The American Indian College Fund is saddened to share that Dr. Nathaniel “Nate” St. Pierre, College Fund Trustee and President of Stone Child College, passed away on Sunday, August 13, 2017. We extend our condolences to his family, friends, colleagues and students. Nate served the College Fund Board from July 1, 2016 to present. His leadership and dedication to the mission of the College Fund and the important role the tribal colleges filled in their communities will be missed.
Pōsōh, māwaw new weyak, Corryn Besaw newīhswan mesek Wāqnemōhsaeh eneg, āēkaeyan, mamāceqtaw newīhswan. Hello everyone, my name is Corryn Besaw. My Indian name is Wāqnemōhsaeh, meaning Firefly. I am from Keshena, Wisconsin and am an enrolled member of the Menominee tribe.
Mark Zuckerberg, founder and President and CEO of Facebook, visited the Blackfeet Reservation last week. He posted his impressions about the social, economic, and health issues he encountered last week, including joblessness, substance abuse, diabetes, and more.
SIPI has worked hard to make sure its Restorative Teachings Initiative is grounded in community needs and parent voices. Parents were empowered through the initiative to ensure that the program is culturally responsive and meets their children’s needs. They have led the way in defining priority areas for learning since the American Indian College Fund’s Restorative Teachings Initiative was awarded to SIPI in 2016.
Native youth often face disproportionate challenges in their young lives. Early childhood teachers can help these young learners increase their resiliency while they face adverse circumstances by supporting factors that protect and strengthen young children, according to Ray Soriano, a keynote speaker at the 33rd Annual FOCUS on Children Conference at Bellingham Technical College.
President Trump is calling for significant cuts to the Department of Education for the fiscal year 2018 in his “skinny budget.” A skinny budget is a proposal for a budget in all areas, with the details for a comprehensive budget deferred to be worked out later, while showing how the proposed high-level budget numbers will impact the deficit over the coming decade.
The Republicans failed at their attempt to rewrite the Affordable Care Act. That’s good for Indian Country. But health care in Indian Country could get even better. And better health care for Native Americans translates to a healthier economic and educational outlook.
As a staff member with the College Fund, I had the honor to attend the spring Scholarship Awards Night at the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) to witness 260 students moving one step closer towards their educational goals. The event awarded 534 College Fund scholarships to 260 students totaling $519,906.
Deborah His Horse is Thunder has worked for the tribal colleges and universities for more than 25 years and currently serves as the American Indian Higher Education Consortium NARCH Project Director in addition to her work with individual colleges. She is Nakoda and lives on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation with her husband, Ron.
Tarajean Yazzie-Mintz, Co-Director of the American Indian College Fund’s Office of Research and Sponsored Programs and Senior Program Officer of Tribal College and University Early Childhood Education Initiatives, shared that cell phones are no longer merely communications devices, but are tools to access and exchange multiple sources of information. Parents must consider these factors while strategically monitoring and guiding children’s use of these tools.
