Red Lake rapper Thomas X is out with a new single and a powerful new video combining his unique hip-hop sound with the traditions of Northern Minnesota’s Annishinabe people. Here’s Rezolution, the latest single from Thomas X: Thomas X was a guest on last year’s Bemidji edition of my Great Northern Radio Show after his previous album “Have a Good… Read More →
Leech Lake elects new chair; LaDuke falls short at White Earth
April 6, 2016 by Leave a Comment
After announcing the funding for the new Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig School near Cass Lake on Election Day, Leech Lake Tribal Chairwoman Carri Jones was nevertheless defeated by challenger Faron Jackson, Sr. KOJB reports that Jackson won with about 53 percent of the vote t0 Jones’ approximately 31 percent. Five other candidates combined for the remaining support. Jones… Read More →
Feds finally fund new Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig School
April 6, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Many media outlets reported Tuesday that the Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig School near Cass Lake will finally get a new building thanks to $11.9 million in federal funding. Operated by the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwa, the Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig School is housed in what was once a bus garage. In recent years it has fallen into serious disrepair. As… Read More →
Thunderbirds vs. Lumberjacks, mythical feud
March 3, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Tonight at 8 p.m., the Grand Rapids Thunderhawks will play the Bemidji Lumberjacks in the Minnesota Class AA State Hockey Tournament in St. Paul. Hockey is a big deal in Minnesota. It’s a cherished winter tradition and the source of a historic rivalry between the Northern and Southern portions of the state. (Or perhaps more… Read More →
Hear the Bemidji State edition of Great Northern Radio Show
September 26, 2015 by Leave a Comment
LISTEN NOW to the Bemidji State show. This Sunday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. you can hear the rebroadcast of last Saturday’s Great Northern Radio Show, which aired live Sept. 19 from the Bangsberg Theater at Bemidji State University. This was one of our more successful shows. The musical lineup featured American Scarecrows, Corey Medina… Read More →
Great Northern Radio Show: Adding value to Northern MN
August 27, 2015 by 1 Comment
Like many local mines, Iron Range-based MinnesotaBrown.com will be entering a partial slowdown, or “hot idle” while we work out a little problem with the media commodities market. See, the price of a MinnesotaBrown blog post is down to a historically low $1.45 per long ton, due in part to limited demand and illegal imports… Read More →
What’s ahead for the Great Northern Radio Show
July 27, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Since October 2011 I’ve produced, written and hosted a radio variety program called the Great Northern Radio Show on Northern Community Radio based in Grand Rapids and Bemidji, Minnesota. We’ve been fortunate enough to air on independent public stations around the state and even on the cable access channel in the Northeast suburbs of the Twin… Read More →
Warm greetings from Minnesota’s northern hellscape
July 23, 2015 by 21 Comments
All through yesterday friends and neighbors collectively set ablaze my social media feed with a link to an article entitled “These Are the 10 Worst Places to Live in Minnesota,” posted on a website called RoadSnacks.net. To save you the suspense, Nick James of RoadSnacks.net lists the worst cities are as follows: Cambridge Brainerd Grand… Read More →
Rez comedians heal, hearten with laughs
July 23, 2015 by Leave a Comment
“When people hear the words ‘Indian Reservation,’ they think of alcoholism, drugs, addiction, abuse and suicide,” levels Jon Roberts, a comedian from Red Lake. “We want to send a message that those shouldn’t be the only words you think of when you see us. Laughter is what brings communities together. That is the reason we… Read More →
The woods and us
July 19, 2015 by 1 Comment
I smile to see the midnight fireflies from my darkened bedroom in the woods. The fireflies of my youth in the Sax-Zim Bog twinkled like stars. We see fewer today, but still enough to inspire wonder. Suddenly my smile drained away. What if my boys remember a few fireflies when there are none? We read… Read More →
