Las Vegas NowKyle Ethelbah Receives Community Spirit Award

Kyle Ethelbah Receives Community Spirit Award

Every month, Channel 8 and our community pride partners honor one person who's making a difference in our community. Kyle Ethelbah is one of those special people.

Ethelbah grew up on a Apache  Indian reservation in central-eastern Arizona. He was orphaned at 3-years-old and raised by his grandmother. Under her guidance and principals, Ethelbah thrived and has become a huge supporter for education and outreach in Las Vegas. He now inspires others to do the same.

Ethelbah grew up in the badlands of Arizona. Born among the Bear tribe of the White Mountain Apache, he grew up very poor.

"It was a lot more rugged. We didn't have hot water, I didn't have a phone until high school. And, we didn't have color TV until high school."

Ethelbah's mother was killed when he was 3-years-old.

"My family never let me forget that my mom was the first on the reservation to go to college. And, she was the very first woman to go to college."

Driven by her memory, he felt he needed to complete what his mother never finished.  He wanted to honor the Apache blood line and help others.

"Since then what I've come to be involved in actively is within the education of our own populations, not just American Indians, but under served populations in general."

He has won dozens of awards for his community service including one from the city during Native American Heritage month. Ethelbah is  currently the director for Adult Education Services at UNLV and is an advisor for the Native American Student Association. His goal is to get those students educated to for them to remember where they came from.

"I really want them to know that history and where you come from, and your spiritual roots and values are always going to be there for you every time you turn your back away from them."

His enthusiasm and drive stem from the mother he lost decades ago and the grandmother who raised him.

Ethelbah won the Las Vegas Indian Center Community Service Award in 2005. He's now very active in the education of HIV and aids in underprivileged communities.