Meet the 2026 Community Spirit Award honorees
We are proud to announce the recipients of the First Peoples Fund 2026 Jennifer Easton Community Spirit Awards (CSA). Four outstanding individuals from Indigenous communities have been selected to receive unrestricted $50,000 grants, empowering them to continue their transformative cultural work and contributions to Indigenous communities nationwide.
“First Peoples Fund is delighted that we are able to honor these four incredible artists in 2026,” said Fox Spears, Program Manager of Fellowships at First Peoples Fund. “They are representative of the many outstanding and talented individuals who are nominated for this award each year.”
The Jennifer Easton Community Spirit Award, named in honor of First Peoples Fund's founding donor, recognizes extraordinary Native artists who embody cultural generosity and use their ancestral knowledge and artistic talents to uplift their communities. Nominated by peers, students, and community members, these honorees demonstrate unwavering dedication to preserving and advancing Indigenous traditions and cultural vitality.
“First Peoples Fund has been honoring artists and culture bearers who embody the Collective Spirit since 1995,” shared FPF President/CEO Tina Kuckkahn, Lac du Flambeau Ojibwe.
“The 2026 Community Spirit Award honorees were selected through a national review process. It is an honor to uplift these culture bearers for their contributions to strengthening the cultural fabric of their communities.”
We are thrilled to provide $200,000 this year to support the vital work of these remarkable culture bearers, who exemplify a lifelong commitment to their creative practice and their communities.
