impact report
Nurturing the Indigenous Arts Ecology
+ First Peoples Fund +
Welcome to our 2023 Annual Impact Report. As we reflect on another remarkable year at First Peoples Fund, we are filled with gratitude and pride for the vibrant Indigenous artists and communities we serve. This report not only highlights our collective impact, but also celebrates the creativity of First Peoples across the nation who continue to inspire and uplift their communities.
Our commitment to supporting Native artists and culture bearers remains steadfast.
Thank you for being a part of our journey. Together, we are nurturing the spirit of Indigenous artistry and cultural lifeways and ensuring that they thrive for generations to come.
Ahéheé (thank you),
Justin Kíí Huenemann (Diné)
President and CEO
First Peoples Fund (FPF) was founded in 1995 by philanthropist Jennifer Easton, whose commitment to uplifting generations of culture bearers and artists deeply rooted in tribal communities was inspired by her childhood near the Mohawk reservation. Here, she witnessed deep injustice and inequity as Mohawk weavers were denied access to ancestral territories to gather natural resources to make their traditional baskets.
FPF remains grounded in our founder’s conviction that Indigenous artistic expression preserves ancestral lifeways and cultural identity, perpetuating a sacred connection to land and traditional spiritual values.
Named after FPF's founder, the annual Jennifer Easton Community Spirit Awards offers no strings attached grants of $50,000 to four to six Native artists who have worked selflessly throughout their lives to share their cultural knowledge and ancestral gifts with their communities. The award is designed to support these essential bearers of cultural practice to carry forward their wisdom and help Native communities heal and thrive.
To explore a full list of CSA honorees visit our artist directory page.
The Cultural Capital (CC) Fellowship is a year-long program that offers $10,000 in grant funding to culture bearers and artists who are deeply rooted in their communities and committed to passing on ancestral knowledge within their Native communities.
“I believe this fellowship has had a huge impact on my community through my ability to share cultural knowledge. It began with a small group of students, but the ripple effect of people taking notice of my weaving workshops has led to more opportunities to teach others at the local library and youth centers.”
-Cultural Capital Fellow
To explore a full list of CC fellows visit our artist directory page.
The Artist in Business Leadership (ABL) Fellowship is a yearlong program that helps independent Native artists pursue art as a way to build a business to support themselves and their families. The program provides them with network-building, professional development guidance and a $10,000 grant towards business needs.
To explore a full list of ABL fellows visit our artist directory page.
The Native Arts Ecology Building is a program that provides Native nonprofits with resources to uplift Native artists in their communities, identify opportunities for them to thrive and highlight their value to the wider fabric of Native communities. This grant is available by invitation only.
First Peoples Fund defines the Indigenous Arts Ecology as a relationship-based, collective system of arts ecosystems, grounded in ancestral knowledge and inclusive of environments, spirit, people and lifeways. This concept informs our Native Arts Ecology Building grant program, encouraging organizations to reach beyond how artists drive creative economies and emphasizing their value to the wider fabric of Indigenous communities, environments and traditions.
To explore a full list of NAEB grantees visit the NAEB program page.
4-Directions Development works to create an environment that will successfully attract, develop and support entrepreneurial, social and community development by providing education, technical assistance, financing and facilities.
The Alliance for Felix Cove advocates for the protection and restoration of the only remaining 19th century Tomalko (Coast Miwok Tomales Bay)-built home at Point Reyes National Seashore.
Ke Kukui Foundation is a culturally based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that serves Oregon and Washington. With the ever-growing population of Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders in the Pacific Northwest, their organization focuses on providing and creating cultural resources and opportunities to the community. They continue to work towards fulfilling their late founder, Deva Yamashiroʻs mission to preserve and to share traditional Hawaiian culture through educational programming consisting of music, dance, language, and other traditional arts.
Lakota Funds' mission is to promote economic sustainability on the Pine Ridge Reservation and geographic service area, through business loans, technical assistance, and wealth-building education for families and businesses.
The Lightning Boy Foundation is a non-profit organization in Northern New Mexico that provides traditional hoop dance instruction and other dance programming to youth ages two and up. Our mission is dedicated to nurturing and building confidence and integrity through culture and artistic expression.
The Mni Sota Fund is an urban Native CDFI that provides training and access to capital in order to promote home ownership, entrepreneurship, and financial capabilities among American Indian men and women throughout the state of Minnesota. We do this through the provision of development services and financial products.
Native Voices at the Autry is devoted to developing and producing new works for the stage by Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and First Nations playwrights.
Since 1991, Red Eagle Soaring has mentored hundreds of Native youth, staged over 180 productions, and supported youth access to the healing power of Native cultural traditions which promote social, physical, and intellectual engagement. In bringing together Native youth to learn about the technical aspects and process of theatre, they also build a community of people interested in learning about, sharing, promoting, and supporting Native arts and cultural lifeways.
Redbud Resource Group helps improve public health outcomes for Native American communities through education, research, and community partnership.
Warm Springs Community Action Team’s mission is to promote community development in Warm Springs by empowering individuals and groups of people to realize their potential, become self-reliant, and affect positive change for themselves, their families, and their community.
First Peoples Funds’ two-day program is designed for artists at any stage of entrepreneurship by providing knowledge, tools, and confidence to navigate professional careers. Our values-based education recognizes the business of art and expression as cultural leadership, helping artists actualize their vision of success. We provide outreach and marketing support, experienced trainers, the curriculum and class materials, while community partners provide the venue.
Our trainers come from all over the country and represent professional artists and entrepreneurs. They are dedicated to supporting an Indigenous Arts Ecology that fosters thriving artists, communities, and cultures.
“Absolutely blessed and heart-refreshed this weekend after attending the NAPD training. They focus not only on the business aspects of art, but also the cultural and spiritual aspects that contribute to Indigenous artists thriving.”
-NAPD attendee
To learn more about the Native Artist Professional Development program visit the NAPD program page.
A vibrant culture has taken hold at the Oglala Lakota Artspace (OLA), the first community arts facility on Pine Ridge Reservation in Kyle, South Dakota. The Native-led space opened in 2022, comprising 8,500 square-feet of dedicated space that is available to the large community of artists and culture bearers who live there.
In May 2023, after a nearly three-year pandemic delay, the OLA welcomed over 200 community members and stakeholders to its official grand opening that included art making activities, live performances, talks and honorings. Thereafter, our OLA team began hosting free workshops and events on a regular basis.
Today, OLA is a hub for events and gatherings aimed at empowering Native artists, culture bearers and community leaders. From skill-building workshops to studio recording to music events to art exhibitions, we offer the Pine Ridge community a variety of programming to foster growth, encourage dialogue and inspire change through the arts.
OLA’s workshops have exploded in reach since the community arts facility first began offering workshops. A key component of these classes is the intergenerational exchanges and mentorship that is taking place between teaching artists and culture bearers with emerging artists.
Artist-led workshops taught during 2023 included beading, sewing, making parfleche cases, watercolors and traditional bow making among many others. We’ve seen a trend that is showing that those who register for our workshops often bring friends and family with them – filling a car to make the journey across Pine Ridge to OLA. We have been especially thrilled to see the impact of Helene Gaddie’s Warrior Women’s Wednesday Sewing Circle as she has welcomed all community members regardless of age or ability to share and gain knowledge.
In 2023, 47 local and regional artists were hired to teach classes, increasing their profiles and income earned from art-making. Supporting artists to teach and create in their communities is a priority, allowing them to share their cultural knowledge and expertise locally.
“They teach a lot of things you’d probably never learn anywhere else.”
-OLA workshop attendee
Stay connected with our ongoing arts & culture workshops on our events page.
Five local artists representing a wide range of Lakota art rent 5 designated studio spaces at the OLA to work on and practice their art forms throughout the year.
Launched in partnership with Playing for Change Foundation, the Wicahpi Olowan Music Program & Studio (WOMPS) is a vibrant initiative that connects the world with Pine Ridge through music. We support Indigenous artists by offering free workshops, concerts, jam sessions, weekly drum circles and recording studio space for aspiring and experienced musicians, singers, songwriters and producers. Activities span diverse genres like hip-hop, rock, folk and traditional Oglala Lakota music.
Stay connected with Wicahpi Olowan Music Program and Studio at their website.
First Peoples Fund launched the Artist-in-Residence (AiR) Program in 2023. It is designed to support Oglala Lakota culture bearers and artists living outside of the region and who want to return home to develop their practice, explore connections, and build collaborations with local artists and the community. The residency enables them to develop their practice and build collaborations with local artists and the community. Residencies are available for durations from two to six weeks and include living accommodations, a food stipend, a workspace, a material stipend, transportation to and from the residency space, and uninterrupted time to concentrate on creative practice.
To explore a full list of OLA Artists in Residence visit our artist directory page.
Collective Spirit® moves each of us to stand up and make a difference, to pass on ancestral knowledge, and simply extend a hand of generosity. Each Collective Spirit podcast features one Native artist or culture bearer discussing the power of Indigenous art and culture.
To explore the entire archive of episodes, visit the Collective Spirit Podcast page, or search for Collective Spirit Podcast wherever you stream podcasts.
2023 Community Spirit Award Honoree Robert Charles Davidson (Haida, Tlingit) shares his journey as a carver and a career of over 65 years. His life is a testament to the power of art in the revival of indigenous culture. His artistic roots stem from the teachings of his father and grandfather, who instilled in him the importance of their way of carving in the Haida style. Robert shares the significance of traditional ceremonies and how his artistic practice became the bridge to reconnect with one's roots and inspire subsequent generations of Haida and Tlingit carvers and artists.
In our conversation with 2023 Community Spirit Award honoree Tom Pohaku Stone, we are embraced by the profound essence of Native Hawaiian culture. His voice carries the resilience of his people, the reverence for the land and the ocean that has nurtured them. As a guardian of tradition, Tom's story unfolds from the roots of his extended family upbringing, through the intricate crafts of woodworking and stone carving, and into his vital role in educating the young stewards of Hawaiian identity. The tapestry of his life is a testament to the enduring struggle for Indigenous sovereignty and the importance of maintaining a cultural legacy amidst the forces of colonization.
The Collective Spirit Conversation Series was launched in 2023. This inaugural series of virtual discussions shines a spotlight on the incredible work of Native American, Native Hawaiian and Alaska Native artists while tackling timely and relevant issues facing Indigenous communities.
The first two conversations in the series explored the intersection of art, healing, and identity.
CONVERSATION 1: “Harmonizing Identities: Indigenous Queer Artists on Art”
Panelists: Golga Oscar (Yup'ik Nation, 2023 Artist in Business Leadership Fellow), Peggy Kagigebi (Anishinaabe, 2023 Cultural Capital Fellow), and Kenny Ramos (Barona Band of Mission Indians, 2019 Cultural Capital Fellow, Year 3 Intercultural Leadership Institute Fellow )
Host: Former Advancement & Communications Coordinator, Keana Gorman (Diné), joined them.
This engaging discussion celebrated art as a powerful catalyst for communal healing and understanding of identity. Art has a unique ability to help us express and communicate our complex emotions and experiences with the world around us, and queer Native art is no exception. The panel delved into thought-provoking questions surrounding queer identities and experiences within the art world, shedding light on the transformative potential of artistic expression.
CONVERSATION 2: “Indigenous Futurism: Bridging Ancestral Roots and Contemporary Art
Panelists: Jordan Poorman Cocker (Kiowa, Tongan) and Chris Pappan (Kaw, Osage, Cheyenne River Sioux, 2016 Artist in Business Leadership Fellow)
Host: Associate Director of Communications Heidi K. Brandow (Diné, Kanaka Maoli, 2018 Artist in Business Leadership Fellow, Year 3 Intercultural Leadership Institute Fellow).
During this conversation, the audience gained deeper insights into how these contemporary artists pay homage to their ancestral roots while actively engaging with the Indigenous present. The discussion also touched upon how their artistic practices envision an Indigenous presence now and in the future.
