Kenah Consulting LLC

10/10/2022

Today is Indigenous Peoples’ Day, a day we celebrate the vibrant cultures, traditions and histories of our people and of all Indigenous peoples across the nation and world.

Our ancestors fought hard to protect our way of life and keep our cultures and languages alive. Their strength and resilience is every reason why we must continue to advocate for our people, our lands and future generations.

Just like a tree, when we have strong roots grounded in our culture, we know who we are and can be the unwavering strength for future generations. We are Indigenous. We are proud.

02/08/2022

In a statement this week, Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation Chairman Mark Fox said “We are pleased the federal government has chosen to follow the law and once again reaffirm the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation’s ownership of the Missouri riverbed within the Fort Berthold Reservation". Kenah was honored to contribute to the historical documentation that helped lead to this decision, with special recognition to ML Kiel and Ashley Spivey who worked on this project, and to Mike Lawson of MLL Consulting LLC for bringing us onto this project.

News Release Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation The Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation (MHA Nation) said it is pleased to see the Department of the Interior’s

12/13/2021

A great list of Indigenous creators!

The holiday season is here, and here’s a collection to help make the busy season that much easier while at the same time supporting Indigenous creators

12/09/2021

“Sometimes it seems exotic, that there's an American Indian person in New York,” Tayac said. “But that’s a Native place...it's called Manhatta. Let’s get real. And having that understanding is really important. I think it's really important for Native kids who live in New York City...to be seen. It shouldn't be so strange that you live in an urban space... at all. That's not foreign. It's all there.”

NEW YORK—In 2012, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian staff asked its employee Gabrielle Taya— a member of the Piscataway Nation born and raised in downtown Manhattan—to curate its upcoming exhibit on Native New York. “Yeah,” she said, recounting her response to Nati...

11/16/2021

Wednesday's webinar "Archaeology, Social Relevance, and Community Engagement" features Chief Anne Nelson Richardson, elected Chief of the Rappahannock Tribe. Chief Richardson is the first woman to lead a tribe in Virginia since the 18th century and is a fourth generation chief in her family. During her tenure, the Tribe received Federal recognition, and Chief Richardson spearheaded efforts to purchase 140 acres of land in Indian Neck, Virginia, to establish a land trust, cultural center and housing development. Under Chief Richardson's leadership, the Rappahannocks are currently engaged in a number of projects ranging from cultural and educational to social and economic development programs, including the "Return to the River Project" youth leadership program.

Tune in Wednesday to hear from Chief Richardson and additional panelists about archaeology's role in community engagement. The webinar is free but registration is required:

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_0_1lltF_SYGXJgThgVAWFw

11/11/2021

"One by one, eight members of the Chief Plenty Coups Honor Guard from Pryor, Montana, placed a flower down in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and saluted the unknowns Tuesday morning. The eight members are descendants of Chief Plenty Coups."

Chief Plenty Coups descendants and Crow Nation representatives were the first to lay down flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in approximately a century

11/01/2021

"Erdrich, Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwe, has had quite the career, publishing more than 25 books and winning the Pulitzer Prize in Fiction in 2021 for her novel, “The Nightwatchman.” The book is loosely based on her grandfather and information from letters he wrote during the termination era."

The award-winning author has a new book coming out

10/14/2021

"She mentors younger illustrators and is hopeful that the vast experiences within Indigenous communities will be better reflected across children’s literature, where only around 1% of main characters are Native. “I’m excited for the time when there’s a whole range of Indigenous illustrators,” she says."

Only around 1% of main characters are Indigenous in children's literature. Illustrator Michaela Goade wants to change that

10/12/2021

History was made last Friday afternoon on Shelter Island, when Sylvester Manor welcomed members of the Shinnecock Nation at a ceremony both honoring and blessing the Indigenous people and the enslaved who were buried at the manor when it was a large plantation in the 17th and 18th centuries.

While “history” has been studied and written about and put on display on eastern Long Island for generations, the stories of the enslaved and the fate of the Indigenous people after Europeans arrived in the mid-17th century has been left largely untold, if not ignored outright.

Sylvester Manor, under executive director Stephen Searl, is far ahead on Long Island in terms of learning the truth of the land the manor sits on. History, the whole story, is not circumscribed here, or prettied up for the benefit of those who prefer a different version of the past.

http://ow.ly/Zlsz50GnNNL

10/11/2021

Thank you to Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums for sharing!

"This is a good example of how a museum can do a meaningful land acknowledgement. But if museums want to make a true difference, they need to include an action item that reflects a commitment to returning culturally significant materials to the originating cultures. And if they have ancestral remains, to ensure they are returned to their people. We appreciate the Denver Art Museum for its efforts."

Today is Indigenous Peoples’ Day. The Denver Art Museum is located on the homeland of the Arapaho, Cheyenne and Ute people, along with many people from other Indigenous nations that call this place home. Museums have benefitted from the displacement of Indigenous people and the removal and historical misrepresentation of their arts, often resulting in deep harm to originating communities.

While we cannot change the past, we can change how we move forward. Indigenous people have made substantial impacts to our institution, and our identity is innately tied to the Native histories and contributions of Indigenous people past and present. This inspires and grounds us as we move forward in a better way.

The Denver Art Museum commits to:
- Building authentic and sustained relationships with Indigenous people at multiple touchpoints across the museum.
- Centering, elevating and supporting Indigenous people in our programs and practices and providing meaningful access to our resources including collections, programs, tools and spaces.
- Actively listening to and integrating Indigenous voices to grow as an inclusive and accessible space.

Our commitment is posted online, here: https://bit.ly/3AgGUuQ

This artwork by Fritz Scholder will be on view in the new Indigenous Arts of North America galleries when the DAM's renovated Martin Building reopens to the public on October 24.

Fritz Scholder responded to contemporary issues of Native people and actively drew from these issues for the subjects of his paintings. Although he claimed he was not a protest painter, the imagery we see in this painting is similar to symbols of Indigenous empowerment widely reproduced at the time it was made. In late 1972, Native protestors occupied government sites such as the Bureau of Indian Affairs while calling for changes to federal Indian policy.

Artwork: Fritz Scholder (Luiseño), "Indian Power," 1972. Oil paint on canvas; 68 3/16 x 80 3/16 x 1 3/16 in. Gift from Vicki and Kent Logan to the Collection of the Denver Art Museum, 2016.125. © Estate of Fritz Scholder.

10/07/2021

"In the interview with Tribal Business News, Komalty said acquiring land offers a way for the Kiowa Tribe to help set up the future generations for success and expose them to the business world. Komalty notices many youth are struggling with their self-identity and hopes to use this land to build their Kiowa cultural knowledge through cultural programs."

The Kiowa Indian Tribe has acquired and placed into trust 197.39 acres of land called Indian City, U.S.A., located south of Anadarko, Okla., with a goal of re-establishing tribal jurisdiction and sovereignty and for tribal self-determination