In A Good Way

The Politics of Ignorance

2009-06-22T09:09:00.000-07:00

Check out my article on the political motives behing ignorance about Native Peoples at Indian Country Today.

http://www.indiancountrytoday.com/opinion/46721207.html

Have You Helped A Student Today?

2009-06-15T09:14:00.000-07:00

The New York Times ran a story Sunday about an organization that matches alumni and cash-strapped students at Harvard University. The alumni provide loans for students to be able to take tests, finish a semester, and buy books.

For American Indian students attending tribal colleges, however, wealthy alumni are few and far between. Our alumni DO go on to get meaningful jobs in their communities, helping others as teachers, health care providers, and in tribal government. But American Indian students start out poor, and have few people they can rely upon to help them through college. When they graduate, they are in th trenches, helping their communities--but do not have millions of dollars of disposable income to assist others.

That is why the American Indian College Fund provides scholarship money to American Indian students, who are often the poorest in the nation. Scholarship monies enable students to focus on their studies without the worries of having to pay back loans after they graduate. And it helps them get a leg up to get an education so that they can make a future for themselves.

Have you helped an American Indian student today? Even the smallest amount helps our students. Please donate at www.collegefund.org

American Indian College Fund Meets Colorado Community

2009-06-08T12:34:00.000-07:00

The American Indian College Fund welcomed more than 200 business people and community members to the Colorado History Museum Thursday, June 4 to learn more about American Indian college students' needs and the tribal college movement. They saw Native dances, heard Native musicians perform, and enjoyed crafts, a silent auction, and refreshments.

A special thank you to everyone who attended. We look forward to seeing you at our 20th anniversary gala in Denver at the Seawell Ballroom of the Denver Center for the Performing Arts October 28! To reserve your space call Lucia Novara at 303-426-8900.

New Think Indian Television Spot Released

2009-06-01T08:12:00.000-07:00

To continue the theme of our Think Indian public service print media announcements, our pro bono advertising partner, Wieden+Kennedy, has graciously donated its time and creative genius to create an animated television spot. The spot celebrates American Indian ways of thinking and how tribal colleges preserve both that and Native cultures.

View it at www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qky6HR4XlJg

Dan Wieden, Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Wieden+Kennedy, Presented with CLIO Lifetime Achievement Award

2009-05-18T09:02:00.000-07:00

The CLIO Awards are one of the world’s most recognized international advertising and design competitions honoring creative excellence and innovation in the industry. As the president and CEO of the Fund, I was proud to watch as Dan Wieden, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Wieden+Kennedy (W+K), the American Indian College Fund's pro bono ad agency, was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award on May 13 during the 50th Anniversary CLIO Awards in Las Vegas.

The CLIO Lifetime Achievement Award is one of the highest, most prestigious honors in the advertising industry and recognizes the outstanding and ongoing contribution of an individual who leads the industry forward.

We at the Fund are delighted that the industry has recognized Dan Wieden’s achievement. We have been honored and humbled to work with him over the years to further the cause of American Indian education. The Fund is one of Wieden+Kennedy’s pro bono clients, and Dan personally works on the campaigns, including the new Think Indian campaign, alongside co-founding partner David Kennedy. Their dedication and vision have led to national recognition of the Fund’s mission to provide college scholarships for American Indian students.

Dan has won several honors, including: Inc. magazine’s “America’s 25 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs”; Time magazine’s “World’s 50 Cyber Elite”; and Advertising Age’s “100 Ad People of the 20th Century.” He is also the founder of Caldera, a nonprofit arts education organization and camp for at-risk youth located in Sisters, Oregon. Dan embodies the American Indian values of creativity, imagination, and giving back to the community. Congratulations, Dan!

Why I Work at the American Indian College Fund

2009-05-11T10:07:00.000-07:00

Non-Native American Indian College Fund staffer Dina Horwedel, Public Education Director, shares why she is passionate about the Fund's mission.

In Italy there is saying, la dolce vita, which means “the sweet life.” For Italians this means food, friendship, laughter, and love. But in 1900, my Italian great-grandfather, who was 19 years old, stepped on board the Stella Bruz and headed for America in search of the sweet life that had eluded him in Calabria, Italy, which had been his home for his 19 years.

Growing up in poverty, my great-grandfather had never attended school, never learned to read or write in his own language, and labored as a “dirt farmer” in the parched soil of southern Italy. With no future in sight, he set out for America for a better life for himself and his family.
My grandfather migrated west to Ohio after passing through Ellis Island, and settled in Ohio, where he met another Italian, married, and raised a family through the Great Depression.

Although he had a job working as a laborer on the railroad, things were tight with seven children.
Although he never learned to read or write, my grandfather was wise. He used to tell me as a little girl, “Go to school, don’t be a dumba-bell like me!” And so, I did. While in school I learned that I loved telling stories, just like my great-grandpa, but with the gift of an education, I could write those stories down on paper. From an early age I started writing stories, newspaper articles, and books. When I was in third grade a teacher asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I responded, “an author.”

I graduated from high school and became the first person in my family to earn a college degree, and then first person to go on and graduate from law school. To this day I earn my living through my writing. My husband, in a nod to my ancestry and my passion for storytelling, gave me a handcrafted pen from Florence, called La Dolce Vita. Because of my grandfather’s sacrifice in coming to America, I am able to have the sweet life. I often joke that I am “living la dolce vita in the land of Velveeta.”

To my great-grandfather, America was a land of promise and opportunity. He passed on six months shy of 100 years old in 1987. I think my grandfather would have been surprised if not shocked to learn that for the original Americans, America was not a place of opportunity.

Many American Indians live in poverty. According to U.S. Census Bureau figures, nearly 26% percent of all American Indians and Alaska Natives live below the poverty line, contrasted with a national poverty rate of 12.4%. The gap is even larger for people living on reservations with limited economic opportunities, with 51% of the population living below the poverty line. And even though the nation’s poverty rate dropped from 11.8% in 1999 to 11.3 % in 2000 (the lowest in 21 years), American Indian’s and Alaska Native’s poverty rate did not drop.

In addition, the educational opportunities my great-grandfather my great-grandfather urged me to take advantage of are scarce amongst American Indian populations. In 2000, the proportion of people aged 25 and over who had completed high school or more education comprised 11 percent of the American Indian and Alaska Native population.

It isn’t just my great-grandfather that would have been shocked: it wasn’t until law school, when I was studying Indian law, when I learned about the political, social, health, economic, and educational inequities that American Indians have endured for centuries. I think about how lucky I am to have had a wise great-grandfather that wanted a better life for me, and I know the grandmothers and grandfathers of American Indians want and wanted the same, but the circumstances were much different.

That is why I am proud to work for the American Indian College Fund. I am not American Indian, although I am native in that I was born in this country because of my great-grandfather. My personal mission is to have my work help American Indians get a piece of la dolce vita—the sweet life—that education brings and that every person deserves, so that they, too can share and preserve their stories.

Congratulations to 2009 Graduates

2009-05-04T08:43:00.000-07:00

A heartfelt congratulations to all of our TCU graduates from all of us at the American Indian College Fund. You have worked hard for this day, and you and your families have reason to be proud. But your journey is just beginning. As you travel your life's path, we wish you happiness, good fortune, and the ability to remember to be true to yourself, your Indian values, and your life's calling.

Godspeed!

Portrait of a Desert Tribal College

2009-04-27T15:10:00.000-07:00

This past weekend the board of directors of the American Indian College Fund had the opportunity to travel to Sells, Arizona, where we met with students and teachers at Tohono O'oodham Community College (TOCC). We toured the eastern campus and heard presentations by several students, including TOCC's student of the year, Theresa Vavages, also gave a presentation about the challenges she faced as she made the transition from her traditional life in the desert to life as a tribal college student. Raised by a single mother who passed on her love of words and books, Theresa is now getting ready to graduate and go on to the next phase of her life: working for the college.

It is stories like these that remind me of the important work we do at the American Indian College Fund. The Tohono O'odham nation is the second largest in the United States, and includes rugged terrain straddling the U.S.-Mexico border. Without the tribal college's two campuses, students like Theresa might not have the opportunity to attend college. Many students in the Tohono O'odham nation already travel huge distances, many as far as 60 miles one way, to get an education at the tribal college. When so many students do not have the money for a car or gasoline in a place where there is no public trqansportation, committed teachers pick their students up en route to class, and many others car pool--or walk.

Thanks to the American Indian College Fund's scholarships and the college's new distance learning program, many more students like Theresa will be able to achieve their dream of a college education.

How Do You "Think Indian"?

2009-04-06T10:42:00.000-07:00

I received a letter over the weekend asking me how "To think Indian is to cure diabetes with sacred food and hoops." The writer said surely "Indian thinking" doesn't believe that Type I Diabetes, where the person has no or little insulin, can be cured with sacred foods and hoops!

Exercise and a good diet are part of every doctor’s recommendation for controlling diabetes. Many people do not know that research is being conducted at Oglala Lakota College on a native medicinal plant that mimics insulin in the body when it is ingested by rats, putting the disease into complete remission. American Indian researchers are using their natural Indian intellect and age-old wisdom to offer solutions to today’s problems.

I would like to take this opportunity for our tribal college communities and students to share ways that they “think Indian” in the classroom, laboratory, and everyday life as we continue to celebrate our native way of thinking. Please feel free to comment on this blog or send us an e-mail at info@collegefund.org

American Indian Higher Education Consortium Meeting

2009-03-30T15:09:00.000-07:00

As always, it is invigorating attending the American Indian Higher Education Consortium meeting. The tribal college presidents, professors, staff members, and students come together from across the country, reaffirming their commitment to American Indian education, tradition, culture, and beliefs, while ensuring that entire communities move forward through higher education.

Students like Stephen Yellowhawk, a Coca Cola schoar and elementary education major, reinforce the reason I love my job so much. Stephen has a family, and is committed to earning his degree so that he can not only offer a better future for his children, but also for his community. It is the hard work and selflessness of people like Stephen that give me great hope for the enduring strength and the possibility the American Indians an achieve their dreams despite the hardships we have faced as a people. I draw strength from the hard work and success of all of you in Indian Country.

Thank you!

Rick Williams

Thank You Denver for Your Turn-Out at the Denver March Powwow

2009-03-23T16:13:00.000-07:00

The American Indian College Fund participated at the Denver March Powwow with an information booth and also hosted a pre-Denver march Powwow program for several of its esteemed Denver-area supporters. Guests at the program were treated to a presentation by the American Indian College Fund. My son, a tribal college graduate who is nearing completion of his master's degree from a mainstream institution, also talked about the importance of a higher education for Indian people. Our staff members who compete in the powwow in various dances demonstrated different dance styles and their significance in American Indian culture. Participants also learned about the cultural and sacred significance of the powwow before being escorted to the event by College Fund representatives.

Many students and potential students turned out at the booth to learn more about scholarships. We are thrilled and gratified that so many people in our community are excited about pursuing a higher education. You are the future of Native America!

See You at the Denver March Powwow

2009-03-16T13:50:00.000-07:00

For those of our supporters in Colorado and ur friends coming in from across Indian Country, we are looking forward to seeing you at the Denver March Powwow this week at the Denver Coliseum. We will have a booth at the event, where we will be providing information about scholarships, our new Think Indian campaign, and will be selling our products benefiting American Indian education.

See you there March 20-22!

New York Times columnist is "Thinking Indian"

2009-03-09T15:16:00.000-07:00

In the Sunday edition of The New York Times, Thomas L. Friedman shows how he is "thinking Indian." He postulates that the economic crisis of 2008 may represent something more fundamental than a recession, and perhaps it was the Earth and the market's way of telling our world that we cannot continue with the cycle of consumption that was not sustainable.

Our tribal colleges and universities teach sustainability in everything they do, proving American Indians have long been ahead of the curve. This is what we call "Thinking Indian." As our nation grapples with its problems, American Indians are uniquely situated to lead with finding solutions.

To see Friedman's excellent article, go to http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/08/opinion/08friedman.html

Want to help a child in Indian Country? Educate his parents.

2009-03-02T16:31:00.000-08:00

By helping American Indians go to college, the American Indian College Fund (the Fund) not only helps older American Indians, but it is also helping American Indian children.

Consider the facts: the average tribal college student is a 27-year-old single mother of three, and is often the first in her family to attend college. By ensuring that these young mothers attend college, they are assured of greater earning potential, helping them to better support their children and to give them better lives.

Traditionally American Indian people were suspicious of education, and with good reason. U.S. government policy beginning in the early 1900s and continuing on until the middle of the century focused on assimilation. As part of that policy, young children were removed from their families and forced to abandon their languages, religious practices, and culture. Children were often beaten for speaking their Native languages, and many suffered physical and sexual abuse. The education curriculum itself was designed to prepare Indian people for lives as domestic and farm help, and to separate them from their traditions.

Today things have changed, thanks to the establishment of the first-ever tribal college and university in 1968 by the Navajo nation. The Navajo people wanted to establish a college by and for the Navajo people that would educate their people in new technology and other important subjects, while preserving the Navajo language and culture. Today there are 32 accredited tribal colleges and universities across the country serving the more than 200 federally recognized American Indian tribes. As a result of the tribal college movement, American Indians have embraced education, and over the past 25 years the number of associate’s, bachelors, and masters degrees conferred to Native students has doubled. The numbers in recent years continues to grow. Enrollment of American Indian students at tribal colleges grew by 32% between 1997-2002, compared to 16% enrollment growth in higher education overall, according to the American Indian Higher Education Consortium.

The American Indian College Fund is proud to be part of the tribal college movement. The Fund was established 20 years ago to provide Native students, still the poorest in the nation, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, with scholarships. Today still 95% percent of tribal college students demonstrate financial need. Yet as the number of educated Native peoples increases, more people find jobs and hope for a better future.

The Fund helps provide its students with a better future—and is changing the face of Indian Country for generations to come. Educated American Indians serve as role models in their communities for the next generation, helping youth to steer clear of drugs, alcohol, and gangs, and to dream of a better and more productive future for themselves. Research shows that in the past 20 years, the number of American Indian tenth graders who expect to complete a college degree has more than doubled to 76%.

The Fund provides a means for Native people to rebuild their communities. Despite up to 85% unemployment rates on reservations where tribal colleges are located, one year after graduating, 82% of tribal college students are working or pursuing a higher degree, 64% of tribal college students continue their education, and more than 50% pursue a higher degree. Sixty four percent of our scholarship recipients are planning to use their education to help their people.

In these economic times, when there is talk of rebuilding the nation, we cannot give up on our efforts to rebuild Indian Country--and build a prosperous future for American Indian children for generations to come.

Help Tribal Colleges Get Federal Appropriations

2009-02-26T09:58:00.000-08:00

In August 2008 former President George W. Bush signed Congress the Higher Education Reauthorization and College Opportunity Act of 2008 into law. The reauthorization will help more students attend tribal colleges across the country and will include funding for tribal colleges across the United States. It also authorizes an annual increase from $6,000 to $8,000 for each student attending a tribal college. However, each year Congress must make appropriations to fund these worthwhile programs.

As you know, most tribal colleges are located on reservations, where they serve nearly 28,000 Native students in geographically isolated communities. On reservations, unemployment rates are high and average family incomes are 27 percent below the federal poverty level. Federal funding is necessary to keep our tribal colleges operational, providing much-needed educational opportunities to Native communities.

Help tribal colleges get the funding they need by contacting your senator to urge them to make appropriations for tribal colleges under the Higher Education Reauthorization and College Opportunity Act of 2008. To contact your senator, go to http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm to find the address and phone number of your elected official.

Moving Forward In a Bleak Economy

2009-02-09T15:03:00.000-08:00

Despite the bleak economic indicators, including a high jobs loss report at the end of January, there is reason to be optimistic about American Indian education and the Fund.

Our supporters are some of the most loyal and devoted people in the country. Even when times are tough, they give something. Our students and the Fund are blessed to be able to count on our corporate, foundation, and individual supporters.

Another reason to be optimistic? The amazing projects and results that tribal colleges are producing. Whether it be diabetes research, gathering data about global warming and its effects on local flora and fauna, or building business incubators on some of the most rural and remote areas of the country to spur economic development, tribal colleges, their teachers, and students are producing results that are nothing short of miracles. And the American Indian College Fund continues to support tribal colleges and their students in these endeavors and more.

Be on the lookout in March for stories about these successes in our upcoming newsletters.

When Old Friends Go On...

2009-02-05T14:18:00.000-08:00

I was personally saddened when my friend and former tribal college resident and veteran of the tribal college movement, Sky Houser, passed on on January 29, 2009. Sky died at a hospice facility near his sister’s home in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma at age 65. At the time of his death, he was the special projects officer for the Scott Bordeaux Leadership Institute at Sinte Gleska University.

Known as “Sky,” Houser first became acquainted with the Indian community in the mid 1970s when he was a professor at the University of Nebraska, where I first met him, and took his students to a pow wow.

In 1975, he left the University of Nebraska to help help the Santee establish a satellite campus, Northeast Nebraska Indian Satellite Community College, which later became Nebraska Indian Community College.

Sky served as chief executive officer of four tribal colleges (Nebraska Indian Community College, Sisseton Wahpeton Community College, Institute of American Indian Arts, and Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa Community College) and worked at three others (Saskatchewan Indian Federated College, Salish Kootenai College’s Spokane branch campus, and Sinte Gleska University).

Sky left a long legacy as a writer of articles and books about American Indian education and tribal issues, in addition to medieval history. He will be deeply missed by all of us in the tribal college movement.

I am deeply touched that Sky's commitment to educated and concern for American Indian students extended beyond his death. Sky's family specified that gifts in his memory could be given to the American Indian College Fund.

Think Indian public service advertisement campaign launches

2009-01-26T15:21:00.001-08:00

The Fund is rolling out a new public service announcement campaign titled THINK INDIAN. The campaign tells the story of how America’s 32 accredited tribal colleges and American Indian students are combining traditional Native solutions with modern knowledge to solve contemporary problems.

Tribal colleges and universities preserve the uniquely American Indian way of thinking while celebrating Indian cultures and embracing the latest research and technology. These institutions have become cultural oases where old wisdom and new ideas are fused. Many Native students encounter both their native language and the Internet for the first time at college.

To create the campaign, the Fund and our Portland, Oregon-based advertising partner, Wieden+Kennedy, voted Adweek’s 2008 Global Agency of the Year and known for its signature work for Nike, Target, and Coca-Cola, traveled to Indian Country where we documented the stories of American Indian students studying at tribal colleges.

This body of work not only reflects how American Indian cultural knowledge is being preserved by tribal colleges and used to solve modern-day problems for all people, but it also depicts the depth, beauty, and tenacity inherent in the American Indian students and community that we serve.

The ads have already been run by our supporting partner publications, including The New York Times Magazine, Harper's, and O.

Wieden+Kennedy has created the Fund’s advertising for the past 18 years on a pro bono basis. We are deeply grateful for their longstanding commitment to American Indian education and the Fund and the invaluable contributions they make with helping us to reach our donors through these compelling and moving ads.

Gracism or Post-Racial Society?

2009-01-18T14:51:00.000-08:00

On the eve of Barack Obama’s inauguration, many people across the land are openly excited.

Others may be openly antagonistic.

And still others may exhibit what I call gracism.

Over the years, it has become less politically correct for people to be openly racist (although American Indians still suffer from open racism.) As a result, racism has gone underground—and people are graceful and pleasant to one’s face, while continuing to hold onto their racist attitudes and behaviors behind one’s back. Hence, I coined the term gracist.

As we head to an era in which the country claims it is ready to embrace its plurality and diversity, I hope that we will see not only the end of racism, but also the end of gracism. This means allowing people to follow their own roads, acknowledging that there are many cultures and many ways of knowing, and that those ways are not less important than the dominant culture. This means fully embracing inclusivity while allowing people to pursue their separateness, and for Indian people, this means allowing people to continue pursuing their Indian culture and identity.

One way that Indian people have been pursuing their culture and identity is through the tribal college movement. Yet tribal colleges are the most underfunded education institutions in the country. Despite federal funding appropriations plans, tribal colleges are still 30% underfunded by Congress, showing there is not a commitment to Indian education in our society.

The American Indian College Fund’s mission is to support both the tribal colleges and provide American Indian students with scholarships. But the need is great in Indian Country, and many institutions and students still struggle.

On the eve of Obama’s inauguration, I hope that as America tries to move forward to a post-racial society, that gracism disappears, and Americans of all backgrounds support every American’s right to pursue an education—and that our legislators and the taxpayers support all kinds of education, including tribal colleges and the students they serve.

Wondering How to Apply for College Scholarships?

2009-01-12T10:32:00.000-08:00

Debra Reed of the American Indian College Fund will be discussing how to prepare for scholarships on Native America Calling Friday, January 16, from 11a.m.-noon MST. Go to http://www.nativeamericacalling.com/nac_main.shtml to listen online or see a list of stations carrying the program in your area.

You can also call in with questions for Debra.

The Fund Marks its 20th Anniversary

2009-01-05T16:16:00.000-08:00

Here at the Fund we are celebrating 20 years as the nation's premiere scholarship organization for American Indian students.

The Fund was created in 1989 by the tribal colleges and universities and private partners to raise scholarship funds and funding for America’s tribal colleges. The first tribal college was Diné College, founded as Navajo Community College, in 1968. Today there are 32 accredited tribal colleges and universities, which serve college students and provide much-needed services to American Indian communities.

The Fund has raised millions of dollars for scholarships and capital funding for campus infrastructure in its mission, and last year awarded nearly 4,000 scholarships to American Indian students to encourage students to remain in college, complete a college degree and build a better future for themselves, their families, and their communities.

We hope you will join us this year in celebrating our achievements over the past 20 years, while continuing to help us grow to meet the demands of our community so that they may realize their dreams of earning a college education and helping to effect change in Indian country and our nation.

Happy Holidays!

2008-12-23T15:33:00.000-08:00

Waniyetu ki lecunhan wicozani luha na iyokipiya yaunkte. -Lakota Greeting
Translation: May the beauty of this season bring you peace, health and happiness.

I wish you a joyous holiday season.
Ocankuye Wasté Yelo (In a good way),
Richard B. Williams (Oglala Lakota)

Native Colleges: America's Best Kept Secret

2008-12-22T08:57:00.000-08:00

Check out this excellent article about tribal colleges and the disparity in funding between them and HBCUs which appeared on the Huffington post blog.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tim-giago/native-colleges-americas_b_152673.html

In Memory of Deborah Yarlott

2008-12-22T08:26:00.000-08:00

On Friday evening, Dec. 19, Dr. David Yarlott’s beautiful wife, Deborah, passed on. We are heartbroken to have lost such a kind, loving, and generous person. Prayers are greatly needed by President Yarlott of Little Big Horn College, his family, and the entire Little Big Horn College community at this time.

Honoring Our Elders

2008-12-15T10:20:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow night in Denver the American Indian College Fund honors the local elders with a buffalo feed for the holidays. Many people have wondered why American Indians honor their elders.

"Tunkashila, Grandfather, Great Spirit." It is this way that we begin our prayers in Lakota. Tunkashila, also means one’s own grandfather. The reason that the words are used this way is because our grandfathers are the elders of the tribe and in many ways personify the sacredness of the goodness and wisdom of the Great Spirit. Grandfathers carry the spirit of the people. Grandmothers are even more sacred because they carry the heart and soul of the people. Grandmothers carry the sacred spirit of the Mother Earth. Grandmothers give us gentleness and caring because they have also given us life. Our elders teach us who are ancestors were. Our elders are our connection to everything in our past. It is with their knowledge that we understand how we fit into the world.

Every grandmother and grandfather are sacred in many special ways. It is because of this that we will always respect our elders.

Hau, Mitaku Oyasin.