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
College of Menominee Nation
College of the Muscogee Nation
Diné College
Fort Peck Community College
Haskell Indian Nations University
Iḷisaġvik College
Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College
Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe University
Little Big Horn College
Little Priest Tribal College
Navajo Technical University
Northwest Indian College
Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College
Red Lake Nation College
Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College
Salish Kootenai College
Sinte Gleska University
Sisseton Wahpeton College
Sitting Bull College
Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute
Stone Child College
Tohono O'odham Community College
United Tribes Technical College
White Earth Tribal and Community College
Related Blogs
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
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
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.
A New Direction
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.
