2011 Cultural Capital

Wade Fernandez

Menominee
Musician/Performer

Project Description:

Wade will create an instructional DVD featuring stories and instruction on how to play and create a Native American Flute. This DVD will be distributed to key educational and historical programs within the Menominee Reservation community. It is Wade's hope that any Menominees will continue on in the tradition of playing, building, and passing down stories about Woodland flutes. www.wadefernandez.com

Lillian Pitt

Warm Springs, Wasco, Yakama
Sculpture, Mixed Media

Project Description:

In the Village of Celio, Washington, Lillian will organize three workshops for primarily children to teach them the art of making masks. They will be exhibited at the Maryhill Museum show. Over 40 masks will be made, painted and sprayed with acrylic paint, and then fired in the anagama kiln. "I am so pleased with the response of the Village, everyone has been so positive about the project and it has started a strong sense of pride and a sense of accomplishment."

Mary Pierpoint

Cheyenne River Sioux
Photographer, Literary

Project Description:

Mary comes to First Peoples Fund for a second year of funding in the Cultural Capital program with her Lakota Winter Project. On the Cheyenne River Reservation, Mary teaches the children the tradition of a winter count. The students will be completing the winter counts on cloth. She will bring this curriculum that has now been adopted by both Tiospaye and Takini Schools, four times this year. The instructors are already finding ways to bring it into the classroom and make it their own. "All I did was come up with an idea I believed in and you funded it and gave me the opportunity to pass it on. The teachers grabbed on to the idea and the students did too!"