The Kwewag Indigenous Culture Church
The Kwewag Indigenous Culture Church is a registered 501(c)3 Nonprofit Organization
Indigenous cultures are spirit based. The culture and traditions cannot be
separated from the spiritual connection. Where there is one, there is always the other, in all that we do.
Dawn Moneyhan is a tribal elder of The Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, a knowledge keeper, healer, public speaker, and author.
As chief clergy of The KICC, Dawn is available for counseling services, spiritual guidance, and holistic mental health healing programs founded in tribal culture and sponsored by The KICC.
Dr. Delia Ross is also an elder of The Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, clergy at The KICC, and a schoolteacher. With a doctorate in special education, Delia carries a deep-set desire to bring our indigenous culture to the world.
Rob Moneyhan is an aquatic biologist and the executive technician at The KICC. Rob's duties entail helping with the physical labor involved with our projects, project planning, and creating/building the structures we need to continue our important work. Rob handles & teaches the tanning of hides into rawhide, drum making, flute making, various woodworking skills, and more. Rob is a distant descendant of the Potawatomi people.
​For 500 years the cultures, traditions, and spiritual connection to our Native American ancestors and our beautiful Mother Earth have been forced into silence, made nearly extinct. These cultures, traditions, and connections to our natural world are the very things now needed to save our planet from the climate crisis, and thus ourselves, from certain extinction.
For hundreds of years it was illegal in the United States to practice our cultures, speak our languages, wear our traditional clothing, or practice our spirituality as our ancestors passed down with each generation.
The American Indian Religious Freedom Act was signed on August 11, 1978 by President Jimmy Carter. By this time much of the Native American cultures had been diminished to the deeply held & closely guarded secrets within the tribes.
By this time our indigenous peoples had also been divided up by blood quantum to determine who possessed ENOUGH indigenous blood to be allowed the privilege of recognition as an American Indian and to be allowed to register with our tribes.
This practice has left many Native American descendants and those who are unable to prove their heritage, with their cultural teachings unavailable to them. Many tribal families today are made up of those who are registered and the children and grandchildren who cannot.
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While serving together on LRBOI's Cultural Committee, Dawn and Delia were made aware of just how severe this lack of cultural availability really is. And then Spirit called, and thus began our journey...
Dawn stepped down from the committee in search of a better, more accessible way to bring the culture to the people.
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While organizing a living history event in July of 2021 Dawn was made aware of another dilemma facing those who wished to learn our indigenous ways: Timing! Many families were disappointed and unable to attend this event because their lives have become too busy, so they spoke up... and we listened.
Immediately following that event The KICC was born.
The living history events entail excess amounts of physical labor to set up during all kinds of weather while working 2 - 4 days of teaching, only to take it all down so it can be done again a week or 2 later in another location. Combined with the busy schedules of those who wish to learn, indigenous and non indigenous alike, unable to attend according to the schedules of our host sites, attendance has declined while the demand remains high. We set out determined to find another way, a better way, an easier way... and then we created it!
Welcome to The KICC!
There is nowhere else in the world like this!
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