Current response strategies that are available to solve poverty include the following: improving educational outcomes, promoting economic development, and facilitating self-sufficiency/ self-governance.
Improving Educational Outcomes
The American Indian College Fund (The AICF) is a non-profit organization that provides Native students with funding for college education, and establishes programs promoting cultural preservation, leadership skills, early childhood education, and internships (American Indian College Fund, 2016). This fund is made possible through community effort and governance by Cheryl Crazy Bull (President and Chief Executive Officer), Dr.David E. Yarlott, Jr. serves as the Chair(President, Little Big Horn College), Joe Canfora (CEO, Merit Management Group) and a board of trustees. In order for this fund to work, it needs to have major resources. These resources include funding for scholarships/ programs and marketing, expert staff for management, and spreading cultural knowledge/ skills, resources for establishing programs in colleges and schools. These resources are funded by cash/ cash equivalent donations, grants from companies (Nissan, Disney, and AT&T) or foundations (Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Lumina Foundation for Education, and the Coca-Cola Foundation). This fund is only eligible to groups who meet the critera because they are expected to pay back to their communities. If they meet the following criterea the person can take advantage of the fund:
- “U.S. citizens or Canadians eligible to attend college in the U.S. under provisions of the Jay Treaty
- Enrolled in a certificate, associates, bachelors, or graduate program at an accredited tribal, public, or private (non-profit) college or university
- Full-time enrollment (Full Circle applicants only).
- Registered as a member of a federal or state recognized tribe, or a descendant of at least one grandparent or parent who is an enrolled tribal member; Alaska Natives may use Native Corporation membership. You can use this website to trace Indian ancestry.
- Minimum cumulative grade point average of a 2.0 is required for the Full Circle Scholarship Program, but not for the TCU Scholarship Program (this excludes the TCU General Fund Scholarship).
- Cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or higher is required for most scholarships (TCU Scholarship Program may have exceptions; contact your financial aid office for more details)” (American Indian College Fund, 2016).
Promoting Economic Development
The Helping Expedite and Advance Responsible Tribal Homeownership (HEARTH) allows Native Americans to lease their lands, which can be used for housing, agricultural, and business needs, without approval from the Secretary of State (Warner, 2016, p.1031). The government is used to support this specific act and funds it so it can be beneficial. However, expert staff are need to provide tribes with knowledge on how leasing land works. HEARTH promotes self-governence of tribal governments by allowing the, to implement their own leasing regulations and ensuring timely lease approvals for businesses, housing, education, etc. The recipient groups of the HEARTH Act are individual landowners, and tribes that were given the opportunity for investment and expansion of their businesses. Specific rules created to recieve these services is that the tibe's leasing regulations must be approved by the Secretary of the Interior beofre being permitted to lease without further approvals. According to the Congressional Budget Office, in 2011, the estimated cost was up to $142 million. The politcal cost was power over land which was given to Tribal government from Federal government. The social cost would be that it is more beneficial to work at an individual level with this social service, thus taking away from the importance of social dependence on others in the tribe, and detracting from the importance of social interaction and teamwork in this culture (BIA, 2016).
Facilitating Self-Sufficiency/ Self-Governance
Running Strong for American Indian Youth is a non-profit organization that provides basic needs to Native American people and promotes their “self-sufficiency and self- esteem” (Running Strong for American Indian Youth, 2016). It also emphasizes the importance of youth programs and Native American leadership for preserving their language and culture. Volunteers and community efforts support this organization to being the best it can be. Money, donations, Native American teachers, volunteers, school supplies, essential items (water, food, blankets, shoes, hygiene products, clothes), and seasonal/ emergency supplies are some of the major resources the organization needs to maintain strong. To make this possible, they receive more than half of their revenue from Christian Relief Services, Inc, and the rest from the public through cash donations, grants, wills, campaigns, etc. The specific services that Running Strong provides because of this funding are safe housing, clean water, organic food, essential items, seasonal needs (coats, heat, etc. in severe weather), quality and culture-focused education, emotional support, self- sufficiency, and self- esteem. Women and youth are provided these services and they must be Native Americans to recieve services. The economic cost of the organization is the total expenses of Running Strong which was approximately 2.6 million for the year of 2013. The political cost is that it allows the politcal world to ignore those who recieve the services to a certain extent, as they are not involved in the process. The social cost is the dependence on those in society who help such as volunteers and donors (Running Strong for American Indian Youth).