Year: 2007 Blogs

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Language and Culture Empower Our Youth

I want to thank a reader of Money magazine who wrote that he was shocked by our ad campaign, “If I Stay on the Rez.” He noted “This ad does such a disservice it’s impossible for me to comprehend why you would encourage Indian youth to learn in their native language, whatever that may be. English is the language of this country, whether you like it or not.

A Time to Give

The holidays are a traditional time of giving: to family members, friends, and philanthropic causes. American Indians have a long history of philanthropy. Generosity in the Native community was demonstrated by holding a giveaway or a potlatch. And a person’s value was measured not by what they owned, but what they gave away.

Chrysalis

I received a letter from Ann Marie Donoghue from the Buffalo Bill Historical Center about this painting, A Young Oglala Sioux, painted by the artist James Bama. I was the subject in the painting, which is currently on view in the Coe Auditorium Gallery. Prior to that, it was displayed in the Kriendler Gallery of Contemporary Art, a gallery inside the Whitney Gallery of Western Art at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center.

A Lot to Be Thankful For…

We at the Fund have a lot to be thankful for this year. Our individual, corporate, and foundation supporters are stepping up to the plate to help American Indian students achieve their goals and dreams. We are seeing our graduates go on to successful and fulfilling careers.

Flame of Hope Gala A Success

Thanks to all of you, our supporters, the Fund raised $400,000 to support student scholarships at the Flame of Hope Gala in New York last Thursday. This event doesn’t happen overnight. Many of our supporters donated funds for the event itself, including the venue, the meal, and the entertainment.

American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month

Tomorrow marks the beginning of American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month. We celebrate the contributions that American Indians and Alaska and Hawaii Natives have made in American culture in the past, but especially in the present.

Flame of Hope Gala

The 12th Annual Flame of Hope Gala is a little more than a week away. I hope to see you all there. We have top-flight entertainment planned, beautiful items to auction, and best of all, our talented and bright students will be joining us as we celebrate the future of Indian education.

Native American Heritage Day

The American Indian College Fund supports Senate Bill S. 1852, “the Native American Heritage Day Act of 2007,” which would designate the Friday after Thanksgiving to honor our Indian nations across the country and help highlight the contributions they have made to American history.

The Fund Serves as Consultants for Eddie Murphy movie

The Fund was asked to serve as a cultural consultant for the filmmaker Eddie Murphy’s comedy, “Nowhereland,” which was filmed in Denver this week. As part of our duties, Fund staffers reviewed the script to ensure that the humor was not offensive to Natives, and made sure cultural references were accurate. In addition, three Fund staffers served as extras in the movie.

Fall Frenzy

Fall is harvest time, and here at the Fund, we have been busy working to bring in funding for scholarships, build corporate support for our programs, and build awareness about the importance of education in Indian country.