Since 1993
About the Foundation
The Arya Laghaie Native American Foundation Inc. is a nonprofit, organized to assist Native Americans in their development and well-being through education, sports, and counseling. The Foundation was formed to carry-on the work of its namesake, Arya Laghaie, who had a special affinity and bond with Native Americans. In his too-short life, he distinguished himself by striving with heart and soul to love and serve Native Americans. It is an aim of the Foundation to ensure that the fragrance of Arya Laghaie's deeds on behalf of Native Americans endures forever.
At present, the Foundation is engaged in two initiatives:
Community Center
Members of the Foundation are working to build a community center for Native Americans in Houck, Apache County, Arizona, where youth and adults will be able to participate in healthy sports activities and an educational curriculum focusing on the interrelationship between the body, mind and heart. Answers to basic questions of life will be explored:
- Who am I?
- To what purpose do I exist?
- How should I act towards others?
The community center will provide a safe, loving, and nurturing environment for participants to gradually learn how to apply these answers to their everyday behavior. They will learn that "the key to my happiness lies in how I can serve you, not in how you can serve me."
Scholarship
Foundation members are also working to fund and support the Arya Laghaie Indigenous Peoples' Rights Scholarship. Established at St. Thomas University School of Law, this scholarship is awarded annually to a graduate student in the Master of Laws Program in Intercultural Human Rights, on the basis of a competitive essay or proof of service to indigenous communities.