This week, how Tribal Colleges and Universities are responding to federal funding cuts, and Red Lake Nation artist Jonathan Thunder shares details about a new film project.
—–Producers: Xan Holston and Travis ZimmermanEditing: Victor PalominoAnchor: Marie Rock Mixing & mastering: Chris Harwood
Transcript
[Music: Minnesota Native News Theme]
Marie Rock [ANCHOR]: Welcome to Minnesota Native News. I'm Marie Rock
This week on Minnesota Native News, how Tribal Colleges and Universities are responding to federal funding cuts, and a Red Lake artist shares details about a new film project.
First, let's hear from producer Xan Holston:
Xan Holston: For months, Tribal Colleges and Universities, or TCUs, have been living under the threat of being defunded. Earlier this year, the Trump administration proposed a budget that cut their funding by 90 percent — a move that would effectively shut them down.
Ahniwake Rose: It's very hard to plan what an academic year is going to look like when you are concerned with inconsistency in funding.
Xan Holston: Ahniwake Rose is president of AIHEC, the American Indian Higher Education Consortium. She said since 80 percent of TCU budgets comes from federal grants, it makes the schools especially vulnerable. But Congress failed to pass the budget by the end of September, triggering a government shutdown on October 1. That means even more uncertainty — but a last-minute award has given TCUs breathing room. Just before the shutdown, the Department of Education awarded TCUs a one-time influx of 109 million dollars — more than double the federal funding they got from the 2025 budget. That's enough money to keep the schools open for at least another year.
Ahniwake Rose: Tribal colleges have been so woefully underfunded for decades, that this funding is such… we really can't even express how welcome it is and what an immediate impact and change it will bring on the education that we're able to provide.
Xan Holston: That relief doesn't erase the bigger questions about the shutdown, or whether the administration's proposed cuts will pass, but Rose is confident that advocates in Congress are working to ensure TCUs remain funded.
Ahniwake Rose: We've also seen Congress propose some very strong numbers — we know that we have strong bipartisan support in Congress.
Xan Holston: And Rose points to the broader value of TCUs: AIHEC recently released a report showing alumni contributed 3.8 billion dollars to the country's Gross Domestic Product between 2022 and 2023.
Ahniwake Rose: What we're trying to get out is when you look at the overall economic impact that we've had within our communities, we've been able to do that with drastic underfunding. So imagine what we could do if we were fully funded.
Xan Holston: For now, the future of TCUs rests with Congress. But to Rose and AIHEC, the value of these schools and the communities they serve is clear.
For Minnesota Native News, I'm Xan Holston.
Anchor Marie Rock: Next, a new film project weaves together an artist's tragic story with Ojibwe mythology. Travis Zimmerman has more.
Travis Zimmerman: Visual artist and storyteller Jonathan Thunder has been busy writing and directing a short film, Ish Meets a Mermaid. Ish is short for Ishkode, which means fire in Ojibwe, and the film has been a labor of love for the talented Red Lake artist. Jonathan stars in the film alongside his wife, brother and other family members.
Jonathan Thunder: I play Ish, the struggling artist, and my wife, Tashia, she plays Zibi, who is the mermaid. And I got my brother Charles to play this character named Crazy Al, who I don't know what to say about Crazy Al, but everybody knows a Crazy Al, you know, in their lifetime. And Crazy Al had to go into the script.
Travis Zimmerman: When asked what else makes this film unique, Jonathan gives us a glimpse of the storyline.
Jonathan Thunder: It's a story that combines the sort of tragic artist's biography that I've always been in love with. And it combines it with Ojibwe mythology based in the Great Lakes region.
Travis Zimmerman: Ish Meets a Mermaid was shot in Duluth and involved several of Jonathan's friends.
Jonathan Thunder: Alex Kmett plays a character called the Busker, which is he's kind of like a portal, you know, to the Twilight Zone and Ish's life. And my friend Hannah Smith also kind of plays a role between worlds as a train ticket clerk.
Travis Zimmerman: Now that production is officially over, the film is in the editing phase.
Jonathan Thunder: I'm kind of from the experimental film school, so I just. I'm having fun with the edit. I'm doing the edit as well. And I've done some of the visual effects that go into the film. I'll be doing two small animation sequences that kind of tie together some of the mythology that's in the film.
Travis Zimmerman: Jonathan hasn't firmed up any plans for initial screenings, but people can expect to see the film making the film festival rounds in 2026.
Jonathan Thunder: I'm hoping to have it done with post-production by the end of the year.
Travis Zimmerman: People can still support the film and follow Jonathan, to see what else he is up to.
Jonathan Thunder: Ishmeetsamermaid.com or Jonthunder.com is where you can learn more about it. Otherwise, I'm on Instagram at Jon Thunder, no h, J-o-n Thunder
Travis Zimmerman: For Minnesota Native News, this is Travis Zimmerman
Marie Rock: That's all for this week's episode. Join us next time for more voices and stories that inform, uplift, and shape our communities, right here on Minnesota Native News.
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Marie Rock: Minnesota Native News is produced by AMPERS: Diverse Radio for Minnesota's Communities. Made possibly by funding from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and the citizens of Minnesota.