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Native Lights: Where Indigenous Voices ShineIn Native Lights, people in Native communities around Mni Sota Mkoce - a.k.a. Author: Minnesota Native News
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 Minnesotas Communities with support from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage fund. Online at https://minnesotanativenews.org/ Language: en Genres: Documentary, Personal Journals, Society & Culture Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Janis A. Fairbanks: Lessons Learned and Memories of Her Ojibwe Grandma
Episode 167
Thursday, 6 November, 2025
Today, we are excited to welcome Janis A. Fairbanks to Native Lights. Janis is a member of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. She recently released a book called Sugar Bush Babies: Stories of My Ojibwe Grandmother, a memoir in lessons learned from her grandmother during the era of Indian Relocation. Janis also has a doctorate in Ojibwe language, literature and history. She is currently the chair of the Language Advisory Board for the Fond du Lac Band. Janis talks about a lifetime devoted to writing, a talent that she uncovered as a second grader trying to fit in. She wrote stories that enchanted her classmates, who called her "Ye Olde Storyteller." That recognition encouraged her to keep writing. One of the most important and influential people in Janis's life was her grandmother. She always arrived with a bag, holding oranges and other goodies for the grandkids, and with stories. One was about her grandmother's birth at a sugarbush camp in a pit lined with cedar. Janis collected this and other stories in her memoir Sugar Bush Babies. In our conversation, she also shares what it's like to be the mom of a five-month-old puppy, why some memories stick and other fades and her advice for aspiring writers.-----Hosts / Producers: Leah Lemm, Cole Premo Editor: Britt Aamodt Editorial support: Emily Krumberger Mixing & mastering: Chris Harwood-----For the latest episode drops and updates, follow us on social media. instagram.com/ampersradioinstagram.com/mnnativenewsfacebook.com/MNNativeNewsNever miss a beat. Sign up for our email list to receive news, updates and content releases from AMPERS. ampers.org/about-ampers/staytuned/ This show is made possible by community support. Due to cuts in federal funding, the community radio you love is at risk. Your support is needed now more than ever. Donate now to power the community programs you love: ampers.org/fund
