The American Indian College Fund’s New Ad Campaign Gail Heriot

The American Indian College Fund had an ad campaign a little while ago that appealed to me very much.  The ad carried the caption, “Have You Ever Seen a Real Indian?”  In each case, the photo was of a real Indian–a doctor, a lawyer, a screenwriter, a judge, a ballet dancer and a few others.  They were successful people in the larger community.  They also happened to also be tribal members, who were serious about their tribal heritage.  Nicely done.

I’m less thrilled with the new ads–or at least the one that appeared in this week’s Weekly Standard.  Again, it’s  an attractive, full-page, color photo of an individual.  This time the caption reads, “If I Stay on the Rez … I can learn biology in my native language.” Hmmm.  Is that what  the American Indian College Fund is doing with the money?  Establishing separatist colleges that instruct students in their native language?  Hasn’t the country got enough racial separatism in higher education these days?  Isn’t this native language thing a bit over the top?

The American Indian College Fund calls itself “the nation’s largest provider of private scholarships.”  I hope that promoting reservation schools that conduct classes in native languages is not a major project of the Fund.  If it is, it will likely produce fewer, not more young men and women who can be successful in the larger community.