2011 Fund of the Sacred Circle Grant Awards Announced
The Headwaters Foundation for Justice is pleased to announce $45,000 in grant awards to four Minnesota- and Wisconsin- based nonprofits through the Fund of the Sacred Circle.
The Fund of the Sacred Circle supports the work of Native urban, rural and tribal groups to address systemic issues affecting American Indian communities. Focus areas include language and cultural revitalization, land and environmental restoration, sovereignty and treaty rights and self-determination and civil rights. Established in 1999, the Fund of the Sacred Circle is operated in conjunction with the Wisconsin Community Fund and directed by Native community leaders who make funding decisions. Since the fund began making grants in 2001, it has awarded 57 grants totaling $535,000.
"The Fund of the Sacred Circle is a unique, community led program," said Trista Harris, "Native leaders are identifying needs and advocating to ensure a secure future for their communities. The Fund itself is a valuable and permanent resource for the community to utilize."
Grants were awarded to each of the following organizations:
Anishinaabe O'de is a grassroots organization rooted in the traditions, spirituality, language, and values of the Annishinaabeg. The organization’s plan is to strategize ways of changing the juvenile justice system and strengthen their board. Their focus is to connect youth to their traditional culture and language serving as a foundation for their well-being. Anishinaabe O’de received a planning grant of $5,000.
Phillips Indian Educators (PIE) is a network of Indian educators based in Minneapolis. PIE's constituents are educators, students, parents and the larger Indian community. They focus primarily on Minneapolis public schools with the aim of making district policies and practices more sensitive to Native students’ needs and improving Native students' educational outcomes. PIE is refining the Memorandum of Agreement with Minneapolis Public Schools to have greater impacts for Native students over the next five years. Phillips Indian Educators received a grant of $10,000.
Waadookodaading Language Immersion Charter School is an Ojibwe language immersion school for students in kindergarten through the fifth grade. The school is seeing dozens of children achieve language proficiency levels that have not existed for two generations. The organization's long-term goal is to continue to revitalize and preserve the Ojibwe/Anishinaabe language as an active language. The Waadookodaading School received a two-year grant of $10,000 per year.
WI Indian Education Association and their allies are working for the elimination of race-based Indian nicknames, logos and mascots from WI public schools. Their work includes providing education to K-12 school board members, administrators, social studies and history teachers, and community members providing the rational for change and assist in complaints that have been filed. They will work to defend Act 250 from constitutional challenges and legislative attempts to amend or appeal the law. WI Indian Education Association received a grant of $10,000.
Headwaters Foundation is a catalyst for social, racial, economic and environmental justice. The Foundation was established in 1984 with the belief that the power of fundamental social change is in the hands of ordinary people. The Foundation distributes $490,000 annually to groups working for social change. In its 27-year history, Headwaters has provided more than $9.3 million dollars in grants to the community. Through grantmaking and organizational assistance, Headwaters focuses on grassroots efforts, engaging and partnering with a committed community of donors and allies in its work. Headwaters is a member of the Funding Exchange, a national network of community foundations committed to addressing social justice at the grassroots level.
