Native American populations have traditionally been the most poverty hit section of the U.S population with relatively little funding and development in comparison to other demographic populations. However this is beginning to change for the better with the increasing number of grants available to Native American people.

Indigenous American grants are free monetary incentives either from government or private sources dedicated to improving the quality of life of the Native American people; it is given as a way of encouraging Indian American development in certain areas. These areas vary widely and include but are not limited to education, cultural activities, housing as well as many others, but we're most concerned with the educational grants.

What are they?

Native American grants as the name might imply are sources of financial funding only available to people of Native American descent. The intending recipient must have strong birth ties to a federal government recognized tribe; members of Indian tribes in Canada are also eligible. These ties can be determined in a number of ways. Most tribal ties are determined by the tribes themselves so if you are interested in a Native American grant you should get in touch with your tribal leader. They will be of help in establishing your eligibility for such grants.

You can get in touch with your tribal leader through the bureau of Indian affairs and if you're recognized as a member of the tribe you'll be issued with a certificate of Indian blood document (CIB). A tribal enrollment card is also accepted as a means of proving your American Indian origins. You can meet with older relatives to help in determining your tribal heritage.

Establishing your identity as a person of Native American descent is the first and probably the most important step in getting this free grant money as without proof of your Indian heritage funding will most likely be denied. Other additional criteria criteria might exist but it all depends on the individual grant provider.

Finding Native American grant providers

As soon as you have established your roots with documents, you are then free to move on to the next stage of finding providers of Native American grants. An internet search is all you to need to turn up a good number of results. All you have to do then is look up all the providers and sort out which ones you're feel you're most eligible for. You are most likely qualified to apply for most of these grants as a Native American but like I mentioned earlier, there are often other factors that determine your chances of actually receiving these allocations.

A prominent provider of Native American grants is the SEVA foundation. Their objective is to eliminate disease and poverty in the indigenous American population. They have highlighted some key areas where they believe a difference can be made.

These areas are:
• Cultural development
• Youth development
• Education
• Economic aid
• Environmental awareness
• Health and wellness

SEVA takes areas underfunded by other organizations and government as priorities. You can look up their website for more details of their activities in respect to the Native American community.

Other available resources for Indian American funding especially dedicated to educational development are:

Bureau of Indian affairs/Bureau of Indian education (BIA/BIE) grant:
Students who are at least ¼ blood Indians are eligible for this grant. In addition the school administrator has to file a NEEDS assessment, meaning the student must register for financial aid. Yearly grant awards range from between $500 to $4000. This grant is offered through 28 institutions nationwide. You can get in touch with them for more enquiries.

American Indian College fund
These grants are given in collaboration with the 30 accredited tribal colleges nationwide. They provide approximately 6000 scholarships yearly.

Indian health service scholarship program
This scholarship provides students of Indian descent with tuition payment, fees, books, health insurance and many other benefits. However it is usually awarded to students majoring in health services, engineering and accounting fields.

Indian resource development is another useful online aid for Indigenous American students who are need information on available grants. It is an official publication of the New Mexico state university. It is available for free to students of the school but for a small fee to students from other schools.

The application process for Indian American grants are similar and might include the following documents as requirements for applying.
• A recent colored passport photo
• Any proof of tribal descent
• Official college transcripts
• Recommendation letter from a tribal elder or leader
• Financial needs analysis form

Required documents might vary slightly from the ones listed so be sure to include any additional ones. Any information filled should always be accurate and up-to-date. All grant applications have their deadlines so be sure you keep the specific dates for in mind. Make sure your applications are filled and submitted on time otherwise you would be considered as ineligible for the award that year.