Mitakuye Oyasin!

— We re all related!

Thank you for your support and interest in our department’s work. We’re honored to serve interested communities and look forward to continuing our work together!

As Wozu’s Cultural Preservation Manager, Ronald Lebeau is honored to carry our traditions forward and share our story with you.

Our department has been a cornerstone of our community’s cultural preservation and revitalization efforts. The Wozu star, a symbol of our community’s resilience, has been passed down through generations. Did you know that our department’s work is rooted in the traditional ways of our ancestors? We’re proud to continue this legacy, and we’re grateful for the support of our community and funders.

Our department’s impact on the community is multifaceted:

  • Participants — We’ve engaged over 500 community members in our cultural programs, including language classes, traditional arts, and ceremonies.
  • Activities — We’ve hosted over 20 culture specific events, workshops, and classes, providing opportunities for community members to learn and grow.
  • Funding — We’ve received funding from a number of generous donors, which has enabled us to hire seasonal workers to support our programs.
  • Impact — Our programs have helped to preserve our cultural heritage, promote community engagement, and empower our youth to become leaders in our community.

What Comes Next!

As we look to the future, we’re excited to expand our programs and services to meet the evolving needs of our community. We’re planning to:

  • Expanding Culture Programs — We’ll be establishing new Culture Seeds to preserve our cultural heritage and promote community engagement.
  • Boosting Outreach — We’ll be working to engage more community members in our programs and services.
  • Long Term Partnerships — We’ll be seeking new partnerships with organizations and funders to support our work.

Look Back & Move Forward

Stories have the power to inspire and educate. Tales can be especially powerful when they include familiar people and places, which is why storytelling is a project that Wozu wants to encourage and promote. 

Additionally, storytelling is an activity that celebrates our ancestral heritage and spreads historical and cultural awareness. 

We have plans..

for an interpretive center that will act as a venue for a variety of speakers, events, interactive workshops, and more. And serve as a way to normalize our way of life in the community.

Some of the focal points for social regeneration include storytelling, traditional food, sacred places, and native language.

Additional Cultural Regeneration projects include:

  • Storytelling Nights – sharing oral history through elders and indigenous knowledge holders 
  • Language Classes – community classes led by fluent native speakers.
  • Cultural Practices – tipi construction, ceremonial teachings and practices, and traditional roles and responsibilities. 
  • Historical Resources – materials that tell the Cannon Ball story from its peoples’ perspective.