- Details
- By Tribal Business News Staff
- Higher Education
Dartmouth College has launched the Dartmouth Tribal Sovereignty Institute with a $5 million lead gift that will permanently endow its executive director position.
The gift from alumni Tom and Gina Russo anchors a campaign to raise $15 million for the institute. Dartmouth said it has secured $5.5 million in commitments to date.
Announced July 27 during the college's Tribal Leadership Academy, the institute formalizes and expands two initiatives launched in recent years to support tribal governments and Native leaders.
The Tribal Leadership Academy, established in 2023, has convened 45 sitting and newly elected leaders from 43 tribal nations for executive education and peer networking.
The Tribal Services and Solutions Project, launched in 2022, has placed 18 students and recent graduates with 14 tribal nations to work on projects including tribal public finance, access to capital and buffalo herd restoration.
Dartmouth said the institute will serve as a center for research, leadership development and collaboration with tribal nations on priorities including economic development, governance, environmental stewardship and cultural preservation.
A national search is underway for the institute's inaugural executive director, whose endowed position will provide long-term strategic leadership.
The institute builds on Dartmouth's longstanding engagement with Native communities. Since 1970, the college has graduated about 1,500 Native students and enrolls approximately 200 Indigenous students each year representing more than 70 tribal nations.
