Our Mission: Educating about Indigenous Culture Through Contemporary Arts

Our Mission

Educating and exploring Indigenous Culture, heritage, and history through contemporary arts. Emphasis is placed on the historical tribal nations of Iowa, while also giving the broader scope of Indigenous perspective.

What We’ve Achieved

  • Hosted community gatherings to share about Meskwaki music, art and history

  • Commissioned by the Des Moines Art Center to create art for Indigenous People’s Day, which was presented as a gift to Governor Kim Reynolds

  • Hosted podcasts and a radio show on KRUI 89.7 about environmental concerns, raising awareness about Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW), and promoting Indigenous musicians and pow-wow music.

  • Hosts the Live Virtual Poetry Reading Series on the Indigenous People’s Art Gallery and Cafe’ FB page.

  • Books: We the Interwoven , v2 (contributing author); Amazing Iowa Athletes (illustrator)

  • Hosted fundraisers for the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) protests with hip-hop artists

  • Speaker at community, school, and religious events

  • Created and collaborated on a video with Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement (CCI Action Fund) imagining Iowa in 2030 after a decade of the Green New Deal.

  • 2024 Recipient of the Racial Equity and Social Justice Grant.

  • Hosted a Native Comedy Show at Willow Creek Theatre.

  • Hosted an Indigenous Peoples Day event at Old Brick in Iowa City.

  • Film screening of short documentary titled Meskwaki Song Maker at Mainframe Studios in collaboration with Artforce Iowa.

Dawson Davenport with Iowa Governor, Kim Reynolds