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About Siletz news / (Siletz, OR) 199?-current | View Entire Issue (May 1, 2014)
First transfer from land buy-back program goes to Cobell education fund Initial transfer of nearly $580,000 will fund scholarships for Native students WASHINGTON – The Department of the Interior announced April 2 that quarterly transfers of funds to the Cobell Education Scholarship Fund were set to begin that week with a transfer of nearly $580,000 to the American Indian College Fund. The scholarship fund was autho- rized by the historic Cobell Settlement, approved in November 2012, to provide financial assistance through annual schol- arships to American Indian and Alaska Native students wishing to pursue post- secondary education and training. “The scholarship fund is an impor- tant tool to help students across Indian Country pursue higher education oppor- tunities imperative to their success in the workplace and to the creation of the next generation of Indian leaders,” said Interior Solicitor Hilary Tompkins, who helped negotiate the Cobell Settlement on behalf of the department. “While there was much debate in the settlement negotiations, there was no debate among the parties that we must do something to support Indian students in their aspirations and dreams.” The scholarship fund is funded in part by the Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations. This program was created to imple- ment the land consolidation component of the Cobell Settlement, which provided $1.9 billion to purchase fractionated inter- ests in trust or restricted land from willing landowners. Consolidated interests are transferred to Tribal government owner- ship for uses benefiting the reservation community and Tribal members. Interior will contribute up to $60 million from buy-back program sales to the scholarship fund based on a formula in the Cobell Settlement that sets aside a certain amount of funding depending on the value of the fractionated interest sold. These contributions do not reduce the amount that owners will receive for voluntarily consolidating their interests. The American Indian College Fund, headquartered in Denver, Colo., will administer the scholarship fund and has extensive experience in providing stu- dents with the resources to succeed in Tribal colleges and technical and voca- tional certifications as well as traditional undergraduate and graduate programs. A five-member board of trustees is responsible for the supervision of the college fund’s administration of the schol- arship fund and for developing a charter outlining its role and responsibilities. The college fund is working with the Cobell board of trustees to stand up its operation in concert with this first transfer of funds. Twenty percent of the fund’s portfo- lio will be directed to support graduate students through the American Indian Graduate Center in Albuquerque, N.M. Cheryl Crazy Bull, president and CEO of the college fund, shared that the Cobell Scholarship Program will help meet the tremendous financial need for educational support for American Indian and Alaska Native students across the country, many of whom live in poverty. “We are honored to remember the vision of Elouise Cobell that the Cobell Scholarship Fund would be used to lift up Tribal students and their families,” she said. More information about the Cobell Scholarship Program and how interested students can apply can be found at the American Indian College Fund website, collegefund.org/Cobell. This first transfer of funds follows recent land purchases from willing sellers at the Pine Ridge and Rosebud reservations. More than $100 million in purchase offers are currently pending for landown- ers with fractional interests at Pine Ridge. Owners must accept and return current purchase offers for fractionated lands on Pine Ridge by May 4. Landowners can contact their local fiduciary trust officer or call the Trust Beneficiary Call Center at 888-678-6836 with questions about their purchase offers. More information also is available at doi.gov/buybackprogram/landowners. Participation in the buy-back program does not impact a landowner’s ability to receive individual settlement payments from the Cobell Settlement. These pay- ments are being handled separately by the Garden City Group, 800 -961-6109. Oregon Farm Bureau seeks calendar photos of all aspects of farming and ranching Oregon’s Bounty is an award- winning calendar produced by Oregon Farm Bureau that features gorgeous photos of agriculture. Images for the 2015 calendar are being sought. Farm Bureau invites the public to submit their own photos of Oregon agriculture – the commodi- ties, the families, the production, the landscape, the events, the enjoyment, anything that depicts the beauty, technol- ogy, culture or tradition of farming and ranching. Horizontal-format, high-resolution images – both close-ups and panoramic views – are needed of all types of agricul- ture in all seasons. Photographers with images selected for month pages in Oregon’s Bounty will receive a photo credit in the 2015 calen- dar, copies of the calendar and a year of Farm Bureau membership if they have not already joined the organization. The deadline for entries is Sept. 15. Photo specifications and contest rules are available at oregonfb.org/calendar. Photographers do not need to be Farm Bureau members to participate and there is no limit to the number of photos that can be submitted. FRE Applications available for AIGC scholarships E EV ENT ! American Indian Graduate Center (AIGC) applications are available online for the 2014-2015 academic year. www.NativeWellness.com NATIVE VETERANS SUMMIT Gathering of Warriors II Attention High School Seniors • July 10 - 11, 2014 Grand Ronde, Oregon • Spirit Mountain Casino Resort 27100 SW Salmon River Hwy Grand Ronde, OR 97347 Phone: 503-879-2350 Toll-Free: 800-760-7977 www.spiritmountain.com WORKSHOP TOPICS ◊ PTSD ◊ Mental Health ◊ Suicide Prevention ◊ Self Care ◊ Transition from Soldier to Civilian ◊ Vocational Rehabilitation ◊ and more! Camping available at no cost. Limited tents and sleeping bags will be Marce Norwest Veterans Pow Wow will take place July 11 - 13, 2014 after the Native Veterans Summit. All meals will be provided. assistance to attend. If you or your program are interested us at info@nativewellness.com. Siletz News The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde with them, and by providing transportation or other our website at www.NativeWellness.com or email • • in sponsoring the gathering financially, please contact NWI. • May 2014 • The AIGC Fellowship application deadline is June 1. The Loan for Service application deadline is June 1. The AIGC & Choctaw Scholarship Advisement Program (SAP) Fellow- ship application deadline is June 6. The AIGC Cobell Scholarship appli- cation deadline is June 1. available on a first come first serve basis. Please help us recruit Veterans by sharing this brochure For more information and to register online visit 12 • The room rate is $69 a night, mention the Native Wellness Institute to receive group rate. ACTIVITIES ◊ Talking Circles ◊ Support Meetings ◊ Veterans Benefits Coordination (bring your DD214 if possible) ◊ Employment Information ◊ Health and Dental Care ◊ Healing Village ◊ Traditional Games ◊ Massages, Hair Cuts ◊ Cultural Activities and Ceremonies ◊ Parade of Color Guards Information, deadlines for the college-bound Tribal senior • • • • • Attention Graduate Students Hosted by FEATURED SPEAKERS ◊ Navajo Code Talkers ◊ Linda Woods The Accenture American Indian Scholarship application deadline is June 15. The calendar is sent to 61,000 Farm Bureau members around the state and hundreds more are distributed through- out the year. For more information or to request a copy of the 2014 Oregon’s Bounty calendar, contact Anne Marie Moss, OFB communications director, at annemarie@oregonfb.org or 503-399- 1701, ext. 313. All application materials must be submitted through the AIGC Online Application System (OAS) – visit the AIGC website at aigcs.org. To enter the Online Application Sys- tem, click the Apply Now button found in various places on the AIGC website. Email all inquiries to fellowships@ aigcs.org. • • May This is the deadline for final decisions for universities. Send letter of intent to registrar. Line up a summer job. Attend your Senior Awards Night. Review any award letters and be sure you understand the terms and condi- tions that accompany each type of aid. If necessary, arrange for housing and a meal plan (at school). Send thank you notes to any person/ committee from which you received a scholarship. June • • • • Tribal higher education and AVT applications are due June 30! Attend graduation – congratulations! Make arrangements for your final grades to be sent to colleges and universities. Good luck!
