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Message from Fund President Rick Williams
Spring is a time for new beginnings. As the earth awakens from its winter sleep, we emerge like the crocuses, re-energized with new vigor. In late spring, we see our tribal college students preparing to emerge from their chrysalis, as graduates to fly off into the world as beautiful

butterflies with the knowledge that they have acquired serving as the wings that will take them aloft into the world. It is thanks to you, our loyal donors, that American Indian students have this opportunity of a new beginning for a new and more hopeful life. I would like to personally thank you for all that you do. Melinda Adams, a graduate of Haskell Indian Nations University who is now studying for her master’s degree at Purdue University in Indiana, is one example of how your donations are enabling our students to pursue their dreams. You can read about Melinda and the exciting things she is doing in this newsletter on page 2. The Fund is also embarking on new paths this spring. We are welcoming the Fund’s new Vice President for Resource Development, Eric Anderson, to the Fund. Eric will help us to position the Fund to meet its strategic goals of increasing the number of scholarships and scholarship dollars it awards to Native students. This year there are many ways you can stay involved with the Fund. If you haven’t already traveled to Indian Country, I encourage you to take advantage of one of our 2010 Journeys for the Mind and Spirit, which take you to tribal colleges to meet with tribal college students, faculty, and staff. You can see our tour schedule on page 3. You can also get updates from the Fund by subscribing to one of our many social media outlets, which provide you with up-to-the-minute news about the Fund, our students, events, and Indian Country, while allowing you to share what’s on your mind. Finally, I would like to thank President Obama for sharing $125,000 of his Nobel Peace Prize with the Fund. His gift will not only provide an education, but hope for the students who will benefit from his generosity, and the knowledge that he believes in them as much as we do. I hope that as this spring unfolds, you, too, will find renewed purpose as you pursue your own goals and dreams. Thank you for helping to support the goals and dreams of American Indian students! In a good way, Richard B. Williams President and CEO, American Indian College Fund

President Obama Donates $125,000 of Nobel Peace Prize Money to American Indian College Fund
President Obama announced on March 11 that he will donate $125,000 of his $1.4 million Nobel Peace Prize monies to the American Indian College Fund (the Fund). In a statement issued by the White House, Obama said of the Fund and nine other charity organizations that received donations from the president, “These organizations do extraordinary work in the United States and abroad helping students, veterans and countless others in need. I’m proud to support their work.” “We are thrilled that President Obama has chosen to publicly acknowledge the work the American Indian College Fund is doing in Indian Country by President Obama Donates $125,000 of Nobel Peace Prize Money to American Indian College Fund sharing $125,000 of his prestigious Nobel Peace Prize award with us,” said Richard B. Williams, President and CEO of the American Indian College Fund. “As a result of President Obama’s vision and leadership, through his donation to the Fund along with nine other outstanding charities, he is setting an example for how all Americans can help those less fortunate, while also demonstrating the importance of education as a tool for fighting poverty.” For more information about the gift and the other charities President Obama supported, please visit www.collegefund.org/news/News_10/Obama_Prize_release.html

Alumni Profile: Melinda Adams (San Carlos Apache Tohono O’odham)

Haskell Indian Nations University Alumnae and Graduate Student at Purdue University

Melinda Adams demonstrates what it means to bring the concept of “thinking Indian” full-circle. A graduate of Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kansas, Melinda says she loved science so much that she decided to continue her studies in the Department of Plant Botany/Plant Psychology at Purdue University so that she could earn her master’s degree while getting valuable research experience. It is her dream to work as a research scientist. Once at Purdue, Melinda says she began studying biochar terra preta (“dark earth”) soils, which are rich and fertile. These soils were created by pre-Colombian tribes with the goal of helping crops grow in thin, tropical soils. When Native peoples created these soils in the Amazon Basin thousands of years ago, they created soils whose nutrients remain in the soil for a long period of time, as well as a tool that might remove carbon from Alumni Profile: Melinda Adams (San Carlos Apache Tohono O’odham) Haskell Indian Nations University Alumnae and Graduate Student at Purdue University the atmosphere in a permanent form, easing the effects of global warming. As part of her research, Melinda got to thinking: how would these soils help restore North America’s tallgrass prairie? “Ninety-nine percent of the tall grass prairie is depleted due to agricultural activity. Over time, the nitrogen in the soil has rendered the land infertile, and these fields have been abandoned as a result,” Melinda says. “Why not try to plot restoration sites on these degraded and weathered soils? Once they are revitalized, the tall grass would then add nutrients back into the soil, because they are annuals. There is a lot of research being done on biochar soils and this research is just at the beginning stages,” she says.

Melinda is thrilled that she is using indigenous knowledge—“thinking Indian”—to help solve modern environmental problems. “I love the idea that traditional knowledge from these tribes is in the spotlight and can be used to grow crops and reduce carbon emissions,” she says. Originally, Melinda says she never planned to teach, as she saw her path purely as a researcher. But after developing courses with her adviser for her alma mater, Haskell Indian Nations University, and Leech Lake Tribal College in Minnesota, and seeing the excitement of other Native students, she now would like to continue her research while also teaching as a Native ecological scientist. “I see a great opportunity to merge these fields and inject traditional Native ecological practices, as there is a great need to create curriculum based on these studies and research while helping not just my Native communities, but all communities across America,” she says. Melinda Adams is just one of many tribal college alumni who is bringing her education and training full-circle, helping Native communities while also giving back to all of America.

Booking Now for the 2010 Journeys for the Mind and Spirit
The American Indian College Fund offers a unique opportunity to experience tribal colleges and Indian Country. Our Journeys for the Mind & Spirit are guided tours geared to educate visitors and our supporters about the cultural strengths and economic initiatives in American Indian communities. Participants will enjoy the natural beauty of Indian Country, the hospitality of Native peoples, and see first-hand the successes at the tribal colleges and universities. Our specialized tours provide an intimate experience for participants to meet and immerse themselves into the lives of tribal college students, faculty and community members, while understanding the unique perspectives and challenges of these remarkable people who are making a difference in Indian Country. Experienced staff and Native guides will lead you on this unforgettable journey with a focus on crosscultural education and exchange. This year, the Fund is offering two tours: The Menominee Eco-Tour in Wisconsin, and the South Dakota Tour. Details about the tours, including itineraries, costs, and special sites visited, are included below. To reserve your spot on the tour of your choice or for more information, please contact Abigail Whiteing at 303-426-8900 or awhiteing@collegefund.org.

Menominee Eco-Tour

June 13-16, 2010

Arrival and Departure City: Green Bay, Wisconsin
Length: 4 days/3 nights
Pace/Difficulty: Easy
Group Size: Average group size 15 people, plus tour leader and trip escorts.
Cost:
1 Adult $995
2 Adults (sharing one hotel room) $1,695
$300 deposit due immediately to reserve place. Final payment of $695 (1 adult) or $1,095 (2 adults sharing one hotel room) due by May 1, 2010. Cost does not include airfare.

College Visited: College of the Menominee Nation

Tour Highlights:
Seminar focused on Native sustainability efforts
Tours of the beautiful Menominee forest

South Dakota Tour

Sept. 12-18, 2010
Arrival and Departure City: Rapid City, South Dakota
Length: 7 days/6 nights
Pace/Difficulty: Moderate to Fast
Group Size: Average group size 15 people, plus tour leader and trip escorts.
Cost:
1 Adult $1,895
2 Adults (sharing one hotel room) $3,195

$300 deposit due immediately to reserve place. Final payment of $1,595 (1 adult) or $2,595 (2 adults sharing one hotel room) due by May 1, 2010. Cost does not include airfare.

College Visited: Sinte Gleska University
Oglala Lakota College

Tour Highlights:
Inside views of life on the Pine Ridge and Rosebud Reservations
Sightseeing in the Black Hills and Badlands National Park
Native perspective on sights such as the Wounded Knee Massacre Site.

For more information or to register, contact Abigail Whiteing at 303-426-8900 or awhiteing@collegefund.org

To receive a full tour brochure call 303-426-8900 or go to our
web site for a full itinerary and electronic copy of our brochure
at http://www.collegefund.org/donate/2010_tours.html

Meet the Fund’s New Vice President for Resource Development, Eric Anderson
Please join the Fund in welcoming its newest team member, Eric Anderson, who will serve in the newly created role as Vice President for Resource Development. Anderson will oversee the Fund’s fundraising operations to increase the annual revenues needed to meet the growing demand for scholarships and other support for our TCUs. The Fund currently provides an average of 6,000 American Indian student scholarships disbursing more than $4 million annually and provides additional financial support for the nation’s 33 accredited tribal colleges and universities. Anderson brings more than 20 years of experience in planned giving, major gift campaigns, and management experience. He comes to the Fund from the University of Wisconsin, where he served as the Director of Major and Planned Giving and was a member of the team that executed a $100 million campaign—the largest in the university’s history. He has 28 years of experience in fundraising for nonprofits, 19 of which are in higher education. Anderson earned a bachelor’s of art degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and pursued graduate studies at Roosevelt University in Chicago. He is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) and is active in numerous fundraising and civic organizations. Anderson enjoys spending time with his family, running, biking, skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, hiking, traveling, and photography, and is a Tae Kwon Do black belt. You can reach Anderson at eanderson@collegefund.org.

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