THE UPPER MIDWEST ASSEMBLY

Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and 23 Native Nations

 

Vision and Strategies

With the added challenge of working entirely over zoom, this Assembly began and completed the first stage of its work in 2020.  Considering the travails of that year, the Assembly was eager to immediately activate a portion of their $3M while also mobilizing funds for their futures. Their three-pronged gift-making strategy attends to the nuance and complexity of the region and disrupts traditional philanthropy. Essential to their way of working is: 

 

A model of Relation: Being a Good Relative
Collective Agency

 

While 2 of their fund strategies will support practitioners representing and/or in solidarity with Black Indigenous, and folks of color in the field of creative placekeeping on two different time scales, the third strategy will connect to the larger Land Back Movement. In short, their strategies are expediting generosity for immediate action, extending generosity for future building, and amplifying sovereignty.


The Assembly

Watering Team
Ka Ly, John Davis, Holly Doll, Michelle DuBray, Abdurrahman Mahmud, Rachel Asleson, Peter Strong
 

Assembly Members
Fowzia Adde, Immigrant Development Center
Rachel Asleson, Reach Partners
Mary Bordeaux, Racing Magpie
Keith BraveHeart, Oglala Lakota College
Anna Claussen, Voices for Rural Resilience
Lauren Carlson, Artist
Vicki Chepulis, Five Wings Arts Council 
Nicole Crutchfield, City of Fargo
John Davis, Bush Fellow
Holly Doll, Native Artists United
Willow Doll, Native Artists United
Michelle DuBray, Pinto Horse Woman Consulting
Julie Garreau, Cheyenne River Youth Project 
Jessica Gorman, The Advocate Tribune
Ashley Hanson, Department of Public Transformation
Christopher Luehr, Joyful Noize Productions LLC
Ka Ly, ArtCrop
Abdurrahman Mahmud, Mixed Blood Theatre
Keila Anali Saucedo, Don't You Feel It Too?, Pangea World Theater
Peter Strong, Racing Magpie

 

Facilitation Team
Sandra J. Agustín and Melissa Olson, Inspire-to-Change

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