Mission of the Foundation

The stated mission of the John G. Neihardt Foundation is:

• "to encourage and promote the continuation of his literary and educational standards"
• "to develop and promote an appreciation of the various forms of creative art and to recognize the expressions of artistic talent."

This mission is accomplished through the maintenance and improvement of the John G. Neihardt State Historic Site, through public programs that foster literacy, education and appreciation of the arts, through programs that foster the development of artistic expression amongst all people, including members of the native American communities, and through publication of scholarly works pertinant to Neihardt and his work and to the arts in general.

The mission for projects and programs is:

• Educating our children, young people and the general public through varied programs, using the literary and thematic legacy of John G. Neihardt, Nebraska's Poet Laureate in Perpetuity;
• Preserving the heritage of the Great Plains, and its great voices, those of pioneer and Native American, both past and present;
• Inspiring all people - especially young people - to live lives of strong moral conviction and purpose in light of their noble heritages.