Winds of Change - College 2017 - 20

HSU Native student researchers, cultural practitioners, and others
gather during a climate adaptation and cultural immersion camp, part
of a collaboration between INRSEP and Intertribal Student Services.

Continued from page 19

INRSEP to provide support," Landry
explains. There's also the Council of
American Indian Faculty and Staff, which
ties in many colleagues and programs and
provides opportunities to work together.
Landry points out, "We work with tribes and
Indian organizations locally and beyond to
generate opportunities by complementing
each other's programs."
For students, these connections can
mean expanded options. "INRSEP is a great
way to find out about opportunities that
most people don't hear about," says
Antoinette Shirley, Navajo, a senior zoology
major. Shirley was able to spend two
summers working with the Navajo Nation
Department of Fish and Wildlife, thanks to

HSU's programs that facilitate connections
with tribes and other organizations.
"These jobs also allow students time and
space to investigate their ancestry and their
role as Native people," says Landry. When
Landry suggested that Shirley, who was born
and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, do
some research on her tribe, she was
interested in not only doing science for her
people but also the chance to learn more
about her tribe. "He knew that I wanted to
get more involved with my tribe and learn
more about it, so he helped me formulate a
question that enabled me to get the
position," says Shirley.
Besides academic and other program
services, Humboldt and the campus's Native
community also support a rich cultural life

for the student body, including a Big Time
each spring. An intertribal gathering unique
to California tribes, a Big Time brings
together dance and song groups, cultural
demonstrations, and traditional foods from
around the state. Last year's Region 1 and 2
AISES Regional Conference was scheduled to
coincide with the Big Time, resulting in the
largest regional gathering ever, Landry says.
Students can also choose on-campus
living with a cultural focus. HSU's Native
American Living Suite is open to any student
interested in Native cultures and values.
"We built our reputation as the best
university for Natives between Washington
and Arizona on all these things working
together," Landry says. "Our Native
students, and the entire campus, benefit."

HOME AWAY FROM HOME
The University of Alaska Fairbanks reaches out to
ensure the success of the nearly 2,000 Alaska Natives
attending the school, whose total enrollment tops
9,000. "We work to create a family away from home,"
says Gabrielle Russell, lead advisor for Rural Student
Services (RSS). "Being in a new, unfamiliar environment is a challenge for many of our students." And it's
made harder because a ticket for round-trip airfare
home to their remote communities in Alaska can cost
up to $1,200, she says. "We attempt to provide support
and resources to help our students overcome the
homesickness many of them go through."
Celebrating Alaska Native cultures is one strategy.
"We have Positive Connection Nights on Fridays
throughout the semester where we have some sort of home-cooked
meal with food supplied by our faculty and staff," Russell says. There
are also several culturally related student organizations, such as the
Inu-Yupiaq and Troth-Yeddha' dance groups.
Like HSU's Native support system, UAF's RSS program was formed
in 1969. Although many students receive funding from one of 13 Alaska
Native Regional Corporations to help with college expenses, they may
20 WINDS OF CHANGE * 2017-2018 SPECIAL COLLEGE ISSUE

still need assistance with other financial services, and
RSS is there to help with navigating the financial aid
maze. The program also helps with tutoring, housing
options, and career exploration.
Student organizations such as the UAF AISES
College Chapter and clubs for students planning a
career in education, social work, business, or
engineering are also helpful. "Students tend to be
more successful when they're involved with these
types of clubs and organizations during their
college experience," Russell says.
A supportive residence hall choice is the Eileen
Gabrielle
Russell
Panigeo MacLean House, which provides students
from the Arctic region and other remote areas with
the same sort of small, tight-knit community they came from, a buffer
to the fast-paced university and bustling city life in Fairbanks.
Russell notes that many Alaska Native organizations and corporations want to support their tribal members who are attending college.
RSS has a venue for organizations to meet with their tribal members
and also helps facilitate events - such as the Festival of Native Arts,
which is held annually at UAF - to help build those relationships. ■
aises.org

COURTESY OF LONYX LANDRY/HUMBOLDT STATE UNIVERSITY (TOP, 2); UAF MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS, PHOTO BY JR ANCHETA (BOTTOM)

†

For a directory of colleges and universities with an
AISES College Chapter, visit aises.org. If your school
doesn't have a chapter already, consider starting one.

http://www.aises.org http://www.aises.org

Winds of Change - College 2017

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