Join Akiptan as we Celebrate the Native Agriculture Stewards for our 2026 Okhíčhaŋye Scholarship!

Akiptan is excited to share our 2026 Okhíčhaŋye Scholarship awardees. With half a decade of experience behind the scholarship initiative, supporting Native American high school students continues to be a priority. This scholarship is dedicated to high school seniors graduating in the spring of each year and who are seeking higher education that will support the agriculture industry. 

Students pursuing a degree that supports an agriculture education at either a college/university, vo-tech or vet tech school can qualify. This year’s scholarships reached 6 Tribal Nations, awarding 10 applicants with a $2,000.00 scholarship that will support the pursuit of 9 degrees leading to careers in agriculture across Indian country! 

“The applicants of the Okhíčhaŋye scholarship continue to inspire the work we do here at Akiptan. It’s heartwarming to see how driven they are to achieve their goals, contribute to their communities and have the desire to give back to the people that support them. I’d like to offer my congratulations to the 2026 scholarship awardees.” -Dawn E. LeBeau, Senior Program Officer

Please join the Akiptan team and the Native agriculture community as we congratulate this years collective of the 2026 Okhíčhaŋye Scholarship! 

1. Shaylee Porch, Oglala Sioux Tribe  

2. Kaden Kipp, Blackfeet Tribe

3. Grace Kennedy, Oglala Sioux Tribe

4. Shia Peterson, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe  

5. Baylor Alexander, Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma  

6. Loriese Myers, Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma

7. Claire Daugherty, Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma  

8. Jacob Norman, Sault Ste Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians 

9. Hayden Thompson, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe 

10. Tyce Gropper, Oglala Sioux Tribe  

To learn more or to support the Okhíčhaŋye Scholarship youth initiative please visit our website at www.akiptan.org/scholarship or reach out to Dawn E. LeBeau, Senior Program Officer at dawn@akiptan.org. This initiative was supported by the Native American Agriculture Fund.