Arianna and Hannah Yellowthunder Scholarship/Fellowship Awards

Named after the relatives of one of the major donors, the Yellowthunder Scholarship Fund was established in the mid-1980s, and now has more than $230,000 in endowed assets.  During the past thirty years, 58 UCLA students—graduate and undergraduate—have benefited from the scholarships. Students are selected on the basis of their academic preparation, emphasizing the history and culture of the American Indian, and must be planning to enter a career related to American Indian tribal communities and institutions. Awardees must also demonstrate an exemplary record of involvement with the American Indian community, both on and off campus, as well as leadership skills and financial need.

2007–2008 Awardees

Angelo Sandoval

Angelo will be a senior in political science with minors in philosophy and American Indian Studies. Angelo served as outreach coordinator for the American Indian Student Association, mentee for Retention of American Indians Now, supervisor/coordinator for American Indian Recruitment, vice-chair of the Student Initiated Access Committee, and general member of Samahang Pilipino. He has also served as an intern for the Community Programs Office. This spring, he has been elected to serve as president of AISA for the 2007–08 academic year. Angelo is exploring different joint-degree programs, such as the MA in American Indian Studies and JD in law at UCLA, and the public policy and law (MPP/JD) at Berkeley, working on issues that are relevant to American Indian communities. “I need to understand the systems that control the world around me . . . I need to develop my ability to challenge things . . . I have to have an understanding of where I fit in this world . . . I will work on issues that are directly relevant to the American Indian community.”

Kari Mans

Kari will be a second-year MA student in American Indian Studies. Kari graduated cum laude in history, American Studies, and American Indian Studies from California State University, Long Beach. She served as secretary for the American Indian Graduate Students Association, as volunteer with the Acjachemen Nation, and worked for Wendy Teeter, curator of archaeology with the UCLA Fowler Museum, on compliance for the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. Kari was awarded a Graduate Opportunity Fellowship and is a member of the Golden Key Honour Society. Her career goals include helping both federally and non-federally recognized tribes regain their cultural resources and develop cultural resource programs to fit the needs of those tribes. “Education is essential to navigate the federal and state laws regarding cultural resources; and to learn the operations
of museums and other institutions that withhold cultural resources from Native tribes is imperative to negotiate and demand for the return of such items.”

Jessica O’Neill
A-YU-KWI, NEQ-NA is from the Yurok Reservation in northern California. She completed her BA in Native American Studies at Humboldt State University, and will be a second-year MA student in American Indian Studies. Jessica served as co-chair for the American Indian Graduate Students Association. She began her volunteer service early with the Johnson-O’Malley Program of the Trinidad Rancheria, and this past year with the American Indian Student Association, Supporting Undergraduate Natives, American Indian Recruitment, and Retention of American Indians Now.  For an MA thesis project, Jessica proposes to compile a demographic study with historical information tracing the cultural heritage, history, and contemporary expressions of the Yurok people and their reservation. After graduation, she intends to go on to a Ph.D. program and devote her future to advancing the understanding of the Yurok culture, traditions, and people. “I intend to return to assist in increasing my tribe’s capacity to educate tribal members and the public on the importance of preserving their cultural past for future generations.”