Wind River Community Alliance

10/16/2026

The month of October brings back our Friday Artist Spotlight for National Artists Month. Each Friday, we will highlight an artist from the Wind River Artists Collective and celebrate the creativity, talent, and cultural traditions represented through their work. This week, we celebrate Rana Mandan.

Rana grew up in Arapaho, Wyoming, where her journey as an artist began at just eight years old. During a traditional ceremony, her aunt asked her to mend an item. When Rana asked how she wanted it done, her aunt showed her. That moment became the beginning of a journey of learning, creativity, and carrying knowledge forward.

Rana continued learning from her aunties, one teaching her the art of hand sewing and mending, while another shared her knowledge of beadwork. By fifth grade, Rana had been introduced to a sewing machine, and her skills continued to grow through Home Economics classes at school. There, she learned how to operate sewing machines, construct patterns, and bring projects together step by step.

Today, Rana creates a variety of handmade items, including candle holders, coin purses, phone carriers, towel sets, pipe bags, shawls, and more. Her work reflects years of learning, practice, and creativity rooted in the knowledge passed down to her by family.

For Rana, this knowledge is about more than creating beautiful things. She recognizes that sewing education is no longer readily available in many schools, and she hopes to bring these skills back into the community. She wants to create opportunities for those who have never sewn before and for those eager to learn.

As a mother of five, Rana is already passing these traditions on to the next generation. Her oldest daughter is learning to sew, while other children are developing their own creative talents through beading and cord beading.

About the Wind River Artists Collective

The Wind River Artists Collective is a program of Wind River Community Alliance (WRCA) that celebrates Native artists, showcases their talents, and helps share the cultural traditions and artistic knowledge that continue to shape our communities.

10/13/2026

Healthy families and strong communities begin with relationships built on respect, safety, and care.

During Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Wind River Community Alliance (WRCA) recognizes the importance of addressing domestic violence and supporting individuals and families affected by abuse across the Wind River Reservation and surrounding communities.

Through our Strengthening Families initiative, including Fatherhood Is Sacred and Motherhood Is Sacred program, WRCA supports parents in building stronger family relationships, strengthening communication, embracing their roles as caregivers, and creating healthier homes for the next generation. Grounded in cultural teachings and family connections, this initiative encourages respect, responsibility, trust, and positive parenting.

Violence has no place in our homes or our communities. Strengthening families also means recognizing the harm caused by domestic violence, breaking the silence surrounding abuse, supporting survivors, and encouraging relationships free from fear, control, and violence.

Our families are sacred. Our children deserve to grow up safe. Every person deserves to live free from violence.

This October and throughout the year, let us stand together to strengthen families, support survivors, and build safer communities rooted in respect, healing, and care.

10/12/2026

Dear Community Members,

This event has been postponed and has been rescheduled for November 1st.

Come join the Wind River Tribal Buffalo Initiative for the 4th Annual Buffalo Bash on Indigenous Peoples Day, October 12, celebrating the 10th anniversary of the buffalo’s return to the Wind River Reservation.

Our Wind River Artists Collective will have a booth, and we invite you to stop by, connect with us, and celebrate this important milestone.

10/12/2026

Today, we honor the ancestors, celebrate the strength and resilience of Indigenous peoples, and recognize the languages, traditions, stories, and teachings that continue to guide our communities.

At Wind River Community Alliance, we celebrate Indigenous peoples every day—by honoring our roots, nurturing our culture, and walking together toward a stronger future.

Let us remember. Let us honor. Let us continue our legacy together.

10/09/2026

Friday Artist Spotlight – National Artists Month

We are bringing back our Friday Artist Spotlight for National Artists Month. Each Friday this month, we will highlight an artist from the Wind River Artist Collective and celebrate the creativity, talent, and cultural traditions represented through their work.

This week, we are proud to spotlight Stormy Friday, an enrolled member of the Northern Arapaho Nation whose beadwork reflects a family legacy of artistry, creativity, and cultural tradition.

Stormy is a member of the Wind River Artist Collective, a program of Wind River Community Alliance (WRCA). The Collective was created to provide Native artists with opportunities to share their work, develop their skills, connect with community, and help keep Native art and cultural traditions strong. Through the Collective, WRCA celebrates artists of different generations and art forms while creating opportunities for their work to be seen, shared, and supported.

Stormy's artistic journey began at age 10, when her auntie and grandmother started teaching her how to bead. By age 12, she was exploring different techniques on her own, learning through experimentation, patience, and trial and error. Through these early experiences, Stormy continued developing her skills while carrying forward a tradition that has been passed down through generations of her family.

Today, Stormy's beadwork brings together contemporary creativity and old-school artistry. She describes the process of drawing designs and carefully tacking down beads as being much like painting. Each piece requires patience, attention to detail, and a willingness to experiment. Sometimes the beads don't fit quite right, or the rows don't line up as planned, but Storm embraces these challenges as part of the creative process. The result is work filled with personality, care, and passion.

Stormy has a particular love for repurposing vintage accessories and incorporating bright, sparkly colors into her designs. She is especially drawn to star and mountain motifs, and when it comes to these designs, she believes bigger is better! Her artistic style reflects her willingness to blend traditional influences with her own creative ideas, giving each piece a distinctive character.

Never one to stop learning, Stormy has recently begun exploring feather work and sewing. She is currently developing her ribbon skirt-making techniques and looks forward to sharing more of this work through the Wind River Artist Collective. Her continued exploration of new art forms reflects the curiosity and dedication that have been part of her artistic journey since childhood.

Beyond her artistic talents, Stormy is a nurturing mother, dedicated camp mom, advocate, and active member of her community. She brings many talents and passions to the people around her, demonstrating that creativity and community involvement can go hand in hand. Her story is a reminder that artists are not defined solely by what they create, but also by the relationships they build, the knowledge they carry, and the contributions they make to their communities.

We are proud to celebrate Stormy Friday and the artistry, dedication, and creativity she brings to the Wind River Artist Collective. Through her beadwork and continued exploration of traditional and contemporary art forms, Stormy honors the teachings passed down through her family while developing her own artistic voice.

Keep creating, Stormy! We look forward to seeing your new work and celebrating the many talents you continue to share with the community.

10/02/2026

Friday Artist Spotlight - National Artists Month

We are bringing back our Friday Artist Spotlight for National Artists Month. Each Friday this month, we will highlight an artist from the Wind River Artist Collective and celebrate the creativity, talent, and cultural traditions represented through their work.

This week, we are proud to spotlight Grayson Daw, an emerging jewelry artist of Northern Arapaho and Navajo heritage.

Grayson is a member of the Wind River Artist Collective, a program of Wind River Community Alliance (WRCA). The Collective was created to provide Native artists with opportunities to share their work, develop their skills, connect with community, and help keep Native art and cultural traditions strong. Through the Collective, WRCA celebrates artists of different generations and art forms while creating opportunities for their work to be seen, shared, and supported.

Grayson represents the creativity, talent, and promise of the next generation of Native artists. His journey into jewelry-making began with a simple curiosity. His mother, Veronica Gambler, was teaching his sister, Elana, how to make earrings. Grayson was interested in learning, too, and asked his sister to teach him. Once she showed him how, he spent two straight days making earrings.

What began as a way to earn a little extra pocket money quickly grew into a passion. As people began connecting with his handmade jewelry and purchasing his pieces, Grayson became even more inspired to develop his craft. He began experimenting with different beads, stones, and materials, expanding his work from earrings to necklaces and other handcrafted pieces.

During spring break, Grayson discovered an even deeper connection to his family’s artistic traditions. His grandfather is a Navajo silversmith, continuing a long tradition of Native artistry. Inspired by his grandfather’s work and his own heritage, Grayson expressed an interest in learning silversmithing and hopes to continue developing his skills under his grandfather’s guidance.

As our youngest artist, Grayson reminds us that Native artistry is not only a connection to the past—it is also being carried forward by our youth. His creativity, curiosity, and willingness to learn represent the next generation of artists who will continue family traditions while creating something uniquely their own.

We are proud to celebrate Grayson Daw and the young Native artists who are finding their voices, discovering their talents, and carrying culture forward through art.

Keep creating, Grayson. We can’t wait to see where your artistry takes you.

10/01/2026

Orange Shirt Day is a day to remember Native children who were taken from their families and sent to boarding schools. Many children were separated from their families, communities, language, culture, and traditions.

We also remember the children who never came home. Their families and communities continue to carry the pain of their loss.

Orange Shirt Day is a time to remember, honor the children, and recognize the lasting impact boarding schools had on Native families and communities. It is also a time to come together, share, learn, and honor the strength and resilience of Native people.

Every Child Matters.

09/20/2026

Thank you Casper 1 TV at a Higher Elevation for showcasing us and our wonderful Artists Collective members!!!!!

09/18/2026

Come join the Wind River Tribal Buffalo Initiative for the 4th Annual Buffalo Bash on Indigenous Peoples Day, October 12, celebrating the 10th anniversary of the buffalo’s return to the Wind River Reservation.

Our Wind River Artists Collective will have a booth, and we invite you to stop by, connect with us, and celebrate this important milestone.

09/18/2026

Thank you Amber Nation, Division of Voc Rehabilitation for the invitation to share resources.
Join Wind River Community Alliance at the Future Focused Fair on October 5 in Lander, connecting students and families with resources for transition services, employment, future planning, and life after high school. Stop by the WRCA information booth to learn more about our work and resources.