On Oct. 11, the Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe was awarded for their excellence in Philanthropy at the 2018 Prescott business awards.
These awards were presented by the Prescott Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by a number of businesses in the greater Prescott area. The Yavapai-Prescott Tribe has long been a strong supporter in the community, making annual contributions to more than 300 charities and nonprofit organizations.
Many residents in the area are unaware the Yavapai people have occupied lands encompassing more than 9 million acres in most of Central Arizona since time immemorial and have flourished under the guidance and leadership of their ancestors.
The Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe was established in June 1935 and is one of three Yavapai communities in Arizona. It is the only reservation established solely for Yavapai People and is the smallest of the three reservations, both in acreage and membership. Today the tribe is governed by a board of directors, equivalent to what many of you may know as a tribal council and has achieved many economic goals.
Yavapai cultural and traditional values of honor and integrity while maintaining self-sufficiency have prompted success in the Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe.
However, it is the value of respect — respect for our elders, our youth and our community — that has allowed us to contribute to the benefit and growth of our surrounding communities.
It’s with an emphasis on the importance and value placed on our youth and education that some of the Tribe’s most consistent donations are made locally to the Yavapai College Foundation, Prescott and Humboldt Unified School District schools, Camp Verde schools, Bagdad school, and other countywide private and charter schools.
With regard to the cultural value of elders, some of the most consistent donations are made to Meals on Wheels, Casa Senior Center, Arizona Pioneer Homes, Golden Age Nutrition, Arizona Women’s Hall of Fame and the Alzheimer’s Association.
When the Tribe looks at the value placed on community, some of the most consistent donation recipients include various first responders, the Prescott YMCA, West Yavapai Guidance Clinic, Catholic Charities, Yavapai County Food Banks, Habitat for Humanity, the American Diabetes Association, Boys to Men, the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Association, the Veterans Memorial Fund, the Salvation Army, the American Lung Association, Make-A-Wish Foundation, and numerous athletic clubs and programs.
“The Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribal Board of Directors and the Tribal Community is honored to be chosen as the recipient of the Prescott Business Excellence in Philanthropy Award,” said Bob Ogo, Acting Tribal President. “We sincerely appreciate the recognition and acknowledgment of our contributions in supporting success and growth in the greater Prescott communities.”