First Nations Development Institute

Meet 2025 Luce Indigenous Knowledge Fellow Denise Davis!

Native artist and designer Denise Davis (Mountain Maidu) comes from a long line of well-known, accomplished basket weavers. But she didn’t start weaving until after her three sons were off to school. Today, she is one of only two tribal members left trained by elders in the traditional “old way” of weaving Maidu baskets.

She has made a name for herself as a celebrated Maidu weaver and co-founder of the California Indian Basketweavers Association (CIBA), dedicating her life to teaching and inspiring the next generation of basket weavers — both here in the U.S. and in Europe.

➡️ Read more: https://bit.ly/3RMUbtk

Last week, First Nations was honored to accompany staff from the Freeman Foundation on a visit to the Blackfeet Nation Buffalo Program in Browning, Montana. The visit provided an opportunity to connect with tribal buffalo staff about their efforts to restore free-ranging buffalo across the Blackfeet Reservation – work that is featured in the PBS documentary Bring Them Home and in a soon-to-be-released short documentary called IINNIIWA. Buffalo, a culturally relevant species, is critical for sustaining Native cultures and lifeways, grassland health, and community wellbeing.

The Blackfeet Nation Buffalo Program is supported through the Stewarding Native Lands’ American Buffalo Restoration on Tribal Lands in Montana and Wyoming project. ➡️ Learn more: https://bit.ly/4e4HDVT

Siksiksimasiituk to our gracious hosts of these amazing visits.

📷: (left to right) Latonna Spotted Eagle (Blackfeet), Graeme Freeman, Nancy Freeman, Mike Roberts (Tlingit), Jacque Demko (Three Affiliated Tribes), Ervin Carlson (Blackfeet)

📣 Education Opportunity: Indigenous Teacher Preparation 📣

Central New Mexico Community College is offering a paid, yearlong program for individuals who want to teach in and for Native communities. The residency-based teacher preparation program integrates immersive classroom experience with specialized coursework designed to honor Indigenous knowledge systems. The school is actively recruiting for the fall 2026 semester.

➡️ Learn more: https://bit.ly/4nXACuo