Today we’d like to introduce you to Robert Pilot
Hi Robert, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Currently in 2024, Native Roots Radio, founded by Robert and Wendy Pilot, is in it’s 8th season. Enrolled tribal member of the Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin, Robert noticed the need for truthful news that represents the important issues and stories of Native Americans, told by Natives themselves. This thought came to him and his wife Wendy as they attended the Dakota Access Pipeline protests multiple times on the Standing Rock Reservation from 2016-2017.
With the help of Chad Larson, owner of AM950 The Progressive Voice of Minnesota based in Eden Prairie, Native Roots Radio got its start on the airwaves beginning as a one day a week show that’s now turned into 5 days week from 5-6pm. Haley Cherry (descendant of the Ho-Chunk Nation of WI and Winnebago Tribe of NE) joined the family team as Robert’s niece in 2023 as a producer, cohost and communications specialist.
Thanks to weekly guests who have remained committed throughout the years to helping provide the show with important content, Native Roots Radio has expanded to other community radio stations in Minnesota and is now a part of the Civic Media Network across the state of Wisconsin.
Every week you can hear from returning Native guests such as Dr. Antony Stately (Oneida & White Earth) President and Executive Officer of the Native American Community Clinic in Minneapolis, Ruth Anna Buffalo (MHA Nation) former North Dakota State Representative turned now President and CEO of the Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center, Heather Keeler (Yankton Sioux Tribe) Minnesota State Representative, as well as Robert Lilligren (White Earth Nation) President and CEO of Native American Community Development Institute and Mary Kunesh (Standing Rock Sioux) Minnesota State Senator.
Native Roots Radio also partners with national organizations, local community groups and city programs such as StrongHearts Native Helpline, Saint Paul Public Schools, the Minnesota Department of Health and Transportation, Little Moments Count, the City of Minneapolis, Minneapolis Institute of Art, the Minnesota Historical Society, and more!
The radio show is able to stay on the airwaves due to their longtime sponsors and supporters such as the Native American Community Clinic, The Minnesota Indian Women’s Sexual Assault Coalition, Native American Community Development Institute, JS Bean Factory, and Howling For Wolves.
We’ve been able to gain popular credibility throughout the country from recorded shoutouts by actor and activist Jane Fonda, Dallas Goldtooth from the FX series Reservation Dogs, Deb Haaland United States Secretary of the Interior, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, United States Representative Sharice Davids, and Minnesota Lynx WNBA player Alissa Pili.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Starting out as a non-entity, it was hard to get our name out there and gain credible and well-known guests and sponsors. The biggest struggle was probably gaining trust within not only our Urban Native population but also reservation communities with our messaging. We know as Native people, we are alike in many ways but can also be very different with our practices and beliefs depending on tribal affiliation and where you come from on Turtle Mountain (Indigenous verbiage for North America). It’s important to us that we weren’t speaking as pan-Indians and recognized the different stories and concerns that ranged from each tribal perspective across the state of Minnesota and neighboring states.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Before Native Roots Radio was founded, host Robert Pilot taught video and media production at Harding High School in Saint Paul for over 20 years. He also started the first ever all Native student home-room which still carries on today to create a safe space of collectivism and cultural identity for students.
Native Roots also turned storefront with a business spin-off called Native Roots Trading Post which appears at popup markets and powwows throughout the summer months and sets up shop in Minneapolis’ Dayton’s Project building in December for holiday shoppers. Keeping things in the family, the Trading Post or Native Roots Arts is ran by Robert’s twin daughters Jalisa and Jalayne (descendants of Ho-Chunk Nation) as well as his son in-law Micah (enrolled Leech Lake Ojibwe).
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
We’ve seen a lot of hosts transfer to podcast only versions with their content because of the push to remove the AM radio signal from cars. However, since the AM stations admit the emergency broadcast signals, we hope to remain on an AM channel for as long as we can, while having all of our live episodes posted as podcasts after they are aired on radio so people can tune in whenever it’s convenient for them.
As one of the only 5 day a week Native radio programs in the country, our hope is that other tribal voices continued to get lifted up all around turtle island on the mainstream media and that we can spread our reach as far and wide as we can bringing awareness to important Native issues that do in the end, affect all of us.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.am950radio.com/events/native-roots-radio/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nativerootsradio/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NativeRootsRadioImAwake/
- Twitter: https://x.com/NativeRoots950
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@NativeRootsRadio
- Other: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/native-roots-radio-network/id1305613999
