Grand Ronde, OR – The Spirit Mountain Community Fund and the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde created the Junior Hatfield Fellowship program to provide Tribal students with an opportunity to learn more about a career in public service, specifically at a State and Tribal Government level. The Junior Fellow will split a six to eight week internship between the office of an Oregon State Legislative Delegate in Salem and the office of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Tribal Council.

This is a unique program designed to provide young Native Americans with a chance to work directly with local government legislators and tribal government leaders to learn about the political process at the state and tribal level, while increasing their knowledge of the relationships between the Federal Government and Oregon Tribes and prepping them for the possibility of a future Hatfield Fellowship in Washington, D.C.

The Junior Hatfield Fellowship Program is a spin-off of the Hatfield Fellowship Program that was created in 1998 as a living tribute to honor Senator Mark Hatfield for his outstanding public service to people living in Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. Each year, the Spirit Mountain Community Fund sponsors a highly motivated Native American to serve as the Hatfield Fellow and intern in a congressional office. Placement of the Fellow rotates through the Oregon congressional delegation to enhance the mutual understanding between leadership in Washington, D.C. and Indian Country. Fellows are given an invaluable opportunity to gain knowledge and understanding of how to navigate the political process in Washington, while working on issues that directly affect Native Americans.

The Junior Hatfield Fellowship opportunity is extended to Tribal students from the nine Federally Recognized Tribes of Oregon between the age of 16 – 20 years old, in their junior or senior year of High School, considering post-secondary education, or enrolled in college.

For more information about the Junior Hatfield Fellowship opportunity or to apply, visit the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde website at http://www.grandronde.org/about/employment/ .

To learn more about the Hatfield Fellowship Program, visit our website at http://thecommunityfund.com/grants-programs/hatfield-fellowship/ or go to https://youtu.be/7T0nNoFgUYs to view a Hatfield Fellowship informational video.