Inspired Natives Award - Performance Artists Nominees

Eighth Generation accepted nominations for three Inspired Natives Awards this year and the winners will be announced mid-December! Since we acquired over 200 nominations, we are sharing another round of featured contenders. Check out these nominees who sing, create music and write!

Each Inspired Natives Award is $2,500 in unrestricted funds and funded by 5% of blanket sale profits. This award represents one piece of our broad-based effort to be stewards of our Native artist community. The Inspired Natives award is distributed in support with our friends at The Evergreen State College Longhouse and The Evergreen State College Foundation.

ROUND 4 - Performance Artists

Click on the names of the artists to visit their pages!

J. Todd Hawkins

Todd is a citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and a registered Choctaw Artist whose work has a strong sense of place and attachment to the land. As a poet, visual artist, speaker, educator and literary critic, he draws from his cultural heritage of Choctaw storytelling. Whether Todd's contributing poetry for a good cause or encouraging young writers to pursue their writing passions and seek opportunities to publish and share their words, he understands that the power of literary arts creates tangible change in the world.

Candace Curr

Candace (Nuu Chah Nulth) is a language revitalizer, healer, storyteller and visionary through music. She is a solo artist and a member of Wolf and the Raven, a Vancouver-based folk duo. The band uses ukulele, voice and guitar to share stories of older times and lives filled with adventure, friendship, self-realization, love and loss. Candace is also in the process of releasing a solo album.

Autumn White Eyes

Autumn White Eyes (they, them, theirs) is Oglala Lakota and Turtle Mountain Band of Anishinaabe. Autumn is a Queer, two-spirit femme spoken-word artist and arts educator whose work focuses on releasing the femme, Queer and Indigenous rage that lives deep within. Some of their workshop themes include "identity empowerment," "learning & teaching queerly," "honoring Native land," and "examining power & privilege."

Talon Bazille Ducheneaux

Talon is an Oyate Sića DaLakota poet, musician, rapper and music producer. He also founded a music studio called Wonahun Waste' Studios/Records, which offers free recording for the community in South Dakota. His work is raw, dynamic and full of soul.

Jessica Mehta

Jessica (Tyner) Mehta is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation. An interdisciplinary artist, poet and book author, her work typically involves place, space and personal ancestry. Jessica is also an editor at Airlie Press and the owner of award-winning small business, MehtaFor – a writing and editing service company that offers pro bono work to Native American led/serving non-profits.

Skyler Reed

Skyler is an artist, writer and musician on track to be the first Klamath and Paiute archivist in the Pacific Northwest specifically focusing on preservation of Native documents and arts. He is also the founder of Moved By Words, an arts advocacy organization dedicated to promoting new voices in literary arts and uniting writers with writing communities.