Minnesota Native News: “Native Lights” Podcast

Transcript

Marie: This is Minnesota Native News, I’m Marie Rock.

Headlines: This week, we’ll hear more from our recently released podcast - Native Lights: Where Indigenous Voices Shine.

Marie: Throughout the first season, we’re joined by many people all over Minnesota and beyond, people who talk about finding their purpose in life, finding family, celebrating accomplishments, and working through hard times, and lots more. And throughout the five episodes, our hosts, Leah Lemm and Cole Premo share a bit of their experiences as well.

BRIAND Music

Marie: In episode 2 of Native Lights, Leah and Cole explore the topics of *Artistry and Identity.* The episode highlights the story of Briand Morrison, a jazz guitarist from Grand Portage.

He talks about his musical project that combines his training as a jazz guitarist… with his heritage. He calls his project: Anishinaabe Jazz.??Briand: I want to bring them together as a form of self discovery.

and some of the most affecting music that to me ever that I've heard is the Anishinaabe drum and the native drum. Um, anyway, so when I hear this music, it's just, I, you know, I just, my heart just sore. It's like I can hear, I can feel my whole body mind fill out. Like that's how I wanted, that's how I want music, my music to be. And I, when I play it, I want to feel that I want to feel my body fell out, my soul, you know, fill up

when I'm, when I'm doing with Anishinaabe jazz … I listen to music and I listen to the drum, listen to the singing, and, and then I try start to play along with them and then I go to myself and play something, carrying through the same emotional content.

Marie: Leah and Cole are both musicians as well and talk about what inspires their own music. Here’s a bit of what Cole says about his musical inspiration.

Podcast: (Cole)One of my biggest musical influences is Robbie Robertson of the band, and he's Mohawk native. And he brings in a lot of his native experiences into his songs. (Leah)Yes. I, I hear that in some of the, the music that you do, including, you know, some of the incidental music or music that we have for the Minnesota Native News.

MUSIC (COLE)

Marie: What is important to the hosts is that the stories come from a place of strength throughout the podcast. In episode 5 of the series, Leah and Cole focus on Media coverage in Indian Country, and how stories are presented to audiences.

Podcast: (Cole)Today we're hearing from amazing native individuals who are fighting to tell their story in a mainstream media landscape where native voices are seemingly misunderstood or ignored. And we definitely have some strong feelings about that subject (Leah )seemingly? Really. (Cole)Maybe I should just strike that from the script. (Leah)No, I would say ah, are, yeah. Misunderstood and ignored. And you know, that's, that's my belief, (Cole) you know, but when, when you hear from the community, it's definitely something that is an overwhelming feeling. (Leah) Or overwhelming fact. (Cole)Yes. Overwhelming fact. This invisibility basically. Right. Exactly.

Marie: Scholar and Historian Dr Kate Beane is featured on the podcast. She is a media-maker both in front and behind the microphone. Here, she reflects on the assumptions made by the media.

Dr Kate Beane: A lot of the time, I feel like if a news story breaks and it has to do with, they'll quote the people, they'll quote the history or um, anything with our community. There's this assumption that we won't speak up or there's this assumption that there's not anyone to talk to. And the fact is we have a really beautiful community of educated, bright people that can speak up for ourselves. In the past, there have been a lot of people who spoke up for us. There were a lot of people who wrote books about us. There were a lot of people that did things about us. And that time has come to an end.

Marie: You can listen to these stories and a lot more on Native Lights: Where Indigenous Voices Shine wherever you get your podcasts… or online at AMPERS DOT ORG.