Current Issue

December 2021

Dear Friends,

As 2021 draws to a close, all of us at First Nations reflect on the year with ongoing gratitude for your readership and support. Our collective investment in Native communities and economies continued strong in 2021, helping build the capacity and bolster the programs and services of our many Community Partners.

In this issue of Indian Giver we showcase just a few examples of their progress and successes. We invite you to enjoy these stories over the holidays, and to join us in 2022 as we continue to strengthen assets, support economic development, and add to the health and vibrancy of Native communities.

The December 2021 Indian Giver features:

• Land Back – First Nations works with Native communities to access land-back opportunities and make the most of re-acquired land. This year, two First Nations Community Partners, Kalispel Tribe of Indians and Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, were able to do both through support of First Nations and grants from the USDA’s Community Forest Program.
• The Success of the Luce Indigenous Knowledge Fellowship  – Here we look back at how this important program began and at the instrumental role the Henry Luce Foundation has played in investing in it.
• New Money Smarts ’21 Engages Students – This latest financial education curriculum from First Nations debuted in October 2021, with an in-person training to over 300 students at Browning High School in Browning, Montana.

Plus:

• • Knowledge Makers, Knowledge Sharers – 2020 Luce Indigenous Knowledge Fellow Dr. Lance Twitchell has dedicated his life to revitalizing the Tlingit language through teaching, curriculum development, publishing, television, art, and most importantly community collaboration.
  • Inspiring a More Just World: Donor Spotlight – Meet donor Michael Collins, who believes that rectifying the erroneous narrative many people are taught about Native Americans starts with raising awareness about the truth, and supporting organizations that bring that truth to life.

Read the full issue here.