Our three principal initiatives include:
The Native American Scholarship Program: John declared that the first thing we should do is establish a Native American Scholarship. That historical novel describes a Chippewa woman's 19th century fight for justice -- all the way to the Michigan Supreme Court. So, we republished Laughing Whitefish in a limited edition of 300, each of which John signed. Fo
undation Members who subscribed to this and the other limited editions have helped Native American scholars to achieve the dream of a legal education with annual grants in the amount of $4,000.00, usually matched by the scholar's tribe under an agreement between the Foundation and the Inter-Tribal Council. The Robert Traver Fly Fishing Fiction Award: The Robert Traver Fly Fishing Fiction Award was first presented in 1994. Writers from around the globe compete, and the winning submission is published in Fly Rod and Reel. So far 7 awards have been made, currently in the amount of $2,500.00, to authors who have gone on to distinguish themselves in this field. Our late Board member, Charles Kuralt, described this as the most prestigious outdoor writing award in the nation. The Trout Habitat Program: Currently, the Foundation is working with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the City of Ishpeming to establish a new trout habitat in John's honor. When the habitat is established, the Foundation will sponsor a youth fly fishing instruction and competition to encourage a love of the sport and “the environs where trout are found.”
