June 18, 2024 • 25 mins
In this episode, Liz is joined by Minnesota's Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan, a trailblazer as the first Native American woman in a U.S. executive role. Flanagan shares her inspiring journey, rooted in her Ojibwe background, and discusses the critical importance of diversity and representation in leadership. She talks about her tribe, the White Earth Band of Ojibwe, and the role of clans in Native American culture, emphasizing the contemporary existence of Native American people and the need for their voices in policy-making. Flanagan opens up about her upbringing, the impact of mentors, and how she balances her professional responsibilities with her personal life. She also offers advice for young people, stressing the importance of taking up space, being true to oneself, and finding joy in community, live music, and family time. Her story is a powerful testament to identity, resilience, and the role of community in shaping leaders.
Join us for a conversation that delves into the heart and humanity of one of the most influential Native American leaders in the United States today. Don't forget to subscribe for new episodes and exclusive content.
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Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
Music.
(00:12):
I'm Liz Hershnoff-Tolley. Welcome to the Capital Coffee Connection podcast.
And today I have a very special guest. We have Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan from Minnesota.
And I am really excited because first, I have not had an opportunity to have
somebody from Minnesota on. I have not had a Lieutenant Governor.
(00:33):
And Peggy is also Native American.
And she is an amazing young leader. And I've had some amazing young women leaders,
but she is also quite special in that way. So I just want to say welcome.
I know we're not in person having coffee, but until we do have a coffee in person,
thank you for joining me.
Thank you so much for having me. I'm excited to be a first of a few things on your podcast.
(00:57):
This is great, Liz. Yeah. And also you are a first Native American leader to
be a woman elected in an executive office in U.S. history. So that is quite special.
Thank you. It is overdue. I'm I'm the first, but not the last. I'll tell you that.
Exactly. That isn't that true that we waited so long, but that you have been
able to break that ceiling and now there'll be others that can do it as well. Thank you. So welcome.
(01:20):
The first thing that I would love to talk about is that you are a Native American.
And could you tell us about the tribe you're from?
And I know you have a special name and just like to learn what it means,
because I think sometimes in our country, we talk about it as a title or as
a category, but we don't really get to know who people are and what that means.
(01:41):
For sure. I'm happy to talk about that. So I think one of the ways that that
can be helpful to talk about is to just even introduce myself to you in the traditional way.
We have a protocol that we use.
And so I will do that. And then I'll explain in a little bit.
So, I just said, my name is Peggy Flanagan. My English name is Peggy Flanagan.
(02:09):
My Ojibwe name or spirit name is Speaks with a Loud and Clear Voice Woman.
I'm a member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe, which is a tribe located in Minnesota.
And my family is the Wolf Clan.
Everyone has a clan and your clan has a role. And our role is to ensure that
we're not leaving anyone behind, which is why I am so happy to be able to be in this role as well.
(02:31):
So we have 11 Native nations who share their geography with the state of Minnesota.
We have seven Ojibwe and four Dakota communities.
Those are the primary tribes in Minnesota.
Part of my identity as a Native woman or as an Anishinaabekwe is to make sure
that I am doing right by people and by community, taking care of this next generation,
(02:56):
which is where I've focused a lot of my work.
But I think the most important thing for folks to know is that we are contemporary people, right?
Who still exist. You know, I have colleagues who I worked with when I was in the legislature.
I gave my retirement speech and one of my former colleagues came up to me and
he said, you know, I didn't know that you were Native American.
(03:17):
I thought they were all dead. It was interesting.
And in Minnesota, we use Minnesota interesting, right? You know, I said, surprise.
I sort of didn't know what else to say in that moment.
But I thought, you know, here's someone who absolutely has Native people in
their district. We are everywhere.
And I think that's incredibly important to know because if you don't believe
(03:40):
that people exist or you think that we are somehow a relic of the past,
then you don't feel the need to address our policy issues or to invest in our communities.
And I think that's probably the most important thing for your listeners to know
is just that we exist as contemporary people and we have sovereign governments
and we are in the Constitution as with political identities.
(04:03):
So we don't have exclusively a racial identity, but it really is a political identity.
I'm a dual citizen of the United States of America and the Minnesota Chippewa
tribe or, you know, the White Earth nation. So.
That's a little bit. No, I love it. Thank you. And again, for me,
it's also I don't know these things. So I really appreciate it.
(04:23):
Yeah. And then your job is a lieutenant governor.
And can you talk a little bit about what the lieutenant governor does?
Sure. Growing up, I didn't dream of becoming lieutenant governor. That was not my path.
But I think there are many things in my life that led me to this role.
The most important thing, I think, for lieutenant governors is,
(04:44):
of course, to be ready and to be ready if, you know, God forbid anything happens to our governor.
And, you know, Governor Walz and I work very closely together.
I think in each state, it varies what the role of a lieutenant governor is,
but I always say, don't sleep on lieutenant governors because many of us come from community,
come from movement-based work, and many of us have been engaged in a lot of policy work.
(05:09):
And that's certainly what led me to this role.
We've got, With Democratic lieutenant governors, we're the most diverse group
of elected officials in the country.
80% of us are either women or people of color or indigenous.
And I think that that speaks to the sort of changing face of politics,
but also that we've got leaders from diverse communities across the country who are in these roles.
(05:32):
And also, I think, providing an opportunity for people to see themselves reflected
in these leaders and maybe see something that they didn't see before growing up.
Yeah, you know, the purpose of this podcast is to talk about the heart and humanity of our leaders.
And I've been very fortunate to have people who are quite diverse.
And from both the Republican side of the aisle, the Democratic side of the aisle,
(05:54):
and while we stay away from policy, you know, sometimes what you learn through
this is that, like, Like some things that appear to be policy are really just
bipartisan because they affect everyone.
And so while, you know, I don't go into like the latest legislation or those kinds of items.
It is very interesting because we have so much more in common and we share that divides us.
(06:16):
And what you've just described is like people from all over the country who
are lieutenant governors and they're diverse, but you all come together to try
to make things better for people in New York State, which is huge.
You know, each of us have lived experience. And if we are doing these jobs in
the right way, we are bringing our full selves into these roles and into these offices.
(06:36):
Yeah. And also what I love is that kids, and I know you have a daughter,
but that children can look and see that a Native American woman,
young woman can be a leader.
And that tells both boys and girls what the potential is.
So I think that's also very special and important for young people to be able
to like look up at, or for parents to like say, oh, wow, my kid could be this
(07:00):
because we don't live in a world where you can sometimes imagine things,
you have to see it to believe that it's possible.
That's absolutely right. And I think about, you know, my daughter,
who now, you know, this completely different than the reality in which I grew up, right?
She has, you know, Auntie Deb, who's the Secretary of the Department of Interior, right?
(07:21):
And Deb Holland, or, you know, Auntie Sharice, who's in Congress,
or her, you know, her Auntie Jamie, who's the Chair of the Judiciary Committee,
right in the House of Representatives here in Minnesota, anything is possible, right?
And so I think that we are just in this moment where things are so different,
and I can't wait to see what is possible for her and for other young people
(07:45):
who are so much, what they see is possible in their future is so much bigger
than anything I could even possibly have imagined,
and what that just means for their trajectory and for our future as a whole.
Yeah, that's what keeps us optimistic about the future, right?
How old is your daughter? She's 11.
She just graduated from fifth grade, and I finally stopped crying a little while
(08:10):
ago because I cannot believe that my baby is going to middle school.
Yes, well, put that seatbelt on because it just keeps going faster and faster and faster.
How do you balance between being a mom, being a wife, and being a leader?
That's a lot. It is, and I don't know that it's ever a balance.
I think it's sort of a hot mess all the time.
(08:31):
But, you know, you figure it out. I am really fortunate to have an incredible
husband who is truly a partner in this work.
And I also have a daughter who has grown up around this.
And I am grateful that she can kind of go with the flow and was just sort of
reminiscing that, you know, I oftentimes would take her with me when I was on the house floor.
(08:54):
And she would, you know, walk up and down the aisles of the house and,
you know, talk to other representatives and they would all bribe her with candy, of course.
But, you know, it is just the reality that we need to bring our children with us sometimes.
And I think folks are like, oh, that's so great that you bring your daughter.
What an incredible example. And I was like, yes.
(09:16):
And, you know, this is just the reality for so many, you know,
for so many women and so many people in leadership.
And I also have to say, I have an incredible team around me who make sure that
I can show up ready at many things.
It takes a village to raise a lieutenant governor.
I'll tell you that. To raise a lieutenant governor. I like that one. Yeah.
(09:37):
And her daughter too, you know. Yes. And talk about growing up because you are from Minnesota.
You grew up there a little bit about your parents and your family.
What was it like? And because we talk about like what the the future is,
but it's interesting to hear where you come from.
Sure. I grew up in the community of St. Louis Park and still live there with my family. I love it.
(09:57):
And it's a first ring suburb of Minneapolis, but we grew up in an apartment building there.
My mom had a section eight housing
voucher that she used to secure housing for us when I was just a baby.
And she picked that community because she knew that we'd have access to good
schools and strong neighborhood.
And I think a lot about that because, you know, we grew up in this apartment
(10:18):
building and across the hall lived Macho Indiana.
Who were refugees from Cuba, who basically like I just would go back and forth
across the hall and, you know, grew up with them.
Or Kathy, who was our upstairs neighbor who would drive me to school and my
mom's shift would start early at the hospital.
(10:40):
She was a phlebotomist. And my friend Wendy, who's from Puerto Rico,
who lived in the apartment below us.
And I think about that because there was just sort of community there.
Everywhere that I went. And my mom worked incredibly hard for us.
And there were times and moments, right, where we needed a little extra help
with that, you know, the Section 8 housing voucher and relied on CCAP,
(11:01):
the Child Care Assistance Program.
And I was that kid with a different color lunch ticket back in the day when
we relied on free reduced price lunch.
So, you know, for me, it's important to remember where I come from and that
there are other their families like mine.
And, you know, for my dad really wasn't a part of my life until later on when
(11:23):
he was sober and healthy and could be.
And I'm really fortunate that we had an incredibly strong relationship.
You know, my dad was a good troublemaker, you know, oftentimes would be a rabble
rouser on things and issues that were important in the tribe,
but never shrunk or made himself small.
And I think that that's one of the most important things that he taught me to
(11:46):
remember who I am and where I come from.
But I'm a perfect combination of my parents, right?
Like my mom was like, you work within the system, you know, you vote,
you have responsibility to community, right?
And those things and civic engagement. And my dad was like, you burn the system down.
And I think, you know, I'm a little fist in the air and a little also we're
(12:06):
going to past policies and laws that make a difference for folks and that you can do both.
You can do both. And there's a time, it's all nuance, right?
You know how to do the different ones.
And you pass that on to your daughter so that she also understands that.
So you also went to the University of Minnesota and obviously all of your class.
And I appreciate your story about the different color voucher,
(12:29):
because I think that some people just don't realize as a child what what that means.
Like you, I didn't know you're different and you have to hand it and someone has to see it.
And it just, it there's, there has to be something for every child that has
to do a different process than the rest of the kids or for them, the majority too.
And that that's heartbreaking for me to hear it now.
But I think that when I hear your voice and your strength, that some of it comes
(12:52):
from having to go through that, that experience.
Yeah. I think there is some resiliency in, in how I grew up.
There certainly were the, the challenges of growing up in poverty.
And I had this amazing family and community around me.
I think that is why I was able to come out on the other side.
And now, you know, every day I get to pay that back and pay that forward.
(13:15):
That feels like a sort of powerful, full circle moment.
Yeah. And did you have a teacher or a specific teacher in school that really
was like a mentor or inspired you? For sure.
So my favorite teacher ever and remains my favorite teacher as Peter Redmond,
who was my speech coach in high school.
Originally, he recruited me to take a speech class and I was like,
(13:37):
I don't know. And I was a freshman and real awkward.
And, you know, he recruited me into his class and he was the only teacher of color that I had.
Which is phenomenal now thinking about my daughter's experience in school.
But he was really the safe place for so many of us.
And when I ran for school board and then again for house, and then as lieutenant governor, Mr.
(13:59):
Redmond would help me practice my speeches. And he still checks in.
He remains my biggest fan.
And those kinds of teachers, I think, everybody has at least one.
And if you're lucky, you have more than one. he changed
the entire trajectory of my life and
(14:19):
how I thought about myself and how I carried myself yeah and
I am indebted to him and he just
celebrated his 70th birthday and many of his former students were there because
he gave us all such an incredible gift it's a great story and I always I think
that people should have at least one but not everybody does but at that teacher
or those teachers that you can just think about and in your case who's still
(14:42):
there all these years later,
and is still like your cheerleader, but also supporting what you do, which is amazing.
I have an interesting question. I always ask people, what's the best advice
you've received? What's the worst advice?
And you're laughing. But I also, I'm going to throw one in there for you,
which is what is like the advice you would give to young people because of your experience?
But you can answer all of those or one of those. But I always,
(15:05):
I haven't really asked people what advice they would give.
But listening to you, I feel like I need advice from you. I would say that the
best advice that I've ever received is from a woman named LaDonna Harris,
who is a Comanche woman who was the head of American Indians and Opportunity.
And she said, Peggy, at no time do I stop being a Comanche woman.
(15:28):
No matter what room I walk into, I am still myself.
Great. Right. And that for me was really important. Gave me permission that
at no time can I stop or take, you know, put one hat on or take another,
you know, another one off.
I am an Ojibwe woman all the time and I have to be able to show up that way.
The worst advice I've ever received is when I was a very young candidate and
(15:51):
seasoned elected official said, you know what, Peggy, you got to stop talking
about kids in poverty. It makes folks uncomfortable.
Oh, I'm sorry. And I said, well, you know, if that makes them uncomfortable,
then maybe I'm not the person for them to vote for.
But I think there's a lot of folks with this experience that we have to talk about.
So that was interesting advice.
And then I'll say the advice that I try to give to young people,
(16:14):
especially young women, is similar to the advice that my dad,
I think, really modeled for me, which is do not make yourself small.
Take up as much space as you can. And I think.
We are in a moment where especially young women need to feel confident in themselves
(16:35):
and realize that they are experts in their own life and that they bring so much
value into every space that they enter into.
So I literally will watch it, right, if I'm in a classroom or with young people
and I say, don't make yourself feel, you know, don't make yourself small.
There are plenty of people who will do that, right? Yeah, they'll do it for you. Exactly.
(16:57):
And then just physically watch students sit up straight.
Right. And, you know, any meeting I go into, Liz, I spread out.
I've got like my, you know, daybook or my binder with my schedule.
Usually my, you know, LaCroix and my coffee, two phones and just take up space.
I just think it's for me sometimes even just a physical reminder that you deserve to be here.
(17:22):
The people you represent, their voices matter, and they have to be in this room.
And that there are so many people who loved me into existence that I come from,
who also need to be represented well at that table.
And I need to do that in a good way.
Yeah, I think that's, it's really important. And I'm, I'm a little older than you are.
(17:43):
And I also still go to meetings and I have to, I do this thing where I say,
puff up, like do not go in there and be shrunken.
And it's just a reminder because yes, we know how to handle ourselves,
but sometimes you go into a room and the feeling of the room is like trying to bring you down.
It doesn't matter what age, but you just have to kind of go,
I got my LaCroix, I got my coffee, I got my, I'm here.
(18:06):
And I do agree with you that we have to walk into a room and say,
we're here and feel like that is the room that we're supposed to be in.
Exactly. And needs us in it. So I appreciate your saying that. Thank you. Thank you.
Okay, so now I'm going to ask you rapid questions that kind of get to know your
questions and answer as you wish. What is your favorite sound?
That's a great question. My favorite sound is Siobhan giggling. That is my favorite one.
(18:31):
Yes. I'm sure it's delightful. And then there's days you're like, okay, okay, quiet.
Exactly. Yeah. What is your favorite color?
Turquoise. Pretty. And your favorite smell?
It's probably my mom's perfume from growing up. Sometimes I'll catch a whiff of it.
And it's just, You know, I've since lost my mom and my dad, but there's little
(18:55):
reminders all the time that they're around. And so when I get a whiff of it, I'm like, oh, hi, mom.
Yeah, that's lovely. Yeah. Yeah. My mom had a scent that I still,
if I smell it, and I don't that often, it also warms my heart.
Absolutely. Who is your biggest cheerleader? My husband.
The second gentleman. He is just my best friend and the love of my life.
(19:16):
And I'm really, really lucky. And he is always in my corner and I am so grateful
and I still have a big crush on him.
So good. Well, he sounds like he's lucky too. I love that.
What is your favorite ice cream flavor? Ooh, Pavarotti, which is from a local
ice cream shop here in Minnesota called Sebastian Joe's.
It is banana ice cream with chunks of chocolates and caramel swirled throughout.
(19:43):
But like I've yet to have like really bad ice cream, right? Right?
Like ice cream generally is pretty good. I'm a fan. Okay. Well,
that one sounds really good.
And what is your favorite food? If there was one meal that you had to only have, what would it be?
It's a little cliche, but it is manomen. It is hand harvested wild rice.
It is my favorite food. It is the perfect food. It is something that I am very
(20:07):
good making and it's super versatile.
You can use it with everything. And if I had one thing to live off my whole
life, that would be it. It's a good one. You talked about cooking.
What is your favorite household chore?
Oh, my favorite household chore I think is actually, this sounds a little ridiculous,
but it's cleaning the bathroom.
Because it feels like it is like a space that like I am accomplished when I'm
(20:29):
done. I can see my good work.
We just got a new about a new house in October. So I still take joy in cleaning it. That may change.
But for right now, it's still hard to clean it. Yeah, absolutely.
And then do you have time to exercise still?
Yes. And if I don't, that's a problem. So for me, there is a beautiful loop
(20:51):
around our neighborhood. And so I usually walk a mile in the morning and then
one more time at night. Oh, that's a good way.
Yeah, a good way to open and to close the day and just have some kind of some time to myself.
Yeah. And do you listen to music when you do that? I do. What's your music?
I am a big New Kids on the Block fan.
(21:12):
And that is, I'm not ashamed. I am a blockhead as a Latona governor.
And also early 90s R&B is sort of my go-to. too.
Great. Great. Okay. This question, we may have kind of covered it earlier,
but what is your superpower?
Ooh, well, I think...
My superpower, honestly, is in my spirit name and my Indian name that I was
(21:36):
given speaks of the loud and clear voice of women.
I think there is a lot of when I actually was named in a ceremony a year ago.
And so that name has a lot of responsibility, right, that goes along with it.
But I think that that is my superpower, being able to tell the truth when needed
and to communicate effectively with folks and hopefully to inspire them to take
(21:59):
action to do something. Yeah, that's really lovely.
And it is a name that gives, it's a powerful name, but it's also a name that you have to live up to.
That's right. So I think that's also an interesting piece, which is it's,
I think it'd be interesting for people to have power, names like that,
that give them some sort of an understanding and also being from the Wolf Clan
and understanding what that means about not leaving anyone behind is pretty special also.
(22:22):
It is just a big part of my identity. And I do think that there are,
even those moments, right, when I'm feeling small, I'm I'm like,
sit up. You're speaks with a loud and clear voice woman.
This is your responsibility. Yeah.
Like, bug out. Exactly. Go up, bump up, and bring others along with you.
And that kind of gets to my last question, which I've asked all leaders,
(22:44):
and I like it because all the answers are a little bit different,
but it all comes together.
And my question is, like, what does joy mean to you?
What brings you joy? It could be personal or through your work and how,
if you have joy, do you share that with others?
So what brings me joy is being in community, surrounded by people.
(23:07):
I am an extrovert. I just love the energy of others, especially when we're together
and celebrating or organizing around something.
What also brings me joy is just how powerful it is to also see live music.
That I think is an incredible gift and a way to bring people together.
Together the last thing is just like being with my family taking time down to
(23:29):
just play and be silly I feel like so much of what we do every day is just.
Hard and just remembering to play. And I think one of my favorite things about,
you know, being with my daughter,
with Siobhan, she's super creative and artistic and, you know,
silly all the time and gives me, like reminds me what it was like to be a kid
and to just pause and take care of myself, celebrate in that moment.
(23:53):
And nobody makes me laugh harder than she does.
So I experienced my most joyful moments just being with my kid.
I love it. I love it. Yeah.
I don't have anything else to say. I mean, it's one of those things that you
just think to yourself. Yeah.
I, sometimes with my kids, we have like these dance parties in the morning or,
you know, all of a sudden you like dance for like two minutes and it's exhausting.
(24:13):
And at the, you're not exhausting, but you're just moving so crazy.
And then afterwards, you're just so happy because you've done it.
I've done it with my kids.
It's not the same as waking up and going, okay, I'm going to do a 10 minute,
you know, a 10 minute workout.
So I totally appreciate that. And look, Look, the one thing that I've learned,
and I've never met you in person, I look forward to it, but I've heard you speak and I know who you are.
(24:35):
And I just want to say thank you for showing up and thank you for,
I'm sure the LaCroix water's to your left and there's a coffee to your right,
but that you're here and that your message is really, your name is loud and
clear and that you'll keep using that voice to make other people's lives better.
But really just for sharing yourself because the authenticity in which you spoke
today, I think will resonate with a lot of people. Thank you, Liz.
(24:58):
I appreciate it so much. And thank you for showing just the human side of leaders,
which so often gets missed. So I really appreciate the opportunity.
Thank you so much. Well, thank you.
Music.
Hi, it's Liz. Please join me every Tuesday for coffee to talk about heart and
humanity with our elected leaders.
(25:20):
Remember to hit subscribe to get an alert when a new episode is live and for
exclusive content. Ciao.
Music.
(00:12):
I'm Liz Hershnoff-Tolley. Welcome to the Capital Coffee Connection podcast.
And today I have a very special guest. We have Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan from Minnesota.
And I am really excited because first, I have not had an opportunity to have
somebody from Minnesota on. I have not had a Lieutenant Governor.
(00:33):
And Peggy is also Native American.
And she is an amazing young leader. And I've had some amazing young women leaders,
but she is also quite special in that way. So I just want to say welcome.
I know we're not in person having coffee, but until we do have a coffee in person,
thank you for joining me.
Thank you so much for having me. I'm excited to be a first of a few things on your podcast.
(00:57):
This is great, Liz. Yeah. And also you are a first Native American leader to
be a woman elected in an executive office in U.S. history. So that is quite special.
Thank you. It is overdue. I'm I'm the first, but not the last. I'll tell you that.
Exactly. That isn't that true that we waited so long, but that you have been
able to break that ceiling and now there'll be others that can do it as well. Thank you. So welcome.
(01:20):
The first thing that I would love to talk about is that you are a Native American.
And could you tell us about the tribe you're from?
And I know you have a special name and just like to learn what it means,
because I think sometimes in our country, we talk about it as a title or as
a category, but we don't really get to know who people are and what that means.
(01:41):
For sure. I'm happy to talk about that. So I think one of the ways that that
can be helpful to talk about is to just even introduce myself to you in the traditional way.
We have a protocol that we use.
And so I will do that. And then I'll explain in a little bit.
So, I just said, my name is Peggy Flanagan. My English name is Peggy Flanagan.
(02:09):
My Ojibwe name or spirit name is Speaks with a Loud and Clear Voice Woman.
I'm a member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe, which is a tribe located in Minnesota.
And my family is the Wolf Clan.
Everyone has a clan and your clan has a role. And our role is to ensure that
we're not leaving anyone behind, which is why I am so happy to be able to be in this role as well.
(02:31):
So we have 11 Native nations who share their geography with the state of Minnesota.
We have seven Ojibwe and four Dakota communities.
Those are the primary tribes in Minnesota.
Part of my identity as a Native woman or as an Anishinaabekwe is to make sure
that I am doing right by people and by community, taking care of this next generation,
(02:56):
which is where I've focused a lot of my work.
But I think the most important thing for folks to know is that we are contemporary people, right?
Who still exist. You know, I have colleagues who I worked with when I was in the legislature.
I gave my retirement speech and one of my former colleagues came up to me and
he said, you know, I didn't know that you were Native American.
(03:17):
I thought they were all dead. It was interesting.
And in Minnesota, we use Minnesota interesting, right? You know, I said, surprise.
I sort of didn't know what else to say in that moment.
But I thought, you know, here's someone who absolutely has Native people in
their district. We are everywhere.
And I think that's incredibly important to know because if you don't believe
(03:40):
that people exist or you think that we are somehow a relic of the past,
then you don't feel the need to address our policy issues or to invest in our communities.
And I think that's probably the most important thing for your listeners to know
is just that we exist as contemporary people and we have sovereign governments
and we are in the Constitution as with political identities.
(04:03):
So we don't have exclusively a racial identity, but it really is a political identity.
I'm a dual citizen of the United States of America and the Minnesota Chippewa
tribe or, you know, the White Earth nation. So.
That's a little bit. No, I love it. Thank you. And again, for me,
it's also I don't know these things. So I really appreciate it.
(04:23):
Yeah. And then your job is a lieutenant governor.
And can you talk a little bit about what the lieutenant governor does?
Sure. Growing up, I didn't dream of becoming lieutenant governor. That was not my path.
But I think there are many things in my life that led me to this role.
The most important thing, I think, for lieutenant governors is,
(04:44):
of course, to be ready and to be ready if, you know, God forbid anything happens to our governor.
And, you know, Governor Walz and I work very closely together.
I think in each state, it varies what the role of a lieutenant governor is,
but I always say, don't sleep on lieutenant governors because many of us come from community,
come from movement-based work, and many of us have been engaged in a lot of policy work.
(05:09):
And that's certainly what led me to this role.
We've got, With Democratic lieutenant governors, we're the most diverse group
of elected officials in the country.
80% of us are either women or people of color or indigenous.
And I think that that speaks to the sort of changing face of politics,
but also that we've got leaders from diverse communities across the country who are in these roles.
(05:32):
And also, I think, providing an opportunity for people to see themselves reflected
in these leaders and maybe see something that they didn't see before growing up.
Yeah, you know, the purpose of this podcast is to talk about the heart and humanity of our leaders.
And I've been very fortunate to have people who are quite diverse.
And from both the Republican side of the aisle, the Democratic side of the aisle,
(05:54):
and while we stay away from policy, you know, sometimes what you learn through
this is that, like, Like some things that appear to be policy are really just
bipartisan because they affect everyone.
And so while, you know, I don't go into like the latest legislation or those kinds of items.
It is very interesting because we have so much more in common and we share that divides us.
(06:16):
And what you've just described is like people from all over the country who
are lieutenant governors and they're diverse, but you all come together to try
to make things better for people in New York State, which is huge.
You know, each of us have lived experience. And if we are doing these jobs in
the right way, we are bringing our full selves into these roles and into these offices.
(06:36):
Yeah. And also what I love is that kids, and I know you have a daughter,
but that children can look and see that a Native American woman,
young woman can be a leader.
And that tells both boys and girls what the potential is.
So I think that's also very special and important for young people to be able
to like look up at, or for parents to like say, oh, wow, my kid could be this
(07:00):
because we don't live in a world where you can sometimes imagine things,
you have to see it to believe that it's possible.
That's absolutely right. And I think about, you know, my daughter,
who now, you know, this completely different than the reality in which I grew up, right?
She has, you know, Auntie Deb, who's the Secretary of the Department of Interior, right?
(07:21):
And Deb Holland, or, you know, Auntie Sharice, who's in Congress,
or her, you know, her Auntie Jamie, who's the Chair of the Judiciary Committee,
right in the House of Representatives here in Minnesota, anything is possible, right?
And so I think that we are just in this moment where things are so different,
and I can't wait to see what is possible for her and for other young people
(07:45):
who are so much, what they see is possible in their future is so much bigger
than anything I could even possibly have imagined,
and what that just means for their trajectory and for our future as a whole.
Yeah, that's what keeps us optimistic about the future, right?
How old is your daughter? She's 11.
She just graduated from fifth grade, and I finally stopped crying a little while
(08:10):
ago because I cannot believe that my baby is going to middle school.
Yes, well, put that seatbelt on because it just keeps going faster and faster and faster.
How do you balance between being a mom, being a wife, and being a leader?
That's a lot. It is, and I don't know that it's ever a balance.
I think it's sort of a hot mess all the time.
(08:31):
But, you know, you figure it out. I am really fortunate to have an incredible
husband who is truly a partner in this work.
And I also have a daughter who has grown up around this.
And I am grateful that she can kind of go with the flow and was just sort of
reminiscing that, you know, I oftentimes would take her with me when I was on the house floor.
(08:54):
And she would, you know, walk up and down the aisles of the house and,
you know, talk to other representatives and they would all bribe her with candy, of course.
But, you know, it is just the reality that we need to bring our children with us sometimes.
And I think folks are like, oh, that's so great that you bring your daughter.
What an incredible example. And I was like, yes.
(09:16):
And, you know, this is just the reality for so many, you know,
for so many women and so many people in leadership.
And I also have to say, I have an incredible team around me who make sure that
I can show up ready at many things.
It takes a village to raise a lieutenant governor.
I'll tell you that. To raise a lieutenant governor. I like that one. Yeah.
(09:37):
And her daughter too, you know. Yes. And talk about growing up because you are from Minnesota.
You grew up there a little bit about your parents and your family.
What was it like? And because we talk about like what the the future is,
but it's interesting to hear where you come from.
Sure. I grew up in the community of St. Louis Park and still live there with my family. I love it.
(09:57):
And it's a first ring suburb of Minneapolis, but we grew up in an apartment building there.
My mom had a section eight housing
voucher that she used to secure housing for us when I was just a baby.
And she picked that community because she knew that we'd have access to good
schools and strong neighborhood.
And I think a lot about that because, you know, we grew up in this apartment
(10:18):
building and across the hall lived Macho Indiana.
Who were refugees from Cuba, who basically like I just would go back and forth
across the hall and, you know, grew up with them.
Or Kathy, who was our upstairs neighbor who would drive me to school and my
mom's shift would start early at the hospital.
(10:40):
She was a phlebotomist. And my friend Wendy, who's from Puerto Rico,
who lived in the apartment below us.
And I think about that because there was just sort of community there.
Everywhere that I went. And my mom worked incredibly hard for us.
And there were times and moments, right, where we needed a little extra help
with that, you know, the Section 8 housing voucher and relied on CCAP,
(11:01):
the Child Care Assistance Program.
And I was that kid with a different color lunch ticket back in the day when
we relied on free reduced price lunch.
So, you know, for me, it's important to remember where I come from and that
there are other their families like mine.
And, you know, for my dad really wasn't a part of my life until later on when
(11:23):
he was sober and healthy and could be.
And I'm really fortunate that we had an incredibly strong relationship.
You know, my dad was a good troublemaker, you know, oftentimes would be a rabble
rouser on things and issues that were important in the tribe,
but never shrunk or made himself small.
And I think that that's one of the most important things that he taught me to
(11:46):
remember who I am and where I come from.
But I'm a perfect combination of my parents, right?
Like my mom was like, you work within the system, you know, you vote,
you have responsibility to community, right?
And those things and civic engagement. And my dad was like, you burn the system down.
And I think, you know, I'm a little fist in the air and a little also we're
(12:06):
going to past policies and laws that make a difference for folks and that you can do both.
You can do both. And there's a time, it's all nuance, right?
You know how to do the different ones.
And you pass that on to your daughter so that she also understands that.
So you also went to the University of Minnesota and obviously all of your class.
And I appreciate your story about the different color voucher,
(12:29):
because I think that some people just don't realize as a child what what that means.
Like you, I didn't know you're different and you have to hand it and someone has to see it.
And it just, it there's, there has to be something for every child that has
to do a different process than the rest of the kids or for them, the majority too.
And that that's heartbreaking for me to hear it now.
But I think that when I hear your voice and your strength, that some of it comes
(12:52):
from having to go through that, that experience.
Yeah. I think there is some resiliency in, in how I grew up.
There certainly were the, the challenges of growing up in poverty.
And I had this amazing family and community around me.
I think that is why I was able to come out on the other side.
And now, you know, every day I get to pay that back and pay that forward.
(13:15):
That feels like a sort of powerful, full circle moment.
Yeah. And did you have a teacher or a specific teacher in school that really
was like a mentor or inspired you? For sure.
So my favorite teacher ever and remains my favorite teacher as Peter Redmond,
who was my speech coach in high school.
Originally, he recruited me to take a speech class and I was like,
(13:37):
I don't know. And I was a freshman and real awkward.
And, you know, he recruited me into his class and he was the only teacher of color that I had.
Which is phenomenal now thinking about my daughter's experience in school.
But he was really the safe place for so many of us.
And when I ran for school board and then again for house, and then as lieutenant governor, Mr.
(13:59):
Redmond would help me practice my speeches. And he still checks in.
He remains my biggest fan.
And those kinds of teachers, I think, everybody has at least one.
And if you're lucky, you have more than one. he changed
the entire trajectory of my life and
(14:19):
how I thought about myself and how I carried myself yeah and
I am indebted to him and he just
celebrated his 70th birthday and many of his former students were there because
he gave us all such an incredible gift it's a great story and I always I think
that people should have at least one but not everybody does but at that teacher
or those teachers that you can just think about and in your case who's still
(14:42):
there all these years later,
and is still like your cheerleader, but also supporting what you do, which is amazing.
I have an interesting question. I always ask people, what's the best advice
you've received? What's the worst advice?
And you're laughing. But I also, I'm going to throw one in there for you,
which is what is like the advice you would give to young people because of your experience?
But you can answer all of those or one of those. But I always,
(15:05):
I haven't really asked people what advice they would give.
But listening to you, I feel like I need advice from you. I would say that the
best advice that I've ever received is from a woman named LaDonna Harris,
who is a Comanche woman who was the head of American Indians and Opportunity.
And she said, Peggy, at no time do I stop being a Comanche woman.
(15:28):
No matter what room I walk into, I am still myself.
Great. Right. And that for me was really important. Gave me permission that
at no time can I stop or take, you know, put one hat on or take another,
you know, another one off.
I am an Ojibwe woman all the time and I have to be able to show up that way.
The worst advice I've ever received is when I was a very young candidate and
(15:51):
seasoned elected official said, you know what, Peggy, you got to stop talking
about kids in poverty. It makes folks uncomfortable.
Oh, I'm sorry. And I said, well, you know, if that makes them uncomfortable,
then maybe I'm not the person for them to vote for.
But I think there's a lot of folks with this experience that we have to talk about.
So that was interesting advice.
And then I'll say the advice that I try to give to young people,
(16:14):
especially young women, is similar to the advice that my dad,
I think, really modeled for me, which is do not make yourself small.
Take up as much space as you can. And I think.
We are in a moment where especially young women need to feel confident in themselves
(16:35):
and realize that they are experts in their own life and that they bring so much
value into every space that they enter into.
So I literally will watch it, right, if I'm in a classroom or with young people
and I say, don't make yourself feel, you know, don't make yourself small.
There are plenty of people who will do that, right? Yeah, they'll do it for you. Exactly.
(16:57):
And then just physically watch students sit up straight.
Right. And, you know, any meeting I go into, Liz, I spread out.
I've got like my, you know, daybook or my binder with my schedule.
Usually my, you know, LaCroix and my coffee, two phones and just take up space.
I just think it's for me sometimes even just a physical reminder that you deserve to be here.
(17:22):
The people you represent, their voices matter, and they have to be in this room.
And that there are so many people who loved me into existence that I come from,
who also need to be represented well at that table.
And I need to do that in a good way.
Yeah, I think that's, it's really important. And I'm, I'm a little older than you are.
(17:43):
And I also still go to meetings and I have to, I do this thing where I say,
puff up, like do not go in there and be shrunken.
And it's just a reminder because yes, we know how to handle ourselves,
but sometimes you go into a room and the feeling of the room is like trying to bring you down.
It doesn't matter what age, but you just have to kind of go,
I got my LaCroix, I got my coffee, I got my, I'm here.
(18:06):
And I do agree with you that we have to walk into a room and say,
we're here and feel like that is the room that we're supposed to be in.
Exactly. And needs us in it. So I appreciate your saying that. Thank you. Thank you.
Okay, so now I'm going to ask you rapid questions that kind of get to know your
questions and answer as you wish. What is your favorite sound?
That's a great question. My favorite sound is Siobhan giggling. That is my favorite one.
(18:31):
Yes. I'm sure it's delightful. And then there's days you're like, okay, okay, quiet.
Exactly. Yeah. What is your favorite color?
Turquoise. Pretty. And your favorite smell?
It's probably my mom's perfume from growing up. Sometimes I'll catch a whiff of it.
And it's just, You know, I've since lost my mom and my dad, but there's little
(18:55):
reminders all the time that they're around. And so when I get a whiff of it, I'm like, oh, hi, mom.
Yeah, that's lovely. Yeah. Yeah. My mom had a scent that I still,
if I smell it, and I don't that often, it also warms my heart.
Absolutely. Who is your biggest cheerleader? My husband.
The second gentleman. He is just my best friend and the love of my life.
(19:16):
And I'm really, really lucky. And he is always in my corner and I am so grateful
and I still have a big crush on him.
So good. Well, he sounds like he's lucky too. I love that.
What is your favorite ice cream flavor? Ooh, Pavarotti, which is from a local
ice cream shop here in Minnesota called Sebastian Joe's.
It is banana ice cream with chunks of chocolates and caramel swirled throughout.
(19:43):
But like I've yet to have like really bad ice cream, right? Right?
Like ice cream generally is pretty good. I'm a fan. Okay. Well,
that one sounds really good.
And what is your favorite food? If there was one meal that you had to only have, what would it be?
It's a little cliche, but it is manomen. It is hand harvested wild rice.
It is my favorite food. It is the perfect food. It is something that I am very
(20:07):
good making and it's super versatile.
You can use it with everything. And if I had one thing to live off my whole
life, that would be it. It's a good one. You talked about cooking.
What is your favorite household chore?
Oh, my favorite household chore I think is actually, this sounds a little ridiculous,
but it's cleaning the bathroom.
Because it feels like it is like a space that like I am accomplished when I'm
(20:29):
done. I can see my good work.
We just got a new about a new house in October. So I still take joy in cleaning it. That may change.
But for right now, it's still hard to clean it. Yeah, absolutely.
And then do you have time to exercise still?
Yes. And if I don't, that's a problem. So for me, there is a beautiful loop
(20:51):
around our neighborhood. And so I usually walk a mile in the morning and then
one more time at night. Oh, that's a good way.
Yeah, a good way to open and to close the day and just have some kind of some time to myself.
Yeah. And do you listen to music when you do that? I do. What's your music?
I am a big New Kids on the Block fan.
(21:12):
And that is, I'm not ashamed. I am a blockhead as a Latona governor.
And also early 90s R&B is sort of my go-to. too.
Great. Great. Okay. This question, we may have kind of covered it earlier,
but what is your superpower?
Ooh, well, I think...
My superpower, honestly, is in my spirit name and my Indian name that I was
(21:36):
given speaks of the loud and clear voice of women.
I think there is a lot of when I actually was named in a ceremony a year ago.
And so that name has a lot of responsibility, right, that goes along with it.
But I think that that is my superpower, being able to tell the truth when needed
and to communicate effectively with folks and hopefully to inspire them to take
(21:59):
action to do something. Yeah, that's really lovely.
And it is a name that gives, it's a powerful name, but it's also a name that you have to live up to.
That's right. So I think that's also an interesting piece, which is it's,
I think it'd be interesting for people to have power, names like that,
that give them some sort of an understanding and also being from the Wolf Clan
and understanding what that means about not leaving anyone behind is pretty special also.
(22:22):
It is just a big part of my identity. And I do think that there are,
even those moments, right, when I'm feeling small, I'm I'm like,
sit up. You're speaks with a loud and clear voice woman.
This is your responsibility. Yeah.
Like, bug out. Exactly. Go up, bump up, and bring others along with you.
And that kind of gets to my last question, which I've asked all leaders,
(22:44):
and I like it because all the answers are a little bit different,
but it all comes together.
And my question is, like, what does joy mean to you?
What brings you joy? It could be personal or through your work and how,
if you have joy, do you share that with others?
So what brings me joy is being in community, surrounded by people.
(23:07):
I am an extrovert. I just love the energy of others, especially when we're together
and celebrating or organizing around something.
What also brings me joy is just how powerful it is to also see live music.
That I think is an incredible gift and a way to bring people together.
Together the last thing is just like being with my family taking time down to
(23:29):
just play and be silly I feel like so much of what we do every day is just.
Hard and just remembering to play. And I think one of my favorite things about,
you know, being with my daughter,
with Siobhan, she's super creative and artistic and, you know,
silly all the time and gives me, like reminds me what it was like to be a kid
and to just pause and take care of myself, celebrate in that moment.
(23:53):
And nobody makes me laugh harder than she does.
So I experienced my most joyful moments just being with my kid.
I love it. I love it. Yeah.
I don't have anything else to say. I mean, it's one of those things that you
just think to yourself. Yeah.
I, sometimes with my kids, we have like these dance parties in the morning or,
you know, all of a sudden you like dance for like two minutes and it's exhausting.
(24:13):
And at the, you're not exhausting, but you're just moving so crazy.
And then afterwards, you're just so happy because you've done it.
I've done it with my kids.
It's not the same as waking up and going, okay, I'm going to do a 10 minute,
you know, a 10 minute workout.
So I totally appreciate that. And look, Look, the one thing that I've learned,
and I've never met you in person, I look forward to it, but I've heard you speak and I know who you are.
(24:35):
And I just want to say thank you for showing up and thank you for,
I'm sure the LaCroix water's to your left and there's a coffee to your right,
but that you're here and that your message is really, your name is loud and
clear and that you'll keep using that voice to make other people's lives better.
But really just for sharing yourself because the authenticity in which you spoke
today, I think will resonate with a lot of people. Thank you, Liz.
(24:58):
I appreciate it so much. And thank you for showing just the human side of leaders,
which so often gets missed. So I really appreciate the opportunity.
Thank you so much. Well, thank you.
Music.
Hi, it's Liz. Please join me every Tuesday for coffee to talk about heart and
humanity with our elected leaders.
(25:20):
Remember to hit subscribe to get an alert when a new episode is live and for
exclusive content. Ciao.
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