Awarded Grants

This project lays groundwork for building a strong relationship with the Sainsbury Centre with the hope that material belongings from Alaska held at this institution will make their way home. This is long-term desired outcome for this project. I know that repatriation efforts can be slow, so I am starting slow and small by starting with a collections documentation project. The short-term desired outcome for this project is creating an opportunity to record information about materials in the collection using Alaska perspectives. I am excited to experiment with making sound recordings with community members to document collections information. The sound recordings will help the project to have a deeper impact, as they will be shared on-line on the museum's website, and hopefully used in a later exhibit project that I am planning. The sound recording aspect of the project will also allow the project to connect with a wider audience as I will interview culture bearers in Alaska to document their knowledge The exhibition "Natchiq-Onkeehq-Isuwiq: Indigenous Artists Honor the Seal" is currently on display at the Rhode Island School of Design. This project was co-curated with Erin Gingrich and Elizabeth James Perry. I am working to create an Alaska version of this exhibit, and hope that some of the sound recordings created during my proposed project can be included as exhibition materials.

This $5,000 grant will allow me to finish editing An Oceti Sakowin Reader In September 2025, I received a $150,000 grant from the Henry Luce Foundation to edit this anthology. Inspired by The Diné Reader, An Oceti Sakowin Reader will be the first collection to center Dakota, Nakota, and Lakota voices in one volume. It will feature both new and previously published work and serve as lasting resource for classrooms, libraries, and communities. A major difference between The Diné Reader and An Oceti Sakowin Reader is that the former was primarily edited by Native and non Native scholars, while the latter will be an entirely community led project. I am leading the project with members of the Oceti Sakowin Writers Society, who are serving as the advisory committee. Together, we will narrow a list of 200 books down to 40 excerpts and develop educational materials to help teachers and students better understand our literary tradition. The committee includes tribal elders, teachers, scholars, and writers. We have been meeting every Wednesday for the past four months to narrow down our selections. It wasn’t until the advisory committee began meeting that we realized how little information was available on Nakota literature, even among our Nakota committee members living in Fort Peck and Fort Belknap. Many of our Nakota relatives either separated from the Oceti Sakowin and fled to Canada, or they live in small, scattered communities. During our meetings we realized much more research is required of Nakota literary traditions, as these resources are located in Canada and Montana and spread across tribal and family archives. It will require significant time and effort to reconstruct a genealogy of Nakota literature, which we did not factor into the Luce budget. The Acorn grant will be used solely for the purposes of researching Nakota literature. Once I complete this research, I will incorporate this info into our anthology and share it at the Oceti Sakowin Writers Society annual tribal writers retreat, which are regularly held within our tribal communities: Lower Brule, Flandreau, Cheyenne River, and Rosebud. Our goal is to host these events in all nine of our reservations. A big part of sharing this knowledge is our advisory committee, who reside in all of these reservation communities. Like with our #NativeReads project, advisory committee members will put us in touch with tribal councils, tribal education departments, local libraries, and schools in our ancestral homelands so that we can share these resources. Since its founding in 1993, the Society has supported members in their journey as writers and storytellers, reconnecting them with our languages, literatures, and homelands. Proceeds from the anthology will support the Society’s broader mission to nurture Oceti SAkowin writers. Through mentorship, publishing, and education, the Society fosters Indigenous storytelling across generations. To learn more, visit www.ocetisakowinwriterssociety.org.

Gold sponsorship for the Tulalip Foundation's 2026 Salmon Bake Fundraiser benefiting the Hibulb Cultural Center. Supports cultural preservation, education, and community programs while celebrating the center's 15th anniversary.

I seek to deepen both technical skill and cultural understanding within Ravenstail weaving. A primary outcome will be the continued development and completion of a rewoven Skatins’ Robe, informed by direct study and applied practice. Equally important is the growth of my ability to interpret and transmit this knowledge responsibly through future generations. This support will strengthen my capacity in several areas: advanced weaving techniques, analysis, material knowledge, and teaching. Studying ceremonial weavings in person will expand my understanding beyond replication, allowing me to engage with the intention, structure, and presence of these works. Knowledge sharing is central to this project. I will transmit what I learn through: • Teaching workshops and informal mentorship within my community • Presenting at 2027 Northwest Coast Textile Symposium and URECA Symposium • Continuing to develop curriculum and learning spaces grounded in Ravenstail practice • Sharing research insights through artist talks and community gatherings I will prioritize reaching Northwest Coastal Indigenous communities, particularly Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian artists and learners, while also contributing to broader conversations in Indigenous textile revitalization. This project contributes to Indigenous-led knowledge sharing by keeping research grounded in relationship rather than extraction. Instead of knowledge being held solely in institutions, it is carried through practice, teaching, and community exchange. Bringing an apprentice into the research process is one way this work actively resists isolation and ensures continuity. What I hope will grow is not only my own skill, but a stronger network of weavers who are connected to one another and to the teachings embedded in Ravenstail. This work helps ensure that the knowledge does not remain fragmented, but continues to be lived, practiced, and passed forward.

Components of Two World Harmony - Butterfly Model bring to life the activity of living relationally or, relational-tivity, which embodies multiversal pathways of positive thought within courageous spaces. Community members will absorb ancestral wave frequencies, awakening inner knowingness with healing energy of strength for the wellbeing of all and Mother Earth, rippling throughout day to day lifeway practices. One outcome from this funding request is creating deeper awareness among next generations of the connection between unspoken messaging in symbolism through artistic creativity and ancestrally guided innate wisdom. This grounding wisdom is Indigenous Courageousness that is uncovered and allowed to flourish and strengthen among our communities as we recognize and address issues which oppress and deny our ways of relational living, to care for and protect our Mother Earth. Additionally, multi-media artists, youth and community involved in the project will grow in their understanding of relational Indigenous wisdom. The project will also support these media artists, contributing to the advancement of their holistic digital artistic career. The digital revamping of the imagery will be in sync with the leading-edge technology. Through this update Butterfly Model will be easier to access in a digital format. Proudly, the final product will host a celebratory premier in which members from New Mexico’s Eight Northern Pueblos and Indigenous youth leaders will be invited. Funding of this project will support a tool which conceptually has already been widely shared. Delivered in my work with Tewa Women United, as Wellness Coordinator for Communities for Clean Water, and as Elder of the Two World Harmony Institute, the Two World Harmony – Butterfly Model is an often-requested presentation. A unique opportunity for presentation of Butterfly Model to a much wider audience is on the horizon. In 2003, New Mexico passed the Indian Education Act for equitable and culturally relevant learning in public schools. Only recently has attention been brought to the fact that its provisions have not been addressed much less implemented. Butterfly Model is a perfect tool to inform those responsible for the implementation of the Act on how cultural learning for Indigenous students could be structured. Butterfly Model is also poised to become one of the instructional materials (or tools), especially for use in programs such as Summer Policy Academy at Santa Fe Indian School. The two world harmony-Butterfly Model plays a vital part in reshaping the misgivings of the imposed dichotomy of Indigeneity within a state which has been so richly blessed by our interweaving of planetary ancestors who loved us all.

Support the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center's 50th Anniversary Annual Gala. Sponsorships help preserve Pueblo culture through education, community programs, and cultural preservation while providing recognition at this milestone celebration.

By the end of this project, I will have: a completed, performance-ready contemporary Samoan siva solo choreographed to TEEKS' "Waves"; a documented video recording of the work; and significantly deepened personal skill in both jazz technique and siva vocabulary. I will also have advanced my preparation for participation at FestPAC 2028, the Pacific region's most significant cultural gathering. This work will be shared with Pacific Islander communities through my existing platforms: Pasifika First Fridays, which I founded in Salt Lake City and which has featured 46 Pacific artists; Lost Eden Gallery's online programming and the Oceania Archive; and through my network as founder of Harvard Alumni for Oceania. I intend to present the work-in-progress to Pacific community members in Las Vegas and Salt Lake City for feedback, centering community voice in the creative process. Beyond the immediate performance, this project contributes to a broader goal: building a body of contemporary Pacific performance work that proves our dance traditions can stand alongside any tradition in the world; not as novelty or spectacle, but as art of the highest order. The knowledge I gain through this mentorship will directly inform my ongoing curatorial, cultural policy, and community arts work, including my role with Creative West and my work with the Pacific Islands Humanities Network. I am committed to sharing what I learn through First Nations' public programming or communications if invited.

The primary outcome of this project is the revitalization and return of Tlingit women’s ceremonial beadwork into active community use. Through study, re-creation, and ceremonial gifting, I will create regalia including neck shields, belts, moccasins, and adornments that can be worn in ceremony, helping to restore these items to their original purpose. This project will strengthen my skills in Tlingit beading techniques, design, and cultural knowledge, while also building capacity within my family and community. As I learn, I will share knowledge through design patterns, process documentation, and photographs, making these teachings accessible to others who wish to learn and create. I plan to share this work through ceremonies, gatherings, and direct community engagement. By gifting regalia and sharing designs, I will support Tlingit women, families, and community members who are seeking cultural connection and ceremonial items. This work will reach across generations, supporting both current practitioners and those yet to come. This project contributes to Indigenous-led knowledge sharing by activating ancestral teachings held in museum collections. By studying beadwork at the Alaska State Museum and re-creating these forms, I will help move knowledge from archival spaces back into living practice. The items created will continue to be used, shared, and passed on, ensuring that these traditions remain strong. Through this process, knowledge is created, shared, and sustained within the community, guided by cultural values and practices, and carried forward into future generations.

This project will strengthen both my artistic practice and my role as a public historian by expanding my engagement with materials, history, and community. A primary outcome will be the creation of a series of archival-based woven works made from replicas of historical documents. In addition to these pieces, a key outcome will be the development of new techniques for integrating archival paper into my traditional weaving practice while remaining rooted in cultural traditions. Through this process, I will also strengthen my skills in archival research and historical interpretation. This growth is essential as I continue to develop as a public historian with a focus on my community. I will develop ways to interpret paper genocide, specifically how it impacted the Nansemond, for a broader audience. I will also ensure that the knowledge I gain through research is shared with my tribal community through our community newsletter and opportunities to view the finished pieces in person. The completed works will be exhibited in regional galleries, my community’s new cultural center, and other tribal spaces. Each of these venues will provide opportunities for me to refine my historical interpretation skills through public talks and the use of interpretive plaques. Beyond expanding my art, the foundation of this project is contributing to Indigenous-led efforts to reclaim our history. This work centers Native voices and uses community knowledge alongside historical documents to tell our story. It demonstrates how Indigenous knowledge can adapt and respond to historical challenges while continuing to carry our history forward. Through this project, I am not only developing new work and technical skills, but also strengthening my community’s ability to share our history from our own perspective. By the conclusion of the grant period, I will have established a sustainable method for using non traditional materials to address complex regional histories. This will allow my practice to continue growing as both a form of fine art and a tool for cultural education. For future generations, these baskets will serve as physical evidence of our resilience, proving that the very records intended to erase our identity can be repurposed to celebrate our continued presence

By recording the songs, we hope to strengthen our community in a few ways. A complete archive with translation of each songs meaning will be done. The preserved and archived recordings will increase access to the songs in their complete form for current and future generations. Those who access the recordings will strengthen their knowledge on Quechan and Kumia (Kumeyaay) ways embedded in the songs. The recordings can be used to help with language and cultural revitalization. Preston can use the recordings to help supplement his in-person teaching. Learners can also have access to the songs to learn on their own at home, then to gather again and practice together what they learned. We will create select edits of the recorded audio, songs and discussion, and share to the larger tribal community through our low powered FM radio station KUAV 105.1, which transmits across the Fort Yuma Reservation. This will make it available to the larger tribal community. Small tribal cultural gatherings will also provide a way to share and perform what is learned in a holistic and traditional way. Preston has been fighting an uphill battle against the demands of modern society. If we can record the songs, this will help in preserving and revitalizing the songs for generations to come.