The University of California announced the Native American Opportunity Plan which covers tuition and fees for California students from federally-recognized tribes. In announcing the plan, President Drake acknowledged the historical wrongs endured by Native Americans, though not the ways in which UC has benefitted as a result of those wrongs. Free tuition for California Native Americans was one of the recommendations in the report "The University of California Land Grab: A Legacy of Profit from Indigenous Land," co-authored by UCB Native American Student Development and ISSI's Myers Center. The new UC plan is a big step in that direction but leaves out the many California Native Americans who are not from federally-recognized tribes. Fortunately, the Federated Indians of Graton Ranchería have created a scholarship fund to cover tuition and fees for these students.
June 15, 2022