AAIA David Risling Emergency Aid |
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David Risling (Hoopa/Karok/Yurok) was born in 1921. Although Dave’s dad had much exposure to non-Natives, learning to analyze the white way of thinking and doing, Dave had never seen a non-Indian until a teacher at the new one-room school house where his older siblings went to school came to board with his family. Dave’s father taught his children to learn as much of the white mind as possible, but to also keep the Indian values and beliefs, so they could operate in both worlds. He moved the family to Hoopa where he operated a saw mill. It was at this time that Dave attended a boarding school. Punished for speaking his language, taunted by Hoopa children for speaking Yurok and Karuk words, and not allowed to go home on the weekends, Dave’s father and some of the other parents pushed to have the BIA school converted to a public school run by the county. Met with opposition, the parents held fundraisers to open their own school with 3 grades. Shortly thereafter they were granted a public school and eventually a high school, where Dave met his wife Barbara. After high school Dave enlisted in the US Navy and became a Lieutenant Commander and pilot in WWII. Upon his return from the war, he attended California Polytechnic University, taught at Modesto Junior College and he and Barbara raised four children.
Dave was the co-founder and president of Deganawidah-Quetzalcoatal University, better known as D-Q University. D-Q University, which was previously a US Army communications facility, was established in 1971 as the only all-Native college in California and received accreditation in 1977. The school closed shortly after his death in 2005. D-Q was one of six colleges which made up the American Indian Higher Education Consortium. Dave’s involvement with the passage of the federal Indian Education and Indian Tribal Community College Acts opened the door to the establishment of 31 Tribal Colleges.
Dave was involved in the establishment of UC Davis’ Native American Studies Department where he was a professor. The program is one of three in the country to award Doctorate degrees in Native American Studies. He was co-founder of the California Indian Legal Services and the Native American Rights Fund, was appointed by three US presidents to serve on the National Advisory Council on Indian Education, and was instrumental in the creation of the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian.
Although there are many accolades that could be mentioned, Dave is most remembered as a beloved and valued AAIA Board Member by his fellow Board Members and staff. Dave’s commitment and contributions to AAIA from the time he came on the Board in 1970 until his death in 2005 at the age of 84, are greatly appreciated.
As education was Dave’s passion, it only seemed fitting that the Dave’s fellow Board Members would honor him by naming a scholarship after him. The AAIA David Risling Emergency Aid is for students who have sudden, non-expected emergencies that would result in the student leaving school.
Dave was the co-founder and president of Deganawidah-Quetzalcoatal University, better known as D-Q University. D-Q University, which was previously a US Army communications facility, was established in 1971 as the only all-Native college in California and received accreditation in 1977. The school closed shortly after his death in 2005. D-Q was one of six colleges which made up the American Indian Higher Education Consortium. Dave’s involvement with the passage of the federal Indian Education and Indian Tribal Community College Acts opened the door to the establishment of 31 Tribal Colleges.
Dave was involved in the establishment of UC Davis’ Native American Studies Department where he was a professor. The program is one of three in the country to award Doctorate degrees in Native American Studies. He was co-founder of the California Indian Legal Services and the Native American Rights Fund, was appointed by three US presidents to serve on the National Advisory Council on Indian Education, and was instrumental in the creation of the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian.
Although there are many accolades that could be mentioned, Dave is most remembered as a beloved and valued AAIA Board Member by his fellow Board Members and staff. Dave’s commitment and contributions to AAIA from the time he came on the Board in 1970 until his death in 2005 at the age of 84, are greatly appreciated.
As education was Dave’s passion, it only seemed fitting that the Dave’s fellow Board Members would honor him by naming a scholarship after him. The AAIA David Risling Emergency Aid is for students who have sudden, non-expected emergencies that would result in the student leaving school.
