Promoting good connections between Michigan’s public and private K–12 schools, colleges, institutions, local governments, and the state’s 12 federally recognized Native American tribes has been the goal of the Native American Heritage Fund.
In order to strengthen school curricula and rename racially offensive mascots, 10 Michigan schools, districts, and institutions received more than $480,000 in funding from NAHF this year.
Since 2018, they have given awards to about 60 entities.
According to Tribal Council Chairwoman Dorie Rios, addressing the state’s 15 offending (high school) mascots was one of the NAHF’s top concerns.
In 2003, the Michigan Board of Education passed a resolution calling for all Michigan schools to stop using Native American mascots and descriptors.
According to the resolution, American Indian students’ academic performance suffers as a result of drug use.
Many of the controversial mascots, according to Rios, were chosen by people who thought they were honoring Native Americans.
If you don’t have that dialogue or that connection with that indigenous group, how do you honor them? “I said,” Rios said.
The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights received a complaint from the Michigan Department of Civil Rights in 2013, requesting that it issue an order that would forbid the use of Native American mascots, titles, nicknames, slogans, chants, and/or imagery going forward.
Many of the mascots have been successfully rebranded by NAHF in the seven years that the organization has been in operation and giving out funds.
Rios stated, “We are proud to say that the student body came up with a lot of these initiatives.”
According to her, the grants also help organizations enhance their curricula.
This year, NAHF gave over $484,000 to ten charities.
The following is the list:
“We want to take this nationwide in the end,” Rios stated. Other tribes are eager to participate.
The application process is available at www.nahfund.com and opens in June.