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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Never Let Them Forget Who We Are: The Importance of Sovereignty Day and TCUs
On July 9, 2020, the United States Supreme Court’s ruling in McGirt V. Oklahoma reaffirmed the sovereignty of the Muscogee Creek Nation as outlined in the Treaty of 1866 and held that the land reserved for the Nation remained “Indian Country” for the purposes of criminal jurisdiction. The Tribe’s case was bolstered by its very clear and continuous exercise of sovereignty over the centuries. In honor of this legal victory and acknowledgement by the federal system, the Muscogee Creek Nation celebrates Sovereignty Day on July 9, often with activities held at the College of the Muscogee Nation (CMN), where tribal sovereignty is a cornerstone of higher education.
Students at College of Muscogee Nation
Dr. Monte Randall, College of the Muscogee Nation President, said, “Muscogee (Creek) Nation Sovereignty Day is a significant holiday for the Tribe and the communities we serve. It is a time to reflect on what sovereignty actually means in the daily lives of our citizens, the right to govern ourselves, to educate our children in alignment with our values, to speak our language, and to determine our own future. For many in our community, it is also a moment of pride and a reminder that our sovereignty was not given to us by any person or government and cannot be taken from us.”
While the federal government cannot truly bestow sovereignty onto a Native nation, it does have a history of often ignoring the sovereignty of Tribes. For example, the Muscogee Creek Nation did not always reside in Oklahoma. The U.S. Indian Removal Act of 1830 saw tribal citizens forcibly removed and marched from their homes across the Tribe’s original territory, which covered a large swath of the southeast.
Did you know?
Most Americans are unaware that there were in fact many trails of tears that saw the relocation of Native peoples from states east of the Mississippi River, including those Tribes who had been America’s allies in the War of 1812. In his push for Indian Removal, Andrew Jackson framed forced relocation as a benevolent act that would allow Natives to pursue happiness “under their own rude institutions” and gradually “cast off their savage habits” to become civilized due to the influence and protection of the federal government. He seemingly forgot with this maneuver how uncivilized and rude it was to break his treaties and alliances with several Tribes, such as the Choctaw, who played a critical role in key victories in the War of 1812, such as the Battle of New Orleans.
Students attending CMN, who receive an education built upon Muscogee cultural values and traditions, also recognize the importance of Sovereignty Day and the lessons they can learn from it. For them, the holiday offers a moment to both reflect on the long history of their people but also a reminder of what they must carry forward.
“Sovereignty Day is a reminder that we, as citizens of the Mvskoke Nation, have responsibilities and duties. Sovereignty Day is a time to consider how we can support our tribal nation and come together to carry on the joy, the beauty, and the knowledge of our culture that our ancestors wanted us to have and experience. Not only is Sovereignty Day a testament to our tribal nation’s resilience and perseverance, but it is also a testament to the sacrifice and survival of our Mvskoke heritage,” said Nathan Dunson, May 2026 CMN graduate with an Associate of Art in Native American Studies.
Tribally led higher education is key because it both recognizes the identity and responsibilities of Native students, staff, and faculty and exemplifies the long history of Native pedagogy, just as McGirt V. Oklahoma recognized the longstanding nationhood of the Muscogee Creeks.
“The most meaningful thing about being a part of the tribal college and university movement is demonstrating to the world that we have always educated our people through value systems. We have always had knowledge transfer, mentorship, and community learning. TCUs formalize and strengthen that tradition in a contemporary context, and being part of that broader movement means we are equal to all other institutions of higher learning,” said Dr. Monte Randall.
And just like Sovereignty Day, the ties to culture and positive self-identity embedded in a TCU education mean that students confidently work to achieve their dreams, no matter the challenges they might face.
“Participating in ceremonial dances and staying connected to my heritage gives me the strength and motivation to keep pursuing my goals. Because people with backgrounds like mine are not often represented, my culture remains an important part of who I am. Knowing what is true in my heart and soul helps guide my decisions, strengthens my confidence, and has greatly influenced my college journey,” said CMN general studies student, Katherine Meely.
The faculty, staff, students, and graduates of CMN represent a Native nation that has never forgotten who they are.
American Indian College Fund Champion Native Student Advocacy and Success at National NASAI Conference, A College Board Event
When Native students are supported in ways that honor and uplift who they are, higher education is stronger for everyone. That message guided the College Board’s 2026 Native American Student Advocacy Institute (NASAI) Conference. Educators, leaders in tribal education, advocates, and community partners gathered June 3–5 in Phoenix, Arizona, the homelands of the Akimel O’Odham and Piipaash peoples and their ancestors, to advance success for Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander students and close long-standing opportunity gaps.
NASAI provided a meaningful space for eight members of the American Indian College Fund (College Fund) team to connect with Native professionals across Indian Country, share knowledge, and contribute to national college access and student success conversations. The conference focused on the themes of joy, belonging, and identity—essential to helping Native students feel seen, valued, and supported in higher education.
Tiffany Gusbeth, Vice President of Student Success Services at the College Fund and a member of NASAI’s National Advisory Committee moderated the mainstage session. Drawing from her experiences as a Native student, tribal college graduate, and Native professional in the field, Gusbeth set the stage for a powerful panel discussion.
Gusbeth was joined by keynote speaker Andrea Ramon, Indigenous Educator at O’odham Ñi’okĭ Ki: (O’odham Language Center), and College Fund Student Ambassadors Memory Long Chase and Antoinette Gallegos. Gusbeth noted, “There is a great responsibility to be honest about the challenges and barriers we experience as Native people but also the brilliance and strength we bring into every room.” The stories demonstrated how representation, strong relationships, and culturally responsive support matter—and how community-centered practices can change Native students’ lives.
The College Fund’s Student Engagement and Communications team led the session, Recognizing Meaningful Storytelling to Craft Engaging Newsletters. Participants learned how to create authentic, culturally grounded visual and written content that represents Native students and connects with them and partners. The session offered group discussions and practical methods for respectfully collaborating with Native communities. It included step-by-step execution strategies for building sustainable workflows to strengthen Native student communication skills. Mariah Plummer, Program Administrator at the College Fund, noted her role is dedicated to this field and she was proud to share strategies and data-driven expertise to help others. Her co-presenter, Leala Pourier, Program Coordinator, shared, “I have presented at conferences before, but never at one with such a large reach and powerful atmosphere as NASAI.”
The College Fund team also led the session, Higher Pathways: How Mini-Grants Drive College Access in Native Communities, highlighting how community-led investments enhance college access, FAFSA completions, family engagement, and Native post-secondary educational enrollment. Brittany Tabor, Program Administrator for College Access, shared how Higher Pathways mini-grants support Native-serving schools and tribal organizations to strengthen college-going cultures and expand college readiness resources. Participants learned strategies for designing, implementing, and evaluating culturally responsive, community-based college access initiatives for Native communities.
Using research and data was also featured in the conference. During Campus Climate and Belonging: New National Data to Improve Higher Education, the National Native Scholarship Providers (NNSP) Research Group shared findings from the Campus Climate and Sense of Belonging Executive Summary, a study highlighting Native college students’ perceptions of their experiences at their college/universities and how they provide support for success. The NNSP group includes the American Indian College Fund, AISES, the Cobell Scholarship Program administered by Indigenous Education, Inc., and Native Forward Scholars Fund.
Dr. David Sanders, Vice President of Research, Evaluation and Faculty Development at the College helped session attendees understand how tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) uniquely support their students with a “whatever it takes” perspective compared to other post-secondary institutions.
Dr. Sanders said, “We are incredibly happy to elevate the work of the NNSPs as a whole and for me, the College Fund in particular, we know our research is novel and that the outcomes of it provide institutions of all types an opportunity to assess how they support their Native students.”
Weston Jones, Program Administrator—Native Student Advocate, and Kelley Mitchell, Senior Program Officer for College Access & Success at the College Fund also attended. They said the conference inspired them, elevated their expertise, and brought meaningful connections to their work serving Native students.
Jones said, “The energy of the people, place, and land was very rejuvenating and reminded me of the meaningful impact that education can have.”
Mitchell said, “As we work to support and guide higher education within Native communities, we have to remember and be reminded why we do what we do and who we do it for, for our students and the next generation of Native students.”
The conference served as a reminder that Native students already bring knowledge, strength, and vision into learning spaces—and higher education must recognize and support all they carry forward, while creating space for attendees to build relationships, exchange ideas, and serve Native students with renewed purpose.
College Fund Group at NASAI
Tiffany Gusbeth, Student Ambassador Memory, and past Student Ambassador Antoinette Keynote
Mariah Plummer and Leala Pourier Presentation
Brittany Tabor’s Presentation for NASAI Conference
Loyola Rankin and Student Ambassador Joseph
If They Don’t Save You a Seat, Bring Your Own Chair: Celebrating High School Equivalency Graduates
By Hannah Gonzales, Sr. Program Officer and Writer – TCU Programs
Commencement ceremonies at tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) do not begin with Pomp and Circumstance; they start with the beat of drums and songs sung in Native languages as the procession unfolds. TCU graduations are simultaneously a scene of achievement, relief, pride, humility, and joy. Smiling and anxious students in beaded graduation caps, who worked so hard to get to where they are, stand tall. Faculty and staff in academic and traditional regalia, both proud and honored to have walked this journey with their students, still stand beside and behind them. So many families fill seats and stands or lean against walls to watch their loved ones walk the stage. Time and space are held for rituals of acknowledgement and honor from the community. And a sheet cake awaits at the back of the auditorium to enjoy at the end of the celebration.
Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College Graduation 2026
I attended two TCU graduations this year. It is important for us at the American Indian College Fund (College Fund) to celebrate the students we work to support, even if we may not know them personally. My intent in attending was to, of course, honor all TCU graduates, but as I oversee the College Fund’s adult education programming, I specifically wanted to show up for our high school equivalency (HSE) graduates. Not all TCUs include HSE graduates in their annual or biannual commencement ceremonies. Sometimes graduates are not interested or available due to other family or work priorities, sometimes it is a celebration they prefer to keep private, and sometimes they have big feelings still attached to the stigma of not finishing a traditional high school education.
But TCUs know the realities of the education experiences that often cause community members to drop out of school, and the importance of making alternative HSE pathways accessible – both for community members’ personal education journeys and to strengthen college enrollment pathways. TCUs find ways to celebrate their HSE graduates in whatever way works best for their respective students – they might host HSE-specific graduations, provide celebratory family dinners, or award students with monetary or personal graduation gifts. Some TCUs find the best way to honor HSE graduates is to include them as part of their regular commencement celebrations. Two TCUs that follow this model with their adult education programs are Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College (NHSC) and Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe University (LCOOU).
I attended NHSC’s graduation in New Town, North Dakota in mid-May. After the Little Shell Drum Group welcomed the color guard, staff and faculty, and graduates via the processional and flag songs, the ceremony started with prayers from community members in the Three Affiliated Tribes’ languages – Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara. The keynote speaker, actress and comedian Jana Schmieding, was stranded because of the unexpected dust storms in North Dakota. She instead sent a video to share some words of inspiration with the graduates. Nine HSE graduates participated in the commencement. After the ceremony, all attendees were invited to line up and shake the graduates’ hands and congratulate them. I took the opportunity to briefly encourage the HSE graduates to “keep going” in their education.
A couple weeks later, I closed out the month in Hayward, Wisconsin at LCOOU’s graduation celebration. The drum and song processional and posting of the colors were also included in the opening of this ceremony. One of the first speakers called out the different Wisconsin Ojibwe band names, and the participants in the audience cheered as their respective band was called.
Later, the keynote speaker, Elizabeth Arbuckle, Ph.D. (Bad River), Chairwoman of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, shared an example of her family’s legacy of determination with a quote from a relative, “Get your education, my girl. That’s one thing they can never take away from you.” In closing, she further shared some challenges she had faced that others might encounter including whether or not they might have a seat at any number of tables. She reminded graduates of something she was once told, an echo of US Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm’s words: “If they don’t save you a seat, bring your own chair.”
Even though she was speaking to all the graduates, I thought how fitting a motto for our HSE students and graduates who, with the help of TCU staff and faculty, advocate to be seen, valued, and invested in as community members. After the ceremony, I spoke with a few staff and faculty, and was able to meet two of the HSE graduates. One of the graduates, a young woman named Locadia, shared how she had recruited her older sister, Esperanza and her boyfriend, Rodrigo to enroll in the program. LCOOU’s Educational Pathways Program Director, Arin Davis, who manages their HSE program, emailed me a couple of weeks later to share that the young couple had completed their HSEs in early June.
These are the students we celebrate when we share the importance of TCU HSE programs: The ones who are role models for their family and community members, the ones who show up and inspire students and faculty alike, the ones who work hard and take up space. They deserve to be seen and celebrated. One HSE graduate means a whole family impacted and the start of a pathway to college, meaningful careers, and healthy lives. As we close out this graduation season, I know we can stand behind TCUs as they say to all prospective HSE students and their families: Now is the time and a TCU is the place to continue your education. We will save a seat for you.