College Fund Releases New 1998-99 Public Awareness Campaign

American Indian College Fund
Sunday, 1 November 1998

(November, 1998) "If I can help save my land," the young man says, "maybe I can help save my people."

Using the powerful voices of American Indian students, a new public awareness campaign explores how America's 30 tribal colleges are helping Native tribes fight poverty and educational failure.

New television messages for the non-profit American Indian College Fund feature a reservation student's anti-pollution research and a business student's hope of raising buffalo, once nearly extinct. Underwritten by the U S West Foundation, the 1998-99 campaign of TV and print public service announcements was released in November.

Created pro bono by the advertising agency Wieden & Kennedy, the educational messages show Indians' strong connections to land and nature. Buffalo roam the prairie. Raindrops dance on a river top. To help meet environmental and educational challenges, Indian tribes have created 30 colleges since 1968.

The campaign theme, "Educating the Mind and Spirit," describes the dual worlds confronting Native students--balancing modern survival with tribal traditions. Beau Mitchell, 20, studied environmental science at Stone Child College in Montana. (His college is named after a tribal chief.)

"I'm investigating toxicity in our water supply," Mitchell says in the campaign. "But it's not just a science project," he says. "The Chippewa-Cree are taught that water is sacred."

Tribal colleges are "economic lifelines" for Native Americans, who collectively are the nation's poorest people. About 85 percent of the colleges' 26,000 Indian students live in poverty. But statistics show the schools are successful by combining traditional college classes such as biology with cultural courses like Indian language.

Millions of Americans have seen previous College Fund public service announcements in magazines such as Time, People, Martha Stewart Living and The New York Times Magazine and on TV stations and cable networks nationwide.

Besides celebrating Native culture, the new campaign challenges viewers. Of his tribal studies, Mitchell says, "If I can help save my land, maybe I can help save my people." Then, he adds, "Why did you go to college?"

Viewers who want more information can call the College Fund at 1-800-776-FUND. Tribal colleges created the College Fund to raise critical private support for scholarships, endowments and public awareness.

New magazine spots feature Indian student portraits with a turn-of-the-century look. The poses may be culturally traditional (students wear a buffalo robe, lead a spotted pony and dance with a shawl), but modern scholarship goals are included as well.

"The cause of Indian education is fortunate to have the help of Wieden & Kennedy," said Fund executive director Richard Williams. "Few Americans know how tribal colleges are improving Indian lives, but the inspired talents of Wieden & Kennedy are helping us spread the news to millions of people."

Wieden & Kennedy has supported the College Fund since 1991. An earlier campaign of public service announcements was named "Best of Pro Bono" by Adweek magazine in 1993.

Agency co-founder David Kennedy serves on the College Fund's board of trustees. As a trustee, he helps direct fundraising and public awareness missions for tribal colleges.

For more information, or to contact American Indian College Fund, see their website at: www.collegefund.org