September 7, 2024
The Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation on Friday announced the launch of the Momhi Scholarship Fund, created to provide financial support to students from the City of Vallejo pursuing higher education.
Momhi — which means “share” in the Patwin language — will contribute a total of $400,000 in scholarship funds to Touro University California, Cal State University Maritime Academy and Solano Community College.
“The Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation has deep roots in this region, which encompasses our ancestral homeland. We share a mission and vision with these educational institutions to uplift our community,” said Anthony Roberts, Chairman of the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation Tribal Council. “The Momhi Scholarship Fund, established earlier this year represents an invaluable opportunity for us to partner with Touro University California, Cal State University Maritime Academy and Solano Community College to help outstanding local students, who may not have the financial means to achieve their dreams.”
The scholarship fund allocates $150,000 each to Touro University California and Cal Maritime, and $100,000 to Solano Community College for local high school and community college students who attend college in 2025 and 2026. These donations continue the Tribe’s long-standing commitment to programs that support youth, education, and social services to benefit individuals and families throughout Solano County and the surrounding region.
In response to the newly established scholarship fund and the tribe’s extensive work throughout Solano County, Touro University California presented the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation with the prestigious 2024 Mosaic Achievement Award, which recognizes individuals and organizations that have made significant strides in promoting diversity and fostering a harmonious society. The award was presented to the Tribe during the Mosaic Gala Celebration on August 22.
“The Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation’s dedication to our community is exemplary, and it is with great pride that we recognize their generous contributions and efforts to foster inclusivity and unity,” said Dr. Tami Hendriksz, Interim Chief Academic Officer and Dean for the College of Osteopathic Medicine at Touro University California. “Our students truly value scholarship opportunities that help with their growing expenses and the financial burden as they pursue their career goals.”
The Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation recently took aim at plans for an upcoming $700 million casino in Vallejo, calling the Environmental Assessment “a sorry excuse for an environmental review that fails to meet even the most basic requirements of federal law.”
The harsh comments come after the Department of the Interior Bureau of Indian Affairs released its assessment of the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians’ plans to bulldoze a Patwin cultural site in order to build the casino where the Pomo have no ancestral ties. The tribe described the EA is an “indecipherable mess” which contains several instances of what appears to be intentional manipulation of data.
Vallejo Times Herald September 7, 2024
Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation establishes $400K scholarship to support Solano County studentsBy Thomas Gase