Winds of Change - College 2016 - 6
The Student BODY
SAMMY MATSAW
(Continued from page 5)
In high school, I transferred from an
off-reservation school to the high school on
the Fort Hall reservation. That's where I met
Ed Galindo, a science teacher, and we hit it
off. He introduced me to STEM opportunities and showed me how to continue them
after high school. Ed guided me to a
chemistry internship that helped build my
confidence in the laboratory. Just after high
school I was a team leader with Ed for the
Native American Space Association at the
Johnson Space Center's Space Camp.
Ed also introduced me to a project
working on salmon ecology and restoration
on the Salmon River, of particular interest to
me because of my people's salmon subsistence culture. These experiences influenced
me to pursue a degree in ecology with an
emphasis on fish ecology as an undergrad at
Idaho State University in Pocatello - and,
later, to earn a master's in biology (conservation genetics), also from Idaho State.
Now I'm a PhD student and a fellow in
the Integrative Graduate Education and
Research Traineeship (IGERT) program, the
National Science Foundation's interdisciplinary training program for future leaders in
engineering and science. Through IGERT I
had an opportunity to study abroad in Chile.
I was part of a group working with local
indigenous people, the Mapuche, on possible
development on their lands, something they
have resisted for centuries. I found many
parallels to my own background in our
discussions to see if we could approach a
solution, and my team was committed to
honoring their worldview. This experience
influenced how I perceive the importance of
the work I'm a part of with my colleagues,
community leaders, and relatives and the
world we're creating for our young ones here
and far away.
When I first considered pursuing my PhD,
Ed Galindo encouraged me to apply to the
Indigenous STEM Research and Graduate
Education program, or ISTEM. I was
accepted, and the program has supported me
with a team of mentors, a financial boost, and
a family of colleagues.
I've also been a member of AISES since
my undergrad days, and was awarded the A.T.
Anderson Memorial Scholarship years ago. As
a master's student, I mentored a group of
students and we attended the National
Conference together. There, I shared my
AISES experience and placed second for my
research poster presentation.
As a nontraditional student, I've faced
many obstacles along the way. I joined the
6 WINDS OF CHANGE * 2016-2017 SPECIAL COLLEGE ISSUE
military after high school and used the GI Bill
to pay for my undergraduate degree. But I've
suffered from PTSD as a result of my
enlistment. I served in Iraq as an infantry
platoon sergeant during 2004 and 2005. So
before I could join IGERT, there were some
things I had to get in order, emotionally.
In addition to this challenge, my family
doesn't understand what I'm doing in
graduate school. My parents didn't graduate
from college, and I've heard some family
members ask, "Why would you keep going to
school beyond a bachelor's?" I also face
financial responsibilities to my wife and
children. As a father, I have to make sure I can
provide for my little family tribe, which
includes our kids Luzahan, 8; Otaktay, 6;
Malia, 5; and Abrianna, 2.
But my most challenging obstacle has
been institutionalized racism. Day in and day
out, my wife, Jessica, and I try to maintain
our identity while being immersed in
another. We learn about European and
Western concepts, and then come home to
decompress, reevaluate, unlearn, and relearn.
It's tough. In my experience, instructors teach
in a very linear and deductive way, whereas
we as Native peoples think more naturally
through circular reasoning and holistic
thought processes. Still, my life experiences as
a Native American are my source of strength,
not a crutch. Being part of a minority group
that grows up with hardships has made me
more resilient.
Being a Sundancer, especially, has been a
critical part of my identity and success as a
PhD student practicing Western science. I first
got involved with the Sundance ceremony,
where we dance in the July sun for four days
without food or water, to help with PTSD. In
Sundancing we use the Medicine Wheel to
digest information evaluated in the four equal
quadrants of a circle. There are many aspects
of what the Sundance represents and how it
helps with interpreting human perceptions
and interpersonal relationships. I'm truly
grateful to be a Sundancer.
My goal is to be a professor who instructs
Native students about how to deconstruct
colonization for their own personal success.
Our peoples always had STEM - it's part of
storytelling, traditions, customs, and ceremonies. I'd like to bring our old ways into the new,
and stop letting others dictate our past - and
tell us how it determines our future. I dive
deep into my studies, but also think broadly
about my goals - back and forth. I live my life
every day to keep that balance.
- As told to Stephanie Mann
aises.org
http://AMERICORPS.GOV/VISTA
http://www.aises.org
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Winds of Change - College 2016
Contents
Winds of Change - College 2016 - Cover1
Winds of Change - College 2016 - Cover2
Winds of Change - College 2016 - Contents
Winds of Change - College 2016 - 2
Winds of Change - College 2016 - 3
Winds of Change - College 2016 - 4
Winds of Change - College 2016 - 5
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