Press Release
For Immediate Release
December 24, 2021
Media Contact:
Indigenous Peoples’ Day Philly, Inc. (IPD PHILLY)
https://ipdphilly.org | press@ipdphilly.org | FB & Instagram: @ipdphilly
Indigenous Peoples’ Day Philly Inc.
receives recovery and growth grant from PA Humanities
December 24, 2021 (Philadelphia, PA) — Indigenous Peoples’ Day Philly Inc. (IPD PHILLY) has received a $16k grant from PA Humanities as part of its $1.4 million recovery and growth program. Called PA SHARP (Sustaining the Humanities through the American Rescue Plan), the initiative provides flexible funding to strengthen and grow the humanities across the state. Grantees join the new PA SHARP Learning Network, a special statewide learning group that fosters resource sharing, networking, professional development, and mutual support.
“The humanities are on the ground putting people first by making spaces for new voices, supporting meaningful learning experiences, and fostering healing and resiliency in communities of all sizes,” said Laurie Zierer, executive director of PA Humanities. “PA SHARP further strengthens this essential work through network building, financial support, and reimagining the possibilities of the humanities across the state.”
The 92 recipients represent museums, historical societies, libraries, and other vital cultural institutions across Pennsylvania. They were carefully selected with an emphasis on equity and geographic diversity.
Funds from PA SHARP aim to help address the ongoing impact of COVID-19 on the cultural sector by supporting creative programming, capacity building, and general operations. In addition to funding, the PA SHARP Learning Network will build a statewide community of people passionate about creating inclusive, engaged communities that are ready to lead the statewide recovery alongside PA Humanities.
“Central to our goal in 2022, is to fortify the coalition between Native and non-native peoples to streamline our processes for community action and create strategic plans for racial, economic, and social justice for Indigenous peoples,” said IPD Philly’s Executive Team (Mabel Negrete, Executive Director, and Nikki Apana, Executive Assistant).
Funding for PA SHARP comes from PA Humanities’ federal partner, the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), as part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. Recognizing the financial realities of the pandemic and the vital importance of the humanities to economic and civic life, this legislation allocated to the NEH funds to “prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from the coronavirus.” Additional funding comes from Spring Point Partners to support 16 organizations that serve Philadelphia’s BIPOC and new immigrant communities.
The full list of PA SHARP grantees is available at pahumanities.org/pasharp.
About Indigenous Peoples’ Day Philly, Inc
Established in 2017 in the Lenape Unami territory of Lenapehoking (Southern PA and NJ), Indigenous Peoples’ Day Philly, Inc (IPD Philly) is an Indigenous-led emerging non-profit organization based in Philadelphia, PA. IPD Philly’s mission is to cultivate an active Native American/Indigenous presence in the city of Philadelphia through cultural, educational, and community-building initiatives. These values will uplift Native traditions, creative economies, and histories. IPD Philly’s vision is to counter the historical Indigenous erasure—the deliberate and systematic destruction of Native cultures and violent displacement of Native peoples to this day. In addition over time, IPD Philly seeks to build stronger communication channels between the City of Philadelphia and Native constituencies.
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