GIVING BACK
The Census Bureau estimates that more than 50% of the families on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota are living below the national poverty level. We're pleased to support the Boys & Girls Club programs led by local tribal members who provide cultural opportunities for Native children to learn and thrive in a healthy environment.
We believe it is our duty to give back to the Native communities where Edward Curtis worked. Every year, we give a portion of the donations and book sales receipts we receive to support Native American or Alaska Native organizations. The amounts vary annually, with a range of between 2.5% and 7% of our total revenue from the previous year.
We also provide complimentary copies of our Unpublished books to Native libraries and cultural centers. Thus far, we've distributed more than 100 free copies of our Unpublished Alaska book to Native centers across Alaska.
Recipients of Giving Back funds are selected annually by our Board of Directors in consultation with selected leaders of Native communities throughout the West.
If you'd like to support our Give Back program, please go to our donation page and select “Giving Back” in the dropdown Fund list.
Our past Giving Back recipients include:
Western Alaska Disaster Recovery Fund
In September 2022, Typhoon Merbek slammed into western Alaska Native communities. Gale-force winds and record storm-driven water surges destroyed parts of the most vulnerable villages. We are proud to have supported the Alaska Community Foundation's fund to help with short-term recovery efforts in communities once visited by Edward Curtis.
The cost of household electricity on many Native reservations is outrageously expensive. On the Oglala Lakota Nation in South Dakota, Chief Henry Red Cloud and his son, John, created this nonprofit organization to help people become certified to install solar furnaces and paneling that will greatly reduce their utility expenses. Our support will help them reach out to tribal members about creating energy sovereignty for their nation.
Coastal Native communities in British Columbia have a long history of using handmade canoes for fishing, whaling, and trading with other Peoples. The Canadian government drastically limited their cultural practices for much of the 20th century, but First Nations have now reclaimed this important part of their histories. We provided support to the Qwyano Nation to assist their efforts to organize and lead cultural canoe journeys.