APPLICATION DEADLINE IS MAY 31st – APPLY NOW!
Wi’áaşal (Great Oak) Future Leaders Scholarship Fund
for Most Enrolled California Tribal Members
Established in 2019, The Wi’áaşal (Great Oak) Future Leaders Scholarship Fund was born out of the longstanding traditions, values, and vision of the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians – who have demonstrated their commitment to education and economic development, time and time again. Today, their impact is expanded through the Wi’áaşal (Great Oak) Future Leaders Scholarship, which provides greatly needed support to Native students across the state of California.
The Wi’áaşal (Great Oak) Future Leaders Scholarship Fund is open to most enrolled California tribal members.
Up to $20,000 is available each year to students seeking vocational, associates or bachelors degrees at any accredited, nonprofit college, university or vocational program.
Eligibility:
- Enrolled in a certificate, associate or bachelor’s degree program at an accredited, non-profit college or university
- Full-time enrollment
- Registered as an enrolled member of an eligible California tribe (listed below)
Eligible California Tribes:
- Alturas Indian Rancheria
- Bear River Band of the Rohnerville Rancheria
- Big Lagoon Rancheria
- Big Pine Paiute Tribe of the Owens Valley (previously listed as the Big Pine Band of Owens Valley Paiute
- Shoshone Indians of the Big Pine Reservation)
- Big Sandy Rancheria of Western Mono Indians of
- California (previously listed as the Big Sandy Rancheria of
- Mono Indians of California)
- Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians of the Big Valley
- Rancheria
- Bishop Paiute Tribe (previously listed as the Paiute-
- Shoshone Indians of the Bishop Community of the Bishop Colony)
- Bridgeport Indian Colony (previously listed as the
- Bridgeport Paiute Indian Colony of California)
- Buena Vista Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians of California
- Cahto Tribe of the Laytonville Rancheria
- Cahuilla Band of Indians (previously listed as the Cahuilla
- Band of Mission Indians of the Cahuilla Reservation)
- California Valley Miwok Tribe
- Cedarville Rancheria
- Chemehuevi Indian Tribe of the Chemehuevi Reservation
- Cher-Ae Heights Indian Community of the Trinidad Rancheria
- Chicken Ranch Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians of California
- Cloverdale Rancheria of Pomo Indians of California
- Cold Springs Rancheria of Mono Indians of California
- Colorado River Indian Tribes of the Colorado River Indian Reservation, Arizona and California
- Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians of California
- Elem Indian Colony of Pomo Indians of the Sulphur Bank Rancheria
- Elk Valley Rancheria
- Enterprise Rancheria of Maidu Indians of California
- Ewiiaapaayp Band of Kumeyaay Indians
- Fort Bidwell Indian Community of the Fort Bidwell Reservation of California
- Fort Independence Indian Community of Paiute Indians of the Fort Independence Reservation
- Fort Mojave Indian Tribe of Arizona, California & Nevada
- Greenville Rancheria (previously listed as the Greenville
- Rancheria of Maidu Indians of California)
- Grindstone Indian Rancheria of Wintun-Wailaki Indians of California
Guidiville Rancheria of California - Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake
- Hoopa Valley Tribe
- Hopland Band of Pomo Indians (formerly Hopland Band of Pomo Indians of the Hopland Rancheria)
- Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel (previously listed as the Santa Ysabel Band of Diegueno Mission Indians of the Santa Ysabel Reservation)
- Inaja Band of Diegueno Mission Indians of the Inaja and Cosmit Reservation
- Ione Band of Miwok Indians of California Karuk Tribe (previously listed as the Karuk Tribe of California)
- Kashia Band of Pomo Indians of the Stewarts Point Rancheria
- Kletsel Dehe Band of Wintun Indians (previously listed as the Cortina Indian Rancheria and the Cortina Indian Rancheria of Wintun Indians of California)
- Koi Nation of Northern California (previously listed as the Lower Lake Rancheria)
- La Jolla Band of Luiseno Indians (previously listed as the La Jolla Band of Luiseno Mission Indians of theLa Jolla Reservation)
- La Posta Band of Diegueno Mission Indians of the La Posta Indian Reservation
- Lone Pine Paiute-Shoshone Tribe (previously listed as the Paiute-Shoshone Indians of the Lone Pine Community of the Lone Pine Reservation)
- Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupeno Indians (previously listed as the Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla & Cupeno Indians of the Los Coyotes Reservation)
- Lytton Rancheria of California
- Manchester Band of Pomo Indians of the Manchester Rancheria (previously listed as the Manchester Band of Pomo Indians of the Manchester-Point Arena Rancheria)
- Manzanita Band of Diegueno Mission Indians of the Manzanita Reservation
- Mechoopda Indian Tribe of Chico Rancheria
- Mesa Grande Band of Diegueno Mission Indians of the Mesa Grande Reservation
- Northfork Rancheria of Mono Indians of California
- Pinoleville Pomo Nation (previously listed as the Pinoleville Rancheria of Pomo Indians of California)
- Pit River Tribe (includes XL Ranch, Big Bend, Likely, Lookout, Montgomery Creek and Roaring Creek Rancherias)
- Potter Valley Tribe
- Quartz Valley Indian Community of the Quartz Valley Reservation of California
- Ramona Band of Cahuilla (previously listed as the Ramona Band or Village of Cahuilla Mission Indians of California)
- Redwood Valley or Little River Band of Pomo Indians of the Redwood Valley Rancheria California (previously listed as the Redwood Valley Rancheria of Pomo Indians of California)
- Resighini Rancheria
- Robinson Rancheria (previously listed as the Robinson Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians, California and theRobinson Rancheria of Pomo Indians of California)
- Round Valley Indian Tribes, Round Valley Reservation (previously listed as the Round Valley Indian Tribes of the Round Valley Reservation)
- Santa Rosa Band of Cahuilla Indians (previously listed as the Santa Rosa Band of Cahuilla Mission Indians of the Santa Rosa Reservation)
- Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians of California
- Sherwood Valley Rancheria of Pomo Indians of California
- Susanville Indian Rancheria
- Tejon Indian Tribe
- Timbisha Shoshone Tribe (previously listed as the Death Valley Timbi-sha Shoshone Tribe and the Death Valley Timbi-Sha Shoshone Band of California)
- Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation (previously listed as the Smith River Rancheria)
- Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians (previously listed as the Torres-Martinez Band of Cahuilla Mission Indians of California)
- Utu Utu Gwaitu Paiute Tribe of the Benton Paiute Reservation
- Washoe Tribe of Nevada & California (Carson Colony, Dresslerville Colony, Woodfords Community, Stewart Community, & Washoe Ranches)
- Wilton Rancheria
- Wiyot Tribe (previously listed as the Table Bluff Reservation—Wiyot Tribe)
- Yurok Tribe of the Yurok Reservation
Related Pages
Students Social Media
News & Events
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.