Hāwane Rios (Native Hawaiian) 2021 Cultural Capital Fellow. Photo by Kapulei Flores. @kapzphotography
First peoples fund
Our mission is to honor and support the Collective Spirit © of First Peoples artists and culture bearers. Our work recognizes the power of art and culture to bring about positive change in Native communities, beginning with individual artists and their families. First Peoples Fund is a Native-led non-profit that provides direct funding, resources, and professional development to Native American, Native Hawaiian, and Alaska Native artists, culture bearers, and Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI).
We believe that art embodies Native peoples’ culture, an understanding of who we are, and where we come from. Artists and culture bearers give us the power to connect with our past and chart our future.
Gene Swallow (Oglala Sioux) 2021 Artists in Business Leadership Fellow. Photos provided by the artist.
FIRST PEOPLES FUND ANNOUNCEMENTS
COMMUNITY SPIRIT AWARD NOMINATION OPEN
The Jennifer Easton Community Spirit Awards (CSA) celebrate outstanding Native artists and culture bearers who embody their People's cultural assets and way of life. The nomination period opens on May 15 and closes on July 31, 2023.
2023 NATIVE NONPROFIT DAY: SUPPORT THE OGLALA LAKOTA ARTSPACE!
First Peoples Fund invites you to support the second annual Native Nonprofit Day on May 19th, 2023. This special occasion coincides with the Oglala Lakota Artspace Grand Opening on May 20th, 2023.
Native Nonprofit Day is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate and uplift the work of Native-led nonprofits, and we are incredibly grateful for the contributions of individuals like you who are part of our extended FPF family. This year, our Native Nonprofit Day efforts are dedicated to our very own Oglala Lakota Artspace.
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OGLALA LAKOTA ARTSPACE GRAND OPENING
Saturday, May 20, 2023 | 10 am - 7 pm MST
7904 Lakota Prairie Drive, Kyle, SD 57752
We’re celebrating the official Oglala Lakota Artspace (OLA) Grand Opening and you’re invited!
Join us as we celebrate the Oglala Lakota Artspace - the first arts center dedicated to serving artists and culture bearers from the Pine Ridge reservation. It’ll be a day of food, music, poetry, art workshops, culture and fun!
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2023 INDIGENOUS ARTS ECOLOGY - CULTIVATING ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES
Wednesday-Thursday, April 26-27, 2023
Eldorado Hotel, Santa Fe, NM 87501
First Peoples Fund (FPF) is an invitation-only event that brings together their artists and grantees annually to foster and strengthen the Indigenous arts ecosystem that supports Native artists and culture bearers. Through empowering artists and community leaders, FPF creates a support and information exchange network to cultivate new candidates, collaborators, and future leaders for art non-profits and Native communities.
2023 FIRST PEOPLES FUND HONOREES & FELLOWS
First Peoples Fund publicly announced their 2023 Honorees and Fellows selection on Jan 25, 2023. Each year, First Peoples Fund honors and celebrates exceptional Indigenous artists and culture bearers nationwide through our Community Spirit Award, the Artist in Business Leadership Fellowship and the Cultural Capital Fellowship.
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OLA JAM SESSIONS
Calling all local musicians, singers, and rappers! A music studio and performance space were created at the Oglala Lakota Artspace (OLA) by collaborating with First Peoples Fund and Playing For Change Foundation.
Musicians, songwriters, rappers, and supporters of all musical genres are encouraged to attend. This series of events will be held in person at the Oglala Lakota Artspace (7904 Lakota Prairie Dr., Kyle, SD 57752).
Visit the Oglala Lakota Artspace in person or RSVP at:
GIVING: WTPB EDUCATION & IMPACT
Support the We the Peoples Before Education & Impact Initiative. Help us build cultural equity & justice through Indigenous-centered education
First Peoples Fund invites you to join us in Collective Spirit by extending a hand of generosity to our We the Peoples Before (WTPB) Education & Impact Initiative.
Learn more & donate here.
WE THE PEOPLES BEFORE
Thank you for your support in making We the Peoples Before a huge success!
Over the last 25 years, First Peoples Fund’s work has reached more than 4,000 Native artists, honoring, supporting and simultaneously revitalizing the spiritual well-being of our communities while also creating opportunities. We The Peoples Before is a celebration of First Peoples Fund’s 25th anniversary and of Native sovereignty and cultural expression.
The We the Peoples Before Program Journal is now available for download.
A RECAP OF WE THE PEOPLES BEFORE
Thank you for your ongoing support of First Peoples Fund and for celebrating our 25th anniversary, We the People Before. Whether you joined us in person or celebrated from afar, we have a recap of the weekend and we’re pleased to share that with you here.
WE THE PEOPLES BEFORE - SELECTED FILMS
As part of our 25th-anniversary celebration, We the Peoples Before, First Peoples Fund commissioned and premiered the following films in Washington, DC on July 2, 2022, in the Kennedy Center’s Justice Forum. Please join us in celebrating the innovative work of Indigenous filmmakers Nanobah Becker, Maddie Easley, Marcella Kwe, Charine Pilar Gonzales, and Shawna Shandiin Sunrise. View film here.
WE THE PEOPLES BEFORE STAGE PRODUCTION
An innovative, multi-disciplinary stage performance, We The Peoples Before takes us through the past, present and possible future of a lndigenized America. The performance featured some of the finest performers and storytellers of our day reframing the country based on a vision of justice and shared humanity.
The We the Peoples Before stage production can be viewed at the link.
EVENTS CALENDAR
Learn more about upcoming events and workshops hosted by First Peoples Fund at our regularly updated calendar.
MAILING LIST
Join the First Peoples Fund mailing list to receive our monthly newsletter featuring the latest news and opportunities for Native artists and culture bearers.
Questions? Contact info@firstpeoplesfund.org for more information.