Dream Warriors and The InteRoots Initiative are honored to announce their partnership, the DREAM WARRIORS COVID-19 NATIVE RELIEF FUND. Initially funded by a generous grant from the Reva & David Logan Foundation, this effort will provide disaster relief grants for Indigenous families across North America in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.


The Call


Dream Warriors is a “collective of Indigenous artists who believe in pursuing passions, dreams, and gifts to better loved ones and communities while also uplifting others.”

Throughout its existence, Dream Warriors has brought artists, organizers, and community members together as they harness the power of shared expression to address collective challenges. Their passion has deep roots, and currently they are answering the call to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.


Project Roots


On March 29, 2020, Dream Warriors collective artists (Lyla June, Tanaya Winder, Gunner Jules, Jessa Calderon, Frank Waln, Mic Jordan, and Tall Paul) hosted a “COVID Creativity” webinar to identify specific needs and raise funds for Indigenous families in need. The webinar covered meditation/calming/grounding, creative writing exercises, how to organize a mutual aid effort, performances by Dream Warrior artists, as well as an open mic.

No one was turned away for lack of funds – participants had the opportunity to give donations on a sliding scale to take the online course. The webinar raised approximately $7,500 (USD), which in turn was distributed directly to members of the community in need.

Although successful, the webinar revealed a widespread and critical need for support in the Native community due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Dream Warriors’ online application was open/live less than 24 hours, and in that time over 550 requests for assistance were received from single mothers, parents, and families – many of whom are caretakers for elders.

The most important needs listed on applications included but were not limited to: food, water, infant necessities (diapers, formula, wipes, tissue), propane, medicine, utilities assistance, children’s medication, feminine products, gas, and wood. Requests were received from Native communities in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Minnesota, Michigan, Nebraska, New Mexico, Montana, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and Utah. In total, in its initial effort Dream Warriors was able to provide emergency support for 59 families from 39 tribal nations.

But it was clear that more needed to be done. Through their online application, Dream Warriors had identified hundreds of community members with specific critical needs as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This information was actionable and specific, and called for a greater collaborative effort to meet the many needs expressed by the community. The Reva & David Logan Foundation stepped forward to address this need, providing $50,000 to fund a disaster grant program to be implemented by Dream Warriors and The InteRoots Initiative.



“It is imperative that we as Indigenous artists/organizers, who are deeply rooted in the work, find new and creative ways to bring in funding for our communities in need.

This is especially important as a lot of Native communities are being left out of statistics and research about how the pandemic is affecting communities. We remain invisible even during times of crisis and lose out on funding and help because of this.” 

– Frank Waln, Dream Warrior Artist


The Native Relief Fund


The need for basic disaster assistance for members of the Native community is immediate and widespread. Although other important conduits exist when it comes to support for Indigenous peoples across the continent during this crisis, disaster grants provided through the Dream Warriors COVID-19 Native Relief Fund strive to be easily accessible and adaptable for the specific needs of the recipient.

Dream Warriors is partnering with The InteRoots Initiative on the Dream Warriors COVID-19 Native Relief Fund to create system that ensures accountability on all levels of fund management.

If a community member is in need due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they can apply for assistance through a standardized application process. All applicants are required to identify a specific need and its cost (no grant over $575 will be awarded). Once approved by committee, disaster assistance grants are verified and distributed by a team of InteRoots and Dream Warriors staff. InteRoots will track each grant to completion, maintaining all records necessary for compliance with federal and local laws.


Gratitude


The first phase of the Dream Warriors COVID-19 Native Relief Fund was completed in June, 2020. During this initial round, over $50,018 in direct disaster grants was distributed to 205 Indigenous individuals and families.

The grantees represent over 38 tribal nations, including: Dine’ (Navajo), Eastern Shoshone, Pyramid Lake Paiute, Bois Fort, Cree, Hopi, Jemez Pueblo, Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, Oneida, White Mountain Apache, Saddle Lake, Warm Springs, Laguna Pueblo, St. Croix band of Chippewa, Oglala Sioux, Nambe Pueblo, Spirit Lake, Pit River (Astariwi), Shawnee, Yankton Sioux, Rosebud Sioux, Menominee, San Juan Southern Paiute, Colville Confederated Tribes, Cheyenne River Sioux, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, Muckleshhoot, Sokaogon Chippewa, Yakama, Walker River Paiute Tribe, Northern Arapaho, Taos Pueblo, Ute Mountain Ute, San Ildefonso Pueblo, San Carlos Apache, Ponca, Winnebago, and the Swinomish Tribe. Funds have benefited people in: AK, AZ, CA, CO, GA, ID, IL, IA, MI, MN, NE, NV, NM, ND, OK, SD, TX, UT, WA, WI, and WY. 

This program would not have been possible without the generous support of the Reva & David Logan Foundation. The entire community thanks the Logan Family, and all those involved in the work of the Foundation, for their trust and support.


Steps Forward


Currently, Dream Warriors and InteRoots are working together to execute a second phase of this program, which is designed to distribute rolling grants to community members as funds become available. If you are interested in learning more or supporting this effort, please contact Scott Frank at scott@interoots.org.