DULUTH — Nine Indigenous people in Northern Minnesota were awarded nearly $44,000 in grants in March for projects strengthening Native culture.
The Duluth-based Northland Foundation announced the Maada'ookiing grant recipients Tuesday, April 28. Grant funding up to $5,000 is offered three times each year to tribal citizens, descendants or those who have kinship ties or affiliation with the Native communities in northeastern Minnesota.
Maada'ooking means the distribution in Ojibwe, and the program is Native American-led and aims to support creative and impactful community building.
"It was gratifying to see the great variety of projects coming from points throughout the Northland Foundation’s service area in this round," said Cayla Bellanger DeGroat, Northland Foundation program officer, in a news release.
"The Maada’ookiing Advisory Board’s decision last spring to increase the grant to $5,000 has, I believe, opened the door to more opportunities to support—in a more meaningful way—the wealth of important, creative work that happens at the grassroots community level."
Grants have been awarded to projects related to teaching and promoting Ojibwe language, sharing and building community around traditional arts and educational and cultural programming.
The March grant recipients are:
- Wendy Savage, Duluth, an informative historical session and project demonstrating Native American Great Lakes appliqué ribbon skirts and the sewing appliqué process
- Sarah Agaton Howes, Cloquet, a series of classes for Native makers and artists to learn, share and build community on the Fond du Lac Reservation
- Ivy Vainio, Duluth, a billboard project in the Duluth community that brings visibility to Ojibwe language and strengthens use of the language
- Rebecca Gawboy, Tower, Native American cultural programming at the Vermillion Country School
- Travis Novitsky, Grand Portage, equipment that will allow Gitch Onigaming dark skies education and outreach efforts to continue to expand community understanding of the night sky
- Suzanne Buan, Hermantown, a video production for babies, preschool children and their caregivers which promotes Ojibwe language skills and use
- Erika Bailey-Johnson, Bemidji, distribution of a series of children's books that strengthen the understanding and use of the Ojibwe language to tribal communities
- Elizabeth Jaakola, Cloquet, an annual gathering where Indigenous women can learn about Anishinaabe hand drumming
- Alberta Warwas, Iron, classes on ribbon skirt and moccasin making for students and parents at the Cherry school.
The next deadline to apply for one of these grants for summer funding has been extended to May 28. Find more information on the Northland Foundation's website.