Minnesota Historical Society Announces Awardees of 2025 Native American Artist-in-Residence Programs

ST. PAUL, Minn (January 21, 2025) –  Talented Native American artists will have the opportunity to expand their understanding of traditional art in 2025 through the Native American Artist-in-Residence program (NAAIR) and the Santee Sioux Nation Artist Initiative award from the Minnesota Historical Society (MNHS). Through these paid residencies, artists are able to study the Native American collections at MNHS as well as other institutions. By supporting access to these resources, MNHS collections will also benefit from the expertise and knowledge shared by the artists regarding the construction, style, utility, and meaning of the objects they examine.

New this year, MNHS and the Santee Sioux Nation are collaborating on the Santee Sioux Nation Artist Initiative award to support the continuation and recovery of traditional Santee/Isanti Dakota arts by utilizing MNHS collections. The Santee Sioux Nation Artist Initiative is a six-to-twelve-month residency open to Santee Sioux Nation residents who live within Reservation boundaries in Nebraska. 

A key component of these residencies involves artists developing community-based programming in their home communities and for the public at large. These 2025 artists were selected based on the recommendations of a panel of experts in the field of Native arts, culture, and education.

The 2025 awardee for the NAAIR program:

Oogie_Push, of the Meskwaki Nation (Bear Clan), has worked as an actor and theatre-maker for 20+ years and has been a writer/storyteller for over 30 years. She has been weaving Meskwaki twine bags for the past 10 years and plans to focus her residency on woven fiber bags. Oogie is looking forward to using this residency to gain a deeper understanding of the art form and to expand her experience and knowledge with weaving by examining old bags in collections and interviewing other knowledge keepers. Oogie plans to share the knowledge gained through this residency in the form of hands-on workshops that will take place later in the year. She also plans to use her past experiences to capture this work in a documentary that will be shared with the public, her community, and generations of weavers to come. 

The 2025 awardee for the Santee Sioux Nation Artist Initiative:

Jamie Saunsoci, a member of the Omaha Nation and Santee Sioux Nation of Nebraska, plans to research Dakota Style cradleboards. “Cradleboards serve as a powerful symbol of the traditional values of Indigenous communities,” Saunsoci stated. This project will focus on researching the history of Dakota cradleboards and examining the construction process, including the materials used both historically and currently. Saunsoci plans to hold workshops within the community to share the knowledge she gains from this residency. Her work is a collection of various resources and experiences, focusing on understanding the significance of history, the influence of power, and the importance and purpose of all Native American art forms.

Encouragement Grants

In addition to the residencies, three encouragement grants were awarded to support artists to continue with their cultural arts and research. These grants consist of a stipend and a paid research visit to MNHS collections. The 2025 Encouragement Grant awardees are:

• Melissa Fowler, Lac Courte Oreilles Tribal member, plans to study the construction of birchbark basketry as a container, specifically looking at basketry with height, handles, and lids prior to the 1950s.
• Awanigiizik Bruce, Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, whose proposed research is related to Parfleche items held within institutional collections.
• Roni Starlin, Santee Sioux Nation, whose proposed research is aimed toward revitalizing old techniques along with teaching modernized ways of traditional craftsmanship, such as beadwork, sewing, and quillwork, the Isanti people have always known. 

NAAIR is made possible in part by a grant from Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies.

About the Minnesota Historical Society

The Minnesota Historical Society is a non-profit educational and cultural institution established in 1849. MNHS collects, preserves, and tells the story of Minnesota’s past through museum exhibits, libraries and collections, historic sites, educational programs, and book publishing. Using the power of history to transform lives, MNHS preserves our past, shares our state’s stories, and connects people with history.

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