Hopi Education Endowment Fund & Osprey's Bears Ears Daylite™

Featuring original work commissioned by artist, musician and former Hopi Vice Chairman Clark Tenakhongva, our special-edition Bears Ears Daylite™ tells the unique story of Bears Ears. As part of this release, Osprey is donating $10,000 to the Hopi Education Endowment Fund for scholarships in Hopi language, history and archaeology. Watch below to hear from Clark and his inspiration behind the art featured on this pack, and read more about the mission and focus of the Hopi Education Endowment Fund.

Hopi Education Endowment Fund

The Hopi Education Endowment Fund (HEEF) grows and protects the HEEF endowment, for the purpose of college scholarships and educational attainment for people of the Hopi Tribe. The Hopi Tribe is one of 22 federally recognized Tribes in the state of Arizona. Hopi villages not only are some of the oldest communities in Arizona, but in the United States. The village of Oraibi has been credited as the oldest continuously inhabited community in the United States by anthropologists. Hopi people have done their best to maintain their language and Hopi way of life, while adapting to modern living.

Presently, higher education has become a demand on Hopi, and the HEEF Staff and Board Members work together in devising fundraising strategies and wise investment decisions to meet the need. Hopi students have become very diverse, some having lived their entire lives on the reservation, while other students are being raised off the reservation, away from their culture and language. The Hopi Tribe had been a non-gaming Tribe deriving operations revenue from mining historically. Hopi Tribal leadership in the late 1990’s understood the mining revenue could cease and that there would be a need to fund education.

In 2000, the Hopi Tribe approved Ordinance 54 which is the law that created the Hopi Education Endowment Fund. Since then, the fund has grown and is currently valued at $30 million dollars, giving hope that it will last long into the future to give Hopi people an opportunity to pursue higher education. Many Hopi students would not be able to pursue their educational dreams without assistance from the HEEF. Kyle Secakuku, a current HEEF Scholar stated “Having scholarships allowed me to pay more attention to school.” And recent college graduate, Traci Nahsonhoya states “I cannot express how thankful I am for grants and scholarships. My college years were less stressful that I didn’t have to pay for school.”

The HEEF has been fortunate to award over $500,000 in scholarships annually, which equals to approximately 120 scholarship awards. Scholarships have been vital to students, but recently, because of the COVID 19 Pandemic, the HEEF learned that student needs go beyond educational scholarships. Hopi students, especially those who grew up on the reservation, must adjust to living in a new place. Being away from home, emotional, and positive encouragement are needed to help students with their education. During the pandemic, Student Care Packages were sent out, at first with items needed for the classroom, such as planners, note pads, pens, jump drives etc. Then the HEEF realized through a student survey, that students incurred stress through the pandemic, and shifted to stress relief items, such as adult coloring books, games, puzzles, and children’s toys.

What was unique about the second round of Care Packages was the inclusion of spiritual items. Ngamapi (juniper leaves) used to smudge, and to make tea was provided for students. Ngamapi is used for cleansing the physical body as well as spiritual cleansing. While students are away from Hopi, it can be difficult for them to obtain items such as ngamapi. This year, with a generous grant from the Hopi Foundation, the HEEF again was able to send Care Packages, with classroom items, stress relief items, in addition to hygiene items and snacks. Homa (white corn meal) and hohoysi (wild tea) were added for additional spiritual support, as the meal is used for prayer, and tea for consumption.

Current HEEF Scholar Debbie Namoki shares “I just got home to find a care package from HEEF! The thought that went into this package was evident. Those touches of “HOME” like the homa, hohoysi, ngamapi, etc. made it extra special.” The HEEF could not do this work without the generous support of Donors, Hopi Members, Sponsors and Business Partners.  Throughout the year, the HEEF fundraises utilizing various campaigns to keep the endowment healthy. The success of our students demonstrates that the support given to the HEEF is working and allowing the mission to be fulfilled.

The HEEF is a 7871 (a), a unique non-profit status afforded by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), allowing the HEEF to report directly to the Hopi Tribe, rather than the state of Arizona. This is tremendous, as this designation recognizes the sovereignty of the Hopi Tribe, giving them the power to regulate their own non-profit entities. Donors of the HEEF benefit, as this non-profit status, gives the same tax break benefits as 501-c 3 organizations. In 2007, the HEEF was recognized by the Harvard Project in American Indian Economic Development as a best practice for the trail blazing work done by the HEEF. This model has been an inspiration, as non-profit organizations from other Tribes have reached out to the HEEF, to learn, to possibly replicate this model. 

Featuring original work commissioned by artist, musician and former Hopi Vice Chairman Clark Tenakhongva, our special-edition Bears Ears Daylite™(Opens in a new window) tells the unique story of Bears Ears. As part of this release, Osprey is donating to the Hopi Education Endowment Fund for scholarships in Hopi language, history and archaeology. Learn more and view the collection!