The Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria in Northern California has made the largest scholarship donation in history by an Indian tribe to a university, $15 million, to the UCLA School of Law’s Native Nations Law and Policy Center.
The scholarship will be used to advance the study of Indian law.
Greg Saris, chairman of the tribe, declared, “Tribal law is a cornerstone of Native Americans’ quest for equality and inclusion within the U.S. justice system.” He added, “UCLA’s commitment to educating and preparing the next generation of tribal legal advocates is personally known to me, as an alumnus and former UCLA professor. We hope this gift will begin the drive for equality for our people in our native land. It’s particularly fitting that our announcement coincides with this Friday’s California Native American Day, which celebrates and honors the historic and cultural contributions by California Native Americans.”
The donation will support five full-tuition scholarships for each of the law school’s three classes. The goal is to help recruit young Native American students to pursue careers as tribal legal advocates.
Gene Block, UCLA Chancellor, commented, “This gift allows us to recruit the very best candidates to pursue their legal education at UCLA and prepare for careers as impactful advocates for Native Nations.”
For five decades the UCLA Law school has developed courses and programs in Indian law. A UCLA faculty member wrote the first legal casebook in federal Indian law.
