🍂 Fall is a Season of Preparation for Tiwahe Foundation 🍂
Above: Ptanyetu (Dakota) and Dagwaagin (Ojibwe)Â
Boozhoo/Han, Tiwahe Community!
The Autumnal Equinox on Sunday, September 22, marked the moment when day and night are in perfect balance—a reminder for us to reflect, prepare, and rebalance our lives. Our team is embracing this season not only as one of preparation, as the Autumn traditionally signifies, but also as an opportunity to find equilibrium in all we do. Just as Mother Earth prepares herself for the colder months ahead, we are readying ourselves to slow down after a vibrant spring and summer fully engaged in work and community.
Indigenous philanthropy means actively participating in and caretaking reciprocal relationships. We have been hard at work gathering and sharing knowledge and other resources at conferences, cultural retreats, community events, and through the re-launch of our Oyate Leadership Network. It has been a season filled with joyful labor, highlighting the profound impact of our collective community efforts.
In this preparation season, we’re also reflecting and learning from the many things we’ve done over the last year—including time to celebrate our big milestones. These include:
- Launching our new Strategic Plan that guides us through 2026
- Relaunching the Oyate Leadership Network (OLN) after five years to reflect with the wisdom of our people, including past alum, to facilitate experiential learning communities from all walks of life to strengthen identity, knowledge, and relational tools built on our cultural values and teachings.
- Operationalizing LinkingLeaders, a project rooted in solidarity with our Black and brown relatives in the Twin Cities to prepare our networks of leaders to truly be in relationship and understanding with each other in order to have greater collective action and impact.
- Expanding our funder and community organizing efforts for equitable grantmaking to all of our peoples, as well as resources for cultural lifeways to bring our peoples out of trauma and into healing and empowerment.
- Celebrating the Circle of Generosity:
This past Saturday was truly a night to remember. Thanks to all of you — our guests, caterers, drum group, and sponsors — over 200 people came together in our Circle of Generosity to uplift Indigenous leadership, lifeways, and cultural identity in Minnesota like never before.
We are overwhelmed by your generosity. With gifts from $5 to $5,000, every single contribution represents the power of community and it’s through our collective efforts that we continue to grow and thrive as a community foundation built and sustained by the dreams of our people. Thank you to James Vukelich, Fern Renville, Susan Ninham, and our many other friends from the Tiwahe community who shared their own dreams and experiences.
A special thank you to our sponsors, many of whom stepped up for the first time to make this event possible. Your support fostered deeper connections across our community.
Thank you to Gatherings Cafe, Native Food Perspectives, and Trickster Tacos, for providing delicious meals that brought Native food sovereignty to life for us (as as well as the many multicultural spreads that represent the partnering communities we are in relationship with). And many thanks to our friends at Marnita’s Table who helped us plan our gathering, bringing us everyone with such personal intentionality.
We’ll be sharing more gratitude, along with photos, videos, and key learnings from the event soon. Stay tuned and thank you for being part of this journey with us!
What Does Fall Mean for Tiwahe?
In both Ojibwe and Dakota cultures, the fall season holds deep meaning:
Ojibwe: Dagwaagin
Dakota: Ptanyetu
From Tony Drews, AIFEP Program Manager: As Waatebagaa-Giizis (Leaves Changing Moon – September) and Binaakwi-Giizis (Falling Leaves Moon – October) take shape, and our tree relatives begin preparing for winter, this time of year holds a special significance for me. The changing leaves symbolize a season filled with family and cultural traditions. It’s a time when we come together to harvest our wild rice, spending days in the woods and on the marsh, rivers, and lakes with my dad and brother. We watch the sky, listening to the sounds of ducks making their journey south, and try to call them close enough for a shot.
This season is a reminder of our connection to the land, our traditions, and each other.
Traditional Harvest PracticesÂ
Fall is a season of harvest and celebration. The Ojibwe and Dakota Wild Rice Harvest are traditions that connect us to our ancestors and the land, honoring the gifts that nature provides. These practices are not just about gathering food, but about maintaining cultural ties and celebrating the cycle of the seasons, reinforcing our connection to community and heritage.
Seasonal Stories and TeachingsÂ
As the trees (Mitigoog – Ojibwe) (Čhaŋ – Dakota) shed their leaves, they teach us about honesty (Gwekwaadiziwin – Ojibwe) (Owotanna – Dakota) and the importance of letting go. Fall is not just for physical preparation but also for spiritual growth. Fasting and inward reflection help us prepare for the months ahead, just as the trees strengthen their roots for winter.
Encouraging Community ConnectionsÂ
- Harvest Traditions: Engage in traditional practices such as the Wild Rice Harvest or Dakota Harvest Ceremony to connect with your roots and celebrate the season.
- Seasonal Stories: Fall is rich with stories passed down through generations. Share them within your family and community to keep traditions alive.
- Preparing for Winter: As we plant the seeds for our winter gardens, we also prepare our hearts and minds. Let this fall be a time of reflection, growth, and preparation.
What’s New in Programs?
The Long-Awaited Relaunch of the Oyate Leadership Network (OLN) Â Â
In July, Tiwahe gathered our first cohort in over five years for the Oyate Leadership Network (OLN)! Through our relaunched OLN, we’ve welcomed our AIFEP relatives into learning communities that emphasize traditional ways of knowing as the basis for leadership development. These serve as practical tools for wisdom, knowledge for personal, professional, and community decision-making. Our underlying belief is that the world needs Indigenous leadership competencies; and, these competencies CAN be learned and developed!
Our new cohort is meeting through the fall months. After their last gathering, we plan to reflect and share out a standalone issue on the new OLN. In that issue, we’ll officially announce our 2024 Oyate leaders and you’ll hear straight from them!
American Indian Family Empowerment Program (AIFEP)
We hosted a successful AIFEP Application Workshop on August 15, where we assisted around 30 applicants in preparing their applications for the grant round that closed on September 15. This round saw another robust pool of applicants in all of our impact areas: Education, Economic Independence, Culture & Language, and Health & Wellness. As we move into fall, we will be reviewing these applications with our Grants Committee, volunteers from both our board and community. Much appreciation to past AIFEP recipients for their service!
AIFEP – Grantee Spotlight: Alicia Smith
As we celebrate the 30th anniversary of the American Indian Family Empowerment Program (AIFEP), we highlight Alicia Smith, an Alaskan Native from Pitka’s Point who grew up in St. Paul, Minnesota. With over 12 years of work in tribal relations for the State of Minnesota, Alicia has made significant contributions, including launching the Summer EBT program.
AIFEP supported Alicia’s graduate studies, profoundly impacting both her and her family. One of the most meaningful outcomes was her mother’s first trip back to Alaska since 1959, where they reconnected with family and cultural roots. The grant also helped Alicia pursue a Master’s in Tribal Administration and Governance (MTAG), providing her with the knowledge to advocate for Indigenous communities.
Alicia values AIFEP’s flexibility and its lasting impact on her personal and professional growth, describing it as a gift to the Native community that continues to inspire and empower others.
LinkingLeaders – Solidarity as Shared Experiences
Similar to Tiwahe’s other core initiatives, our LinkingLeaders partnership is stepping into a more visible and influencing role in our shared Black and brown communities in the Twin Cities. Our new phase of work finally includes Managing Directors from each of our four organizations – with the aim of braiding cross-cultural and cross-organizational knowledge and practices across our four organizations – so that solidarity is not another project, but embedded into everything that we do. Our focus on building strong, relational connections is central to our approach, aiming to create enduring impacts across our networks.
LinkingLeaders looks forward to unveiling our work to create guides, tools, and experiences for our leaders in all walks of life to begin operating in the truest form of solidarity, which starts with being in real and authentic relationships…especially when times get hard.
Below: Baswewe and two managing directors from LatinoLEAD and The African American Leadership Forum at the Minneapolis American Indian Center (MAIC).Â
Community Events
Join us for the Indigenous Peoples Day Sunrise Ceremony at 7 AM at Thomas Beach, Bde Maka Ska, followed by the Day Rally at Takoda from 11 AM to 2 PM on October 14th. In St. Paul, there will also be an Indigenous Peoples Day Parade at the American Indian Magnet School from 10 AM to 2 PM, with a feast provided.
We look forward to gathering with the community to honor this important day!
