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This week the team at the American Indian College Fund embarks on a one-day retreat to recharge and regenerate, learning about leadership principles and applying them in our mission to provide scholarships and access to higher education for all of our students. We will be out of the office all day Wednesday.

After Independence Day, one thing strikes me: if American Indians are ever going to be free of poverty and being treated as second-class citizens, education is vital. Education does not just mean the basics: the math, the science, the language and reading skills: education also means being educated in the Indian way. Learning our native languages. Learning our traditions and ways as Indian people, and preserving them.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).