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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.
INTRO: You are listening to Fond du Lac Arts: Community through the Creative Arts.
HOST: Alexandera Houchin was a kid with a book in her hand.
ALEXANDERA HOUCHIN: My paternal grandmother raised us. She was a big fan of reading and introduced me early on to books and encouraged me to read, and we would just sit up all hours of the day, all hours of the night, just reading books.
HOST: And being a kid, her mode of transportation ran on two wheels.
ALEXANDERA HOUCHIN: We always had Walmart bikes or hand-me-down bikes. It was never a status or sport thing. It was more of a freedom thing.
HOST: There was no profound attachment to bikes at this point, or later on, when the car that she needed for work went kaput.
ALEXANDERA HOUCHIN: I needed a way to get around, so I started commuting on like this old heavy Schwinn Collegiate. I spray painted the whole thing purple, just because I wanted it to look cute.
HOST: The cute bike got stolen, so she found a fixed gear bike on Craigslist.
ALEXANDERA HOUCHIN: And I found a cute bike, yellow handlebars and white rims, and had these blue tires.
HOST: But even better, it got her involved in a community of like-minded bike enthusiasts, and eventually into a way of life that included bike racing and bike tours.
ALEXANDERA HOUCHIN: My very first bike tour, I rode from Madison all the way up here in Cloquet. I think I did it over 10 days.
HOST: Alexandera had grown up separated from her culture on Fond du Lac, and her long journeys on a bike became a route to find her way back.
ALEXANDERA HOUCHIN: As I started to connect with my cultural identity more, I started doing little things like bringing medicine pouches with me and making offerings, and I really felt connected to the Manidoo.
HOST: Her love of reading and bikes came together when she started blogging and writing articles, and that brought her to the attention of a book publisher.
ALEXANDERA HOUCHIN: So I'm writing a book right now.
OUTRO: Fond du Lac Arts is produced by AMPERS and WGZS, the radio voice of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, with support from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.