Prior to my internship, I had never been to Mesa Verde National Park. To make it worse, the two guys I brought to help me set up my camp were as unfamiliar with the area as I was. Some people at a gas station gave us directions that sent us in the complete opposite direction of the park, and we spent a good three hours in the wrong forest. To add to all of that, we were in a Dodge Caliber, which isn’t equipped for back-country driving.
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.
Skano, everyone, and greetings from Mesa Verde National Park of Colorado. My name is Deanna and I believe some introductions and background information are in order. I was born and raised all over Southern California on various reservations but I am enrolled in the Tonawanda Band of Seneca Indians of New York.
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.
Attending the American Indian College Fund’s Flame of Hope Gala this October 14 in Denver, Colorado at the Seawall Grand Ballroom at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts helps us raise money for student scholarships. But the gala also confers a benefit to attendees. In addition to a gourmet meal and first-class entertainment from Big Head Todd and the Monsters this year, the Flame of Hope Gala presents you with the opportunity to meet several of our tribal college students.
Summertime. For many people across the nation, summer is a time to kick back, relax, and celebrate! But for many of our students in Indian nations, summer is a time to cobble together several jobs and pinch pennies to ensure they can continue their college education in the fall.
As June ends, the last of graduations at our nation’s 33 tribal colleges and universities are winding down. Our students have worked long hours, often juggling work and family responsibilities with their studies, to earn their college degrees.
The campus is quiet because classes are over, but we make time to get stories about the new head start facilities on campus(which is available for the students) and we managed to run into a few of the dedicated science students still working on their projects and research.
