Access to opportunity, resources, leadership, networks, healing and support for American Indian people to live culturally centered, economically independent, and healthy lives — grounded in sovereignty and indigenous worldview.
The Tiwahe Foundation is a place for giving — and giving back — that benefits the well-being of American Indian people and communities in Minnesota. We are a community foundation of friends and supporters — Indian and non-Indian — who have resources, time, and talents to share. Together, we all work to unleash more philanthropy and generosity that are not only held within every person but also embodied collectively.
We think of this as the Circle of Giving — a continuous cycle of success grounded in indigenous culture that recognizes that giving benefits both giver and receiver. The Tiwahe Foundation is a trusted community partner, connector and resource.
The Foundation evolved from origins as a culturally responsive grantmaking initiative of three Minnesota family foundations known as the American Indian Family Empowerment Program. Launched in 1993 initially by the Marbrook Foundation, American Indian Family Empowerment Program was the inspiration of Markell Brooks. It operated as a donor-designated fund with monies from a collaborative of the Marbrook, Westcliff and Grotto Foundations. In 2009, American Indian Family Empowerment Program transformed into a new entity, the Tiwahe Foundation. While Tiwahe Foundation is an independent community foundation with its own board of directors, the original American Indian Family Empowerment Program remains part of the ongoing work.
Interim Executive Director
Interim Foundation Administrator and Coordinator
Nicole MartinRogers (White Earth Band of Ojibwe), Board Chair – Senior Research Manager, Wilder Research
Kathy Denman-Wilke (Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe), Vice Chair – Principle Planner, Minnesota Department of Health
Nikki Pieratos (Bois Forte Band of Ojibwe), Treasurer – NDN Fund Managing Director, NDN Collective
Wakinyan LaPointe (Rosebud Sioux Tribe), Secretary – Cultural Consultant
Amber Annis (Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe) – Program Specialist, Minnesota Historical Society
Amanda Norman (White Earth Band of Ojibwe) – Civic Volunteer
Joy Persall (Metis’) – Northern Star Consulting
Mary Kunesh Podein (Standing Rock Sioux Tribe) – Representative, District 41B, MN House of Representative
Reid Raymond (Rosebud Sioux Tribe) –Asst. Hennepin County Attorney
Joseph Regguinti (Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe), – Sales Representative, Regguinti Consulting
The LinkingLeaders Partnership is a cross-racial, cross cultural partnership that brings together four networks of leaders in the Indigenous, Black, Asian, and Latinx communities. A shared effort of the African American Leadership Forum, Coalition of Asian American Leaders, Latino LEAD, and Tiwahe Foundation, LinkingLeaders focuses on strengthening connections across our networks in order to increase our shared leadership and solidarity practices so that we can advance powerful systems change work that aims to achieve racial justice and equity.
Please contact Consuelo Gutierrez Crosby to learn more about LinkingLeaders.