The Lehigh Valley celebrated their Native American culture at Roasting Ears of Corn Festival at the Allentown Pennsylvania’s Museum of Indian Culture. Pat Rivera recounted some of the stories of the Lenape people, saying “the real history is outside.” “They set up their villages, 13,000 years ago and did so up until about the mid-1700s,”. Rivera, has served as the museum’s executive director for 20 years.
This year, the Lumbees whose 60,000 members make up the largest Native American tribe east of the Mississippi River will be boosting their housing inventory. They will be receiving an additional $4 million in federal money for its robust housing program, which some say serves as an example for other tribes across the country that want to create affordable homes for their members. Tribal Chairman John Lowery announced the increase from $14 million to $18 million. Lowery said the money will put a lot more people in homes over the next two years.
A group of scholarship providers for Native American students has released a report detailing their first national study on college affordability for Indigenous students. Researchers surveyed 1,600 current and over 1,000 former scholarship recipients in 2020 to gain a better understanding of their financial barriers. The study found that 72 percent of current students surveyed reported they had run out of money at least once in the last six months, and 67 percent said they were responsible for helping with family bills. Kellie Jewett Hernandez a member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe is the Chief Development Officer for AISES – American Indians in Science and Engineering – they are one of several scholarships available for tribal students.
