This year, the Native American Heritage Fund (NAHF) awarded a combined total of $479,000 to eleven institutions seeking to improve and uplift Native representation in their curriculums. This fund, established in 2016, has awarded a total of $3.8 million to 56 entities since its inception.

The 2025 NAHF Check Distribution Ceremony took place on Friday, September 19 at FireKeepers Hotel Casino, at which the following institutions were awarded funding for various projects to advance Indigenous understanding within the state of Michigan:

• Albion College – $65,000 to co-create a culturally appropriate exhibit and co-management site plan with NHBP at the Whitehouse Nature Center, featuring interpretive signage to preserve and educate about the ecological and cultural importance of the Gete Anishinaabe site.
• Chippewa Hills School District – $127,267.86 to replace the “Warrior” logo with the “Golden Knight” and update all associated signage, imagery, and uniforms.
• East Jordan Public Schools – $16,239 to host cultural immersion events in partnership with Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians and the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians. This builds on previous NAHF grants and continues a longstanding collaboration.
• East Lansing Public Schools – $4,125 to develop and deliver Anishinaabe cultural history lessons for third-grade classrooms in collaboration with the Nokomis Cultural Heritage Center.
• Eastern Upper Peninsula ISD – $86,055.75 to support Title VI coordinators with a Cultural Competence Consultant to lead professional development focused on the needs of Anishinaabe youth.
• Grand Ledge Public Schools – $5,250 to expand Anishinaabe history lessons for third graders, in partnership with the Nokomis Cultural Heritage Center.
• Okemos Public Schools – $6,750 to expand existing third-grade history curriculum centered on the Anishinaabe people, building on earlier NAHF-supported efforts.
• Portland Public Schools – $2,750 to introduce Anishinaabe cultural history into third-grade classrooms across the district through a collaboration with the Nokomis Cultural Heritage Center.
• Petoskey Schools – $22,140 to purchase 200 new marching band jackets, retiring old uniforms bearing offensive and outdated mascot imagery.
• Traverse City Area Public Schools – $129,000 to provide Native American language instruction and curriculum through the hiring of language instructors and staff, as well as funding for materials and supplies.
• Western Michigan University – $14,742 to launch the Elders-in-Residence program: Sharing Wisdom Across Generations (SWAG at WMU), creating intergenerational connections between Native Elders and Indigenous students.

The work and purpose of NAHF was heard and supported as each recipient gave short remarks about how the NAHF grants would benefit their programs and students, giving more context to the purpose and necessity of the Fund. The Native American Heritage Fund is a vital resource for schools and universities across the state in alignment with the fund’s vision. The fund’s goal is to promote positive relationships between public and private K-12 grade schools, colleges, universities, local units of government and Michigan’s federally recognized Native American Tribes. In addition, NAHF provides resources to improve curricula and educational resources related to Michigan Indian history, as well as to fund initiatives that promote mutual respect and cooperation between local communities and Michigan’s federally recognized Tribes.

The fund’s purpose is further highlighted by Chairperson Dorie Rios’ reflection of her recent experience when speaking to approximately 100 middle school students,“I said ’Prior to today, who’s heard of the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi?’ Out of 100 kids, maybe two or three hands went up. They don’t know we’re still here. We have to go into the school systems and teach the proper history.”

To learn more about the Native American Heritage Fund, please visit their website: www.nahfund.com.