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AISA
Taylor Abrahamson, 18, nutrition, winds up to roll her ball down a lane at Sunset Bowling Center Friday, Dec. 7, during the American Indian Student Alliance’s family game
night. Students and their families bowled free of charge at Sunset in an effort to increase student involvement with the club. Gabe Green/Sentinel
Alex Rodal-Cubillas Staff Writer
The American Indian Student Alliance created the Che’nshish scholarship designed to help enrolled and descendent Native American students attend college.
This year, AISA raised $20,000 for the Che’nshish scholarship through fundraising events and in the last three years since the scholarship began has raised close to $60,000.
The Che’nshish scholarship was started in 2010 by AISA members and club president Tim Clark with money given to AISA by the Kootenai Tribe meant to sponsor the club.
AISA does a lot of events on campus such as the American Indian heritage week, to raise awareness about Native culture and ultimately raise funds for the Che’nshish scholarship.
“Our goal on campus is to bring awareness to Native American culture and the awareness that there are Native American students that go here,” said AISA treasurer Brock Boutain
Club alumni, AISA family members and individuals from other clubs such as the Latino Club, and the Gay Straight Alliance have also had a hand in helping raise funds for the Che’nshish Scholarship.
“We welcome everybody to be part of the committee and also be part of the club,” said AISA advisor Evanlene Melting Tallow.
AISA also does the annual Yapqi’nm beach cleanup started by AISA alumni and Coeur d’Alene tribal member Jason Smith. The event focuses on cleaning the beach surrounding the NIC campus, which used to be part of the Coeur d’Alene Tribe homeland.
“I think what makes us different is how active we are in the community we have a lot of volunteer events that we do and also we want to stand out as Native Americans, we want to teach not only other clubs but the campus about Native culture as individuals,” said Boutain.
There are currently around 15 active AISA members, not including alumni who are still involved in AISA and help with events as well as family members.
“I’ve seen such a growth with students being part of the club,” Melting Tallow said.
AISA encourages Native and non-Native students alike to join. The club hosts multiple cultural events that are meant to educate the community on the different traditions of Native Tribes.
In honor of the holiday season, AISA will also be sponsoring and delivering gifts to families on the Coeur d’Alene reservation as well as donating gifts to St. ASNIC.
AISA anonymously donates presents to three different families on the reservation to six children between the ages of two and 16.
Each receiving child will be given three to four gifts from AISA consisting of jackets, snow pants, boots, other clothing and toys.
“As a Coeur d’Alene Tribal member, I feel great being able to do this,” said AISA president Amanda Johnson.
This is the second year AISA is involved in sponsoring families for the holiday and has taken on two more families since their first year in which only one family was sponsored.
Last year, AISA received a phone call from one of the organizers of the Christmas coalition from the CDA tribe and asked if AISA was interested in sponsoring a family.
AISA advisors and members found this to be a good opportunity to give back to the community and jumped right on it.
“It’s really nice to be able to pay it forward,” said Johnson
Excited by the opportunity to give back to the community all AISA members worked together as a group and took part in a shopping trip to buy presents for these families.
“The Kootenai tribe has been there for us, giving us money so we can turn around and use that money for something good,” Johnson said.
At the moment AISA has 25 presents to wrap and is looking for volunteers to help wrap these presents on December 11-12.
Students interested in volunteering are encouraged to contact AISA down stairs in the SUB or advisor Evanlene Melting Tallow.
