Marcella has not had an easy life. She was primarily raised in the boarding school of Rough Rock, Arizona, and says relationships, consistency, and stability were not guarantees during her upbringing. With help from a sister’s open door, Marcella is now settled into an enriching life in Crownpoint, New Mexico, where she and her husband live near a wide collection of family members.
American Indian College Fund Announces Clinton Global Initiative (CGI America) Commitment to Action Recognizing Partnership with Brazelton Touchpoints Center to Train Early Childhood Educators in Native Communities
The American Indian College Fund (the College Fund) announced that The Walt Disney Company has committed $250,000 to create The Walt Disney Company American Indian College Fund Scholarship Program. The program will provide Native American and Alaska Native students who have financial need with multi-year support to attend tribal colleges and universities nationwide.
Pendleton Woolen Mills added two new blanket designs to its American Indian College Fund line. The first, a crib blanket for babies, is titled the Thunderbird and the Whale. The image is inspired by the artwork of Larry Ahvakana and the Iñupiat legend of the Great Spirit Eagle.
The American Indian College Fund will honor American Indian scholarship recipients at its 2014-15 Student of the Year reception at the American Indian Higher Education Consortium Student Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The program, sponsored by the Adolph Coors Foundation, awarded each honoree a $1,000 scholarship. The program also honors a faculty or staff member at a tribal college and university for their leadership.
Waylon Ballew (Lummi Tribe of the Lummi Reservation/Northern Cheyenne) believes tradition is an important part of higher education. In order for him to be a community leader, Waylon said he must carry his traditions forward for future generations. Growing up on Bellingham Bay in northwest Washington state, Waylon said he was immersed in community youth leadership programs, where he incorporated leadership training in community youth tribal canoe journeys as he traveled ancestral waterways to potlatches (gatherings).
We are on the road again in Montana for the 2015 Montana Tribal College Career Fair Circuit on Feb. 2-10. Montana has the most Tribal College and Universities (TCUs) and TCU students than any other state and we are excited to join this event for the fifth year.
Charmayne is assisting Field Engineers and Engineering Technicians in general surveying and surveying potential construction projects within Eastern Navajo Agency. She says this has inspired her to continue her education in the field. “I am preparing drawing and sketches in the field for individual homes from rough drawings and sketches and drafts for project summaries and construction plans that are reviewed by higher-level technicians.
Cheryl Crazy Bull, President and CEO of the American Indian College Fund, wrote a response to both The Hechinger Report and The Atlantic in regard to an article both magazines published by the writer, Sarah Butrymowicz, which stated that tribal colleges were a poor return on taxpayer money. The College Fund presents the full statistics and socioeconomic details to support why tribal colleges are not only important in the lives of Native students, but are also making a tremendous impact.
The American Indian College Fund (the College Fund) kicked off its 25th anniversary celebration and fundraising efforts with a black-tie gala that raised more than $1 million to benefit Native American education. The organization also announced several lofty goals for its future. The gala was held October 20, 2014 at Pier Sixty in New York City and was the largest and most successful fundraising event in the organization’s 25-year history.
