Clyde H. Bellecourt Spirit of Education Scholarship Award Winners for 2005

Community Service
When I have time away from my studies I volunteer at programs within my community working with youth. I have volunteered with the Twin Cities Healthy Nations program, Anishinabe Academy School, Native Path To Wellness Community Council, YouthCARE, Fowell Middle School, Golden Eagles, Heart of The Earth, and Cultural House at the U of M

Personal Statement
My future plans are to continue my studies and eventually enter into the U of M's Carlson School of Management and receive my college degree in Business Management. I am very much involved with my family, culture and community. I believe that education is a very important tool to receive in order to become a successful person and a good role model for others, and it’s never too late to accomplish a goal or to help better yourself, your community, or your future, through education. Biographical Information
I am an Ojibwe Woman who grew up in the Phillips community. My Father is from Red Lake and my mother is from White Earth. I am the second youngest out of 13 children, which is from a blended family. I am the 6th person to graduate from high school in my family, and the first to graduate with honors. I am very proud of whom I have become, and all that I have accomplished.

Community Service
I was enrolled in a group called Golden Eagles where I learned about my culture and giving back to the community. In high school I was a part of a small learning community called All Nations. Through this program I took on a leadership role as Co-Chair for our student organization Inter-Tribal Council (ITC). I was also the first student representative from my program to be a part of Site Council, which makes decisions to make the school a better place. I was a positive role model by tutoring young students at Anishinabe Academy.

Personal Statement
I am very honored to receive this scholarship because I would really like to make a difference in my American Indian community, by attending a post-secondary institution. Given the opportunity from this scholarship, I will prove that you have made the right choice by following all the necessary guidelines, living up to my academic potentials, and continuing to be an active member in my American Indian community Biographical Information
I am an enrolled member of the Flandreau Santee Sioux tribe in South Dakota. I am currently a junior at the University of Minnesota. I work part-time at Birch Bark Books in Minneapolis as well as at The Circle of Indigenous Nations on campus. My parents are Sydney and Rebecca Beane. I am the youngest of five siblings, and I have a twin sister. I am a descendent of Chief Cloud Man whose village was once located near Lake Calhoun.

Community Service
Through Birch Bark Books I have worked at various Indian education conferences and powwows emphasizing the importance of books in Indian country. I am a member of the Dakota Language Society (DLS) at the U of M. Our group recently participated in the Dakota Commemorative March as well as at the University Winter Storytelling. We are currently working on hosting a mini-conference in the near future, so that our language students can meet and talk with fluent Dakota and Lakota speakers about the importance of speaking our language.

Personal Statement
Mitakuyepi.Anpetu kin de owasin iyuskinyan wacinyankapi ye (Greetings my relatives. I am happy to see all of you today.) I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to the Bellecourt scholarship committee for supporting me in my academic pursuits, and for emphasizing the importance of education in our native communities. I would also like to say a special thank you to my family and to acknowledge my grandmothers,Wanda Barnette and Lillian Beane, two strong women who have been important figures in my life. Pidamaya ye.

Biographical Information
My mom is an Oglala Lakota from Pine Ridge, South Dakota and my father is from the Pechunga reservation in southern California. My goals are short-term, for example, getting my AA degree and my BA. The majors of my choice are Philosophy or Law Enforcement, but who knows. Maybe it will change – that is the excitement of going to college.

Community Service
I sing in my language on the drum at the powwows. I’ve been involved in youth/culture with Four Winds, Nibiin, Little Earth, with kindergarten through eighth graders. I try to help other young people, good kids, stay strong and stay away from drugs and stay in school.

Personal Statement
I want to go into helping our community, my people, in the cities and on the reservation. That could be hard for me, because I have to understand the divide between city and reservation. People often say they want to help their community, but you have to do it, especially when you are a Native American, because that is who you are. I am very interested in Native American philosophy and how it fits into law and safety, because I know firsthand how police brutality has affected our community, and I think I might play a role in helping build a bridge of better understanding.

Biographical Information
I was born and raised in Minneapolis, and I am an enrolled member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. I live with my father William Means and my mother Beverly Means. I have three brothers and two sisters. I attended elementary school at Heart of the Earth, middle school at Four Winds, and I am currently attending South High School. As a young girl, I traveled all over the United States and even into Canada to attend AIM meetings and International Indian Treaty Council conferences. I have danced Fancy Shawl since kindergarten, and attended countless Sun Dances in South Dakota.

Community Service
I am Secretary of the Intertribal Council at South High. The Intertribal Council is made up of the Native American students at South High. We work hard to ensure Native American Students' voices are heard throughout the school. I am a peer tutor working with Native American third grade students at Anishinabe Academy, twice a week, on math. For the past two years I have volunteered at South High Alumni pancake breakfast.

Personal Statement
I would like to thank everyone who had a part in my success this year, and a special thank you to the committee of the Clyde Bellecourt Scholarship for believing in me. Coming into this year, I never thought I would make it this far. With the support of my family, friends, and teachers- I have. I plan to become a lawyer, to ensure our people receive the rights promised to them. I hope to one day be able to giveback to the Native American community that taught me so much.

Biographical Information
I am a full-time student, wife, and a mother of three children five and under. This semester I will be a graduate of the Urban Teacher Program, and receive my Associate of Arts Degree next spring.

Community Service
I coach a group of Public Achievement students at Interdistrict Downtown School in Minneapolis. They're interested in reducing the amount of litter around their school and were able to have a trash can placed in front of the school to help meet this goal.

Personal Statement
It's an honor to accept such an award like this.With the support of family and community, I can achieve the goals that I've set, and soon be a leader among the community just as my peers. Miigwetch.