Native Lights: Where Indigenous Voices Shine
In Native Lights, people in Native communities around Mni Sota Mkoce - a.k.a. Minnesota - tell their stories about finding their gifts and sharing them with the community. These are stories of joy, strength, history, and change from Native people who are shaping the future and honoring those who came before them.
Native Lights is also 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.
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/
- Update frequency
- every 10 days
- Average duration
- 28 minutes
- Episodes
- 251
- Years Active
- 2019 - 2025
Fern Renville: Re-connecting to the Dakota Homeland Through Weaving, History, Art and Joy
Fern Renville is a storyteller, artist, playwright, and enrolled citizen of the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate. Fern lives in St. Paul, Minnesota, where she is currently investigating the role of nettle fib…
Steven StandingCloud: Transforming Art in the Digital Future
Steven StandingCloud is an enrolled member of the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians located in northcentral Minnesota. Steven has been an artist most of his life and works under StandingCloud Graphic…
Gabby Menomin: Dedication to Ecological Restoration, Honoring Plant Relatives
Gabby Menomin is a citizen of the Forest County Potawtomi Community in northern Wisconsin. She’s currently the restoration manager for Wakan Tipi Awanyankapi. She oversees the ongoing ecological rest…
Dr. Melissa Blind: Working to Improve Indigenous Health and Dementia Research
Melissa Blind is Cree from George Gordon's First Nation in Saskatchewan. She earned her PhD in American Indian Studies from the University of Arizona. Melissa has over a decade of experience working…
Eileen Bass: Preserving Indigenous narratives and working to revitalize language
On today’s episode, Leah and Cole speak with Eileen Bass. Eileen is Hunkpapa Lakota, Mvskoke Creek, and a citizen of the Sac & Fox Nation of Oklahoma. She’s currently an undergraduate student at the …
Thomas Draskovic’s Gift of Artistry, Educating Native Youth and Activism
Today, Leah and Cole speak with Thomas Draskovic, a citizen of the Standing Rock Reservation in South Dakota who is an educator, actor, musician, artist and activist.
Thomas has worked in the Twin C…
Mathew Holding Eagle III: Finding a Voice for Radio & Covering Native Communities
On today’s episode, Leah and Cole speak with Mathew Holding Eagle III, a citizen of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation – federally recognized as the Three Affiliated Tribes – in western North Dak…
Travis Zimmerman: Sharing and Celebrating Ojibwe History
On today's episode, Leah and Cole speak with Travis Zimmerman, whose family is from the Crane Clan of Grand Portage. He is the site manager for the Mille Lacs Indian Museum and Trading Post. Travis …
Ernest Briggs: A Journey in Acting and Empowering Indigenous Artists
On today’s episode, Leah and Cole speak with Ernest Briggs (White Earth Nation), who is a director, writer, producer, teacher, and actor from the Twin Cities where he's worked in the theater communit…
Ernest Briggs: A Journey in Acting and Empowering Indigenous artists
On today’s episode, Leah and Cole speak with Ernest Briggs (White Earth Nation), who is a director, writer, producer, teacher, and actor from the Twin Cities where he's worked in the theater communit…
Adrienne Zimiga-January: Bringing more Native Voices to Theaters
Today, Leah and Cole chat with Adrienne Zimiga-January, a citizen of the Oglala Lakota Nation who has been creating and performing in the Twin Cities theater community for over a decade.
This fall,…
Tony Drews: Capturing Excitement for Native Culture and Language Through Games
Today, Leah and Cole chat with Tony Drews (first-generation direct descendent of Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe), a lifelong student of Ojibwe culture and language.
As president and founder of Nashke Nat…
Shaun Chosa: Reimagining Indigenous Presence in Pop Culture
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…
Tashia Hart: Art, Nature and The Path to Growing Joy
This week, Leah and Cole chat with Tashia Hart (Red Lake Nation), a culinary ethnobotanist, artist, photographer, award-winning author, and cook. As a multifaceted artist, Tashia’s art reflects the s…
Sam Zimmerman’s Journey Back to Painting and the Homelands
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 an…
Rhiana Yazzie: Empowering Indigenous Creativity
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 la…
John Villebrun: Cultivating the Next Generation Through Basketball
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 recent…
Native Lights At The Four Sisters Farmers Market Pt. 2
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 th…
Native Lights At The Four Sisters Farmers Market Pt. 1
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 Da…
An Garagiola’s Gift For Bringing Indigenous Values to Academia
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 arc…