October 10, 2022

Dear SCU Community:

Today, on this Indigenous People’s Day, we are honored to announce that Santa Clara University has established the Ohlone & Muwekma Ohlone Student Scholarship Fund with an initial investment of $100,000.

This new endowed scholarship will help to recruit, retain, and educate Indigenous undergraduate students, to further diversify the Santa Clara campus community and honor and support our Ohlone partners. This is a need-based scholarship with priority granted to Ohlone and Muwekma Ohlone students, though open to all Native students whether from a federally recognized tribe or non-federally recognized tribe.

Since Santa Clara University sits on the ancestral lands of the Ohlone and Muwekma Ohlone people, it is only fitting that we establish such a scholarship as we commit to deepening our engagement with our Indigenous heritage and legacy. This scholarship has been a long-term goal of many within the community. This scholarship was inspired as a result of the first Indigenous People’s Day event at SCU in October 2018 and was endorsed by the Ohlone History Working group in their 2020 report. We are grateful for the support from the University leadership in helping to make this goal become a reality. A special thanks to President Julie Sullivan, Vice President Shá Duncan Smith, Vice President Jim Lyons, and former Acting President Lisa Kloppenberg for their efforts.

As co-coordinators of the Ohlone Initiatives Implementation efforts, we are excited to be able to personally support this scholarship and encourage you to join us by supporting SCU Native students by making a gift to the Ohlone & Muwekma Ohlone Student Scholarship Fund. 

Any gift will make a difference in helping to transform Santa Clara University and provide a pathway for the next generation of Ohlone and Muwekma Ohlone youth. 

With gratitude for your support,

Lauren Baines, Interim Director of the deSaisset Museum & Co-Coordinator, Ohlone Initiatives Implementation 

Ray Plaza, Director, Office for Diversity and Inclusion & Co-Coordinator, Ohlone Initiatives Implementation