Northern Arapaho Endowment Funds

There are many opportunities for the University of Wyoming and the Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone people to work together in ways that empower tribes, nurture innovation for Native American sustainability, and demonstrate respect for the tribe’s cultures, traditions, laws, and diverse expressions of sovereignty.

In 1984, the Northern Arapaho Tribe received funds from the settlement of a lawsuit against the State of Wyoming and various oil companies. The suit dealt with the collection of extraction taxes paid by the oil companies when they removed oil from tribal lands.

The concept of contributing a portion of the funds received to the University of Wyoming and having it doubled by matching money set aside by the Wyoming Legislature from the Centennial Fund Match was discussed. One of the early supporters of the vision to help Northern Arapaho students gain a college education was Dr. Pius Moss, a teacher of Northern Arapaho culture at St. Stephen's Indian School. He believed that the future of the tribe depended on tribal members being well educated and able to do battle with strong minds and clear thinking rather than with bows and arrows and physical force. 

Income from the Fund shall be expended primarily to provide scholarships for undergraduate and graduate students of the university and may also be used to fund any of the distinguished professorships and departmental chairs which have the prior approval of both the University and the Committee. The Committee shall have broad discretion in determining how to best accomplish the general purpose of the Fund.

Student eligibility for scholarship support will be determined by the Northern Arapaho Tribe.