It is a great privilege when staff members of The American Indian College Fund are able to visit the tribal colleges and universities, as well as a chance to learn about our organization’s impact on Native communities first-hand. It is only my second visit to the state of Montana, and both times have been for The American Indian College Fund.
It is always great to get out and meet our students. At the 31st annual American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) Student Conference in Rapid City, South Dakota, we had that chance. Native students gather to participate in competitions and celebrate the work they do at the tribal colleges as they pursue a college education and prepare to make a difference in their communities.
Did you know that 16 of our 33 accredited tribal college presidents are women? These warriors are on the front lines in Indian Country, helping to provide hope, guidance, and inspiration to our young people in their fight against poverty and they honor us every day with their sacred work.
Richard B. Williams, President and CEO of the American Indian College Fund, was given the Distinguished Service Award from the University of Colorado Board of Regents in recognition of his dedicated service to American Indian students and their communities.
Not all holiday dinners are created equal. The Denver-based Native Elders Holiday Dinner sponsored by the American Indian College Fund has a distinctly Native flavor, from the meal itself (buffalo) to a Santa Claus that wears a war bonnet. The event, now in its 11th year, honored American Indian elders 55 and older in the Denver community with a free dinner and program at the Church of All Saints
Although November is Native American Heritage Month, for the American Indian College Fund, our tribal colleges, and our students, we celebrate Native heritage every day of the year. This is because our students and communities know what it means to be without Native culture, heritage, and language–because it was once U.S. government policy to assimilate American Indians, and eradicate these priceless facets of heritage. As a result, generations of American Indians were denied their birthright.
The American Indian College Fund has caught the holiday spirit. The Fund is holding its eleventh annual Holiday Dinner to honor American Indian elders in the Denver on Tuesday, December 13 at the Church of All Saints, 2559 S. Federal Boulevard. Doors open at 4:30 and the dinner commences at 5:30 p.m. The event is free and open to American Indians age 55 and older.
First class of baccalaureate graduates of Dine College, which marked its 30th Anniversary in 1998 as the oldest tribal college. Graduation day May 15, 1998. photo John Running. The first tribal college was Diné College, located in Tsaile, Arizona, was founded by the Navajo Nation as Navajo Community College in 1968 to educate its young people who are residents of the 26,000 square-mile Navajo Nation which is spread over Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah, while steeping them in their language, culture, and traditions.
Native cultures in what is now Mexico are credited for introducing chocolate to the world. The Mayan culture used chocolate as currency and the Aztec culture used the cacao bean as payment for tribute because it was so highly revered. The Aztecs also created xocoatl, a spicy hot chocolate drink that mixed cacoa beans, corn flour, water and chilies which was popular with the upper classes.
Please join the American Indian College Fund and the Native students and 34 tribal colleges and universities we support in celebrating Native American Heritage Month. You can get to know more about a tribal culture, history, language, and how the tribal colleges help to preserve them on our web site, Facebook and Twitter. Visit our YouTube channel, where we feature student and alumni interviews, celebrate our graduates, and provide an overview of the Fund’s work with the video Hope on the Rez.
