The Henry Luce Foundation, in partnership with the First Nations Development Institute, has announced the launch of a Native American leadership fellowship program.

The Native American Leaders Program will provide support to knowledge makers and knowledge keepers serving indigenous communities in the United States through a competitive fellowship program administered by First Nations. Initial support from the foundation will enable First Nations to develop and launch the program, select an initial cohort, and support those leaders during their fellowship experience.

Leaders, as defined broadly in the context of the program, includes spiritual leaders, media makers, scientists and health professionals, academics, curators, artists and writers, and policy makers, and their work can take many forms, including journalism, visual art, film and video, speeches or sermons, educational curricula, music or theater, formal scholarship or research, public health strategies, legal arguments, and policy analysis.

To be selected by a committee of indigenous leaders convened by FNDI, each fellow will receive $50,000 to advance her or his work and will convene with other fellows three times during their fellowship year. In addition, all fellows will be eligible to seek an additional $25,000 to continue their work in the year after their fellowship ends.