Native Cultures Fund Offers Grant Opportunities

Willard Carlson stands next to freshly split cedar planks used to rebuild a Yurok village at Ah-Pah on the Lower Klamath River. The project is one of the many that have received support from the Native Cultures Fund. / Photo by Allie Hostler, Two Rivers Tribune.

By Kay Heitkamp, Two Rivers Tribune Contributing Writer

Calling all artists and those with a dream—are you aware that the Humboldt Area Foundation (HAF) in Eureka, through its Native Cultures Fund (NCF) program, awards grants from $1,000-$7,500 for Indigenous projects such as carving, theater, music, storytelling, regalia, dance, and basketry?

The mission of the Native-led program established in 2000 is to support the renaissance of California Native American arts, culture, sacred sites, and cultural transmission between generations. HAF partners with several other foundations to offer grants that focus on generating greater cultural participation in communities from the Oregon and western Nevada borders south to Chumash territory in Santa Barbara. These partnerships allow for the NCF to fund a wide variety of projects.

To date, grants totaling over $800,000 have been awarded to more than 190 projects, with an average of seven to eight funded each grant cycle. Over 85 percent of applicants are first-timers.

In addition to projects already noted, the NCF supports visual art production, murals, cultural performances and gatherings, mentoring ceremonial protocol, and singing. Teaching and recording traditional stories in native languages and documenting cultural expression and history by video, radio, and other forms of technology are also supported.

According to Program Officer Chag Lowry, projects change from year to year. Over the last three years, he’s seen a shift to a wide variety of native language recovery programs.

“There are so many villages, each with their own dialects, each with their own particular needs for funding,” said Lowry.

An example of this type of project is the Live Your Language Alliance whose website is located at liveyourlanguagealliance.org.

“NCF is the principal funder for this unique group that joins together linguists from the Tolowa, Karuk, Yurok, Hupa, Tsnungwe, Wiyot, Mattole, and Wailaki Tribes. They meet quarterly at HAF to work on ideas for recovery and preservation of their languages,” said Lowry. “This is the first such group to be established on our coast.”

Lowry recommends that anyone interested in language recovery efforts come to the next meeting scheduled at HSU on Wednesday, March 14.

The NCF focuses on projects that connect individual artists or groups of artists with their communities or combine the efforts of artists and community groups. It supports projects in which a tribe or rancheria works in partnership with individuals or a group of artists within a community and encourages tribal programs to actively support artists’ projects.

Either individuals or nonprofit organizations in partnership with individuals may apply. Tribes or rancherias can serve as fiscal sponsors of applicants. However, individuals do not need a fiscal sponsor in order to apply for funding.

A great example of a collaboration funded in large part by the NCF is the traditional Yurok village being constructed 15 miles from Klamath at Blue Creek (Ah Pah). Yurok Tribal member, Willard Carlson, founder of the project, originally envisioned creating a special place where people could come home and reconnect with their ancestors, regardless of where they live. Working with other tribal members, substantial progress has been made.

Carlson said the NCF has been a primary supporter, having awarded several grants since 2008, mainly to help fund all the equipment needed to clear the land. The equipment is also available to other tribal members for use in their own projects.

Quoting from Carlson’s website at bluecreekahpah.org, “Our village will find solutions to today’s problems and their effects and serve as an example for others to follow through becoming self-sufficient and sustainable, cultural preservation and renewal, community building, ecological stewardship, and individual renewal and healing. The village will focus upon rehabilitating the land, forests, river, salmon, ecosystems, habitat, culture, traditional and spiritual values, and the people.”

“Chag and the Fund have been so supportive,” said Carlson. “It’s one thing to have a dream. The NCF helped turn that dream into a vision so we could move forward and get started.”

Asked if any particular projects stand out in his mind, Lowry said, “There’ve been so many. I’m impressed with all that’s going on at Ah Pah and also the cultural preservation projects accomplished through Mary Jane Risling’s nonprofit Me’Dil Institute, including the making of a traditional maple bark skirt and documenting the construction of traditional Yurok redwood ceremonial canoes.”

Lowry also cited the NCF’s support of the current Karuk exhibit at the Clarke Museum in Old Town Eureka that will continue for a total of 12 months and whose exhibits will rotate monthly to reflect different artists from different generations and villages. Artwork rotated out of the museum is then placed on exhibit at the People’s Center in Orleans for local community members to enjoy.

Although the Fund’s main goal is supporting California’s Indigenous artists descended from the state’s original ancestors, they also fund projects where the master artist(s) are non-native or native, but from other geographic areas.

“It depends on the project,” said Lowry, who recommends giving him a call at (707) 442-2993 to discuss prospective project ideas and clarify the concepts. He also welcomes email inquiries at chagL@hafoundation.org. Lowry visits all the projects supported by the Fund.

When asked if prospective applicants take advantage of the offer to get in touch, Lowry verified that he often receives several calls a day from people who have an idea but just aren’t sure they can make it happen.

Deadline to submit an application for the upcoming Spring Community Partnership grant cycle is Monday, Feb. 16, 2012. Artists who miss this deadline should check the Fund’s website at nativeculturesfund.org for upcoming grant cycles throughout the year. Frequency and amount of funding depends on the types and amount of funding NCF receives from its supporters.

The application process is straightforward. Applicants must submit a two to four page narrative with a detailed description of proposed activities, goals, and a time frame for completion. An explanation of the type of art form to be used is also required.

Applicants will need to document how the community will be involved in both the creative process and the end product and why the project is important to the community. Artists will need to identify all members of their community who will be involved. A description of what will be achieved and a vision of what a successful project will look like will be included in the narrative.

Applicants must submit a one-page project budget and include information about other funders, whether already committed or projected. Two letters of support and a resume(s) are also required.

Artistic samples must also be included with the application. These can consist of three pages of written work, five minutes of audio, media, or video, 10 digital or traditional slides, or 10 printed photos.

Lowry suggests it’s best to send in lots of photos. He also recommends detailed descriptions of the cultural background and traditions of applicants.

“Don’t assume the judges know anything about your culture,” Lowry said.

Applicants are encouraged to send in drafts of their project proposals via email for review and assistance prior to submitting a completed grant request.

The Native Cultures Fund offers opportunities for funding not available from other foundations. Tribal members are encouraged to get together, pool their talents, and submit an application for a grant to support and enrich the cultural traditions of their communities.