The work of visual artist Linda Infante Lyons (Alutiiq) is a quietly subversive act intended to achieve an element of decolonization.
2018 National Artist Fellowship
Jim Denomie (1955–2022)
Painter and multimedia artist Jim Denomie (Ojibwe) portrays historical, political and social issues with sly humor and an eye-popping palette.
Elizabeth Woody
Elizabeth Woody’s vivid and powerful poetry conveys the immediate impact of a brilliant intellect and an astounding use of language.
Michael Wasson
Writer Michael Wasson (Nimíipuu) sees poetry as his calling to create space for Indigenous artists – not merely in the Western canon, but as a counterweight to its violence and legacy.
Luci Tapahonso
Writer Luci Tapahonso (Diné [Navajo]) is the inaugural Poet Laureate of the Navajo Nation and uses language to honor the rich legacy of the Diné people.
Heid E. Erdrich
Writer, storyteller, poet and multidisciplinary artist Heid E. Erdrich reaches audiences through her voice as a woman from both Ojibwe and American cultures.
Marques Hanalei Marzan
Fiber artist Marques Hanalei Marzan has dedicated his career to continual exploration, perpetuation, and innovation around Native Hawaiian arts.
Pōhaku Kaho`ohanohano
Pōhaku Hano Kaho`ohanohano, a practitioner and preservationist of traditional Native Hawaiian weaving, weaves and teaches from his studio on family land in Kahakuloa.
Melissa S. Cody
Melissa S. Cody is a fourth generation Navajo weaver and textile artist who pushes the boundaries of a traditional art form with vivid colors and sharp geometric overlays.
Frank Waln
Frank Waln (Sicangu Lakota) is an Indigenous American rapper, songwriter and activist from the Rosebud Sioux Reservation in South Dakota.
Bently Spang
Installation, performance and video artist Bently Spang blends the sacred and seemingly mundane to interpret contemporary life as an Tsistsistas (Northern Cheyenne) man from his studio in Billings, Montana.
Ciara Leina`ala Lacy
Filmmaker Ciara Leina`ala Lacy (Kanaka Maoli) is driven by her commitment to social justice, representation, and Native Hawaiian culture.
Anthony Hudson / Carla Rossi
Performance Artist Anthony Hudson’s work powerfully confronts social constructs through drag, performance, video and theater.
Allison Akootchook Warden
Interdisciplinary hip-hop artist Allison Warden of Anchorage, Alaska engages her audience with stories of the Iñupiaq people, putting a contemporary spin on tradition.
Jeff Peterson
Jeff Peterson is a slack key guitarist, composer, and educator. He studies and shares the rich history of Hawaiian music across generations.
Kalani Pe’a
Kalani Pe’a is a songwriter and vocalist who celebrates his Native Hawaiian language and heritage through music and visual arts.
Cary Morin
Cary Morin (Crow) is a songwriter, fingerstyle guitarist, vocalist, and recording artist who excels in live performance and storytelling.
Courtney M. Leonard
The works of ceramicist and multimedia artist Courtney M. Leonard are a response to ongoing issues of environmental sustainability and cultural viability.
RYAN! Feddersen
RYAN! Feddersen is a mixed-media installation artist specializing in immersive artworks that invite viewers to engage intellectually and creatively.
Brian Adams
Brian Adams captures vivid portraits of contemporary life in the North, using photography to document the beauty and complexity of Indigenous life.