Baltimore, MD

The Baltimore Division has selected Mr. E. Keith Colston to receive the Director’s Community Leadership Award.

Mr. Colston, of the Tuscarora and Lumbee tribes, is the executive director of the Maryland Commission on Indian Affairs (MCIA). The MCIA initiates and supports a wide range of activities that promote the welfare of Maryland's Indian people and furthers the understanding of American Indian history and culture. The MCIA provides a forum for the concerns of Maryland's American Indian communities and serves as a vital liaison between these communities and the state and federal governments.

As executive director of the MCIA, Mr. Colston supervises the MCIA’s programs and activities and serves as the custodian of Native American records and artifacts. He also advises Indian community leaders, the Department of Housing and Community Development, and other state agencies about decisions affecting the Native American community.

Under Mr. Colston’s leadership, the MCIA has become an integral part of the Governor’s Office of Community Initiatives. Mr. Colston works tirelessly in providing a safe community for Native Americans. He has organized various events that have focused on crime prevention, job training, college preparation, health care, and transit improvements for Native American families. He also coordinated a job fair for Eastern Shore residents so that they could apply for positions in law enforcement and nonprofit organizations.

Mr. Colston is a graduate of the Baltimore Division’s Citizens’ Academy and a current member of the Maryland Multicultural Advisory Council. On numerous occasions, Mr. Colston has invited the FBI to speak at meetings and participate in American Indian Heritage Month events and job fairs.

Mr. Colston is a member of the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historical Trail Advisory Council, representing the state of Maryland, and serves as cultural director for the Baltimore American Indian Center. He also serves as master of ceremonies for Pow-Wow, Inc.