Scholarship Covers Tuition and All Expenses
DENVER, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Jade Araujo, an enrolled member of the Wampanoag
Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) in Massachusetts and a descendant of the Tlingit
and Koyukon Athabascan tribes in Alaska, is the third person to have been
awarded the American Indian College
Fund Law School Scholarship. Araujo is a senior at Stanford University who will graduate in June with
a degree in political science and will enter Harvard Law School in
the fall. She is the daughter of Todd
Araujo (Aquinnah Wampanoag) and Jaeleen Kookesh (Tlingit and Koyukon
Athabascan).
The American Indian College Fund Law
School Scholarship was funded by a $1
million gift from an anonymous donor. It covers tuition and
all costs of attendance for an American Indian or Alaska Native law
student enrolled in Harvard Law School's three-year course of
study. The scholarship goal is to eliminate financial hurdles
to earning a Juris Doctor degree at Harvard Law School and to
increase the number of Natives with a law degree to ensure the
rights of Indigenous people and their nations are upheld. Araujo is
the third scholar to receive this prestigious scholarship from the
College Fund.
She credits Eleanor Hebert
(Aquinnah Wampanoag), her paternal grandmother, for igniting her
interest to attend Harvard Law School. Araujo says she is
interested in the rigor and level of academic resources at
Harvard, as well as its history with
and proximity to the Aquinnah Wampanoag tribal lands on
Martha's Vineyard. The first
Native American graduate of Harvard
University, Caleb Cheeshahteaumuck, was Aquinnah Wampanoag.
Araujo notes she also has Cape Verdean ancestry and is drawn to
Boston's large Cape Verdean
community.
Araujo comes from a family with a background steeped in the law.
Both of Araujo's parents attended law school and her father was the
first-ever Aquinnah Wampanoag attorney. Her late maternal
grandfather, Albert Kookesh, was one
of first Alaska Natives to attend law school and was a fierce
advocate for Alaska Native rights. Araujo was raised in
Juneau, Alaska on Tlingit land. It
was there, she said, surrounded by Alaska Native leaders like her
mother and grandfather, where she was inspired by the innovative
ways tribes can use the law to protect their cultures and secure
their futures.
As an intern for U.S. Senator Elizabeth
Warren (Massachusetts),
Araujo learned the skills needed to be an effective government
leader. She conducted background research for the Honoring Promises
to Native Nations Act—legislation that would reaffirm the
nation-to-nation relationship between the federal government and
Tribal Nations and strengthen federal programs that support Native
communities, such as Native education, health care, and housing.
She also interned at the White House in the Office of Legislative
Affairs, where she met members of Congress and wrote memoranda for
White House staff on Congressional hearings and events.
Araujo's experience in Washington,
D.C. gave her valuable insight into the need for a
background in, and knowledge about, important policy issues and how
they will impact citizens. She also began to understand the
importance of communicating with constituents about how laws will
be implemented, as it often takes time for the impact of the law to
be seen.
Araujo's main interest is constitutional law. "I have seen the
ways Supreme Court decisions have impacted Tribal communities, such
as Oklahoma v. Castro-Huerta,
which limited tribal sovereignty." Whether it is the Indian Child
Welfare Act, water rights, or jurisdiction over cases involving
missing and murdered Indigenous women, she believes Native people
schooled in the law are needed to represent their communities, as
much of what happens in Indian Country hangs on the decisions of
the nine Supreme Court justices.
In addition to Indian Country needing more Native lawyers,
Araujo said more Native law clerks are needed at the federal level
because many judges and justices have little experience with
Federal Indian law. She explained that this gives rise to
"confusing and contradictory decisions that undermine tribal
sovereignty at almost every turn." She added, "I would also love to
see a Native Supreme Court justice!"
It is not just lawyers, judges, justices, and legislators that
are important in safeguarding Native communities' rights. Every
citizen plays a role through their vote, making it important that
Native people register and cast their ballots. "People's voices
inform elected officials as to where to go with their policy."
In her spare time, Araujo enjoys spending time with her family.
In addition to her parents, she has a twin sister (Maya) attending
the University of California, Los
Angeles and a younger brother (Antone) who will graduate
from high school next month. Jade says they provide her with the
most humor and support in her life. She also loves movies and
dancing. She participated in a traditional Tlingit dance group
throughout her childhood. She is currently a member of the Stanford
American Indian Organization, Alaska Native Student Association,
and Stanford Women Politics, which connects her to women on campus
interested in law and policy. She also spent a quarter abroad in
Madrid, Spain through Stanford's overseas studies program. There, she was
a practicum student at Fundación Mujeres—a foundation for women's
rights—on their violence prevention team.
"I am so honored and humbled to have been chosen to receive this
scholarship," Araujo said.
About the American Indian College
Fund— The American Indian
College Fund has been the nation's largest charity
supporting Native higher education for 34 years. The College Fund
believes "Education is the answer" and provided $17.4 million in scholarships and other direct
student support to American Indian students in 2022-23. Since its
founding in 1989 the College Fund has provided more than
$319 million in scholarships,
programs, community, and tribal college support. The College Fund
also supports a variety of academic and support programs at the
nation's 35 accredited tribal colleges and universities, which are
located on or near Indian
reservations, ensuring students have the tools to graduate and
succeed in their careers. The College Fund consistently receives
top ratings from independent charity evaluators and is one of the
nation's top 100 charities named to the Better Business Bureau's
Wise Giving Alliance. For more information about the American Indian College Fund, please visit
www.collegefund.org.
Journalists—The American Indian College Fund does not use the
acronym AICF. On second reference, please use the College
Fund.
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SOURCE American Indian College
Fund