Join our 2024 Journey – Donate to Restore Sacred Knowledge
For almost 20 years the Indigenous Cultures Institute has been on a journey of service for our community, justice and equity for all people, and balance for Mother Earth. “Napakō ” means “Our Journey” in Coahuiltecan, the language of the original Native people of the lands currently called Texas and Northeastern Mexico. Coahuiltecans have a 14,000 year history of continuous habitation in their homeland and still retain ancient, sacred knowledge. With this sacred Medicine we’ve founded 12 programs serving over 56,000 people annually, supported by generous contributions from our relations and allies. Walk with us on this journey towards a new world that deconstructs failed systems and restores sacred Medicine.
Indigenous communities in Texas are still here. Every day, in our homelands, we are actively reclaiming our history, culture, language, and ways of life. Our education programs are based in the millennial knowledge of our ancestors, ensuring that our children and future generations will continue to survive and thrive as Indigenous peoples. We need your support to continue to carry out this work.
The Indigenous Cultures Institute serves over 140,000 people annually with programs that unite humankind in seeking ancestral knowledge and values– community first, relationships, respect for ancestors and elders, and our responsibility to restore balance with Mother Earth. Join this effort today by supporting our youth programming, Coahuiltecan language reclamation, educators training, reburial of ancestral remains, educational presentations, and more. Your donation carries a message of hope for our work that will impact seven generations into the future.
- Dr Mario Garza and Maestra Maria Rocha, Miakan-Garza Tribal Elders and Founders of the Indigenous Cultures Institu
Each gift strengthens our impact and creates a legacy that will endure for seven generations.
How Your Gift Will Make a Difference
Sacred Springs Powwow The Sacred Springs Powwow is an annual event celebrating Indigenous cultures through vibrant dance, music, art, and storytelling, gathering Native artists and communities at the sacred San Marcos Springs. This Powwow is a unique opportunity for the public to connect with ancient traditions and honor the cultural legacy of Texas’s original peoples. Join the Friends of the Sacred Springs Powwow to help sustain this event and ensure these important traditions continue for future generations.
Na-Ūm Coahuiltecan Language Revitalization Program Indigenous Cultures Institute is passionately committed to reclaiming the Coahuiltecan language, considered extinct, and preserving the wisdom of its ancestral teachings for future generations. Through a Humanities Texas grant and with support from linguists and educators, ICI offers lessons that honor traditional Coahuiltecan ways, blending language with spiritual and cultural values. Your support of ICI’s Language Revitalization Program ensures that younger generations can embrace their heritage and carry forward the voice and teachings of their ancestors.
-
Indigenous Arts Summer Encounter Our annual youth program, the Indigenous Arts Summer Encounter, is a week-long ceremonial experience for Hispanic, Indigenous, and allied youth ages 10-14 living in Central Texas, where they learn about their Indigenous identity through the vibrant legacy of their traditional arts and science. Since the first Encounter in 2010 , hundreds of youth, Native and non-Native, have learned about Coahuiltecan and other Indigenous peoples' intellectual traditions, governments, and cultures. This often new-to-them knowledge sparks interest in their familia, local and and national histories and futures, fosters greater school engagement, and inspires creativity.
The Encounter has shown to:Strengthen the youths’ knowledge of the values of their Indigenous relatives and ancestors.
Foster an increased sense of pride in the youths’ Indigenous identity, responsibility to their communities on both a local and global level.
Increase students’ desires to attend college and envision career paths that forward their Indigenous heritage, knowledge, and social responsibility.
Tānko Institute for Educators Each summer, P-20 and community educators participate in a 3-day institute in the Xinachtli pedagogy, which is based on Maya, Mexica, and Coahuiltecan philosophy and knowledge, and has been developed over the past 30 years by Maestro Carlos Aceves, co-founder of the Raices del Saber Xinachtli Community School. During the three day institute, participants develop an understanding of the pedagogy, their relationships with and responsibilities to local lands, waters, and its original peoples, and a growing circle of Tānko educators. Guided by Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Keepers, participants experience and practice an interdisciplinary approach to teaching and learning that draws on learners’ cultural heritages, existing knowledge bases, and the lessons from the natural world. Upon completing the 10-hour professional development, participants are invited to join the year round learning community, the Tānko Collective, to deepen their relationships, understanding, and commitment to teaching and learning the natural way.
Repatriation Program Restoring Dignity to Our Ancestors: Thousands of ancestral remains have been held in institutions across the U.S. The Miakan-Garza tribe is dedicated to reburial, honoring these ancestors’ memory. By supporting our repatriation work, you play a direct role in returning our people to rest within Texas soil.
Support the Indigenous Cultures Center in Hays County The Indigenous Cultures Center, developed by the Indigenous Cultures Institute in collaboration with Texas State University and Hays County, will be built near the Sacred Springs headwaters on land inhabited for nearly 14,000 years. This center will preserve and share the culture of the Coahuiltecans, Texas’s original First People, offering a dedicated space for research, education, and community engagement focused on Indigenous history and traditions. Supporting this center means contributing to the preservation of Indigenous knowledge, fostering community connections, and ensuring that the values, heritage, and environmental stewardship of Indigenous peoples are honored and passed to future generations.
Back-to-School Bash! Community Event in San Marcos The Indigenous Cultures Institute’s Back to School Bash is a community-centered event designed to support local families with essential resources, cultural programming, and family-friendly activities. This annual event, which has grown since its start in 2022, offers free backpacks, school supplies, haircuts, and more to families, ensuring students are prepared for the school year ahead. By donating, you can help provide much-needed support to families in need, making a lasting impact on children’s educational success and fostering a strong, resilient community.
Indigenous Plays and Publications Through Indigenous plays and publications, the Institute shares rich narratives that educate and inspire, like Yana Wana’s Legend of the Bluebonnet and Papakō: The Journey, which celebrate Indigenous stories and values with diverse audiences. Additionally, books such as Nine Seasons: Beyond 2012 offer insights into ancient wisdom from Aztec and Maya cultures. By contributing, you help sustain these vital storytelling efforts, ensuring that Indigenous voices and knowledge continue to reach and educate future generations. Your donation will provide funding for bus transportation for students to attend a showing of the Papakō play in 2025.
Indigenous People’s Day Indigenous Peoples Day, celebrated on the Second Monday of October, has been recognized for decades under a variety of names to celebrate Native Americans’ history and culture and to recognize the challenges they continue to face. It was established as a celebration to commemorate Native American history, culture and resilience. Indigenous Cultures Institute hosts a yearly event to elevate the contributions of Indigenous people, share cultural activities with the community-at-large, and to promote opportunities for relationship capacity building. Your donation will support performances by local indigenous performers.
Presentations Program The Institute's Presentations Program brings Indigenous knowledge keepers, performers, and educators directly to communities, sharing rarely heard stories, history, and culture of the Coahuiltecan people and Native Americans. By supporting this program, you enable free and low-cost presentations that deepen cultural understanding and connection, from traditional music and dance to educational talks. Your contribution helps ensure these invaluable cultural insights remain accessible to all.
How to Get Involved
Donate Today: Every dollar makes a difference, whether you’re supporting a child’s first dance in Native regalia, helping a teacher bring new Indigenous perspectives into their classroom, or restoring the language and stories of the Coahuiltecan people.
Become a Monthly Donor: Consider walking with us long-term by setting up a recurring donation. Each month, your gift will sustain our programs and help us reach even more communities.
Spread the Word: Share our campaign with friends, family, and social media. Together, we can amplify our voices and restore sacred knowledge.
Thank you for your support on this journey.
100% of your tax-deductible donations helps the Indigenous Cultures Institute sustain initiatives such as our annual Indigenous Arts Youth Summer Encounter, Coahuiltecan language revival, the Sacred Springs Pow Wow, preserving sacred sites such as the sacred springs of Central Texas, reburying our ancestral remains being held in institutional warehouses, supporting staff members and more. Be a part of this opportunity to create positive change in supporting the original caretakers of these lands. We are humbled and grateful with all that exists in the universe. Your donation is tax deductible under Internal Revenue Service Tax Code Section 501(c)(3). The Indigenous Cultures Institute’s employer identification number (EIN) is 20-5429900.
-
1st Christian Solis $10.86 raised 1 donation
-
-
You can also help us to achieve our goals!
I want to fundraise for this