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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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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 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.

I sat down this morning with three of my grandchildren before they left for their first day of school. I asked them to be good and treat other people in a good way. I said they may be meeting new friends that might be with them for a lifetime.