Fond du Lac Arts Transistor (https://transistor.fm) https://feeds.transistor.fm/fond-du-lac-arts Fond du Lac Arts is a series exploring the stories, creative expression, and craftsmanship of Fond du Lac artists from a range of disciplines. This project is produced by AMPERS, Diverse Radio for Minnesota’s Communities in partnership with WGZS, the Radio Voice of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, with support from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. © 2025 Association of Minnesota Public Educational Radio Stations. All rights reserved. 857f6092-7e68-5f45-84a5-417c97564eb1 yes en Thu, 18 Jun 2026 10:00:07 -0500 Thu, 18 Jun 2026 10:01:37 -0500 http://www.wgzs89.net/ https://img.transistorcdn.com/yIZizyFvsYPhFIKNFkEgaLXNoDQdAMoxQA1x71jUZ0w/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:1400/h:1400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS84ZTNm/MGViYWQ1OTU0MzVh/YTdlMGYwZjVjOGZj/NDZjNC5wbmc.jpg Fond du Lac Arts http://www.wgzs89.net/ serial WGZS Fond du Lac Arts is a series exploring the stories, creative expression, and craftsmanship of Fond du Lac artists from a range of disciplines. This project is produced by AMPERS, Diverse Radio for Minnesota’s Communities in partnership with WGZS, the Radio Voice of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, with support from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. Fond du Lac Arts is a series exploring the stories, creative expression, and craftsmanship of Fond du Lac artists from a range of disciplines. Native American, Minnesota, Indigenous, Arts AMPERS emily@ampers.org No No Jeff Savage 1 1 Jeff Savage full bc5eb710-2f3d-4402-9adc-4314a73dd6ef https://share.transistor.fm/s/406e4565 Jeff Savage shares his experience of quarrying pipestone and making pipes from the red stone that has been used by Indigenous peoples for thousands of years.

]]> Jeff Savage shares his experience of quarrying pipestone and making pipes from the red stone that has been used by Indigenous peoples for thousands of years.

]]> Wed, 28 May 2025 13:27:10 -0500 WGZS WGZS 120 Jeff Savage shares his experience of quarrying pipestone and making pipes from the red stone that has been used by Indigenous peoples for thousands of years.

]]> Native American, Minnesota, Indigenous, Arts No Britt Aamodt Janis A. Fairbanks 2 2 Janis A. Fairbanks full 796ed913-999e-4457-bbf9-eaab7adf6342 https://share.transistor.fm/s/12a7dedf Janis Fairbanks talks about her new memoir Sugar Bush Babies: Stories of My Ojibwe Grandmother and the grandmother that inspired her love of storytelling.

]]> Janis Fairbanks talks about her new memoir Sugar Bush Babies: Stories of My Ojibwe Grandmother and the grandmother that inspired her love of storytelling.

]]> Wed, 28 May 2025 13:28:13 -0500 WGZS WGZS 120 Janis Fairbanks talks about her new memoir Sugar Bush Babies: Stories of My Ojibwe Grandmother and the grandmother that inspired her love of storytelling.

]]> Native American, Minnesota, Indigenous, Arts No Britt Aamodt Biidaasige Thomas Howes 3 3 Biidaasige Thomas Howes full b33ebcf4-8ea0-407e-be4f-c7008bec3ca7 https://share.transistor.fm/s/b13f4d1c Biidaasige Thomas Howes is a cradleboard and lacrosse stick maker. He uses the craft of steam bending wood to create his work, a skill taught him years ago by a Red Cliff birch bark canoe maker.

]]> Biidaasige Thomas Howes is a cradleboard and lacrosse stick maker. He uses the craft of steam bending wood to create his work, a skill taught him years ago by a Red Cliff birch bark canoe maker.

]]> Wed, 28 May 2025 13:28:46 -0500 WGZS WGZS 120 Biidaasige Thomas Howes is a cradleboard and lacrosse stick maker. He uses the craft of steam bending wood to create his work, a skill taught him years ago by a Red Cliff birch bark canoe maker.

]]> Native American, Minnesota, Indigenous, Arts No Britt Aamodt Moira "Miri" Villiard 4 4 Moira "Miri" Villiard full 180269da-e307-465f-926d-3327d7b80ac3 https://share.transistor.fm/s/bf2149da Multidisciplinary artist Moira Villiard loves the image of the hand. In the fabric piece, "Resist and Reclaim," she embroidered hands on a denim jacket stitched together with handwork made by the women in her family, past and present, evoking the invisible labor of women across the centuries.

]]> Multidisciplinary artist Moira Villiard loves the image of the hand. In the fabric piece, "Resist and Reclaim," she embroidered hands on a denim jacket stitched together with handwork made by the women in her family, past and present, evoking the invisible labor of women across the centuries.

]]> Wed, 28 May 2025 13:29:24 -0500 WGZS WGZS 120 Multidisciplinary artist Moira Villiard loves the image of the hand. In the fabric piece, "Resist and Reclaim," she embroidered hands on a denim jacket stitched together with handwork made by the women in her family, past and present, evoking the invisible labor of women across the centuries.

]]> Native American, Minnesota, Indigenous, Arts No Britt Aamodt Karen Savage-Blue 5 5 Karen Savage-Blue full be822095-bd9e-464e-9096-f4acc371d251 https://share.transistor.fm/s/4c60eb27 Karen Savage-Blue decided to challenge herself as an artist. For one year, she made a painting every day, even on way-too-busy days and days when everything seemed to go wrong.

]]> Karen Savage-Blue decided to challenge herself as an artist. For one year, she made a painting every day, even on way-too-busy days and days when everything seemed to go wrong.

]]> Wed, 28 May 2025 13:29:45 -0500 WGZS WGZS 120 Karen Savage-Blue decided to challenge herself as an artist. For one year, she made a painting every day, even on way-too-busy days and days when everything seemed to go wrong.

]]> Native American, Minnesota, Indigenous, Arts No Britt Aamodt Chi Ma'iingan 6 6 Chi Ma'iingan full f2544b1d-ebd8-479a-8bf2-7361db22a69b https://share.transistor.fm/s/5c5f32a4 In 2019, Chi Ma'iingan stepped away from his job as police chief to create Round Lake Traditions, contemporary apparel with traditional Ojibwe floral designs.

]]> In 2019, Chi Ma'iingan stepped away from his job as police chief to create Round Lake Traditions, contemporary apparel with traditional Ojibwe floral designs.

]]> Wed, 28 May 2025 13:30:24 -0500 WGZS WGZS 120 In 2019, Chi Ma'iingan stepped away from his job as police chief to create Round Lake Traditions, contemporary apparel with traditional Ojibwe floral designs.

]]> Native American, Minnesota, Indigenous, Arts No Britt Aamodt Allie Tibbetts 7 7 Allie Tibbetts full dceeb877-d6be-49d6-90ec-f4fa4e2472bd https://share.transistor.fm/s/655672ce Allie Tibbetts had already written two children's books drawn from Ojibwe culture and language. But now she wanted to write a story to remind her daughter and other Ojibwe children where they came from. That became her 2025 book Anangokaaning Wenjibaad: The One Who Comes from the Stars.

]]> Allie Tibbetts had already written two children's books drawn from Ojibwe culture and language. But now she wanted to write a story to remind her daughter and other Ojibwe children where they came from. That became her 2025 book Anangokaaning Wenjibaad: The One Who Comes from the Stars.

]]> Wed, 28 May 2025 13:30:54 -0500 WGZS WGZS 120 Allie Tibbetts had already written two children's books drawn from Ojibwe culture and language. But now she wanted to write a story to remind her daughter and other Ojibwe children where they came from. That became her 2025 book Anangokaaning Wenjibaad: The One Who Comes from the Stars.

]]> Native American, Minnesota, Indigenous, Arts No Britt Aamodt Thomas Peacock 8 8 Thomas Peacock full ea8c7b4f-0a35-4574-a2de-cd891f9ddbba https://share.transistor.fm/s/3241ce66 Thomas Peacock was the kid with his ear to the door when older relatives were in the next room, talking family and Fond du Lac history. So, it was no surprise he grew up to be an author and historian. In 2018, together with wife Elizabeth Albert-Peacock, he started Black Bears and Blueberries Publishing, to promote Native authors and illustrators. 

]]> Thomas Peacock was the kid with his ear to the door when older relatives were in the next room, talking family and Fond du Lac history. So, it was no surprise he grew up to be an author and historian. In 2018, together with wife Elizabeth Albert-Peacock, he started Black Bears and Blueberries Publishing, to promote Native authors and illustrators. 

]]> Wed, 28 May 2025 13:31:28 -0500 WGZS WGZS 120 Thomas Peacock was the kid with his ear to the door when older relatives were in the next room, talking family and Fond du Lac history. So, it was no surprise he grew up to be an author and historian. In 2018, together with wife Elizabeth Albert-Peacock, he started Black Bears and Blueberries Publishing, to promote Native authors and illustrators. 

]]> Native American, Minnesota, Indigenous, Arts No Britt Aamodt Joyce LaPorte 9 9 Joyce LaPorte full f160f846-14a6-4ce7-ab75-95b58708310f https://share.transistor.fm/s/c53a86f7 When Joyce LaPorte was five, her grandma showed her how to sew and to make her first No Face Doll. Joyce continues to make No Face Dolls, which are now in museum collections around the world, and to teach others to make them.

]]> When Joyce LaPorte was five, her grandma showed her how to sew and to make her first No Face Doll. Joyce continues to make No Face Dolls, which are now in museum collections around the world, and to teach others to make them.

]]> Wed, 28 May 2025 13:32:02 -0500 WGZS WGZS 120 When Joyce LaPorte was five, her grandma showed her how to sew and to make her first No Face Doll. Joyce continues to make No Face Dolls, which are now in museum collections around the world, and to teach others to make them.

]]> Native American, Minnesota, Indigenous, Arts No Britt Aamodt Maggie Thompson 10 10 Maggie Thompson full 3ba6512f-3a4d-44e7-a49b-f2b5c3acfee4 https://share.transistor.fm/s/4d845d92 Textile artist Maggie Thompson shares the story behind her latest work, "The Hospital Gown Project," and how art works as a kind of therapy to help us process emotions and experiences.

]]> Textile artist Maggie Thompson shares the story behind her latest work, "The Hospital Gown Project," and how art works as a kind of therapy to help us process emotions and experiences.

]]> Wed, 28 May 2025 13:32:36 -0500 WGZS WGZS 120 Textile artist Maggie Thompson shares the story behind her latest work, "The Hospital Gown Project," and how art works as a kind of therapy to help us process emotions and experiences.

]]> Native American, Minnesota, Indigenous, Arts No Britt Aamodt Aleyna Morales 11 11 Aleyna Morales full 27c5f131-2437-44e6-8da9-262133b291a4 https://share.transistor.fm/s/47df36da Aleyna Morales was going through a rough period in her life. She found her bliss in baking.

Image: Aleyna Morales  [credit: Aleyna Morales]

]]> Aleyna Morales was going through a rough period in her life. She found her bliss in baking.

Image: Aleyna Morales  [credit: Aleyna Morales]

]]> Mon, 08 Jun 2026 11:06:45 -0500 WGZS WGZS 120 Aleyna Morales was going through a rough period in her life. She found her bliss in baking.

Image: Aleyna Morales  [credit: Aleyna Morales]

]]> Native American, Minnesota, Indigenous, Arts No Britt Aamodt Giizh Sarah Agaton-Howes 12 12 Giizh Sarah Agaton-Howes full 5bc63560-096e-487a-866c-70cab20d3441 https://share.transistor.fm/s/7d93afad The Cloquet’s Pinehurt Park bandshell formed a backdrop for Giizh Sarah Agaton-Howes’s childhood summers. So she was thrilled when the city and the Fond du Lac Band decided to incorporate Native public art into the structure, and that they asked her to do it.
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Image: Giizh Sarah Agaton-Howes.  [credit: Jaida Grey Eagle]

]]> The Cloquet’s Pinehurt Park bandshell formed a backdrop for Giizh Sarah Agaton-Howes’s childhood summers. So she was thrilled when the city and the Fond du Lac Band decided to incorporate Native public art into the structure, and that they asked her to do it.
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Image: Giizh Sarah Agaton-Howes.  [credit: Jaida Grey Eagle]

]]> Tue, 09 Jun 2026 10:00:00 -0500 WGZS WGZS 120 The Cloquet’s Pinehurt Park bandshell formed a backdrop for Giizh Sarah Agaton-Howes’s childhood summers. So she was thrilled when the city and the Fond du Lac Band decided to incorporate Native public art into the structure, and that they asked her to do it.
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Image: Giizh Sarah Agaton-Howes.  [credit: Jaida Grey Eagle]

]]> Native American, Minnesota, Indigenous, Arts No Britt Aamodt Rizal Agton-Howes 13 13 Rizal Agton-Howes full d80e04a0-d249-4271-bb4f-8e5c1636fb5d https://share.transistor.fm/s/e173f091 Rizal Agaton-Howes went to college freshman orientation hoping to find a drum group. There wasn’t one. So he and other students started their own.
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Image: Rizal Agaton-Howes helped establish a drum group at the University of Minnesota – Morris. [credit: Rizal Agaton-Howes]

]]> Rizal Agaton-Howes went to college freshman orientation hoping to find a drum group. There wasn’t one. So he and other students started their own.
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Image: Rizal Agaton-Howes helped establish a drum group at the University of Minnesota – Morris. [credit: Rizal Agaton-Howes]

]]> Wed, 10 Jun 2026 10:00:00 -0500 WGZS WGZS 120 Rizal Agaton-Howes went to college freshman orientation hoping to find a drum group. There wasn’t one. So he and other students started their own.
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Image: Rizal Agaton-Howes helped establish a drum group at the University of Minnesota – Morris. [credit: Rizal Agaton-Howes]

]]> Native American, Minnesota, Indigenous, Arts No Britt Aamodt Valerie Whitebird 14 14 Valerie Whitebird full feeef4ac-0bb0-4bb3-9bd2-9bb8a51f4b4c https://share.transistor.fm/s/34a7eb48 Valerie Whitebird thought she’d be a bead artist. But it was the ribbon skirt that called to her imagination.
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Image: Ribbon skirt by Valerie Whitebird.  [credit: Valerie Whitebird]

]]> Valerie Whitebird thought she’d be a bead artist. But it was the ribbon skirt that called to her imagination.
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Image: Ribbon skirt by Valerie Whitebird.  [credit: Valerie Whitebird]

]]> Thu, 11 Jun 2026 10:00:00 -0500 WGZS WGZS 120 Valerie Whitebird thought she’d be a bead artist. But it was the ribbon skirt that called to her imagination.
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Image: Ribbon skirt by Valerie Whitebird.  [credit: Valerie Whitebird]

]]> Native American, Minnesota, Indigenous, Arts No Britt Aamodt Wendy Savage 15 15 Wendy Savage full 750574c1-9049-42cb-bdc1-10a6f5ab617c https://share.transistor.fm/s/815ad431 Wendy Savage looked into her ancestors’ fur trade past to find designs for a new series of beadwork art.

Image: Article about Wendy Savage's art, featuring an image of a beaded purse by Wendy Savage. [credit: Wendy Savage] 

]]> Wendy Savage looked into her ancestors’ fur trade past to find designs for a new series of beadwork art.

Image: Article about Wendy Savage's art, featuring an image of a beaded purse by Wendy Savage. [credit: Wendy Savage] 

]]> Fri, 12 Jun 2026 10:00:00 -0500 WGZS WGZS 120 Wendy Savage looked into her ancestors’ fur trade past to find designs for a new series of beadwork art.

Image: Article about Wendy Savage's art, featuring an image of a beaded purse by Wendy Savage. [credit: Wendy Savage] 

]]> Native American, Minnesota, Indigenous, Arts No Britt Aamodt Alexandera Houchin 16 16 Alexandera Houchin full 66709b34-a9ca-42c4-b20f-a89ea0ecde5b https://share.transistor.fm/s/84b79dcf Alexandera Houchin shares her relationship with the important bikes and her life and how they became part of her creative writing. 

Image: Alexandera Houchin scaling bike trail Coconino Overlook. [credit: Alexandera Houchin]

]]> Alexandera Houchin shares her relationship with the important bikes and her life and how they became part of her creative writing. 

Image: Alexandera Houchin scaling bike trail Coconino Overlook. [credit: Alexandera Houchin]

]]> Mon, 15 Jun 2026 10:00:00 -0500 WGZS WGZS 120 Alexandera Houchin shares her relationship with the important bikes and her life and how they became part of her creative writing. 

Image: Alexandera Houchin scaling bike trail Coconino Overlook. [credit: Alexandera Houchin]

]]> Native American, Minnesota, Indigenous, Arts No Britt Aamodt Gary Charwood, Jr. 17 17 Gary Charwood, Jr. full 18058daa-3c65-43ca-92f6-ce9ad57fd944 https://share.transistor.fm/s/eef95acf Gary Charwood, Jr., wanted to turn his life around and find some way to contribute to community. He did that was a film camera and traditional practices.

Image: Gary Charwood, Jr. [credit: Gary Charwood, Jr.]

]]> Gary Charwood, Jr., wanted to turn his life around and find some way to contribute to community. He did that was a film camera and traditional practices.

Image: Gary Charwood, Jr. [credit: Gary Charwood, Jr.]

]]> Tue, 16 Jun 2026 10:00:00 -0500 WGZS WGZS 120 Gary Charwood, Jr., wanted to turn his life around and find some way to contribute to community. He did that was a film camera and traditional practices.

Image: Gary Charwood, Jr. [credit: Gary Charwood, Jr.]

]]> Native American, Minnesota, Indigenous, Arts No Britt Aamodt Kelsey Van Elt 18 18 Kelsey Van Elt full c680e5c8-b9a2-4673-8d17-ba7dfa209be2 https://share.transistor.fm/s/863eb656 The artist Ikwe (Kelsey Van Elt) visited an abandoned school on Fond du Lac to record ambient sounds and to use those to tell the story of former student of the school, her great grandma Harriet Smith.

Image: Kelsey Van Elt  [credit: First Nations Fund website]
Audio: AANIKOOBIJIGAN GIKINOO’ AMAADIIWIGAMIG. Great Grandmother’s School: That’s How Some Things Go…, featuring:
   - Marjorie Ellison (Kelsey’s Grandmother)

   - Kino Galbraith (Videographer)

   - Ikwe (Sound artist)
AND
"Cranes in the Sky” by Kelsey Van Elt, aka Kelsey Pyro

]]> The artist Ikwe (Kelsey Van Elt) visited an abandoned school on Fond du Lac to record ambient sounds and to use those to tell the story of former student of the school, her great grandma Harriet Smith.

Image: Kelsey Van Elt  [credit: First Nations Fund website]
Audio: AANIKOOBIJIGAN GIKINOO’ AMAADIIWIGAMIG. Great Grandmother’s School: That’s How Some Things Go…, featuring:
   - Marjorie Ellison (Kelsey’s Grandmother)

   - Kino Galbraith (Videographer)

   - Ikwe (Sound artist)
AND
"Cranes in the Sky” by Kelsey Van Elt, aka Kelsey Pyro

]]> Wed, 17 Jun 2026 10:00:00 -0500 WGZS WGZS 120 The artist Ikwe (Kelsey Van Elt) visited an abandoned school on Fond du Lac to record ambient sounds and to use those to tell the story of former student of the school, her great grandma Harriet Smith.

Image: Kelsey Van Elt  [credit: First Nations Fund website]
Audio: AANIKOOBIJIGAN GIKINOO’ AMAADIIWIGAMIG. Great Grandmother’s School: That’s How Some Things Go…, featuring:
   - Marjorie Ellison (Kelsey’s Grandmother)

   - Kino Galbraith (Videographer)

   - Ikwe (Sound artist)
AND
"Cranes in the Sky” by Kelsey Van Elt, aka Kelsey Pyro

]]> Native American, Minnesota, Indigenous, Arts No Britt Aamodt Lyz Jaakola 19 19 Lyz Jaakola full a6397e1d-976a-4a10-850c-4bc2c2f269ee https://share.transistor.fm/s/1cf0c72b The Oshkii Giizhik Singers began with Lyz Jaakola and a dream about a women’s hand drum group.
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Image: The Oshkii Giizhik Singers began with Lyz Jaakola and a dream about a women’s hand drum group. [credit: Andrea Canter]
Music: “Maija’s Sweetheart Song”, “Mikinak”, “Anishinaabekwe” from  the Oshkii Giizhik Singers' album It's a New Day for Love (2008)

]]> The Oshkii Giizhik Singers began with Lyz Jaakola and a dream about a women’s hand drum group.
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Image: The Oshkii Giizhik Singers began with Lyz Jaakola and a dream about a women’s hand drum group. [credit: Andrea Canter]
Music: “Maija’s Sweetheart Song”, “Mikinak”, “Anishinaabekwe” from  the Oshkii Giizhik Singers' album It's a New Day for Love (2008)

]]> Thu, 18 Jun 2026 10:00:00 -0500 WGZS WGZS 120 The Oshkii Giizhik Singers began with Lyz Jaakola and a dream about a women’s hand drum group.
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Image: The Oshkii Giizhik Singers began with Lyz Jaakola and a dream about a women’s hand drum group. [credit: Andrea Canter]
Music: “Maija’s Sweetheart Song”, “Mikinak”, “Anishinaabekwe” from  the Oshkii Giizhik Singers' album It's a New Day for Love (2008)

]]> Native American, Minnesota, Indigenous, Arts No Britt Aamodt