AIO Projects

Awards

The Eugene Crawford Memorial Peace Pipe Award

The late Eugene Crawford (Sisseton-Wahpeton Lakota Sioux Nation) served as AIO Vice President for many years. He was a tremendous advocate for Native peoples, having been the Director of the National Indian Lutheran Board.

The Eugene Crawford Memorial Peace Pipe Award is given in remembrance of Mr. Crawford and is in honor of a recipient’s lifetime achievements, particularly their dedication and contributions to Native America and ensuring future opportunity for Indigenous peoples.

The Taos Blue Lake Spirit of Indigeneity Award

In 2005, Americans for Indian Opportunity (AIO) created the Blue Lake Spirit of Indigeneity Award to honor Indigenous communities who have made positive political, economic, and social change by relying on their traditional cultural values.

The Blue Lake Spirit of Indigeneity Award was first awarded to the Pueblo of Taos to honor the historic return of their sacred Blue Lake. In December 1970, a bill was signed that marked a dramatic departure from the federal government’s previous policy of terminating American Indian tribes. For the Pueblo, the return ended an epic 64-year struggle of using cultural values against a seemingly insurmountable federal bureaucracy. For Indigenous communities throughout the world, the return of Blue Lake serves as a powerful and positive symbol of Indigenous self-determination. It is the people of Taos Pueblo, whose spirit has inspired this award.