Rumsey gift a boost to Native American studies

Students in the Native American Studies program at Sacramento State will be the beneficiaries of a $250,000 gift from the Rumsey Community Fund. The Fund is the philanthropic arm of the Rumsey Band of Wintun Indians, operators of Cache Creek Indian Bingo and Casino.

The Rumsey Tribe has been frequent supporter of scholarships at Sacramento State, but this gift from the Community Fund is their largest contribution to the University, says Vince Sales, associate vice president for development.

The gift includes $100,000 that will be added to the Ethnics Studies Department’s Rumsey Endowed Native American Studies California Indian Scholarship. Fifteen $1,000 scholarships have been awarded to Sacramento State students over the past three years, says Native American and Ethnic Studies Professor Annette Reed.

An additional $150,000 will be placed in another endowment to support activities in the Ethnic Studies Department’s Native American Studies program. Reed says the funds will help support a lecture series to bring speakers to campus who will address topics in both Native American Studies and California Indian Studies.

The Native American Studies program is also in the early stages of developing a potential California Indian Studies Center at the University. The proposed center, which would be dedicated to research, scholarship and educational programs focusing upon tribal nations indigenous to California, grew out of many years of planning. A planning committee with a history of involvement with California nations and community members includes Reed, Ethnic Studies and Native American Studies Professors Frank La Pena, Brian Baker and Nicole Myers Lim; History Professor Charles Roberts; AAC/EOP Program Coordinator Ricardo Torres; and several students and alumni who are involved in California Native Studies.

For more information on giving to Sacramento State, contact the Development Office at 278-6989 or visit www.csus.edu/giving/.