Indigenous grants help with cultural projects

The Northland Foundation recently awarded seven Maada’ookiing grants. The Maada’ookiing board met in March to review and approve awards.

Maada’ookiing (“the distribution” in Ojibwe) is a Northland Foundation program to strengthen relationships with Indigenous community, build partnerships with Native nations, and offer support for community members to expand capacity in northeastern Minnesota. A grant opportunity is offered three times per year for Tribal citizens, descendants, or those who have kinship ties or affiliation to Indigenous communities within the Foundation’s service area.

The grantees are:

Sarah Agaton Howes: $2,500 to create an updated edition of a moccasin pattern book.

Sherelle Graves: $2,500 to teach traditional quilting.

Emily Smith: $2,500 to support Big Drum ceremonies in the Sawyer area.

Cheyanne Peet: $2,500 to create opportunities for quilt making and healing.

Gerald White: $2,400 to create a series of videos on canoe paddles.

Theodore DeFoe: $2,500 to provide programming for youth on gathering and using of birchbark..

Amber Reynolds: $2,000 for sobriety programs.