The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 42, No. 2 - 118

Jamie M. Singson * Amanda R. Tachine * Charlotte E. Davidson * Stephanie J. Waterman

10). This reciprocal exchange is a powerful way
to not only create a welcoming environment
for students and their families, but also to
provide a prime opportunity for university staff
to increase their awareness and understanding
of Native peoples' experiences.
The O'odham Ki: community has developed into a family-structured support system.
For example, residence life staff hired residence assistants (RAs) who identify as Native
American and placed them into O'odham Ki:,
which allows them to relate to the experiences
that their residents may encounter. Furthermore, throughout the year the RAs partner
with various Native support services when implementing programs in O'odham Ki:. NASA
hosts Indian Taco nights, when Native-style
food is prepared for students. Frequently at
NNCUs, traditional and authentic Native food
is not available in the campus cafeterias or at
off-campus eateries. For ofﬁces such as NASA
to recognize the absence of cultural foods, ﬁnd
the necessary ingredients, and then prepare
the food is an intentional, meaningful, and relevant way to incorporate Native students' ways
of life into the college environment.
This is an example of what Kirkness and
Barnhardt (1991) refer to as integrating the
relevance of Native students' experiences into
the campus environment. Through these
types of culturally relevant programs, relationships are built; some students have shared
that they viewed university staff and their RA
as family members similar to older siblings.
Students have expressed that O'odham Ki: is
like a home away from home (Tachine & Begay-Francis, 2013). This critical familial/home

118

acknowledgement helps mitigate loneliness
and notions of invisibility on campus (Fryberg
& Townsend, 2008). Through the O'odham
Ki: community, students are able to connect
and build relationships with others who have
a shared history and understanding of their
lived experiences. This is another example of
the pivotal role that relationships (Kirkness &
Barnhardt, 1991) have in not only maintaining existing connections and creating new
ones, but also in conceptualizing belonging
within O'odham Ki: and in the larger campus
environment.

Smudging Policy: An Approach to
Respecting Native Spiritual Practices
Kirkness and Barnhardt (1991) point to the
importance of culturally relevant policies and
practices. Smudging policies are an example of
how higher education institutions can express
commitment to creating an environment that
respects and accommodates Native-centered
ways. Enacted daily or on occasion, smudging ceremonies involve the ceremonial use
of smoke from medicinal plants (e.g., cedar,
sweetgrass, sage, or tobacco) and may be conducted for purposes such as self-reﬂection,
purifying the self and space of negativity, protection from harm, and preparing the human
faculties for a life event1 (see Minthorn, 2014).
In short, it is a customary way to respond to
life's adversities.
One successful approach to integrating
Native practices into residence hall policies
can be found at South Dakota State University,
1
Medicinal and spiritual practices are typically not separate
concepts in Indigenous ways of being.

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The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 42, No. 2

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