In FY24, Arts Midwest used the David Fraher Fund for Innovation to support our partnership with the Center for American Indian Research and Native Studies (CAIRNS) as they conducted research into the federally-recognized American Indian tribes and reservations with whom Arts Midwest shares geography.
In 2019, Arts Midwest established the David Fraher Fund for Innovation in honor of former President & CEO David Fraher. This Fund recognizes and celebrates David’s legacy of curiosity by creating a space for Arts Midwest to pursue a question that was at the forefront of his career: What if we tried something different?
Rooted in the belief that artists and organizations thrive when they are given the space to think big and test new ways of working with their communities, the David Fraher Fund for Innovation was created to offer a source of courage funding to seed new projects and new ideas. It invites our field to reimagine how we work together to ensure the Midwest continues to be a place where arts and culture thrive. And it creates space to take risks, learn from them, and pivot along the way.
As a result of CAIRNS’s research, we have greatly expanded our knowledge of the tribal reservations, treaties, and governance structures in the Midwest. We’ve learned that while we have 42 Native Nations in our region, there are 48 sovereign land bases with various structures. We’ve also learned more about the Indian Arts and Craft Act, and the nuances behind terminology such as “tribal citizen” vs. “reservation residents,” and “in” vs. “on” reservation land.
“Concluding our Native Nations Research Project with CAIRNS in June has given Arts Midwest much to consider as we move forward with our Living Commitment to Native Nations,” said Arts Midwest Program Manager Holly Doll. “The data and work that CAIRNS has done can lend itself to our grantmaking analysis that’s underway with the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies; help us rethink and improve the language we use when talking about reservations within our grants and programs; and in the future, potentially lead to the creation of more direct offerings to reservation residents.”
“As our contributions to the Native Nations Research Project are winding up, CAIRNS is so thankful to the Innovation Fund for supporting a project like none other,” said Dr. Craig Howe, executive director of CAIRNS and Arts Midwest board member. “While conducting extensive research, we have not run across any other project that compiles the breadth of data this one does, nor one that conceptually and programmatically focuses on tribal land bases and their residents. CAIRNS is thankful for this opportunity to collaborate on this initiative, and it is exciting to now turn the project over to Arts Midwest.”
This research was only the beginning of our efforts to advance our Living Commitment to Native Communities. We will use CAIRNS’s findings to help us strengthen our understanding, build relationships, and explore opportunities to support the Native Nations within our region. We look forward to sharing additional updates with our community as we continue this important work.