Jennifer Himmelreich
Senior Program Officer, Native Arts, Language, and Knowledge
Navajo
Art is a cultural asset for Native communities, and has been an integral part of sustaining Native nations, culture, language and traditional beliefs, shaping community and family ties and cultural pride. Yet, colonization has stripped many Native communities of artistic forms and processes, and individuals with the capacity to carry on traditional art forms that are integral to their cultures. Factors such as western and religious education systems as well as urbanization and incorporation into the modern economy, among others, have all directly impacted Native American artists and the field of Native American arts, placing continued pathways of cultural traditions in jeopardy.
To ensure Native arts and culture continue to be valued and preserved, First Nations established the Native Arts Initiative (NAI) and First Americans’ Cultural Treasures project.
The Poeh Cultural Center is a gathering place for the respectful sustaining of Tewa traditions through being, doing and sharing. Their tour for the 2026 Luce Fellows offered First Nations and the Native Knowledge Holders that we support an opportunity to learn about Tewa cultures and lands.
This grant will support Tananawit's mission and efforts to preserve and promote traditional Native arts and cultural assets, knowledge systems, and lifeways in your community for the benefit of future generations as well as increase organizational sustainability.
These grant funds will be used to support IPCC’s mission and efforts to preserve and promote traditional Native arts and cultural assets, knowledge systems, and lifeways in your community for the benefit of future generations as well as increase organizational sustainability.
These grant funds will be used to support ZYEP’s mission and efforts to preserve and promote traditional Native arts and cultural assets, knowledge systems, and lifeways in your community for the benefit of future generations as well as increase organizational sustainability.
These grant funds will be used to support LEAF’s mission and efforts to preserve and promote traditional Native arts and cultural assets, knowledge systems, and lifeways in your community for the benefit of future generations as well as increase organizational sustainability.
These grant funds will be used to support the Makah Cultural & Research Center’s mission & efforts to preserve & promote traditional Native arts & cultural assets, knowledge systems, & lifeways in your community for the benefit of future generations as well as increase organizational sustainability.
These grant funds will be used to support Pueblo of Pojoaque Poeh Cultural Center’s mission and efforts to preserve and promote traditional Native arts and cultural assets, knowledge systems, and lifeways in your community for the benefit of future generations as well as increase organizational sustainability.
This grant supports IPCC's efforts to preserve and promote traditional Native arts and cultural assets, knowledge systems, and lifeways in your community for the benefit of future generations as well as increase organizational sustainability.
Pueblo of Laguna, New Mexico
The Pueblo of Laguna Cultural Enrichment Program aims to preserve the traditions and customs of the Pueblo and the local community by supporting local artists and providing opportunities for community members to engage in traditional arts, crafts, cooking, and language learning.
Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon
Project purpose is to pass on traditional arts and cultural knowledge, skills, practices; teach skills of entrepreneurship; create and exhibit original Native artworks; increase awareness of Warm Springs cultures within both Tribal and non-Tribal communities; and leverage through project visibility ongoing support from donors and foundations for Museum projects.
Lummi Tribe of the Lummi Reservation
Our purpose is to create an art exchange between our Elders who retain critical cultural information and the next generation of artists to increase and the sustainability of Indigenous ancestorial art, its designs, and historical significance and protect its integrity.
Inter-Tribal
This project will increase the scope of Native Cultural Artists and cultural projects to reach more of Tribal/Urban Native community members particularly to bring youth and Elders together to share knowledge. We will leverage this work to set precedents across the country for supporting Native Artists and cultural programming.
Inter-Tribal
This project will create a safe, centralized, and collaborative resource hub for organizing Native artists in the state of ND so they can leverage art as a way of life (wicohan) into businesses, increase knowledge of endangered traditional art forms, and control and incresase their own development.
Santa Rosa Band of Cahuilla Indians, California
This project will increase the continuation of knowledge about the history of our Cahuilla culture by teaching participants about our traditional pottery and basket weaver legends who have created a pathway through the arts forum. Participants will learn how to utilize skills to leverage the opportunities in the economic space.
Field to Basket will spotlight the intersection of art and agriculture while sustaining Haudenosaunee cultural heritage. By leveraging traditional basket making as an asset for education, and intergenerational knowledge transfer, we will fortify basketry’s role and relevance in contemporary Haudenosaunee life.
This project will enable Woodland Indian Art, Inc. to increase their capacity to continue preserving and advancing traditional Native arts through their programming focused on supporting artists and intergenerational sharing of artistic skills and knowledge, as well as, increase their organizational sustainability.
Hopi Tribe of Arizona
This project will enable Hopitutuqaiki's (The Hopi School, Inc.) to increase their capacity to continue preserving and advancing traditional Native arts through their programming focused on supporting artists and intergenerational sharing of artistic skills and knowledge, as well as, increase Hopitutuqaik's organizational sustainability.
This project will enable Pala Band of Luiseno Mission Indians' Cupa Cultural Center to increase their capacity to continue preserving and advancing traditional Native arts through their programming focused on supporting artists and intergenerational sharing of artistic skills and knowledge, as well as, increase the Cupa Cultural Center's organizational sustainability.
General Operating Support
General Operating Support
Pueblo of Pojoaque, New Mexico
General Operating Support
Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin
General Operating Support
General Operating Support
General Operating Support
General Operating Support
General Operating Support
General Operating Support