AT&T gives $1.5 million in pandemic-related supplies to more than 20 tribal colleges and universities

Tribal colleges and universities on Indian Reservations receive supplies 

DENVER, CO — The American Indian College Fund and the American Indian Higher Education Consortium are receiving $1.5M in pandemic-related supplies including hand sanitizer, disinfectant and gloves. Both organizations are working with AT&T to distribute the supplies to more than 20 tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) across the country. This comes as Native communities face soaring COVID-19 infection rates, rolling lockdowns are enacted on Indian reservations, and tribal community members are having difficulties accessing supplies. Native American communities suffer COVID-19 infection rates greater than 3.5 times that of the white population, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

The American Indian College Fund is the largest provider of scholarships to Native American students in the nation, and the American Indian Higher Education Consortium is the national advocacy organization supporting tribal college and universities. The two organizations worked with AT&T to ship the supplies to the following TCUs, including:

Salish Kootenai College, Montana

White Earth Tribal and Community College, Montana

Blackfeet Community College, Montana

Fort Peck Community College, Montana

Little Big Horn College, Montana

Stone Child College, Montana

The American Indian Higher Education Consortium, Washington, D.C.

College of Menominee Nation, Wisconsin

College of the Muscogee Nation, Oklahoma

Diné College, Arizona

Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College, Minnesota

I?isa?vik College, Alaska

Institute of American Indian Arts, New Mexico

Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe College, Wisconsin

Little Priest Tribal College, Nebraska

Navajo Technical University, New Mexico

Northwest Indian College, Washington

Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College, North Dakota

Oglala Lakota College, South Dakota

Red Lake Nation College, Minnesota

Sinte Gleska University, South Dakota

Tohono O’odham Community College, Arizona

Turtle Mountain Tribal College, North Dakota

“We are glad to play our part to help provide the critical resources Native communities need to survive the COVID-19 pandemic, which has disproportionately affected Native Americans this year,” said Tom Brooks, Vice President of External and Legislative Affairs at AT&T. “There is much more work to be done to ensure Native American communities have access to the resources needed to get through the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. We look forward to continuing this vital work with the American Indian College Fund and American Indian Higher Education Consortium to address this.”

Cheryl Crazy Bull, President and CEO of the American Indian College Fund said, “On behalf of our tribal colleges and universities and our sister organization, the American Indian Higher Education Consortium, I want to share our deep appreciation of AT&T’s gift of pandemic-related supplies for our communities. Our rural, economically distressed communities need support to protect the health and well-being of students and their families. The commitment of AT&T to helping address health and other disparities in the U.S. is demonstrated through their generous support.”

AT&T has been a long supporter of the American Indian College Fund to turn reservations into places of opportunity. The long relationship with the American Indian College Fund has helped Native American students with income and geographical barriers earn a college degree through funded support at the 35 Tribal Colleges and Universities around the country.