"With a $3.7 million grant from the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, the University of Redlands embarks this fall on a partnership with local tribes to help more Native American youths attend and graduate from college.

The grant created a $1.7 million endowed chair for Native American Studies at the university.

The rest of the money will fund scholarships for Indian youths to attend the small, private university. It also will add two posts for outreach to Inland tribes and to help Native American first-time college students make the transition to campus life.

I was privileged this week to attend the first meeting of San Manuel and Soboba officials with the newly appointed chair, Lawrence Gross, who will develop a curriculum based on tribal cultures of the region."

Get the Story:
Cassie MacDuff: Redlands: University, tribes share (The Riverside Press-Enterprise 8/25)