Think Indian Community Awareness Grants
Think Indian Community Awareness Grants of $2,500 are available to student groups and accredited higher education institutions. These grants encourage institutions who serve Native students to promote the positive message of “Think Indian,” the vibrancy of Native students, and the highlight the support provided by Native scholarship programs to their campus and community.
“Think Indian” was originally created as a public awareness campaign to promote the American Indian College Fund, and the many ways that its scholars contribute to, and change our world. Its message connected so deeply with Native students and institutions that it was revived in 2018, specifically to promote the College Fund’s scholarship, and other student programs.
The American Indian College Fund has created a grant program to highlight its “Think Indian” campaign, and scholarships program for Native students. The grants are intended to encourage institutions who serve Native students to promote the positive message of “Think Indian,” the vibrancy of Native students, and the highlight the support provided by Native scholarship programs to their campus and community. Projects must engage or include Native students.
Student groups and institutions can use grant funds for any activity or project that will promote the “Think Indian” campaign and scholarships in their community. Programs can include, but are not limited to:
- Informational, social or artistic events
- Art displays, installations or murals
- Music performances or video screenings
- Local awareness, publicity or marketing campaigns
- Online/social media campaigns
- Participation in existing campus or community events
- Themed volunteer or service events (including Native vote or census projects)
CLICK HERE to view summaries of the 2019 awarded projects.
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Earth Day is Every Day
Indigenous People Live in Relationship with Land
Today, April 22, is the 54th Earth Day since its first celebration, which birthed the modern environmental movement in 1970. It is a day to raise awareness of the damage done to the planet and the need for more sustainable practices in every aspect of life and industry.
For Indigenous peoples, the responsibility to care for the earth and the environments that shaped our cultures is one we have carried for millennia. That commitment to the places that are a part of us persists today in the studies and careers many Native people pursue.
The majority of tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) offer environmental science, natural resource management, or a related program of study. With many of the 448 wilderness areas, totaling 36 million acres, managed by the U.S. Forest Service overlaying the traditional homelands of American Indian and Alaska Native tribes, it makes sense for TCUs to offer such classes. These programs of study provide Native scholars with a firm foundation to build careers in everything from renewable energy to sustainable agriculture. But the opportunity to work in these fields has not always been afforded to American Indian peoples, despite their traditional practices often being utilized by external communities, such as setting controlled burns to prevent larger forest fires—or in some cases, being banned by them, contributing to devastating wildfires.
In fact, it was only in 2022 that the National Park Service hired its first Native American director, Charles “Chuck” Sams III. One of his goals has been to integrate Indigenous knowledge into management plans and expand the role of tribal nations in these efforts. During Sam’s first year as director the National Park Service had approximately 80 cooperative agreements with tribes. That number has continued to grow and, even as recently as March 19 of this year, a new agreement was signed transferring O’Rew, a 125-acre property, back to the Yurok Tribe who will co-manage it with the National Park Service, the Save the Redwoods League, and California State Parks.
Such stewardship projects are certainly a step in the right direction, but the elevation of Native voices is still needed across all levels of government and departments. Within the National Park Service, only 1.4% of employees are Native American. Less than 1% of Environmental Protection Agency employees are Native. And without their input on the front lines of environmental protection and conservation we risk overlooking ways to better live with the land, air, and water that give us life. It’s why TCUs and the College Fund work to educate the leaders of tomorrow, inform Native people about the importance of voting to influence federal policy, and to build relationships with these offices. Graduates who go on to serve as policymakers and agency leaders who are grounded in both Indigenous knowledge and the western sciences carry out this sacred duty to place for the benefit of all people and the planet.
Additional Scholarship Updates for 2024
Our Scholarships Update is a monthly round up of scholarship opportunities that may be of interest to Native students. The newsletter includes resources from partner organizations along with information on the College Fund’s scholarship programming. The Scholarships Update is published the last Tuesday of every month, and you can subscribe by visiting collegefund.org/stay-connected.
Please note that the College Fund cannot answer questions regarding scholarships offered by third parties. Questions should be directed to the affiliate linked in the newsletter. If you have a new opportunity you’d like for the College Fund to share or other suggestions for newsletter content, please contact us at website@collegefund.org. Don’t pass up this chance to get all of your funding updates in one place.
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American Indian College Fund President Cheryl Crazy Bull Contributing Writer to Book Honoring Legacy of Vine Deloria, Jr.
American Indian College Fund President Cheryl Crazy Bull Contributing Writer to Book Honoring Legacy of Vine Deloria, Jr.
Of Living Stone: Perspectives on Continuous Knowledge and the Work of Vine Deloria, Jr. Available from Fulcrum Press
April 18, 2024, Denver, Colo.— Cheryl Crazy Bull (Sicangu Lakota), President and CEO of the American Indian College Fund, is one of several noteworthy contributors in Indian Country whose work appears in a new collection of essays about one of the most influential thinkers of our time. Of Living Stone: Perspectives on Continuous Knowledge and the Work of Vine Deloria, Jr. features more than 30 original pieces by Tribal leaders, artists, scientists, activists, scholars, legal experts, and humorists in tribute of about Deloria, a member of the Standing Rock Sioux Nation.
Time magazine named Vine Deloria, Jr. as one of the greatest thinkers of the twentieth century. His research, writings, and teachings on history, law, religion, and science continue to influence generations of Indigenous peoples and their allies across the world. He authored many acclaimed books, including God Is Red; The Nations Within (with Clifford Lytle); Red Earth, White Lies; Spirit and Reason; and Custer Died for Your Sins.
Readers will find thoughtful and creative views on his wide-ranging and world-changing body of work that was designed to center the traditional exercise of continuous knowledge by sharing, considering, and pragmatically adapting information as it flows between generations. To keep people, ideas, and traditions alive and relevant, the book honors the past as the past by those living in the present as they prepare for the future.
In addition to Cheryl Crazy Bull, the book includes contributions from:
- Climate expert Margaret Redsteer (Crow)
- Melanie Yazzie (Diné), host of The Red Power Hour podcast
- Activists Faith Spotted Eagle (Yankton Dakota) and Lauren Schad (Cheyenne River Lakota)
- Writer and producer Migizi Pensoneau (Ponca/Ojibwe)
- Environmental scientists Kyle Whyte (Citizen Potawatomi) and Ryan Emanuel (Lumbee)
- Experts on Tribal Governance Deron Marquez (Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel), Frank Ettawageshik (Little Traverse Bay), Norbert Hill (Oneida), Megan Hill (Oneida), and Marty Case.
- Artists Cannupa Hanska Luger (MHA-Three Affiliated Tribes) and James Johnson (Tlingit)
- Legal Scholars Sarah Deer (Muscogee), Rebecca Tsosie (Yaqui descent), and Gabe Galanda (Round Valley)
- Archaeologist Paulette Steeves (Cree-Metis)
- Scholars of Indigenous Traditions Noenoe Silva (Kānaka Maoli), Natalie Avalos (Chicana of Mexican Indigenous descent), Tom Holm (Cherokee), and Greg Cajete (Tewa-Santa Clara Pueblo).
To order your copy ($35.00), please visit the Fulcrum Press website at https://www.fulcrumbooks.com/product-page/of-living-stone-perspectives-on-continuous-knowledge-and-the-work-of.
About the American Indian College Fund — The American Indian College Fund has been the nation’s largest charity supporting Native higher education for 34 years. The College Fund believes “Education is the answer” and provided $17.4 million in scholarships and other direct student support to American Indian students in 2022-23. Since its founding in 1989 the College Fund has provided more than $319 million in scholarships, programs, community, and tribal college support. The College Fund also supports a variety of academic and support programs at the nation’s 35 accredited tribal colleges and universities, which are located on or near Indian reservations, ensuring students have the tools to graduate and succeed in their careers. The College Fund consistently receives top ratings from independent charity evaluators and is one of the nation’s top 100 charities named to the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance. For more information about the American Indian College Fund, please visit www.collegefund.org.
Photo: Cheryl Crazy Bull (Sicangu Lakota), President and CEO of the American Indian College Fund, is one of several noteworthy contributors in Indian Country whose work appears in a new collection of essays about one of the most influential thinkers of our time. Of Living Stone: Perspectives on Continuous Knowledge and the Work of Vine Deloria, Jr. features original essays in tribute of Deloria by Tribal leaders, artists, scientists, activists, scholars, legal experts, and humorists and is published by Fulcrum Press.
Journalists—The American Indian College Fund does not use the acronym AICF. On second reference, please use the College Fund.