Billy Mills
Billy Mills, Oglala Lakota (Sioux) is Running Strong’s National Spokesperson. An Olympic gold medalist at the 1964 Olympics, Billy has dedicated his life to serving Native American communities.
Our focus on youth programs fosters change across age groups and entire communities.
Our leadership is committed to preserving the traditions, languages and sanctity of American Indian communities.
Rather than coming into a community and announcing what we will do, we listen to what our partners tell us they need.
Billy Mills, Oglala Lakota (Sioux) is Running Strong’s National Spokesperson. An Olympic gold medalist at the 1964 Olympics, Billy has dedicated his life to serving Native American communities.
When Running Strong for American Indian Youth® was formed in 1986, getting clean, safe drinking water to the residents of Pine Ridge was one of our top priorities. Previously, Running Strong satisfied this need by drilling water wells. However, the need for wells declined as the Oglala Sioux Rural Water Supply System was created and water lines were laid providing access to water. This past year through Diné NaabehóTó (the Navajo People’s Water Challenge), Running Strong connected 13 households to water in these communities, providing 92 individuals with access to clean, running water.
When Running Strong for American Indian Youth® was formed in 1986, getting clean, safe drinking water to the residents of Pine Ridge was one of our top priorities. Previously, Running Strong satisfied this need by drilling water wells. However, the need for wells declined as the Oglala Sioux Rural Water Supply System was created and water lines were laid providing access to water.
“Being an elder, the pantry gives me nutritious vegetables that I use weekly.”
Rising food costs are impacting families everywhere—but for many Native communities, the burden is even heavier.
On the Walker River Paiute Reservation in Nevada, food bank deliveries have been cancelled, leaving families unsure of how they’ll put meals on the table. For many, this has been a lifeline: “Food pantry to me means survival in a disappearing land.”
That’s why we’re stepping up. We’re preparing to send nearly 100 food boxes to help families feed their children and care for their loved ones. And we know this is just the beginning—as the need continues, so will our commitment.
Let’s make sure no family has to go without food. 💛
👉 Donate now to Walker River Paiute families: runningstrong.harnessgiving.org/donate/?checkout=9224&selected-method=one-time&amount=50&campaign...
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Meet Arjay De Leon, one of our 2025-26 Dreamstarter Teachers!
Arjay is the K–8 General Music and 7th–8th Grade Beginning Band teacher at Enemy Swim Day School, where he’s on a mission to strengthen and expand the school’s music program. With support from the Dreamstarter Teacher Grant, Arjay is providing students with more band instruments, Dakota flutes, recorders, and Dakota language-integrated music resources.
“Native students deserve to see their culture reflected in what they learn,” Arjay says. His project empowers Dakota students to become musically literate while deepening their cultural identity, blending traditional Indigenous knowledge with instrumental instruction to create an inclusive, culturally affirming music experience.
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Every child deserves an education that reflects who they are.
For too long, Native students have had to navigate schools that weren’t built with them in mind.
Through our education programs, Native youth are finally learning in classrooms shaped by their culture, their stories, and their future.
Help us keep this going — make a gift today to support Native education. 🧡
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📉 Behind the numbers, there’s a deeper truth: Native youth are navigating school systems that don’t reflect their culture or meet their needs.
•29–36% of Native students leave school between 7th and 12th grade
•Fewer than 1 in 4 fourth-graders read or do math at grade level
•37% attend underfunded schools with outdated materials and too few teachers
These numbers represent real students—real futures—shaped by generations of inequity.
And yet, Native students rise. Through culturally grounded teaching, tribally led schools, and community-driven programs like Dreamstarter®, education is being reshaped into something that uplifts instead of erases.
Every Native student deserves to see themselves—and their future—reflected in the classroom.
Will you help fuel this movement?
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❓ How do you honor Native pride through education?
By reclaiming cultural knowledge, increasing representation, and building systems that reflect Native values. Across the country, Native communities are creating immersion language programs, tribally led curricula, and culturally responsive classrooms, helping students grow confident in their academics and identity.
Take Nizhóní Begay, a Dreamstarter from the Navajo Nation. As the only Indigenous student in her high school, she felt the weight of underrepresentation. Through her initiative, Pathways at the Lindy Waters III Foundation, she connects Native students with mentors and nontraditional college routes, aiming to inspire a new generation of Indigenous leaders.
And she’s not alone.
We support educators who are weaving language, traditions, and mentorship into classrooms, transforming how Native youth see themselves and their future.
Read more: bit.ly/4mMAsEG
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💡 Did You Know?
More than 70% of Native students attend public schools, yet many of these schools lack culturally relevant curriculum, Native teachers, and the resources needed to support Indigenous students.
Learn more: bit.ly/4mMAsEG
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