President's Message

Hau. Mitaku Oyapi,

Hello, all my relatives. This is the Lakota greeting for all people. It is our philosophy that in this world we are all related. Plants, animals, humans and all things share a spirit, and in this world we must help each other to survive and grow.

Our donors have demonstrated that they, too, share this philosophy as they help our students grow intellectually and in their journeys towards a livelihood that lifts them from lives of poverty. The American Indian College Fund and our students are forever grateful for their support that provides our community with hope for a better life. But there is still much to be done.

For the first time in history our people are experiencing success in higher education in great numbers. A great number of Native students attend the nation's tribal colleges and universities. There is no way to describe the transformation that is happening in Indian Country because of the tribal colleges. Native people are embracing higher education as a way out of poverty and a way to help their people, transforming their lives, their families, and their communities.

Yet poverty is still pervasive in American Indian communities, especially on reservations where nearly half of Native people live below the poverty line. Even as greater numbers of students are enrolling in tribal colleges to transform their lives through education, there is still a great need for scholarships. Help is still desperately needed to sustain and increase the progress we have made in educating Native people while also continuing to support the tribal colleges that serve our students.

By helping to provide needy American Indian students with an education, you are making a difference that lasts a lifetime and beyond. You are helping us to change lives every day, one student at a time.

Thank you for your interest in educating Native America and fighting poverty with the American Indian College Fund.

Ocankuye Wasté Yelo,
(In a good way)

Richard B. Williams
President, American Indian College Fund

“By helping to provide needy American Indian students with a college education, you are helping us to change lives every day, one student at a time."

Richard B. Williams

Richard B. Williams (Lakota/Northern Cheyenne) has served as President & CEO of the American Indian College Fund since 1997. Williams is an educator, advocate for Native education, and historian. In 2005, Williams received the Educator of the Year award from the National Indian Education Association. In 2007 he received an honorary doctorate of humane letters from Roger Williams University in Rhode Island. In 2011 he received the Distinguished Service Award from the University of Colorado Board of Regents in recognition of his service to American Indian students and their communities.