From June 15 – December 31, 2023, author Colin Mustful and publisher History Through Fiction are accepting donations for the Reclaiming Mni Sota Indigenous Writers Grant, a literary diversity initiative to raise $10,000 for one Indigenous writer from Minnesota. As a part of their effort, from now until the end of the year, or until the goal is met, Colin Mustful and History Through Fiction will contribute to the grant in three ways: 

1. $1 from the sale and pre-sale of the novel Reclaiming Mni Sota will be donated to the grant.

2. All membership fees for History Through Fiction’s member area will be donated to the grant.

3. All speaking fees/donations for author programs presented by Colin Mustful will be donated to the grant. 

This monthly update will help supporters of this initiative follow along as we get closer and closer to our goal of empowering Indigenous storytellers. 

December 2023
Sales of the novel Reclaiming Mni Sota - 26 = $26
Member Area Payments less transaction Fees - $8.40
Speaking Fees/Direct Donations for Speaking - 0
Total Contribution from Colin Mustful and History Through Fiction - $34.40

Thank you to our December donors!
Sandra Jackson-Opoku
Kristin Blomme

Final Fundraising Total = $6,467

Thank you to everyone who contributed to the Reclaiming Mni Sota Indigenous Writers Grant. The fundraising and application periods for the grant are now closed. Although our $10,000 goal was not met, we did raise $6,467 to support literary diversity.

Unfortunately, there were no applicants for the grant. As a result, we have decided to donate the funds to Indigenous Nations Poets, a national Indigenous poetry community dedicated to mentoring emerging writers and promoting Indigenous poetic practices. They also aim to raise awareness of Native Writers past, present, and future. While we fully support the work of Indigenous Nations Poets, we understand that this was not the original plan for the funds. We wanted to inform you, our generous donors and supporters, about this change in destination for the grant contributions.

If you donated to the grant and would prefer a refund, please contact Colin Mustful at mnauthor@colinmustful.com before Friday, January 12. After this date, all remaining funds will be donated to Indigenous Nations Poets. Thank you once again for your support of the Reclaiming Mni Sota Indigenous Writers Grant. Though we did not reach our ultimate goal, we made significant strides in supporting Indigenous writers and storytelling. We remain committed to contributing to a more diverse literary community in the future.

Thank you to all of our donors, advocates, and volunteer judges!