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PEAK Grantmaking

Bringing a New Value System to Philanthropy

My first memory of philanthropy was my naming ceremony. It was a hot summer day in New Town, North Dakota. I remember arriving at my grandma Teresa’s house and being met with endless hugs and kisses. It didn’t take long for a display of gifts to appear. When I saw them, I immediately thought back to conversations my mom had with family members about what gifts to prepare. That is the Arikara way of showing respect and giving thanks during this sacred exchange. From this memory forward, my experience with philanthropy has always been partitioned. In my mind, Native philanthropy has always been different from Western philanthropy.

Native philanthropy is often expressed in the forms of potlatches and giveaways. Similar to my naming ceremony, the heart of the potlatch is centered on honoring and sharing with others to benefit the community and future generations. In exchanges, undercurrents of modesty are as strong as the feeling of mutual respect between the giver and receiver. Giveaways elevate the act of giving in a way that makes the giver more respected than what the giver could ever achieve through wealth. The most notable thing about potlatches and giveaways is that they can be diverse, just like the communities that practice them.

When I was young, my perception of western philanthropy was as simple as this: A charitable organization receives money from various sources and redistributes that money to support community efforts. While the first part is accurate, I now understand that the latter piece is much more pernicious. Racial bias and inequitable access have always been rampant in the institutional practices of philanthropy. Not only are Native organizations a non-priority for many foundations, but they often have to work harder to get support.

Jacque (left) and sister Michelle at the 1996 Little Shell Powwow in New Town, North Dakota.

In my career, I hope to infuse current practices with the Native approach to advocating for others to give as much as they can. I work for First Nations Development Institute, a Native-led nonprofit organization that for 40 years has worked to strengthen American Indian economies by allowing our grantees, sovereign entities, to make economic choices for their respective nations and communities. As a grant intermediary that connects funds to community-centered organizations, we struggle with moving our community-focused mission forward because we are combating the paternalistic values of western philanthropy.

As I approach my work, I adapt the values I learned as a child: an understanding that communities and their needs are varied. Native philanthropy knows that means for community action are just as varied. By learning from Native philanthropy, we can work to strengthen this diversity by supporting communities’ self-determination and trusting them to identify solutions to the problems they face. Keeping this in mind allows me to encourage flexibility in funding and cutting the strings that prevent communities from getting the support they need.

Mine is a career dedicated to addressing inequities and lack of inclusion for all Native peoples. There is work to be done, and as an enrolled member of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation, I’m proud to play a small part in that work. Navigating both worlds requires mindfulness and can be exhausting at times. The fight for recognition and visibility is ongoing. And the progress that I have been a part of has been both empowering and gratifying.