Nanitin Adeeshtłʼóół Weaving Strands of Knowledge: Native Arts and Culture Grant

2023 – 2026

About The Program

The American Indian College Fund’s Nanitin Adeeshtłʼóół Weaving Strands of Knowledge: Native Arts and Culture Grant Program supports TCUs in carrying out their cultural and community missions by providing place-based, culturally grounded learning opportunities in traditional and contemporary Native arts knowledge and skills for students, staff, faculty, and community members that will make an impact for future generations. TCUs provide Native arts programming based in place, traditional knowledge, language, culture, and community teachings to ensure that Native arts reach the communities they serve. TCUs have a responsibility as tribal and community learning institutions to provide resources and develop a new generation of Native artists, culture bearers, and knowledge teachers.

Goals of the program include:

  • TCUs contribute to the advancement and innovation of Native arts by utilizing TCU Native Arts Curriculum and Credential Development Grants to increase academic learning opportunities.
  • TCUs support visibility and health and thriving Native communities through community-based capacity-building programming.
  • Supporting visibility and awareness for two-spirit and LQBTQ+ students, high school equivalency students and their families, elders, students and community members with disabilities, and student veterans and their families.
  • Providing a supportive and respectful environment for wellness and mental health through Native arts as a form of healing, self-care, and expression.
  • Guidance and feedback from cultural knowledge teachers and consultants to support the development and implementation of Native arts community workshops

Program Gallery

Grantees

Native Arts Curriculum Development Grants:

Aaniiih Nakoda College (Ft. Belknap)

Bay Mills Community College

Blackfeet Community College

http://www.menominee.edu/

College of Menominee Nation

College of the Muscogee Nation

College of the Muscogee Nation

Diné College

Diné College

Fort Peck Community College

Haskell Indian Nations University

Iḷisaġvik College

Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College

Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe College

Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe University

Little Big Horn College

Little Priest Tribal College

http://www.navajotech.edu/

Navajo Technical University

Northwest Indian College

Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College

Red Lake Nation College

Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College

Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College

Salish Kootenai College

Sinte Gleska University

Sisseton Wahpeton College

Sitting Bull College

Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute

Stone Child College

https://tocc.edu/ Tohono O'odham Community College

Tohono O'odham Community College

United Tribes Technical College

White Earth Tribal and Community College

White Earth Tribal and Community College

Related Blogs

From The Chippewa Cree Perspective

From The Chippewa Cree Perspective

This blog from Stone Child College on Rocky Boy’s Reservation in Montana shares insights into navigating higher education and preserving Chippewa Cree culture in the modern world. It highlights the college’s dedication to fostering pride in tribal heritage, featuring an interview with art instructor John Murie, who carries forward traditional beadwork techniques and philosophies passed down through generations, emphasizing the importance of Native storytelling and cultural preservation through education and art.

Fostering Culture and Community: Chadwick Kramer’s Impact on Native Education in Bismarck

Fostering Culture and Community: Chadwick Kramer’s Impact on Native Education in Bismarck

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.

Waabaabigan, Working with Our Namesake

Waabaabigan, Working with Our Namesake

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.

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The Iñupiat family engagement event was held at the Aimaaġvik Assisted Living Center to celebrate the season with the elder residents.

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