Join Us Oct. 29 for the Flame of Hope Gala!

Please help the Fund celebrate 40 years of tribal colleges at the 13th annual 2008 American Indian College Fund (the Fund) Flame of Hope Gala will be held at Gotham Hall in New York City on Wednesday, October 29 at 6 p.m.. The event will celebrate the success of tribal colleges since the founding of the first tribal college by the Navajo nation in 1968. It will also raise funds for student scholarships and honors a longtime supporter.
Cocktails will begin at 6 p.m., followed by dinner and a program at 7 p.m.
Guests will be treated to special entertainment by singer Jakob Dylan and Native dance by The Red Hawk Dance Troupe. CBS Correspondent Hattie Kauffman will be the evening’s Mistress of Ceremonies.
Pendleton Woolen Mills, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary, will be honored for their longtime support of the Fund.
Sponsors for the event include USA Funds, Toyota, Coca-Cola Company, Ford Motor Company, The CollegeBoard, Allstate, Nissan, IBM, Richard Black, Best Buy, GMAC, the Tierney Family Foundation, and Brian & Vivian Henderson.
For more information about the event or sponsorship opportunities, contact Lucia Novara at lnovara@collegefund.org or 303-430-5323.

American Indian College Fund Named a 2019 Top Colorado Workplace

The American Indian College Fund was awarded a Top Workplaces 2019 honor by The Denver Post. Located just north of downtown Denver, Colorado, this education non-profit serving Native American college students for 30 years was ranked number 32 of 65 of Denver’s top small companies.
The list is based solely on employee feedback gathered through a third-party survey administered by research partner Energage, LLC, a leading provider of technology-based employee engagement tools. The anonymous survey measures several aspects of workplace culture, including alignment, execution, and connection.
Cheryl Crazy Bull, President and CEO of the American Indian College Fund, said, “The College Fund’s team is very appreciative of this award as we recognize that it is a reflection not only of the great environment we strive to have for our work but it also honors the people we serve. Indigenous people value relationships, industriousness, and creativity. We are proud to honor their values as we accept this recognition.”
“Top Workplaces is more than just recognition,” said Doug Claffey, CEO of Energage. “Our research shows organizations that earn the award attract better talent, experience lower turnover, and are better equipped to deliver bottom-line results. Their leaders prioritize and carefully craft a healthy workplace culture that supports employee engagement.”
“Becoming a Top Workplace isn’t something organizations can buy,” Claffey said. “It’s an achievement that organizations have worked for and a distinction that gives them a competitive advantage. It’s a big deal.”
To join the American Indian College Fund team, check out our redesigned webpage for career opportunities.
According to U.S. Census Bureau data, only 14% of Native Americans and Alaska Natives have a college degree—less than half of other groups. The dedication to the College Fund’s mission is evidenced by the 2018 Employee Engagement Survey, in which 98% of the organization’s employees responded that they were always/nearly always motivated by the mission and vision of the College Fund. Making a difference in Native American communities is not just a motivator for American Indian College Fund employees, making their work meaningful—it also makes a difference in Native American students’ and community members’ lives.
Founded in 1989, the American Indian College Fund has been the nation’s largest charity supporting Native higher education for 30 years. The College Fund believes “Education is the answer” to many challenges Native Americans face. It provided 5,896 scholarships last year totaling $7.65 million to American Indian students, with more than 131,000 scholarships and community support totaling over $200 million since its inception. The College Fund also supports a variety of academic and support programs at the nation’s 35 accredited tribal colleges and universities, which are located on or near Indian reservations, ensuring Native American students have the tools to graduate and succeed in their careers.
In addition to its dedication to serving its constituents, the College Fund is also dedicated to transparency and its relationships with its supporters. The College Fund consistently receives top ratings from independent charity evaluators and is one of the nation’s top 100 charities named to the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance. For more information about the American Indian College Fund, please visit the College Fund’s Top Workplaces page or our website.

College Fund Publishes Free College-Going Guidebook for Native Students

The American Indian College Fund, with generous support from the Andrew Mellon Foundation, is publishing an invaluable tool for Native American high school students seeking higher education. Native Pathways: A College-Going Guidebook provides content related to how to get into college, choose a school, pay for it, and what to expect the first year in a way that speaks to Native cultures and experiences as students consider attending college.

Check out our new guidebook for getting into and succeeding in college!

In addition to content specific to student needs and culture, Native artists and designers contributed to the book. Jonathon Nelson, a member of the Navajo nation from Hogback, New Mexico who currently resides in Denver, designed the cover, titled, “Kindred Mocs.” Nelson’s work is featured at www.badwinds.com. Photos by Matika Wilbur, from the Swinomish and Tulalip Tribes of Washington, were included. Wilbur is the creator of Project 562, a project dedicated to photographing the more than 562 federally recognized tribes in the United States. Amanda Cheromiah, who is Pueblo from Laguna, also provided photos.
The guidebook was created as part of the Native Pathways to College Program, also funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. The College Fund launched the program to meet the needs of tribal communities and in response to the college-going and completion crisis among Native American and Alaska Native students. Research shows the national rate of all students going to college within six months of graduating from high school is 70%. For Native American and Alaska Native students, those numbers are closer to 20%.
The College Fund knows that education improves the lives of individuals, their families, and entire communities, yet merely providing scholarships to help students pay for college is not enough for Native students to succeed. To create a college-going culture, the College Fund initiated the program, working with high school students, first-year, students, and two-year college students seeking to continue their education at a four-year school. With a $2.5 million grant renewal from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the College Fund will be able to continue efforts to increase college access and success.
Students, school counselors, and others can download the book for free on the College Fund’s web site. Hard copies may be available for some high schools. Please send an email to nativepathways@collegefund.org for more information.

Fund Employee Recounts Haskell Indian Nations University Visit

by Lindsay Klatt

As an employee of the American Indian College Fund, I recently visited Haskell Indian Nations University. This trip reminded me of the sense of pride I get from working for the Native community and it will continuously ignite my passion for working at the Fund on a daily basis.

All of the tribal colleges we support at the Fund are examples of self determination and are beacons of hope for the future of the American Indian community. But Haskell holds a special significance because of its history, its present state, and its future.

Haskell was established in 1884 for the reform and forced assimilation of American Indian children who were taken from their families and forced to become more like whites. They were forced to abandon their culture, their language and ultimately their own hopes and dreams for the future because their path was decided for them.

Over the years, Haskell changed dramatically. It advanced from a trade school to a high school, a junior college and is now an accredited university offering associates’ and bachelors’ degrees to students who are enrolled tribal members. Rather than assimilating Native students into mainstream culture, Haskell now embraces and teaches Native culture. Students who study here are taught about their Native roots and cultural identity is incorporated into every aspect of their education and future plans. American Indians have taken an institution rooted in negativity that was first designed to erase Native cultures and changed it into a shining symbol of strength designed to preserve and continue their heritage and traditions.

As a result, Haskell students have thrived as scholars and athletes, proving what can be accomplished with a tribally influenced education. They are qualifying for nationals in cross country running and are competing in award-winning basketball and football teams. They are scholars with breakthrough ideas and projects, such as digitizing the Trail of Tears and designing an Apple application that will translate a historic walking tour narrated in a Native language.

Haskell also has an amazing staff of dedicated educators and employees whose passion for these students is both remarkable and infectious. They eat, sleep and breathe the welfare of their students and the improvement and continuation of the university. This is no easy feat and there are always new challenges and temporary roadblocks, but with students and staff so deeply rooted in this cause, the future can only look bright. This school and the magnificent people involved are examples of what can happen when the seeds of self-determination are planted and the care is taken to let this beautiful creation flourish.

Passing of Margaret Teachout

All of us at the American Indian College Fund would like to express our sincere condolences to David, Gerald, and Robert Gipp on the loss of their mother, Margaret Teachout, who entered the Spirit World Thursday, October 28.

Tribal College Student Perspective: Speaking at the Gala

In addition to raising $385,000 for student scholarships, our Flame of Hope Gala on Oct. 14 presented our donors with the opportunity to meet many of our tribal college students, who came in for the event.

But from a student's perspective, the event was an opportunity for our tribal college students as well. It was a chance for them to meet other tribal college students from across the country and share their journey, while also giving them the chance to build their confidence as they shared their stories with you and built their public speaking expertise that will be invaluable as they graduate and embark upon their careers.

Colleen Tenas (Kootenai), an honors student in business at Salish Kootenai College, spoke at a private reception for the Fund's supporters prior to the gala, and wrote, "I just want to thank you and the American Indian College Fund staff for the opportunity to attend the Flame of Hope Gala, and for taking the time to listen to my story. I was very glad to be chosen to speak at the Private Reception, and a little scared, but glad I did it."

Meet an American Indian College Fund Scholar

Attending the American Indian College Fund's Flame of Hope Gala this October 14 in Denver, Colorado at the Seawall Grand Ballroom at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts helps us raise money for student scholarships. But the gala also confers a benefit to attendees. In addition to a gourmet meal and first-class entertainment from Big Head Todd and the Monsters this year, the Flame of Hope Gala presents you with the opportunity to meet several of our tribal college students.

Iva Croff (Blackfeet) is one of those students. Iva is a Coca-Cola First Generation Scholarship recipient at Blackfeet Community College (BCC) in Montana, where she is majoring in Blackfeet language. The scholarship meant so much to her, she says. "I practically made the office assistant at the BCC Business Office start to cry because I started to cry. When I received my Pendleton blanket at the Coca Cola Scholars banquet during AIHEC 2009, my cheeks hurt from smiling so much. My husband said he had a lump in his throat because he was so proud of me."

Iva will graduate in the spring of 2011. "I have been so blessed while at Blackfeet Community College, especially by the American Indian College Fund."

We hope you can join us at the American Indian College Fund's Flame of Hope Gala so that you can meet students like Iva and share in the joy of their successes, while helping to support the success of other students to come!

For ticket information, visit our web site.

Vote Now to Help the American Indian College Fund Win Funding!

Please help the American Indian College Fund to win funding from American Express through Members Project®. You can cast your vote at Members Project web site.

Welcome Mellon Fellows!

The American Indian College Fund welcomes our new Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Faculty Research Program and Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Tribal College Faculty Career Enhancement Program fellows to Denver, Colorado.

Both graduated and new fellowship participants are gathered to exchange research, information, and vital knowledge, building the intellectual capacity of our tribal colleges and Indian Country itself.

Thank you for doing this sacred and vital work and welcome to Denver!

A Message to Our Students for the New School Year

Many of our tribal college students are back in school or are preparing to go back now. We at the American Indian College Fund would like to wish you the best of luck in the new school year. You are on a sacred journey of acquiring knowledge--about your people, your culture, and the wider world.

As you embark on this leg of your journey, we would like to remind you that nothing good comes easy--it takes hard work and sacrifice. We know that you can achieve all of your dreams and goals if you are willing to work hard and go for it.

You have taken the first step. We are cheering for you every step of the way! If you have any questions or concerns as you take this journey, please do not hesitate to contact us at the American Indian College Fund for advice or encouragement.

Calling All Tribal College Alumni

The American Indian College Fund wants your story! If you graduated from a tribal college or university and were an American Indian College Fund scholarship recipient, we want to hear from you. Your stories are inspirational to other students, and your experiences can help others.

Please contact Dina Horwedel at dhorwedel@collegefund.org or by e-mail or phone at 303-430-5350 to share your story and help us Educate the Mind and Spirit.

Letter from a Supporter

I'd like to personally thank Sandra Beasley of Cleveland, Ohio, an unenrolled member of the Cherokee tribe who resides in Cleveland, Ohio, for taking the time to write to me about the Think Indian campaign.

Sandra writes that the campaign "is absolutely brilliant, sensational, awesome, tremendous, epic, and life-changing" and that the stories of traditional and non-traditional students were inspiring for her.

Sandra saw the ads in the New York Times at her local public library and copied them and posted them on her bedroom door for inspiration to cause her to reflect on what it means to be American Indian.

She adds, "As I always say, if you change one person's life for the better, you have succeeded, and the American Indian College Fund has done it, time and again."

We'd like to hear from more people. How has the American Indian College Fund's Think Indian campaign helped change your perceptions about what it means to be an American Indian or helped you think about culturally based education?

Summer is Time for Native Students to Prepare for School in Fall

Summertime. For many people across the nation, summer is a time to kick back, relax, and celebrate! But for many of our students in Indian nations, summer is a time to cobble together several jobs and pinch pennies to ensure they can continue their college education in the fall.

Students like Nahnbah Ciccarello, who finished her first year of studies at Navajo Technical College in New Mexico, wonder whether they will have enough saved to be able to enter school again in the fall. Nahnbah has a small child that she leaves at home with relatives while she commutes the 100-mile round trip journey each day to attend school.

Thanks to your support and encouragement, students like Nahnbah have the funds to complete their education and ensure a better future for themselves and their families.

Thank you for helping American Indian students, who never have a summer vacation from poverty.

Congratulations Graduates!

As June ends, the last of graduations at our nation's 33 tribal colleges and universities are winding down.

Our students have worked long hours, often juggling work and family responsibilities with their studies, to earn their college degrees.

Here at the American Indian College Fund, we understand the hard work, long hours, and dedication it takes to achieve and succeed. We want to congratulate all of you, and wish you the best in your professional careers.

We also want to remind you to keep in touch as you embark on your life's journey. We love hearing about your adventures, your new career paths, and your families. Please drop us a line at info@collegefund.org to let us know where your journey takes you!

In a good way,
Richard B. Williams
and the American Indian College Fund team

Native Students Thank You for Sharing Your Summer Bounty

June 21 marked the first day of summer solstice. Summer was traditionally a busy time among Native peoples, as sedentary tribes planted gardens and tended to their crops; and nomadic peoples followed the moving animals across the landscape and hunted and fished. Summers were and still are a time of bounty.

As we enjoy our modern summer and it fades into autumn, I think back on these months of my own youth. Autumn was a time to gather stores and prepare for a long winter, while also preparing to go "back-to-school." Returning to school is an echo of tradition, as preparing one's mind for harvesting ideas to use throughout one's life is one way to guarantee success.

Wherever you are and whatever your plans, as you enjoy your summer's bounty, we want to thank you for remembering our students by sharing your commitment to their education as they harvest knowledge, their traditions, and cultures at tribal colleges across the land.

On the Road Again-South Dakota

Be sure to watch our blog this week as Jonas Greene and Jaime Aguilar set out for South Dakota to visit tribal colleges, interview students, and learn about their projects, passions, challenges and joys.

Jaime and Jonas will share video, still photography, and many stories here.

Thank You to the College of Menominee

Thanks to the staff and students of the College of Menominee, the second portion of our visit was as successful as the first. We were able to interview some amazing students, including Liberal Arts and Sustainable Development major, Justin Gauthier. Justin had a unique perspective with regard to Menominee Nation's natural resources, explaining that while his grandfather's generation had the primary task of harvesting their trees, he and his generation have everything riding on maintaining the successful sustainable practices that have kept the Menominee Forest thriving since time immemorial. We anticipate great things from Justin as he navigates through his academics in preparation for graduate school and a successful career.

In many of the tribal communities we visit, we rely heavily on the tribal college faculty to help us connect with students. Challenges arrive in different forms and are usually rooted in having only a day or two to share time with students whose days are filled with classes, projects, and family obligations. We would like to thank the College of Menominee for not only welcoming us, but accommodating our every need. This is their way and each time we visit the Keshena campus, the faculty do everything they can to help us.

If we had such a thing as a most valuable faculty award it would go to Communication and Project Specialist, Dale Kakkak. A few years ago Dale helped us connect with students and locations for our Think Indian campaign.

As an accomplished photographer and journalist, Dale knows every nook of the Menominee reservation with all of its beautiful vantage points. We would like to say thank you to Dale as well as all of the students and faculty at College of Menominee for making our shoot a success. We will leave you with a few of our most memorable images of our visit.

Arriving at the College of Menominee Nation

We arrived in Wisconsin on this fifth and penultimate leg of our trip to an unseasonably hot and humid climate of Green Bay, then to the thicket of the Menominee Nation. Making our way through the forest, we arrived at the College of Menominee Nation (CMN) in Keshena to meet our our subjects for this project. They were gathered on the steamy afternoon planting their sustainable, permaculture garden under the blue water tower on campus at the entrance to the Menominee Nation Reservation.

Fruit trees, carrots, corn -- all types of veggies and fruits remain from the previous growing season and newly planted foliage are near the walking trail that leads into the forest behind the campus. Some of the beds are plotted to shape out the letters CMN. The garden, set up by a grant from the Clinton Global Initiative, is led by education major Dee Cobb. Using plants that replenish themselves by seed or annual fruit production, this sustainable garden is much like the students we meet to interview, being that they are all looking for their role in what types of seeds they have planted for themselves at this small tribal college.

The college on this reservation and the people here seek to thrive through education to better their community and traditions. One group, coming off a busy day of interviewing from their own video project, hope to learn and study elders' experiences and observations concerning climate change.

We enjoyed a visit with tribal college president Verna Fowler and learned more about the programs at the school and what we could expect from CMN in the future. There is an excitement towards the development of niche, Native American-driven, four-year degree programs beyond the sole four-year major in education currently offered. Many of the students we met are completing their degrees to move on to one of the many other colleges in the state of Wisconsin. Everyone remaining on the campus since classes ended is preparing for their commencement ceremonies on June 5.


One of our highlights of the trip has been the opportunity to talk with Cedar - one of our students featured in our Think Indian PSA campaigns. We found her on campus, no longer a student, but a recent graduate from a nearby university and now employed as an alumni employee of the college. We took time to interview her in a stunning atrium joining Shirley Daly Hall and Glenn Miller Hall in the center of the campus. The glass-paneled room, lined with hand-carved wooden accents, has a large Menominee ancestral bear carving bearing a ceremonial pipe and wearing a headdress, and made from the trunk of a butternut tree.

We also met one of our students and wer honored to be invited to see where he lives. Ironically, we were delayed by troubles with the vehicle he uses to commute to school, underscoring his financial need, but we continued on with our meeting and shared stories and songs along the shores of Legend Lake as he welcomed us into his life.


-Jaime Aguilar and Jonas Greene

Northwest Indian College - Day 2

After an amazing visit in Tulalip, Phillip and I continued north to Lummi where we had the great fortune of taking part in honoring the ruturn of the salmon. During the annual First Salmon Ceremony, the Lummi people celebrate the return of the salmon to the region's rivers. There were hundreds of tribal members and visitors gathered to take part the honoring. The treat of fresh-caught salmon was a delicious detour on our visit to the Northwest Indian College main campus.

In the few years since my last visit, the vision of the new campus has started to take shape. Three of the new buildings across the road from the original sight are now complete. There is now student housing as well as a new cafeteria and student services building.

We met many amazing American Indian College Fund scholars and were graciously welcomed by students and staff. We even ran into Sunny Guillory, who worked with the College Fund several years ago on a public service piece. Sunny has since graduated from Sitting Bull College as well as University of Mary. She now has a beautiful family of five, and her husband, Justin Guillory, Ph.D., serves as NWIC's dean of academics and distance learning.

On our way out, we stopped to admire the buildings and structures on the original campus. It's always natural to stop and admire the beautiful totem pole next to the NWIC library, one of the community's oldest buildings. Phillip was kind enough to take some time to tell us about this historical work of art.

--Jonas Greene

Northwest Indian College Visit

May 19, 2010

This week the tribal college tour continued to Northwest Indian College. We recruited former College Fund Media Manager Phillip Hillaire (Lummi) to serve as a liaison to his Native community. Of the tribal colleges, Northwest Indian College (NWIC) is very well known for pioneering distance learning programs. The college has several tribal locations in Washington and Idaho, making it possible for students to complete degree programs without having to travel to the Lummi campus.

As we made our way north on I-5 we could feel that this would be a very special trip. Our first stop was in Tulalip, where we met with American Indian College Fund scholar, Jennifer Cordova-James (Tlingit), who attends the Tulalip campus of the Northwest Indian College. Jennifer was more than happy to tell how this distance learning actually works and walk us through a typical day at the Tulalip campus.

--Jonas Greene