American Indian Youth Running Strong

We're raising the standard of living and self-esteem of Indian reservation children. Teaching traditional and contemporary life skills, healthy lifestyles and respect for Mother Earth. Billy Mills, National Spokesperson.

Why do we exist?

American Indian Youth Running Strong^® exists to combat the dire conditions present on so many American Indian reservations.  Too many American Indians are living desperate lives of poverty.  Unemployment rates that exceed 85% are common on many reservations.  These impoverished conditions beget serious problems: pathetic housing, poor health (high rates of diabetes, for example), and the highest incidence of death due to alcoholism, accidents and disease in the U.S.  As a New York Times (June 11, 1997) article put it:

“A visit to Pine Ridge (Indian Reservation) is a striking reminder that most reservations remain places of bone-crushing poverty.” 

Unfortunately, almost 10 years later, that statement is still true.

What have you accomplished?

We are a small, proactive hands-on charitable organization with a staff of six, Indians and non-Indians alike, working directly at the grassroots level with those people who are trying, often with little or no financial means, to make a positive change in their community.  With the guidance and leadership of our National Spokesperson, Olympic Champion and former U.S. Marine Captain, Billy Mills, we work with them as a support network to provide funding, volunteers, or the expertise necessary to accomplish their goals.  We are very successful and have an excellent reputation on the over twenty reservations we work on.  For those Indians working in the field, our support has often meant the difference between success and despair.

For a comprehensive list of our many accomplishments each year, please write or email us to request our Annual Report and audit report.  Every single dollar that we receive is accounted for and every grant we make is detailed.

"We're raising the standard of living and self-esteem of Indian reservation children. Teaching traditional and contemporary life skills, healthy lifestyles and respect for Mother Earth" -  Billy Mills, National Spokesperson.

	How do you help people in my community?		Why do you need my support?
	How can I be sure that you will use my money wisely and won't waste it?		Can I Volunteer? How?