After a decade operating heavy machines in the construction industry, Brown decided to continue his formal education and is currently pursuing an associate arts degree in fisheries and wildlife at Washington state-based Spokane Community College.
According to John Dentler, KGASF executive director: “Joe has all the qualifications we look for in a candidate, including a dream of working closely with the Coeur d’Alene Tribe’s natural resource programmes.”
Dentler added that Brown is dedicated to his family, his community and his tribe.
Apemesim Galipeau worked with Penobscot Nation youth for six years: coaching competitive canoeing, engaging in planning and outreach to improve the health of tribal members, and tutoring students after school. He then enrolled at the University of Maine at Orono’s ecology and environmental studies programme, with plans to work for the Penobscot Nation in natural resources.
As Dentler noted: “Apemesim embodies Kurt Grinnell’s commitment to youth, and his recommendations, reflect that he is both eager to learn and highly motivated.”
KGASF Board Chair Jaiden Grinnell Bosick, daughter of the late Kurt Grinnell, and head of the Scholarship Selection Committee, added: “We are so pleased to see students such as Joe and Apemesim pursue an education in natural resources. They, like previous scholarship recipients, are committed to the long-term welfare of their Tribe's and Nation's natural resources. My father would have been so proud of them.”
Kurt Grinnell, a Native American leader from the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe in Washington State, passed away suddenly in 2021. He viewed aquaculture and natural resources as a solution to tribal food security, indigenous reconciliation, tribal sovereignty, and overall wellbeing. Toward that end, KGASF provides financial assistance to tribal and First Nation students who wish to pursue careers in aquaculture and natural resources.
