First Peoples Fund

OUR MISSION IS TO HONOR AND SUPPORT THE COLLECTIVE SPIRIT OF FIRST PEOPLES ARTISTS AND CULTURE BEARERS.

ARTIST IN BUSINESS LEADERSHIP AND CULTURAL CAPITAL ARE SIMILAR PROGRAMS WHICH ARE GROUPED TOGETHER FOR REPORTING PURPOSES.CULTURAL CAPITAL IS DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY FOR MASTER ARTISTS WHO HAVE BEEN PRACTICING THEIR ART FOR 10 YEARS OR MORE. ARTISTS ALSO; 1) SHARE A COMMITMENT TO TEACHING THEIR CRAFT IN THEIR COMMUNITY TO KEEP CULTURAL EXPRESSION ALIVE; 2) HAVE A PLAN TO DOCUMENT THEIR ANCESTRAL KNOWLEDGE FOR THE NEXT SEVEN GENERATIONS; AND 3) SEEK WAYS TO SUSTAIN CULTURAL SHARING AS A WAY OF LIFE WITHIN THEIR TRIBAL COMMUNITY. THE FIRST PEOPLES FUND GRANT PROGRAM IS OPEN TO ALL REGION-ELIGIBLE ARTISTS AND FORMER COMMUNITY SPIRIT AWARD RECIPIENTS. GRANTS OF BETWEEN $5,000 AND $10,000 OFFER ARTISTS AN OPPORTUNITY TO DELVE DEEPER INTO THEIR ART - SHARING THEIR ARTISTRY WITH ALL WHO WANT TO LEARN. EACH YEAR, CULTURAL CAPITAL FELLOWS TEACH AND SHARE THEIR KNOWLEDGE WITH MORE THAN 100 COMMUNITY MEMBERS.THE ARTIST IN BUSINESS LEADERSHIP FELLOWSHIP IS DESIGNED FOR ARTISTS WITH FIVE OR MORE YEARS OF EXPERIENCE MARKETING THEIR ART AT INDIAN ART MARKETS AND GALLERIES AND WHO HAVE WHOLESALE EXPERIENCE. ARTISTS INTERESTED IN APPLYING FOR A FELLOWSHIP SHOULD; 1) BE COMMITTED TO PURSUING ART AS A WAY TO BUILD A BUSINESS AND SUPPORT BOTH THEMSELVES AND THEIR FAMILIES; 2) HAVE A VISION FOR EXPANDING THEIR BUSINESS NATIONALLY; AND 3) SHARE A COMMITMENT TO PASSING ON ANCESTRAL KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS WITHIN THEIR HOME COMMUNITIES.ELIGIBLE ARTISTS RECEIVE BETWEEN $5,000 AND $10,000 IN WORKING CAPITAL FUNDS TO SUPPORT SPECIFIC ENTREPRENEURIAL INITIATIVES THAT WILL ENHANCE THEIR BUSINESS AND CONTRIBUTE TO A CONSISTENT AND RELIABLE INCOME FOR THEMSELVES AND THEIR FAMILIES.BENEFITS OF THE FELLOWSHIP: FIRST PEOPLES FUND'S ARTIST IN BUSINESS LEADERSHIP FELLOWSHIP DOES NOT JUST HELP ARTISTS GROW A BUSINESS IT INSPIRES THEM TO FULLY HONOR THEIR CULTURAL CREATIVITY AND GROW THE IMPACT IT HAS ON THEIR PEOPLE.AN ARTIST APPLICANT FOR THE ARTIST IN BUSINESS LEADERSHIP AND CULTURAL CAPITAL PROGRAMS MUST BE NATIVE HAWAIIAN OR A MEMBER OF A UNITED STATES TRIBAL NATION. FPF HAS SPECIFIC GEOGRAPHIC FOCUS AREAS AS WELL.EACH ARTIST RECEIVES INDIVIDUALIZED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT GUIDANCE, AS WELL AS A GRANT TO OFFSET CAPITAL EXPENSES ASSOCIATED WITH GROWING A BUSINESS.IMPACT OF THE FELLOWSHIP: OUR ARTIST ALUMNI TELL US THE PROGRAM DOES MORE THAN JUST SUPPORT AN ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT - IT STIMULATES A RENEWED ENERGY TO CHALLENGE THEMSELVES AND EACH OTHER TO CREATE NEW WORK THAT PUSHES BOUNDARIES.GRANTS TO INDIVIDUALS FOR DISASTER RELIEF WERE ALSO MADE IN 2021 GIVEN THE IMPACT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.

NATIONAL PROGRAMS:FIRST PEOPLES FUND IS A PRINCIPAL PARTNER IN INTERCULTURAL LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE, ALSO KNOWN AS ILI, ALONG WITH ALTERNATE ROOTS, THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF LATINO ARTS AND CULTURE AND THE PA'I FOUNDATION. THESE FOUR CORE PARTNERS HAVE A SHARED COMMITMENT TO PURSUE CULTURAL EQUITY AND TO SUPPORT ARTISTS, CULTURE BEARERS, AND OTHER ARTS PROFESSIONALS AS CHANGE-MAKERS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. THE INITIATIVE ANNUALLY SELECTS A COHORT OF ARTISTS AND ARTS ADMINISTRATORS FROM COMMUNITIES OF COLOR AND CONVENES THEM THROUGHOUT THE YEAR TO LEARN ABOUT THEIR SHARED HISTORIES, BUILD NETWORKS, AND GAIN LEADERSHIP SKILLS.OUR NATION'S SPACES (ONS) INITIATIVE PROVIDES OPPORTUNITIES FOR NATIVE ARTISTS TO CREATE AND SHOWCASE THEIR WORK OUTSIDE OF PREDOMINATELY NATIVE ARTS SPACES AND INTO THE NETWORK OF FORD FOUNDATION'S DIVERSE SPACE GRANTEES. THIS INITIATIVE STRENGTHENS AND DEVELOPS THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN DIVERSE ARTS SPACES ORGANIZATIONS AND THE COMMUNITIES THEY REPRESENT AND WITH NATIVE ARTISTS: VISUAL (CONTEMPORARY AND TRADITIONAL MEDIUMS), PERFORMANCE ARTISTS, MUSICIANS, DANCE, AND SPOKEN WORD.

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT: TRAININGS, WORKSHOPS, AND RE-GRANTS:FPF'S COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT WORK INCLUDES SEVERAL SUB-PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO BUILD THE CAPACITY OF COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS TO SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF CREATIVE, LEADERSHIP, AND ENTREPRENEURIAL SKILLS OF INDIVIDUALS. ROLLING REZ ARTS IS A MOBILE ART UNIT WITH THE CAPACITY TO PROVIDE ARTISTS ACCESS TO THE RESOURCES THEY NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL ACROSS ALL NINE DISTRICTS ON THE VAST PINE RIDGE RESERVATION. LAUNCHED IN MARCH 2016, THE ROLLING REZ ARTS PROVIDES TARGETED SUPPORT TO ARTISTS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES, HELPING CLOSE GAPS IN ACCESS TO SUPPLIES, MARKETS, TRAINING, NETWORKS, CREDIT, CAPITAL, AND SPACE. ROLLING REZ ARTS IS EQUIPPED AS A MOBILE BANK AND LAKOTA FEDERAL CREDIT UNION REGULARLY OFFERS BANKING SERVICES FROM THE MOBILE UNIT ACROSS THE RESERVATION. NATIVE AMERICAN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TRAINING (NAPD), WHICH IS DESIGNED FOR ARTISTS OR COMMUNITY MEMBERS AT ANY STAGE OF THEIR CAREERS, EQUIPS ENTREPRENEURS WITH KNOWLEDGE, TOOLS, AND CONFIDENCE TO NAVIGATE THEIR PROFESSIONAL CAREERS AND LEAD FULFILLING PERSONAL LIVES. FPF'S VALUES-BASED EDUCATION SEES THE BUSINESS OF ART AND EXPRESSION AS CULTURAL LEADERSHIP AND POSITIONS ARTISTS TO ACTUALIZE A VISION OF SUCCESS THAT FITS WITHIN THEIR CULTURAL PRINCIPLES.COMMUNITY-BASED CERTIFICATION IS DESIGNED FOR BOTH FINANCIAL AND NONPROFIT PROFESSIONALS WISHING TO WORK DIRECTLY WITH ARTISTS, AND FOR ARTISTS WHO WANT TO BECOME MENTORS OR TRAINERS LOCALLY. THIS PROGRAM TRAINS PARTICIPANTS TO OFFER EXPERTISE TO ARTISTS WISHING TO START OR GROW A BUSINESS. ALL OF FPF'S TRAINERS HAVE PARTICIPATED IN BOTH THE NATIVE ARTISTS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TRAINING AND THE COMMUNITY BASED CERTIFICATION TRAINING. THE FPF-CERTIFIED TRAINERS ARE ALSO ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ARTIST IN BUSINESS LEADERSHIP FELLOWSHIP AND CULTURAL CAPITAL FELLOWSHIP PROGRAMS. FPF TRAINERS REPRESENT PROFESSIONAL ARTISTS AND ENTREPRENEURS - FROM MUSICIANS TO VISUAL ARTISTS, BUSINESS OWNERS TO LOAN OFFICERS - FROM ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY.NATIVE ARTS ECONOMY BUILDING GRANTS SUPPORT COMMUNITY-BASED NATIVE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING NATIVE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS. THE PROGRAM'S OBJECTIVES ARE TWOFOLD: 1. DEVELOP PARTNERS' UNDERSTANDING OF THE CRITICAL ROLE NATIVE ARTISTS CAN PLAY IN BUILDING ECONOMIES, GENERATING ASSETS, AND CONSTRUCTING EFFECTIVE AND CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE NETWORKS; AND, 2. BUILD PARTNERS' CAPACITY TO PROVIDE ARTISTS ACCESS TO THE RESOURCES THEY NEED FOR SUCCESS INCLUDING CREDIT AND CAPITAL, MARKETS, SUPPLIES, CREATIVE SPACE, INFORMAL NETWORKS, AND TRAINING. INDIGENOUS ARTS ECOLOGY GRANTS PROGRAM REACHES INTO TRIBAL COMMUNITIES WITH GRANTS AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, SUPPORTING THEM TO ASSIST NATIVE ARTISTS TO GROW AS ENTREPRENEURS AND LEADERS IN THEIR LOCAL INDIGENOUS ARTS ECOSYSTEM. THROUGH THE INDIGENOUS ARTS ECOLOGY PROGRAM, FIRST PEOPLES FUND PARTNERS PRIMARILY WITH NATIVE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS. THE TWO-YEAR COHORT-BASED PROGRAM BUILDS AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE CRITICAL ROLE OF ARTISTS AND CULTURE BEARERS IN TRIBAL COMMUNITIES AND HELPS BUILD CAPACITY TO BETTER SUPPORT ARTISTS WITH SERVICES, TRAINING, AND MENTORING.DANCES WITH WORDS IS A YOUTH-DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE OF FIRST PEOPLES FUND THAT WORKS WITH YOUNG PEOPLE, ADULT MENTORS, HIGH SCHOOLS, AND NONPROFIT PARTNERS ON THE PINE RIDGE INDIAN RESERVATION EMPOWERING PARTICIPANTS TO BECOME ENGAGED STUDENTS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS THROUGH LITERATURE, SPOKEN WORD, AND OTHER ART FORMS. FIRST PEOPLES FUND UNDERSTANDS THE CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF ORAL TRADITIONS FOR NATIVE PEOPLES, AND DANCES WITH WORDS CONNECTS YOUNG PEOPLE TO THESE TRADITIONS THROUGH THE STUDY AND CREATION OF LITERATURE, POETRY, SPOKEN WORD, AND MUSIC. AT THE SAME TIME, THE PROGRAM RECOUNTS PARTICIPANTS' STORIES WITHIN THEIR COMMUNITIES AND BEYOND.