Adam Savariego: The Power of Asking Questions

Transcript

[Music: Native Lights Theme]

ADAM SAVARIEGO: For someone that maybe lacked grandparents growing up and not hearing deep rich community stories, I had to be very intentional to find that information, and it started with a really simple question, Where does Upper Sioux come from? Because I didn't know. But that was like the genesis of everything I've come to know about history, the legalese around treaties.

LEAH LEMM: Boozhoo, hello. Welcome to Native Lights, where Indigenous voices shine. I'm your host Leah Lemm.

COLE PREMO: And I'm your other host Cole Premo. Miigwech for joining us today. Native Lights is more than a podcast and radio show. At its core, it's a place for Native folks to tell their stories. Each and every week, we have captivating conversations with great guests from a whole lot of different backgrounds. We're talking musicians, artists, community leaders, you name it. They have a wonderful mixture of passions, and we talk to them about their passions and gifts and how they share their gifts with the community. And it centers around the big point of purpose in our lives. Let's continue amplifying Native voices today. What's going on, Leah. Absolutely, another day, super excited to be back at it again. What's going on?

LEAH LEMM: I don't know. I know it's been a while. I think I'm doing well, yeah, hanging in there. Lots of stuff to do, lots of news, lots of things going on in the world. So just trying to keep up lots of news,

COLE PREMO: Huh. Never, never.

LEAH LEMM: Just trying to keep up. How about you?

COLE PREMO: I've been away from the news grind for a little bit. I was fortunate enough to get some time away from the full-time gig to spend with our nearly nine-month-old Artem. So it's been, it's been a whole different type of stress, working with the kiddo. But it's also been, of course, very rewarding. I've got three more weeks left, and I'm already kind of seeing the work ahead on the horizon and returning to work and all that stuff. So we'll see how that goes. But yeah, we've been good. Mariya's back to work.

LEAH LEMM: Are you able to unplug to a little, a little bit of a degree?

COLE PREMO: Of course, I got to kind of keep up with at least some current events and not be completely, not be completely out of my depth when I return. You know, I can't, like, ask for a recap when I get back, or anything. I gotta—

LEAH LEMM: Oh, yeah, last time on what's new in America.

COLE PREMO: So, yeah, I randomly got into a bunch of horror books, audio books, so I've been kind of get into that, The Ruins, Bat Eater, Call of Cthulhu. Downloaded The Terror by Dan Simmons, which is like the shipwreck in the 1800s and just like some monster thing that they're trying to avoid. I just got into it. So I'm not quite sure what's going on, but cool. I don't know. I don't know why I got into that, but I've been like, researching scary audiobooks and stuff like that, because it's not like nice. Life is scary enough. I just got to listen to it too.

LEAH LEMM: Well, I've been jet setting a little bit, going here and the going there, you know. So I've been reading a little bit. Latest book I've been reading is Artemis by Andy Weir. ]

COLE PREMO: Nice, cool.

LEAH LEMM: The book takes place on the moon. You know, can't go wrong with a solid plot like that.

COLE PREMO: So, did you follow the Artemis mission?

LEAH LEMM: The Artemis mission.

COLE PREMO: Artemis two.

LEAH LEMM: I did a little bit, yeah, you know, I'd pop back in and out because I feel like I would have just binged it. Yeah, kept it up on a screen, sitting close to it like a little kid in front of a TV.

COLE PREMO: I made sure to check in every now and then. It was really cool. Yeah, I mostly like to read when I travel. So it's been nice at this point in time to do that, yeah, yeah. And I like to listen audio books when I'm cleaning and putting away toys and all those types of good stuff. Current stay at home, father, but like you said, it's good to be back into it. Let's get into it. Who's our guest today?

LEAH LEMM: Huh? I was trying to set you up.

COL PREMO: Oh, that's right.

LEAH LEMM: But I will take it from here.

COLE PREMO: Classic. Right over my head.

LEAH LEMM: We have a guest on who actually really loves traveling. So I will, I will pivot like that. We're excited today to speak with Adam Savariego. He's a citizen of the Upper Sioux Community and is the Native American Affairs Advisor with the Minnesota Governor's Office. And prior to his current work at the Governor's Office, Adam served on the Upper Sioux Board of Trustees and as the community cultural liaison at Yellow Medicine East High School in Granite Falls Minnesota, down there in southwest Minnesota. He's also a traveler, a foodie and a cat lover. So really excited to talk with him today. Let's welcome him to the show. Hello. Adam. Boozhoo.

ADAM SAVARIEGO: Hello.

LEAH LEMM: Thanks for being on with us.

COLE PREMO: All right. Boozhoo, Adam, could you please just start by introducing yourself and, you know, letting us know where you're joining us from?

ADAM SAVARIEGO: [Introduces himself in Dakota language.] Hello, my relatives, you get the handshake from the heart. I am Adam. My Dakota name is Pan Pan Ho'Waste, which roughly translates to I Cry Out in a Good Way That Catches People's Attention. That's one interpretation. There's a few other ones. I'm from, and I'm enrolled at place where we dig the Yellow Medicine, also known as a Pejuhutazizi community, located just southwest of Granite Falls, Minnesota, in southwest Minnesota.

COLE PREMO: Awesome. So how are you doing? How's the family?

ADAM SAVARIEGO: I got a big family. I have six sisters, two that are under the age of 18, and four other sisters, you know, living independent lives. Some of the kids, some nieces and nephews, and, you know, two healthy parents, fortunately. So overall, my family is doing pretty good. I would say, great.

LEAH LEMM: Well, thanks for that, Adam. We like to kick off our conversation by just seeing what's on your mind. Cole and I were talking about some books we were reading things like that. But is there anything that's on your mind?

ADAM SAVARIEGO: I'm happy the weather's nice. I coach track. I'm very happy when there's nice days out and we can actually be productive outside.

LEAH LEMM: What is the track season?

ADAM SAVARIEGO: Usually early March, till end of May, sometimes June, if you have athletes make it through the section and get the state level.

LEAH LEMM: Did you run track?

ADAM SAVARIEGO: I did. It turned into my favorite sport by my senior year, because, I guess the fruits of your labor, you could actually see individually. I loved playing basketball as well, but I got a knack for track and like, I was pretty competitive, at least at the section level. And I started coaching 2020 during COVID. The part that really, I guess, fulfilled me there was we, every year, we've always had a handful of tribal members join, and these were young people who I've known since, you know, running around on the res at 567, years old, and then seeing them grow into young adults, and then now coaching them in a sport that was really fun and fulfilling for me.

LEAH LEMM: And is this at Yellow Medicine East High School?

ADAM SAVARIEGO: Yep, they'd be at Yellow Medicine East High School.
LEAH LEMM: Great. And then, do you still run? I ask as a past runner who is lapsed.
ADAM SAVARIEGO: Regrettably, for the first time in my life, the past year and a half, I have not been able to run. Between 2019 and 2025, I did three marathons. Between 2024 and 2025, I did two of those marathons, and I kind of maybe caused some long term damage in my heel, some plantar fasciitis I've been dealing with. So hardcore, serious running I've kind of put to the side while I try to rehab that.

LEAH LEMM: Well, you can teach those students a good lesson there.

COLE PREMO: You're listening to 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. Today, we're speaking with Adam Savariego, citizen of the Upper Sioux Community, who is the Native American advisor with the Minnesota Governor's Office. Prior to his current work with the Governor's Office, Adam served on the Upper Sioux Board of Trustees and as the community cultural liaison at Yellow Medicine East High School in Granite Falls, Minnesota.

LEAH LEMM: Why don't you give us a little overview, Adam, of what you do now and what you do at the Governor's Office there?

ADAM SAVARIEGO: So yeah, I work for the State of Minnesota for the office of Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan. My previous title was Native American Affairs Coordinator. It's a lot of like logistics planning with the 11 tribal nations bordered and bounded by the state of Minnesota They changed my title to Native American Affairs Advisor, as at the time, I lacked a director, and I guess I just picked up other responsibilities of helping advise policy agencies so on so forth. But the primary job really is embedded in state statute 1065, the Tribal Consultation Policy, that is a state law that adheres agencies to tribal consultation, especially if there's tribal implications to policy. So part of my job is I help oversee that advise tribal liaisons that are employed by the state, engaging network in behalf of their agency. Kind of the broad overview. There's so many other details and nuances that I've come to learn, you know, working in the office, but the principle of it is, you know, upholding and uplifting tribal sovereignty.

LEAH LEMM: Yeah, and for folks who don't know, can you say a bit about what that policy is, the 1065?

ADAM SAVARIEGO: Yeah, state statute 1065 is for named agencies that are part of the state of Minnesota system. They have to develop a consultation policy and ideally have a tribal liaison to engage in tribal consultation work.

LEAH LEMM: So like the Minnesota DNR.

ADAM SAVARIEGO: Yep, DNR.

LEAH LEMM: Department of Transportation.

ADAM SAVARIEGO: DOT, yep, agencies such as that, especially when those agencies are engaging in work close to individual tribes and or will have tribal impacts. That state statute ensures that the tribe is consulted with when it comes to items that may have impacts on their or close to their tribal lands and or their tribal members. And it's in respect to a government to government relationship, right?

COLE PREMO: So this is where I ask, you can go into as much detail as you want or just pass on the question, but could you talk about a specific example of something that you've done that you're proud of in this position, working at the governor's office?

ADAM SAVARIEGO: I think, something that's very public that I was proud to be a part of, and it only involves my current job, because this office that I work for now helped facilitate some of those conversations with my tribe. When I was on tribal council, we had a nearby state park for years that the tribal council elders the tribe at Upper Sioux Community, advocated for that land return, especially because it was adjacent to tribal lands, and through that tribal consultation with the DNR because it was under the jurisdiction of the DNR. Again, after years of requests of that ideal like that land, in principle, should be returned, both for practical and philosophical reasons, I was able to be part of the team, I guess, on Tribal Council, to see that through. Regardless, if I was there or not, it would have happened. I was just really happy to be part of that leadership, to see it happen. But you know, through that state statute 1065 those direct conversations between the tribe and the agency would have never existed. And I think that's a really good example, again, that's publicly known that took place in 2023 of that land being returned to the tribe.

LEAH LEMM: Adam, I know the chairman had mentioned that that process had been going on for a long time, decades, even 20 years, something like that, correct?

ADAM SAVARIEGO: Yeah, 20 plus years.

LEAH LEMM: Would you say in part or that, that this policy of government to government relationship kind of brought it over the finish line, then, helped to bring it over the finish line?

ADAM SAVARIEGO: Yeah, the answer is probably yes. I mean, there's a lot of things that fell in place to allow it to happen beyond just that policy, but to be able to have that consultation with the DNR and the tribe's one request was the same thing every year, at least for the record, you know, showed consistency of the tribe's position, even though that was the tribe's position long before the policy and beyond just the 20 years, right? You're talking all the way back to 1862 when you have treaty considerations with the Traverse des Sioux treaties that took place in 1851. So a long standing request that my little sliver of life was able to be a part of what led you to working in the governor's office.

LEAH LEMM: Wait, was this your dream?

ADAM SAVARIEGO: Things just kind of worked out the way they did. I served council for four years as secretary, and it was a very fulfilling job, you know, to work on behalf of my people and be honored for them to, you know, elect me to uphold that responsibility. I guess at my age, you know, I just made a decision like I didn't want to continue doing this right now. And I kid you not, I didn't have a plan for what I was going to do after. I've always left it to maybe faith and belief that something will work out. And literally, my last week on the job, I just got a general email sent out about a job opening, and I inquired, did I have to live there? Like, what the hours look like? And it just seemed like a great opportunity that fit my skill set already. And so I applied. And two, three months later, I was selected to work in the governor's office. So literally, that's like, that's how it worked out.

LEAH LEMM: That's great. Well, you mentioned you had a skill set that could apply to this work. What do you think your gifts are that you bring to the position?

ADAM SAVARIEGO: I think, to really hit the nail on the head of like, what I think my gift is one ability to connect and communicate with people, to be able to hold space, but also to understand both history and present day circumstances, and then how that applies to policy, and then just being able to connect. How do I word this? Like those different portfolios of my lived experience to make it relevant to whatever I'm doing presently. I know I'm speaking very like abstract and philosophical, but like that, that is how I approach the world, whether it's at track or working in the governor's office. I had the deep gratitude of a wonderful graduate program that taught me how to think and allowed me to be who I was as a person, to explore like what that deep thinking can bring. But then also making it lived and practical in an everyday sense. But something I reference constantly is I have a bachelor's degree in "history," and I say that in quotations. It taught me how to think, but it gave me an avenue to explore my own tribe's history at a young age. For someone that maybe lacked grandparents growing up and not hearing deep rich community stories, I had to be very intentional to find that information. And it started with a really simple question, Where does Upper Sioux come from? Because I didn't know. And then I started doing research. It led me to the 1930s with the Indian Reorganization Act. Once I, oh, well, it didn't start there. It started prior to that. Well, then you go to Dakota exile, and then the US Dakota War, the 1851 treaties, and then now you get into the lived, cultural and oral stories that have been passed on that Dakota people have been here for hundreds, if not 1000s of years. That question really helped me understand my identity more, but also saw the, I guess, the knowledge gap with not just like my own community members and young people I work with, and I wasn't the only one like asking that question right at the time. I was only like 21, 20, and I was unpacking this very rich history and cultural identity, really, that helped me connect more deeply with being a Dakota person, connect with my culture, spirituality, some language. I'm by no means fluent. I like to say I have a vocabulary of a four year old and some simple sentence structure, but that was like the genesis of everything I've come to know about, history, policy, the legal leads around treaties and those impacts it had, not only on like Upper Sioux but like all Dakota people, even Dakota, people that still are exiled, or the reservations are outside of what they may consider their homelands in Minnesota. So and there's like, so much more to unpack there, but I guess to bring it back full circle, like with what my gift is, you know, I've been able to, I guess, articulate all these different types of knowledge and distill it into something that's digestible and practical, both, whether it's philosophy, Dakota, history, culture, language, whether it's in my current workplace, tribal council, just being a tribal member to a track coach, knowing who you are is like a very important foundation to anything you do. You know, I really believe in being an authentic person. Doesn't sit with me not to be authentic but then challenging. who is that authenticity, and who is that person I'm bringing up each and every day, not only for others, but then for myself. And then just trying to be present too, you know? Because ultimately, that's what it comes down to.

LEAH LEMM: That's great, and you're also an educator.

ADAM SAVARIEGO: So to cope, yep, the COVID year again, I was approached to teach at Southwest Minnesota State University. I taught there for three to four years college level, the principle of like, how do I take all this stuff I've learned over the years, and make course content that's both digestible, not triggering, like, I guess, white guilt, for lack of better term. You get students like that to get really overwhelmed and guilty, and now it's like they don't even hear what you're teaching, because now they're just blaming themselves. But then when you get Indigenous students and it gets even more complicated, because they're navigating that same question. Like I'm at a university being taught who I am. That doesn't necessarily sit right with me, either. So after three or four years of doing that, I transitioned to the community college in Granite Falls, because really what I wanted to do was teach my own young people from my tribe at the local high school through PSEO. And I did that for three years, two or three years, after those first two or three years, like, enrollment, like, dropped pretty heavily, because I got most of the kids from 10th to 12th grade. And then like, new people coming in. It was like only two or three. And so the past year and a half, two years, I've done independent studies with young people now. And really that independent study is more of a I'm just a guide, and they're exploring something that they care about, that pertains to them, as it pertains to Indigenous history. And more often than not, what does it mean to be Dakota, and where does that come from? And they develop a place to just begin answering or trying to find those questions, right? Because you're not going to find answers that validate or fulfill that identity question. But if you can develop a process of exploration around that question, I have a deep belief that they'll carry that for the duration of their life. And when I was 24, 25 doing that and like the practice of teaching, I didn't know what I was doing. I knew I could convey an idea, and the way I framed questions were never multiple choice. It was open ended questions, because I really believed in that reflection piece, right? We can learn this history, but what does it mean for today? Or how do you be accountable to this history that hasn't clearly treated Dakota people right in the state of Minnesota, and again, embedded in that philosophy, open endedness, reflection, you're learning about a group of human people, not the noble savage stereotype of how often Indigenous people get distilled down to.

LEAH LEMM: You're listening to 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. Today, we're speaking with Adam Savariego, citizen of the Upper Sioux Community, who's the Native American Affairs Advisor with the Minnesota Governor's Office. Prior to his current work at the Governor's Office, Adam served on the Upper Sioux Board of Trustees and as the community cultural liaison at Yellow Medicine East High School in Granite Falls.

COLE PREMO: What gives you the fuel to continue doing what you're doing? What inspires you to keep going?

ADAM SAVARIEGO: When I was 20, I thought I would find an answer to like, what does it mean to be Dakota? What does it mean to be part of community and tribe? Really, really heavy questions. And I guess now, 10 years later, it's about that relationship, not only with yourself, physical world, people that you're close with, people that seek you out for advice or insight on things. I don't want to be a cliche, but like really just it's about being a good relative and taking that responsibility of the knowledge that I've been able to acquire and be blessed with and be given that knowledge, you know, whether it's from elders, researchers, mentors and carrying that knowledge. Both in a lived way, but also in a way that I'm reciprocal to those around me, whether it's me just being a tribal member, a Dakota person, a track coach, a professor or working in an office, and just being super mindful of how you share that knowledge and with who you share it with, too. But I do believe there's a responsibility to uphold those values, you know, in being a good relative to that knowledge itself.

LEAH LEMM: I do want to ask you a bit about travels, because I noticed that you enjoy that. Why don't you tell us a bit about how you caught the travel bug?

ADAM SAVARIEGO: I was really, I don't wanna say young. I was like, late teenager, early 20s. I started watching this YouTuber named Casey Neistat, who would do the whole travel vlogs. Video is like, I don't say inspired me, but like, definitely put it like, I could be doing something like this. Probably when I was 20, I did a whim decision to travel to Japan with some friends, and I don't think I fully appreciated it. And then from there, it's just like, oh, this is way easier than I thought. Then that opened the door to like Croatia, Italy, Iceland, Mexico, Hawaii, Sweden, oh, then Peru last summer. Probably the most memorable experience, because when I went to Croatia as part of a study abroad program of looking at youth programs and how the Yugoslavia breakup affected young people. So I was there for like 27 or 28 days, but one of the days we had the privilege of working with three individuals. One was from Turkey, one was from Senegal, and I'm forgetting where the third person was from. But for three hours, we broke into three groups, and we worked with that person to create a meal from their country. And that was less about the food, but more of the experience of like, you know, no different than Indigenous people. Like this comes from my grandma. We use it for celebrations. And like hearing that enrich and lived story, and now me, being from Granite Falls, Minnesota, having the honor to share that meal with them, and like that humanity. That was really special in all my other travels, hardly ever you can get someone to sit down with you and have them make a homemade meal from their home country and then share the story of where that food came from. Like, that was a very humbling experience. I felt really small, not a bad way. Just like, wow. Like, I'm just really honored to be here but I will say I have a soft spot for al pastor tacos in Mexico. They are probably, though they are absolutely my favorite food. In general, there's one taco spot in Minneapolis that comes close. Los Ocampos.

LEAH LEMM: Oh, Los Ocampos. Yeah, I'll just add mine. We also have been to Japan, and we went to a wagyu spot, and just like, bellied up, locked in, just wagyu upon wagyu. And I won't forget. It was delicious.

COLE PREMO: But yeah, as we kind of close out, do you have, you know, some final thoughts, some things that we didn't bring up, that you'd like to share, anything like that?

ADAM SAVARIEGO: It really boils down to me, just like, how do I show up in the world for myself and others, and how do I do that that's authentically in aligned with me, regardless of avenue I explore.

[Music: Native Lights Theme]

LEAH LEMM: All right, Adam Savariego.

COLE PREMO: Yeah, I like that whole, you know, be a good relative. Just have that at top of mind all day, every day.

LEAH LEMM: That's a really good one. Really solid just as guidance. And you know, that includes being a good relative to yourself, which, you know he talked about as well. So I'm very appreciative of that perspective, it's good to keep in mind.

COLE PREMO: So miigwech to our guest, Adam Savariego, citizen of the Upper Sioux Community, who is the Native American Affairs Advisor with the Minnesota Governor's Office. I'm Cole Premo.

LEAH LEMM: And I'm Leah Lemm. Miigwech for listening. You're listening to 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.