Holland & Knight Charitable Foundation Announces Annual Young Native Writers Essay Contest - 10th Year Anniversary

WASHINGTON (February 26, 2015) - The Holland & Knight Charitable Foundation is pleased to announce the call for essays in its 10th annual Young Native Writers Essay Contest. The Foundation partners with the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) and the National Indian Education Association (NIEA) to sponsor this national writing contest.

During the week of July 20, 2015, the contest winners will receive an all-expenses-paid "Scholar Week" trip to Washington, D.C. The group's activities will include an honor ceremony at NMAI; a tour of the NMAI Cultural Resources Center where tribal objects can be viewed and studied; educational symposia for students and their teachers; and a tour of the U.S. Capitol. Winners will also receive a $2,500 scholarship to be paid to the college or university of their choice.

"The Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian is proud to be involved in a program that inspires high school students to think innovatively about their Native communities," said Kevin Gover (Pawnee), NMAI director. "Each year we look forward to honoring the winners at our building on the National Mall as well as offering them special tours and programs."

"The National Indian Education Association is honored to once again work with Holland & Knight and the National Museum of the American Indian on this exceptional program," said Anhiwake Rose, executive director of the NIEA (Cherokee and Muscogee). "NIEA is dedicated to ensuring that every Native student has the opportunity to succeed and through this scholarship program, we will be assisting one young leader on their journey."

The contest debuted in 2006 in Red Lake, Minn., in response to the March 2005 fatal shooting by a Red Lake High School student of five fellow students, a teacher, a security guard, members of his family and then himself. Holland & Knight's Charitable Foundation, through its Opening Doors for Children initiative, developed this contest with the hope that the Red Lake community would find healing by promoting its rich culture and traditions. In the following years, the program has evolved to serve all Native American communities.

For 2015, students are being asked to write about one or more of the cultural images, symbols, or art forms that have been historically used by the student’s community (American Indian, Alaska Native or Native Hawaiian) to serve a specific purpose or to communicate a particular message or value. The essay should:

• Describe the image(s), symbol(s) or art forms (hereinafter, collectively, "image");
• Explain how the image was historically used by the student’s community;
• Reflect on the student’s own experience with the image; and
• Suggest why or how the image is still relevant today to the reservation, tribal town or Native community where the image originates.

The contest is designed to encourage young Native American writers to explore their heritage. It is open to Native American high school students from all Native communities.

Those students who are interested in participating can visit the Holland & Knight Young Native Writers Essay Contest website for official contest rules and to view past winning essays. All essays must be submitted electronically by the entry deadline, April 15, 2015, through the contest website. Up to five contest winners will be announced in mid-May.

About the Holland & Knight Charitable Foundation, Inc.:  The Holland & Knight Charitable Foundation, Inc. was created in 1996 to support our increasing charitable activities. The Foundation is a public charity under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3). The financial support of the Foundation comes from Holland & Knight LLP, our individual employees, our clients, our partner corporations and other members of the general public. http://www.hklaw.com/Charitable-Giving/

About NIEA: The National Indian Education Association (NIEA) is the most representative and inclusive Native education organization in the United States. NIEA's principal goal is to advance comprehensive and equal educational opportunities for American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian students. Through this vision, NIEA supports sovereignty over education by strengthening traditional Native cultures and values that enable Native learners to become contributing members of their communities. www.niea.org

About the National Museum of the American Indians:  A diverse and multifaceted cultural and educational enterprise, the National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) is an active and visible component of the Smithsonian Institution, the world's largest museum complex. The NMAI cares for one of the world's most expansive collections of Native artifacts, including objects, photographs, archives, and media covering the entire Western Hemisphere.  The National Museum of the American Indian operates three facilities.

• The museum on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., offers exhibition galleries and spaces for performances, lectures and symposia, research, and education.
• The George Gustav Heye Center (GGHC) in New York City houses exhibitions, research, educational activities, and performing arts programs.
• The Cultural Resources Center (CRC) in Suitland, Maryland, houses the museum's collections as well as the conservation, repatriation, and digital imaging programs, and research facilities.