Santa Rosa Band of Cahuilla Indians
Anza, California
First Nations established the Native Arts Initiative (NAI) in 2014 to provide direct grantmaking, networking opportunities, and training and technical assistance (TTA) to Native-led arts and cultural hubs who are working to preserve and advance traditional Native arts through programming focused on supporting artists and intergenerational sharing of artistic skills and knowledge.
Under the NAI, First Nations provides awarded grantees with organizational and programmatic resources, including direct grants and technical assistance and training. Since 2014, First Nations has awarded more than $3.5 million in grant funds to a variety of eligible Native-controlled nonprofit organizations and tribal government programs under the NAI.
Santa Rosa Band of Cahuilla Indians
Native Arts Donor-Funded Campaign: 2023-2026
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. Art classes will entail instruction on pottery and basket weaving while providing the history of how those two skills our ancestors and present-day creators used for their artwork to promote storytelling and self-sufficiency. Identifying indigenous plants, locations, and terms in the Cahuilla language will help bridge the gap of cultural identity through the arts and language. Participants will learn how to utilize skills to leverage the opportunities in the economic space as well.