Arts and Cultural Heritage Grant
Arts and Cultural Heritage Grant
Dance for our ancestors, my goal is to teach the youth in my comunity skils that can be passed along
Kathy Neff: musician, Director, Fine Arts Academy at the University of Minnesota-Duluth; Emily Swanson: arts administrator at Oldenburg Arts and Cultural Community; Kris Nelson: artist, teacher; Roxann Berglund: musician; Bill Payne: Professor of Theater at the University of Minnesota-Duluth; Sam Zimmerman: visual artist, teacher; Liz Engelman: dramaturg, founder and director of Tofte Lake Center; Jessica Peterson: essayist, playwright, co-founder of Yellow Tree Theater; Erin Cain: University of Minnesota-Duluth Student Liaison
Peggy Kelly: community organizer, musician; Lucy Soderstrom: Executive Director Ely Folk School; Adam McCauley: Painter, visual artist
ACHF Cultural Heritage
I was a youth who wanted to sing and dance. My family didn't go to powwows, and boarding schools had kept my elders from living the anishinaabe way? I got in a lot of trouble, trying to learn who I was. Until I found someone who took me under their wing when I was 16. I still didn't have access to nice outfits, so over the years I taught myself how to make my outfits, but I hated how my outfits were only partially done, I finally mastered sewing by the time my oldest son was 4 and now my boys dance in nice outfits, and feel good about themselves. But the little girl in me wants to save other little kids from feeling left out and awkward. When I see the kids dancing this summer, we will all see and feel the success Years down the road when we see those same kids making their children's outfits, or children in the community, we will see and feel that success. Or when we see one of those kids go on to open their own business that caters to our anishinaabe, we will see and feel that succes