It’s a year later and American Indian College Fund board member and supporter Dave Rogers is back on the trail to kick off his personal Pyrenees challenge. The Pyrenees mountain chain creates a natural border between Spain and France, separating the Iberian Peninsula....
It was only fitting. The font of creativity at the Fund’s Portland, Oregon-based ad agency Wieden+Kennedy was presented with his own font. David Kennedy’s unique penmanship is stylistic and notable around the office. It has been seen by everyone because he rarely uses a computer. It is so distinctive that one of the this year’s students in “12”, Wieden+Kennedy’s advertising training school, decided it would make a terrific font.
Graduation ceremonies were held all over Indian country the last several weeks. So many of our scholarship recipients have worked countless hours to receive that elusive document among Native people, the one that testifies to the completion of their course of study. In addition to the stress brought on by their rigorous curriculum, many have endured natural disasters in their communities and family tragedies. Yet, they found a way to emerge from it and stay their academic course.
Thank you for your outstanding response to our Emergency Flood Relief Campaign and for your dedication to our students in Indian Country. With record flooding still hovering at historic levels, the situation is far from over. But thanks to your support and the resilience and hard work of residents in the affected areas, our tribal communities are safe for now.
We still need your help. The flooding crisis is far from over and as the waters recede, they are leaving behind devastation to our students and staff. For others, it is wait and see if their efforts, literally, hold up the Missouri River.
Thanks to your assistance to the American Indian College Fund’s Flood Emergency Fund, our tribal college communities impacted by rising waters along the Missouri River and its tributaries can cope better. Sioux City, Nebraska, home to Nebraska Indian College, is the latest tribal college community to deal with the devastation caused by flood waters.
States of emergency have been declared for the state of Montana and 21 counties in North Dakota and two Indian reservations, including Barnes, Benson, Burleigh, Cass, Emmons, Eddy, Grand Forks, Mercer, McLean, Morton, Nelson, Oliver, Pembina, Ramsey, Ransom, Richland, Sioux, Towner, Traill, Walsh and Ward Counties and the reservations of the Spirit Lake Nation and Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.
Hundreds of American Indians have been displaced from their homes across Montana and North Dakota. Little Big Horn College in Eastern Montana, which serves the Crow Nation, and United Tribes Technical College in Bismarck, North Dakota are serving their hard-hit communities as the command centers for the disaster, providing shelter, food, and clothing to those in need.
On April 28th, many of the Fund’s long time donors, the Fund’s board of trustees, a contingent of Wieden + Kennedy employees, and prominent figures from Portland’s Native community came together to show David Kennedy their appreciation for his 20 years of rigorous support of the American Indian College Fund.
The Fund served up a feast for Native elders, including roast buffalo, green beans, mashed potatoes, fry bread, and posole. Traditional Native entertainment included Native flute, drumming and singing, and a special appearance by Santa Claus, who distributed goodie bags and hams to the crowd. Drawings were also held for a variety of door prizes.
