“In the long ago, there was a bird with brilliantly colored feathers and the most beautiful voice. This bird loved The People and saw that in winter they had no warmth and they couldn’t cook their meat. Bird decided they would go and retrieve fire so The People wouldn’t have to struggle during the cold time.

Bird flew high into the sky. As they flew closer to the sun, their feathers began to scorch and singe. Bird cried out for help to keep going and as they cried out, even their voice burned. Bird flew closer and closer to the sun. They reached out and grabbed fire. Their claws burned black. Bird succeeded and carried fire back to the people.

Now, they could warm their lodges, cook their food, and gather around it to hear stories and tell dreams. Today the bird lives everywhere The People live. Their voices are raspy and their feathers look black, like their ancestor who flew to the sun.

But when they step into the sunlight every color of the rainbow is reflected in their feathers to remind us that they sacrificed their brilliant coloring to bring fire to The People. In English, this bird is called the crow. In Anishinaabemowin their name is Aandeg (one who changes in the light).”

– Anishinaabe story

Who We Are

Fire in The Village is a collective of artists and cultural organizers.

We build & sustain spiritual fires of connection where we live – in Anishinaabe territory, or rural northern Minnesota – and in arts and music communities across the region. 

The oxygen for these fires is poetry, music, printmaking, mural arts, storytelling, dancing & nourishment, all woven together by coherent thought for our children and earth.

The renewable fuel is the heartfire within each of us.

Our Values

We each carry a piece of aadizookaan, or the sacred story.

We gather around fires to remember our piece of this story and to find how our pieces fit together.

Together we can create answers to questions we couldn’t imagine on our own.

Fire in the Village creates art & culture to encourage relationships and coherance, and to remind ourselves and our communities that we are made of earth, and we are power.

Our cultural teachings help us understand that everything has energy or spirit.

This spirit is what connects us all to earth, to one another and to ourselves.

Transformation starts within each of us when we remember that connection — like a spark we can tend and grow into a spirit-fire that encourages others.

We spark many small fires throughout our region & we encourage people to tend those fires together.

Our Village

Learn more about the artists and organizers of Fire in the Village.

Read about creative work we’re doing in our Native and rural communities, and the artists and culture bearers we’re working with across the region.

Join us!

Attend a Village gathering to get connected.
Support our creative community work through our Village Fires Fund.