Trustee Alexie Praises College Fund During National Forum With President

American Indian College Fund
Wednesday, 1 July 1998

(July, 1998) College Fund trustee Sherman Alexie praised tribal colleges during a panel discussion which was nationally televised on PBS in July. President Clinton also was part of the panel, which PBS convened as part of the president's initiative on racism in America.

"A poor Native American faces more hurdles than a poor anybody," Alexie said. The Spokane-Coeur d'Alene author later told the national PBS audience that Indians have begun "to recognize the value of education…with the establishment of the American Indian College Fund."

The country's two million American Indians have been critical of the year-long White House initiative because the president failed to appoint an Indian representative on the project's advisory board.

President Clinton received some good-natured criticism from Alexie, a 31-year-old novelist, poet and screenwriter who said Indians on reservations live in "fourth-world conditions."

"Nobody talks about Indians…" Alexie said.

After explaining that he'd tried to educate himself about Native issues during his time in office, President Clinton admitted he once knew little. "…My grandmother was one-quarter Cherokee, that's all I knew," he said.

Alexie's poetry and fiction are known for a realistic portrayal of contemporary Indian and reservation life, often including biting humor. The Seattle resident did not spare the president.

"People always talk about race…" he said. "It always ends up coming up. Usually what they'll do to me is come up and tell me they're Cherokee."

The gibe drew laughter all around.

Later, the President sent Alexie a note saying he'd enjoyed the evening and thanking Alexie for his comments. USA Today reported that President and Mrs. Clinton then watched a special White House screening of the movie Smoke Signals. Alexie had written the film's screenplay, and the Clintons reportedly gave it strong reviews.

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