 AICHO is honored to have Kathleen Martin attend the 2024 National Conference on Ending Homelessness on behalf of our organization. Kathleen is AICHO’s Family Homeless Prevention and Assistance Program housing advocate (FHPAP), and she was selected as a subgrantee by Saint Louis County FHPAP to attend the conference in Washington DC. There, Kathleen had the opportunity to meet with U.S. Congressman Pete Stauber, the staff of U.S. Congressman Brad Finstad, and U.S. Senator Tina Smith to discuss issues we have in our community on homelessness and our expected outcomes for the FHPAP. She attended engaging encampments with empathy, navigating the trauma of racism as a BIPOC service provider.
Kathleen attended several workshops and breakout sessions on the topics of:
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 DULUTH, MN - The American Indian Community Housing Organization (AICHO) will exhibit Sanctuary by multi-disciplinary artist Maya Washington starting June 10, 2024 and ending August 30, 2024. Sanctuary is a meditation on resilience, safety, and community. Washington’s reflection on the subtlety of daily life before, during, and after 2020, documents the time span as witness amidst personal and universal upheaval. The exhibit will kick off with an opening artist reception on June 8, 2024 at 5:30 p.m to 7:30 p.m. in the Dr. Robert Powless Cultural Center, 212 West 2nd Street, Duluth, MN.
Washington is an award-winning director, narrative and documentary filmmaker, actress, writer, poet, creative director, visualist (photography) and arts educator. In addition to AICHO Galleries, Washington has collaborated with George Floyd Global Memorial and the Community at 38th and Chicago, Emmett Till Legacy Foundation, Hennepin Theatre Trust, Xia Gallery, and others on public art initiatives in Minnesota, as well as exhibitions and festivals throughout the United States and across the globe. Washington is a fiscal year 2024 recipient of a Creative Individuals grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund. Washington’s film and literary work often serve as a form of documentation of her experience of community, and the resilience of the human spirit. Washington’s passion for narrative will be on display through the pieces included in the Sanctuary exhibit, “It’s the resilient, peaceful, and more quiet side of the past few years,” Washington said, “I’m exploring that tension between the trauma of those times and the way the natural world holds community and sustains life.” Among her award-winning films are Through the Banks of the Red Cedar, CLEAR, and White Space. Through the Banks of the Red Cedar is a feature length documentary (PBS) and memoir (Little A) about her father Vikings Legend Gene Washington and the desegregation of college football. CLEAR is a narrative short film about a family reconnecting in the aftermath of wrongful conviction. White Space, also a narrative short film, follows a deaf performance poet’s debut in front of a hearing audience. The companion poetry collection, White Space Poetry Anthology edited by Washington, features the work of deaf and hearing artists and writers. “We’ve been through a lot the past few years, but we’re still here,” Washington said, “And we’re still making beauty of our lives in community with one another. I’m grateful to AICHO for opening their space to me and my work,” Sanctuary will be the first art exhibit in AICHO’s newly renovated gallery space. AICHO Galleries is funded by the McKnight Foundation.  Over 200 community members, from babies to elders, took part in the traditional Anishinaabe spring feast at AICHO on March 20, 2024. In Anishinaabe tradition, sacred items need to be feasted at least twice a year: once in spring and once in fall. This is an act of acknowledging and honoring the spirits, relatives, ancestors, and other community members and the help received from them. Feasting connects Indigenous people to their own culture, their communities and their spirits.
Miigwech to our Traditional Healing Grant via Minnesota Department of Human Services Behavioral Health Division for funding these cultural experiences for the community. Lastly, miigwech to Ivy Vainio, AICHO’s Arts and Culture Coordinator, for being the lead organizer and for all of AICHO staff and Gimaajii relatives for assisting tonight. Winona Goodthunder (Lower Sioux tribal member and Diné descendant), an Adult Mental Health Case Manager for Woniya Kini Behavioral Services for the Lower Sioux Indian Community shared about her work addressing Mental Health on the Lower Sioux Reservation (for Native and non-Native people, the challenges and barriers AND the healing connections to cultural life ways as a real resource for people who are struggling with behavioral health.
The event was moderated by Jennie Murillo, MD (Shoshone Bannock tribal member and Red Lake Ojibwe descendant). Listen and watch their conversation on this important topic. So inspiring to see and learn from two Native health care professionals. The session was funded by Minnesota Department of Human Services Behavioral Health Division via AICHO's Waaseyaa Traditional Healing Grant.  The community came to support 22 Indigenous, BIPOC, and LGBTQ2S+ vendors and 2 musicians at AICHO’s love-themed market Zaagi’idiwn Tour 2024 on January 27, 2024 in the Dr. Robert Powless Cultural Center. This pop-up market event was intended to make Valentine's Day gift shopping less stressful and more meaningful. Community members were able to connect with diverse entrepreneurs while live music was performed by James Harvin and Laura Hugo. On stage, AICHO had live musical performances by James Harvin and Laura Hugo. In addition, AICHO staff invited the community to participate in a traditional Ojibwe round dance song led by AICHO staff member Brian Stillday Jr. and two of his sons. The musical performances and the round dance were well recieved. Community members were also encouraged to take photos with the free photo booth complete with props to use and volunteer photographers. A huge miigwech to our AICHO staff for making this event possible. It was a great event jam-packed full of love, laughter, and life!  In early January, AICHO partnered with several community agencies to kick off the 12th Annual Twin Port January Trafficking Awareness Month. Following, AICHO hosted the annual Brave Art Youth Exhibition. The event began at 5 p.m. with 19 agencies tabling as a resource fair, followed by an Opening Ceremony led by Ricky Defoe (Fond du Lac Ojibwe Tribal member) and Julian Kitto and the Little Horse Singers from the Cloquet Schools. Mel Alvar, PAVSA’s Safe Harbor Regional Navigator, gave opening remarks on this years’ theme ‘Protection through Connection’ along with the calendar of events in January on Trafficking Awareness. Following, other community leaders spoke in solidarity on the subject. With over 15 artists, we had the opening gallery with guest speaker and local artist Jonathan Thunder (Red Lake Nation Tribal member) shared his story on becoming an artist. Jonathan gave insight on what it meant for him to become an artist and spoke to youth on finding their inner bravery. AICHO’s Food Sovereignty Director and Children’s Program Manager, Kayla Jackson (Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribal member) spoke on the meaning of Brave Art as well, sharing with the audience the importance of our youth. Both assisted in awarding each artist with their certificate. Miigwech for all partners in piecing together a beautiful ceremony and reception that brought such a deep feeling of unity that not only spread awareness on human trafficking, but also held space to celebrate the wonderful creativity of the youth in the Duluth area.  Event details:
Date: January 10, 2024 Time: 6:00 - 7:00 p.m. CST Zoom presentation Register by Monday, January 8 before 5:00 p.m. About the event: Sharon Day is a Bois Forte Band of Ojibwe tribal member and has been leading water walks for years. She will discuss the 2023 Lake Superior Water Walk and talk about the healing of the water and ourselves. Nibi Walks are a spiritual practice in which Sharon and others carry water along a river or lake to speak to the nibi water spirits and pray for the health and future of the waterways. The word nibi means water in Ojibwe. Nibi Walks involve carrying water along the river and serve as an extended prayer.Lake Superior Water Walk commemorated Josephine-ba Mandamin's walk around the lake in 2013 which began the contemporary water walks. Josephine-ba said, "The water has to move to be healthy." This event is free and open to the public. Sponsored by the Minnesota Department of Human Services Behavioral Health Division via our Waaseyaa Traditional Healing Grant. AICHO Food Sovereignty Director attends 2023 Intertribal Agriculture Council Annual Conference12/26/2023
 "This conference inspires me to continue learning from other projects and producers to create a wonderful space for agriculture and food producers to share in the Duluth community," said Kayla Jackson. Photo by Kayla Jackson. AICHO’s Food Sovereignty Director, Kayla Jackson attended the Intertribal Agriculture Council (IAC) Conference this December representing AICHO. IAC was founded in 1987 to pursue and promote the conservation, development, and use of our agricultural resources for the betterment of our people. IAC serves as the nation’s leading voice on Native agricultural policies and programs that revitalize and advance Native food systems and economic development throughout Indian Country. IAC’s programmatic offerings include the following: Legal and policy development, USDA technical assistance, Natural resources management, Domestic and international marketing support, Regenerative financing assistance, and Native youth in food and agriculture leadership development. This three day conference was full of networking and learning about new resources and opportunities AICHO can benefit from. The panels, sessions and discussions were essential and influential on the development of AICHO’s future projects and establishments.
 AICHO’s 2024 13-month calendar features photography by and about the Giinawiind Giginitaawigi’gomin: Together We Grow program. Throughout 2023, the youth program participants learned to capture and document cultural stories tied to Anishinaabe and Indigenous traditions, elders, and intertribal foodways from AICHO’s long-time community partner Kristine Sorensen and In-Progress. The calendars are $15.00 at Indigenous First: Art & Gift Shop (in-store and online).
 AICHO offers COVID vaccine clinics onsite and can provide a one-time-per-person $100 VISA gift card (while funding lasts). Some important changes to the vaccine clinics:
Must register to secure appointment
Thank you Minnesota Department of Health for the continued support and partnership to keep our State as healthy as possible. Please check out our Facebook page for upcoming clinics! Meet our COVID team: Paula Morton, COVID Coordinator, Brian Stillday, Jr., COVID Resource Outreach, and Reanelle Houle, COVID Testing Outreach |
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