(Fremont County, WY) – First Nations Development Institute (First Nations) and The Henry Luce Foundation (Luce) announced on June 3rd the continuation of the Luce Indigenous Knowledge Fellowship with the selection of 13 new Fellows for the 2021 Cohort.
Each person was selected for their work in their knowledge fields, as well as their contribution to this growing Fellowship, which was created in 2019 to honor and support intellectual Native leaders.
Eastern Shoshone Tribal Member Reba Jo Teran, a Shoshone Language Specialist, is one of the 13 selected for the 2021 Cohort.
According to First Nations, “During the Fellowship year, Reba will finalize and register the Eastern Shoshone font and complete an Eastern Shoshone dictionary that will be the foundation of many Shoshone language projects, and will help speakers of the 64 Shoshone bands reference their words and remember lost words. She will also re-record 7,000 audio files that have been compromised by background noise or other interference. These language audio files will be converted to MP3 files and stored for safe keeping, future distribution and public access.”
First Nations President and CEO Michael Roberts said First Nations has always been about restoring the ability of tribes and Indigenous people to take control of their assets, which is highly tied to Native culture and tradition, and that the Luce Indigenous Knowledge Fellowship is integral to that philosophy and practice.
“Working with the Luce Foundation, we can stand behind these leaders who are culture bearers in their communities, and we hope this Fellowship allows us to stand with them so that they may focus on their work, amplify it, and make it even more powerful,” he said.
Sean T. Buffington, Vice President of the Luce Foundation, added that the Fellowship is an investment both in individuals and in their broader communities. “These knowledge makers and knowledge keepers are passionate, creative, and committed. With the support and community the Fellowship provides, they can continue to deepen and extend their work and strengthen Native America through their leadership.”
Selected fellows receive a monetary award of $75,000 and access to additional resources for training and professional development. They also commit to meeting regularly throughout the first year of the Fellowship to share and grow their knowledge, projects, and drive to achieve their personal and community goals.
The 2021 cohort of Luce Indigenous Knowledge Fellows were selected by an Indigenous advisory committee. 13 candidates were selected from over 450 applicants in a competitive, two-application, peer-reviewed process.
To view the complete list of Fellows for the 2021 Cohort and read additional information about the Fellowship, click here.