California Indian Museum and Cultural Center

Artist and Community Collaboration Initiative

Location:

Santa Rosa, CA

Award:

$10,000

Project:

Tribal Ambassadors Through Theater

Website:

www.cimcc.org

The project will engage 20 or more Native youth ages 5 – 17 who live in Sonoma County, California in creating and delivering a theatrical performance designed to illuminate local Native cultural maintenance and social issues and build awareness and understanding of Native cultures. Through the performance, the youth will share information about their cultures, languages, stories, ancestral lands, sustainability practices and families with other youth and public school teachers to provide Native perspectives missing from public school texts and instructional resources. The performance will take place at the 1,600 seat, Wells Fargo Center for the Arts. It will be adapted from Master Storyteller, Jacque Nunez's (Acjachemen), living history play, "Journeys to the Past".

Video: Jacque Nunez, Storyteller

“The act of giving was part of the ‘gifting economy’ of the Northwest where one’s wealth was measured by generosity, good work and a good heart. That is the work of philanthropy too: It’s an honor to have plenty and to share. There is no lack when you have this process in place and the most important mindset to have while participating is gratitude, or giving thanks and promising to care for all, no matter what.”

Elizabeth Woody, Navajo/Warm Springs/Wasco/Yakama

K-12 Program Coordinator, Center for Coastal Marine Observation & Prediction

“These gifts demonstrate strong tribal interest in creating a powerful funding engine for protecting and preserving Native art and culture—the very cornerstones of tribal sovereignty. A foundation of this nature will help reverse the long history of government suppression of Native culture done as part of the United States' assimilation program. Through gifts of this nature, Indian Country can direct its resources to protect what is closest to home to all Indian tribes—our own cultures."

Walter Echo-Hawk, Pawnee

Board Chair, Native Arts & Cultures Foundation

California Indian Museum and Cultural Center

2011/2012 Grantees

2010/2011 Grantees