This Week at First Nations: March 31, 2023
First Nations Invests in 10 Native-Led Organizations to Bolster Native Language Immersion Programs
This week, First Nations announced the awarding of 10 grants to Native-led organizations and tribes working to preserve Indigenous languages and cultures throughout the U.S. The grants mark the sixth year of First Nations’ Native Language Immersion Initiative, which launched in 2017 to support new generations of Native American language speakers, and help Native communities establish infrastructure and models for Native language immersion programs that may be replicated throughout Indian Country. Read about the community partners.
Fond du Lac Reservation Bolsters Ojibwe Language Nest
One of our 10 community partners through First Nations’ Native Language Immersion Initiative was featured on MPR News for their “Grandma’s House” language immersion program. The program launched in 2020 and now reaches seven families teaching Ojibwe traditions and language from elders who speak it as their first language. With support from First Nations and others, the nest is expanding, strengthening the curriculum and reaching more youth. Read more.
First Nations’ Native Farmer and Rancher Apprentices Convene for Learning and Connections
This week, the first convening of First Nations’ 2023 Native Farmer and Rancher Apprenticeship Network took place at the Santa Ana Star Casino Hotel in Bernalillo, New Mexico. The three-day event featured team-building, fieldwork, conservation training, and technical assistance as part of the 30-month program to expand the cohort’s business capacity and strengthen land management strategies.
In Case You Missed It: The March 2023 Indian Giver Is Out
The March 2023 issue of Indian Giver features one of our 2022 Luce Indigenous Knowledge Fellows, and in honor of Women’s History Month, all the other amazing women of this prestigious fellowship who have come before and after her. This issue also features an update on two community partners, the Stronghold Society and the Aleut Community of St. Paul Island. Access the issue here!
Transitions and Growth at First Nations
Highlighted in Indian Giver and shared again here, First Nations is honored to announce that several First Nations staff are being promoted to new roles, empowered with new responsibilities and avenues to contribute and lead. Each of these promotions is well-deserved, and each adds to the utmost confidence we have in our strong team of 40-plus staff and their ability and capacity to continue the important work of our organization. Congratulations!
Henrietta Mann, Native America Calling Receive National Humanities Medals
Indian Country Today reports on the awarding of several National Humanities Medals presented by President Biden this week. Among the recipients are legendary Native American studies professor and historian, Henrietta Mann, as well as Native America Calling, an hourlong live call-in show produced by Koahnic Broadcast Corporation that centers the Indigenous voice. First Nations’ Financial Education consultant Shawn Spruce attended the ceremony in Washington, D.C. with fellow representatives from Native America Calling. Read more.
Navajo Tech First Tribal University to Offer a Ph.D. Program
Navajo Technical University is the first of more than 30 accredited tribal colleges and universities across the country to offer an accredited doctoral program, reports NBC News. The university will offer a Ph.D. in Diné Culture and Language Sustainability, which it hopes will have a profound impact on the future of the tribe’s language and culture. Read more.
Indigenize the Future: Native Youth Conference April 24 to 27
The Suquamish Tribe’s Healing of the Canoe project is hosting a four-day intensive training for tribes and Indigenous communities that want to develop a youth education program grounded in culture and connection. Held April 24 to 27, 2023, at the Suquamish Clearwater Casino Resort in Washington state, the conference uses educational, experiential, artistic, and cultural teachings to help participants achieve their goals. Learn more and register here.
