Buffalo Spirit Award
The Buffalo Spirit Award was started in 1995 by the Cornell Council of American Indian Graduate and Professional Students to recognize and honor any individual who has provided outstanding leadership in supporting the students and goals of the American Indian and Indigenous Studies Program.
Awardee: Kimberly Fuqua
Kimberly Fuqua entered Cornell with a strong conviction that she could make a positive impact on Cornell’s Indigenous community. Within her first few days on campus in Fall 2019, without hesitation, Kimberly took on a responsibility of supporting and mentoring members of Akwe:kon residential community. Kimberly’s presence and leadership have been transformative and grounding to this community. Throughout these two years, she has been a true role model for the younger generations of Indigenous students. She helped foster a safe space for them to grow and flourish. Her leadership also extended to the Indigenous Graduate Student Association (IGSA)m where she served as a president.
Kimberly mentored students to be proud of who they are and where they come from, no matter how humble their origins are. She admits that for her it was the electoral victory of Cornell’s Indigenous alum, Representative Sharice Davids, that convinced her that everything was possible, even for her. That night she submitted her application to Cornell University and was soon admitted to CIPA. Now, as she is graduating, her academic journey comes full circle. She has the honor to introduce Representative Davids as a keynote speaker at CIPA’s 2021 Virtual Awards and Recognition Ceremony. This is a true reminder how inspiration and impactful Kimberly’s presence has been to AIISP.
Thank you, Kimberly!
