Chadwick Kramer, an elder and Cultural Responsive Coordinator for Bismarck Public Schools, is dedicated to providing Native students with culturally enriching opportunities through the Indigenous Education Program. Inspired by his own experiences and his grandmother’s teachings, Chadwick creates welcoming spaces for all students to explore Native traditions, fostering lifelong learning, cultural understanding, and community connection.
Janet and Eliza Klarer, a mother-daughter duo from the White Earth Ojibwe community, are preserving traditional Woodland-style pottery inspired by their ancestor Judy Toppings, who revitalized White Earth clay lifeways. Through workshops and their own artistry, they share the significance of working with White Earth clay, nurturing creativity and connection in their community.
The complexity of Native people and their identities drew Anna to sculpture, video performance, and installation. She uses her familial and formal training to disrupt stereotypes of Natives by telling multi-dimensional stories. The story drives her choice of technique and materials, defying boundaries around Native art.
Ira Ilupak Frankson, an Iñupiaq artist from Tikiġaq, Alaska, is preserving the traditional art of baleen basketry, an Iñupiat craft made from bowhead whale baleen and walrus ivory. Through his work and teaching, Frankson is helping to revitalize this unique cultural art form for future generations.
