank out cotton masks to donate to healthcare workers, alongside creating and selling special ribbon masks celebrating adaptation and resilience.

Greetings!  Today we’re happy to speak with Vanessa Goodthunder (Lower Sioux) who is the Director of Cansayapi Wakanyeza Owayawa Oti (Early Head Start and Preschool). Vanessa shares how she and her fellow teachers are staying connected to their students, from a distance.  And, we laugh about all the TV binging we’re doing in these times. Biidaapi: s/he comes laughing. (Ojibwemowin)

We round out Season 2 of our Native Lights podcast by exploring the cultural influences that have shaped the work of two celebrated and accomplished Native artists.

Chaz Wagner (Bois Forte Ojibwe) is a musician, singer, traditional drummer, and co-leader of the Native American rock band, War Bonnet, which was nominated for two 2019 Native Grammy Awards.

Dyani White Hawk Polk (Sičangu Lakota), is a mixed media visual artist. Dyani has earned many grants, fellowships, and awards, including “Artists of the Year” from the Minneapolis Star Tribune newspaper.  The honor was shared with five of her peers for their work curating the ground-breaking “Hearts of Our People” touring exhibition, launched in June of 2019 at the Minneapolis Institute of Art.

Hosts: Leah Lemm (Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe) and Cole Premo (Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe), siblings, musicians, and contributors to Minnesota Native News.

In-studio Guest: Melissa Townsend, producer & reporter

Theme Music: Cole Premo

Links:

https://www.warbonnetofficial.com/

https://www.dyaniwhitehawk.com/

You can reach us at: [email protected]

Native Lights Podcast is a production of Minnesota Native News and Ampers, Diverse Radio for Minnesota’s Communities, and made possible by funding from the Minnesota Arts and Culture Heritage Fund, and the citizens of Minnesota. Ampers is an association of 18 independent community radio stations in Minnesota, which are all licensed to a college, school, university, Native American tribe, or directly to the community. http://ampers.org/

In this episode, two stories highlight significant work to build supportive environments for Native people to heal and thrive.

Kwe Pack is a spectacular group of Native women supporting each other to run long-distance trail races. Kwe Pack has been featured on Good Morning America, ESPN, Sports Illustrated, and Oprah Winfrey’s World Vision Tour.  This group encourages each other to draw on their inner strength; to heal and flourish in all areas of their lives.

We also talk with hosts Leah and Cole’s brother Bryce Premo (Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe) about how facing his own struggles with depression and anxiety brought him tools that he now shares with others in his work in mental health advocacy and suicide prevention.  As a youth leader at the Division of Indian Work, a Safe Talk presenter, and Sober House manager, Bryce explains how helping create supportive environments for others is the best medicine for himself.

Hosts: Leah Lemm (Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe) and Cole Premo (Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe), siblings, musicians, and contributors to Minnesota Native News.

In-studio Guest: Melissa Townsend, producer & reporter

Theme Music: Cole Premo

Links:

Find Kwe Pack on Facebook

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK(8255)

Or Text HOME to 741741

You can reach us at: [email protected]

Native Lights Podcast is a production of Minnesota Native News and Ampers, Diverse Radio for Minnesota’s Communities, and made possible by funding from the Minnesota Arts and Culture Heritage Fund, and the citizens of Minnesota. Ampers is an association of 18 independent community radio stations in Minnesota, which are all licensed to a college, school, university, Native American tribe, or directly to the community. http://ampers.org/

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The program explores the unstoppable power when two visionaries come together to bring a special project to life.

We meet Deb Foster (Ojibwe), the Executive Director of Ain Dah Yung and Mike Laverdure (Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians in North Dakota), a partner with DSGW Architects.  Deb Foster and Mike Laverdure both played leading roles in the creation of Mino Oski Ain Dah Yung, a beautiful new apartment building in St. Paul, where formerly homeless Native young adults can live, reconnect to culture, and get job skills.

Hosts: Leah Lemm (Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe) and Cole Premo (Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe), siblings, musicians, and contributors to Minnesota Native News.

In-studio Guest: Laurie Stern, producer & reporter.

Theme Music: Cole Premo

Links:

http://adycenter.org/

https://www.aises.org/about/board/michael-laverdure

https://dsgw.com/category/projects/native-american/

You can reach us at: [email protected]

Native Lights Podcast is a production of Minnesota Native News and Ampers, Diverse Radio for Minnesota’s Communities, and made possible by funding from the Minnesota Arts and Culture Heritage Fund, and the citizens of Minnesota. Ampers is an association of 18 independent community radio stations in Minnesota, which are all licensed to a college, school, university, Native American tribe, or directly to the community. http://ampers.org/

This episode explores work being done towards authentically and accurately representing Native people, communities, and our stories.

Rebecca Crooks-Stratton (Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community) is the Secretary/Treasurer of her tribe, and now she leads "Understand Native Minnesota," an ambitious campaign to support Native American narrative change in Minnesota’s K-12 education system, as a way to raise awareness and constructively overcome misunderstandings and misperceptions.

Chad Germann (Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe) is the Founder and CEO of Red Circle, one of the nation’s top Native-owned advertising agencies.  Chad Germann is a rising success in the Twin Cities ad agency world, specializing in marketing and advertising for Casinos, and is known for his notable ads bringing awareness to the #NotYourMascot movement.

Both leaders talk with us about their careers, their motivations, and gifts for doing this work.

Hosts: Leah Lemm (Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe) and Cole Premo (Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe), siblings, musicians, and contributors to Minnesota Native News.

In-studio Guest: Laurie Stern, producer & reporter.

Theme Music: Cole Premo

Links:

https://www.understandnativemn.org/

https://redcircleagency.com/

You can reach us at: [email protected]

Native Lights Podcast is a production of Minnesota Native News and Ampers, Diverse Radio for Minnesota’s Communities, and made possible by funding from the Minnesota Arts and Culture Heritage Fund, and the citizens of Minnesota. Ampers is an association of 18 independent community radio stations in Minnesota, which are all licensed to a college, school, university, Native American tribe, or directly to the community. http://ampers.org/

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