The Institute for American Indian Studies

08/30/2026

Nephi Craig (Apache) delved into culinary arts, a journey that has given him the opportunity to finally establish stability and find purpose. Craig grew up on both the Apache and Navajo reservations, struggling from an early age with traumatic experiences and addiction to drugs and alcohol. His decision to enroll in cooking classes at Scottsdale Community College as part of a probation offer would put him on his current trajectory.

In his current capacity, he serves as the Nutritional Recovery Program Coordinator at the White Mountain Apache tribe-owned Rainbow Treatment Center for those recovering from substance abuse. He also owns a restaurant called Café Gozhóó and recently published a new memoir on his experiences. Through the gift of food-ways, Craig has been able to grow his appreciation and knowledge of his Native heritage which in turn has given him the keys to a new life.

Please note: This week's article and interview briefly discusses childhood sexual abuse.

Follow the link to read the full article and listen to the full interview, “Apache Chef Nephi Craig says cooking Native food saved his life” by Terry Gross through NPR:

08/23/2026

For this week’s education article, follow journalist Shaun Griswold’s journey through the fourth annual Santa Fe NDN Market via his interviews with various Indigenous artists about their process and inspiration. From painting to fashion, over 1,000 artists from over 200 tribal nations are featured in this historic market that generates over $150 million for the local community. Furthermore, the Santa Fe NDN Market carries on a centuries-old legacy of commerce, trade, and artistry in the American Southwest. On top of exchange, today’s NDN Market functions as a site for “gallery openings, cultural education seminars, fashion shows, film screenings, concerts, political and business meetups.” The artists highlighted in this overview of the event—Sergio Lugo, Kathleen Wall, Felix Vigil, Marla Allison, Holly Trevan, Cara Romero, Jason Wesaw, Lucy Nunez, and Roland Van Loon—give readers but a glimpse of the immense creativity and vibrancy of the modern Indigenous artist community across Turtle Island.

Follow the link to read the full article, “The Santa Fe NDN Market Vibe Deep in American History” by Shaun Griswold through Native News Online: https://nativenewsonline.net/currents/the-santa-fe-ndn-market-vibe-deep-in-american-history/

08/16/2026

Seven years into building her non-profit, Danielle Boyer (Sault St. Marie) is innovating upon new technological advancements to get Indigenous children excited to learn their ancestral languages. As a direct result of the Boarding School system and US legislation designed to eradicate Indigenous culture, many Indigenous languages are on the brink of extinction. “It is devastating to feel like your language could be lost,” Boyer tells NPR. “You lose your culture, you lose a way to describe who you are.”

Through its very grammar and vocabulary, language encodes ways of being, moral values, and history. To lose a language is to lose precious knowledge that has been developed over millennia, which is why it’s more important now than ever to get Indigenous children invested in learning to speak languages such as Anishinaabemowin (which includes Potawatomi, Odawa, and Ojibwe). Additionally, the robots designed by Boyer and her students teach how to use AI ethically and intentionally. This groundbreaking project is a massive leap forward not only in reinvigorating Indigenous communities but also in technological innovation, setting a precedent for how to use AI to enhance rather than denigrate human capabilities.

Read the full article, “Meet the robots programmed by kids to speak their Indigenous languages” by Kadin Mills through the following linked article from NPR: https://www.npr.org/2026/07/26/nx-s1-5825798/robot-speaks-endangered-native-american-languages

08/12/2026

Thank you to all those who celebrated with us at our 21st Annual Green Corn Festival!

We were honored to welcome the Native Nations Dance Troupe, led by Erin Lamb Meeches (Schaghticoke), whose dancers brought so much energy, vibrance, and heartbeat to the celebration. Allan Madahbee (Ojibwe) also shared his beautiful flute music throughout the afternoon, and Wunneanatsu Lamb-Cason (Schaghticoke/Ho-Chunk) told stories and read her award-winning book “Grandmother Moon”.

We’re grateful to our food vendors who fueled the fun, Jason Cogswell Lamb (Schaghticoke) of Mashquanon’s Wetu and Jesse’s Ice Cream, as well as the nearly 20 craft vendors and nonprofit organizations who joined us.

Our appreciation also goes to the sponsors and community partners who helped make this year’s festival possible, and to all of the visitors who came out to celebrate with us. We look forward to gathering together again next year!

08/09/2026

“Held in the highest regard as protectors and defenders” of their communities and ancestral homelands, Native veterans are an integral part of powwows across the North American continent, and powwows, in turn, are an integral part of building community between Native veterans. At powwows, veterans are honored through victory songs and dances that are unique to each tribal community and have been passed down through the generations for centuries. One victory dance that has seen a resurgence post-COVID is the Gourd Dance. Traditionally reserved for honoring men, the Gourd Dance dates back to 1838, created in celebration of the Kiowa victory over the Arapaho. While dances such as these highlight the service of men, the service of Native women is not overlooked as organizations such as the Native American Women Warriors are featured prominently in the powwow scene. Organizations like NAWW are tailored to attend to the unique needs of Native veterans transitioning back into society and dealing with long-lasting traumas of combat. By bringing Native people together in celebration and reverence, powwows are pillars of 21st century Indigenous communities.

Read the full article, “Native veterans are central to the powwow scene” by Darren Thompson through the following linked article from ICT: https://ictnews.org/news/native-veterans-are-central-to-the-powwow-scene/.

08/07/2026

Celebrate the first corn of the season at our 21st Annual Green Corn Festival!

Join us Sunday, August 9, from 12-4 PM at Hollow Park in Woodbury, CT for an afternoon of drumming, dancing, music, stories, children’s activities, vendors, food, and more!

We are excited to welcome the Native Nations Dance Troupe, led by Erin Lamb Meeches (Schaghticoke), as well as flute music by Allan Madahbee (Ojibwe). Enjoy refreshments from local food vendors, including Jason Cogswell Lamb (Schaghticoke) of Mashquanon’s Wetu, GV Bites Colombian Fusion, and Jesse’s Ice Cream! We are pleased to be partnering with nearly 20 craft vendors and non-profits.

Tickets can be reserved at the following link! https://iaismuseum.charityproud.org/EventRegistration/Index/28357

08/06/2026

08/03/2026

Join us for Roots & Rivers: Stories That Connect Us, a community storytelling gathering where people from all backgrounds are invited to share humorous, heartfelt, and ancestral stories that help weave our community together.

08/02/2026

Inspired by the birth of their son in 2021, Zachariah Ben (Diné) and his wife founded Bidii Baby Foods, one of the country’s only Indigenous baby food companies, with the intention to provide fresh, locally grown, and culturally significant food to the children of Navajo nation harvested and processed in ancestral Diné traditions. “Along the way, we recognized that the most fulfilling act we can do as parents is to have our child grow up not just eating these traditional foods but helping farm them, too,” Ben narrates, “We became determined to normalize consistent access to healthy traditional foods so we could shape our children’s palates and improve health outcomes—not just for our family, but for other families on the reservation, too.”

On top of growing food, the company teaches young and up-and-coming Indigenous farmers how to grow and harvest crops as well as how to start their own businesses through the Farmer-in-REZidence Program, part of which involves navigating the intricacies of permits and regulations. Through the years, Ben and his wife have struggled to establish their company against the politics and bureaucracy of both New Mexico and Navajo nation. One of the biggest struggles the company faces is access to water, a struggle that grows in intensity as climate change and wasteful practices rapidly dry up the Colorado River. Despite their challenges, Bidii Baby Foods has finally gotten off the ground in recent years, becoming a pillar of Navajo nation and beyond.

Read the full article, “Providing Traditional Foods for Indigenous Children” by Zachariah Ben (Diné) through the following link from "Civil Eats": https://civileats.com/2026/07/29/providing-traditional-foods-for-indigenous-children/.

07/26/2026

At the Service To All Relations School (STAR) Diné children enrolled in their Food Sovereignty Program learn not only how to grow food, but Diné ways of life and language in the process. In their four-seasons greenhouse, STAR schoolchildren follow the entire growth process of vegetables, from seedlings to harvest, cultivating a love and appreciation for them at the same time that they learn a love and appreciation for Diné culture.

“Food becomes a gateway to language learning, allowing students to build vocabulary while strengthening connections to their cultural heritage,” writes author Zaynab Farran. Teaching children how to grow and care for vegetables and livestock increases food sovereignty and physical health, strengthens communal bonds, and deepens ancestral knowledge—values Diné children carry with them for the rest of their lives to in turn, pass on to their own relatives.

Read the full article, “Inside the Navajo Nation School Teaching Kids to Grow, Cook, and Reclaim Their Food Heritage” by Zaynab Farran through the following link to Native News Online: https://nativenewsonline.net/health/inside-the-navajo-nation-school-teaching-kids-to-grow-cook-and-reclaim-their-food-heritage/.