American Indian - The - GrAduAte

American IndianGrAduAte

The

Inside this Issue:• Message from the

director — Happy Birthday

• resistance through Art

• Spotlight on AIGC Alumni

• thank You — Looking Back

• Genomics Workshop

• dr. Joe Sando — then and Now

• Loan for Service Program Helping Build the Future

• the NINLHe Institute

• the Leader Who Makes a difference

Spring 2009

The American Indian Graduate is now available online at www.aigcs.org

40th Anniversary edition • 1969-2009

Anniversary Messages from Students and Supporters!

thank you for your support.

It is your support that makes it possible to continue

my education and brighten my future.

Reba June Serafin, Jicarilla Apache Tribe

Congratulations to AIGC on 40 years of excellent service!Washington State University seeks graduate students who are creative, analytical, and adventurous: scholars who will benefit from close mentorship with award-winning faculty, access to state-of-the-art technology and facilities, and community-building recreational activities. www.gradschool.wsu.eduw

The Robert Toigo

Foundation congratulates

AIGC on 40 years of

excellence and leadership.

The Robert Toigo Foundation

www.toigofoundation.org

Central Washington University-Resource Management Program

The REM program is committed to preparing students as responsible stewards of the earth, focused on problems and opportunities associated with managing cultural and natural resources. This interdisciplinary resource management program helps students develop skills in management, policy analysis and formulation and resource appraisal. Our record of placement in Jobs and Ph.D programs is excellent.

Central Washington University congratulates the American Indian Graduate Center on its 40th anniversary.

www.cwu.edu/~geograph/native.html

Lewis and Clark Law School congratulates the American Indian Graduate Center on their 40th Anniversary. The Indian students and the Indian community are fortunate to benefit from the wonderful work of AIGC. We are committed to our partnership of providing opportunity and excellent education as we prepare Indian students to serve their people in leadership roles. www.lclark.edu

The Sandra Day O’Connor

College of Law at Arizona

State University congratulates

the American Indian

Graduate Center

on its 40th anniversary.Thank you for your donation. It has helped me and my family out greatly while attending law school.

Sheldon Spotted Elk, Northern Cheyenne – J.D.-2010

thank you for your support.

Terry AguilarUNM School of Law

thank you for your kind donation.

C. West – UNM School of Law

thank you for your generosity. Jacob Keys, Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma

UNM School of Law

the American Indian Graduate �

Volume 8, Number 1 • Spring 2009

the American Indian GraduateVolume 8, Number 1

A Publication of the American Indian Graduate Center

4520 Montgomery Blvd., NESuite 1B

Albuquerque, NM 87109Phone: (505) 881-4584Fax: (505) 884-0427

Website: www.aigcs.org

Publisher

Sam DeloriaDirector

Susan DuranStephine Poston

Editors

Jim WeidleinProduction Editor

Carolyn S. TateDesign and Layout

AIGC Board of Directors

Elizabeth Washburn, PresidentChickasaw

David Mahooty, Vice PresidentZuni

Joanne Sebastian Morris, SecretaryCayuga/Sault Ste. Marie Ojibwe

Melanie P. Fritzsche, TreasurerPueblo of Laguna

Kathryn W. ShanleyNakota (Assiniboine)

Dee Ann DeRoin, M.D.Ioway Tribe of Kansas

Grayson B. NoleyChoctaw

Michael E. BirdSanto Domingo/San Juan Pueblo

Rose GrahamNavajo

5 Board of directors President’s Message

6 Message from the director Happy Birthday by Sam Deloria

8 resistance through Art Powerful Art About desert rock by Desiree Deschenie

10 Spotlight on AIGC Alumni director of Indian Arts research Center at SAr

Awarded Honorary doctorate by Colorado College

11 thank You Looking Back by John A. Haupt

12 Your Contribution the Challenge by Regis Pecos

16 Genomics Workshop Scholars use discussion to explore Governance

of Indigenous Genomics by Judy Nichols

18 AIGC Fellows Congratulations from Past and Current AIGC Fellows

20 AIGC Alumni the Alumni Connection by Susan Duran

Table of Contents

Continued on page 4

4 the American Indian Graduate

Table of Contents

22 Gates Millennium Scholars Program the Leader Who Makes a difference by Mark Trahant

26 dr. Joe Sando then and Now AnInterviewwithanAIGCFoundingFather by Michelle Pasena

27 Loan for Service Program Helping Build the Future

by Terry Aguilar

28 NINLHe the NINLHe Institute by Louise Chavez

�0 Supplying A diverse Workforce the Consortium

�2 American Indian Male Initiative American Indian Male Initiative by Shawn Secatero

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Article Submissions: Submit all articles to Susan Duran, Consulting Editor, for consideration. E-mail: [email protected]

Reprints and Permissions: Reprints of published articles and/or artwork are prohibited without permission of the American Indian Graduate Center.

American Indian Graduate Center, 4520 Montgomery Blvd., Suite 1B, Albuquerque, NM 87109, (505) 881-4584 phone, (505) 884-0427 fax

Visit us On-Line! www.aigcs.org

2009 AIGC, Inc. All rights reserved.

Published submissions and advertisements do not necessarily reflect the view of AIGC, Inc.

Contact Us

Congratulations! The Seminole Tribe of Florida is proud of AIGC’s accomplishments in the education and leadership of American Indian and Alaskan Native for 40 years. Reaching this milestone is proof of its dedication to provide great educational opportunities to the communities concerned.

Happy 40th Anniversary!

The American Indian Graduate is now available online at www.aigcs.org

The Consortium for Graduate Study in Management

The Consortium congratulates the American Indian Graduate Center on providing scholarships for American Indian and Alaska Native students for 40 years. The opportunities you provide American Indian citizens has undoubtedly changed many lives. Our organization’s mission includes enhancing diversity in business education and corporate leadership by reducing the serious underrepresentation of Native Americans, African Americans and Hispanic Americans in these fields. We believe in AIGC’s vision and look forward to your future successes. www.cgsm.org

the American Indian Graduate 5

Board of Directors

President’s Message

Elizabeth Washburn

dear Graduates and Friends:

In 2009, the American Indian Graduate Center (AIGC) will celebrate 40 years of providing scholarships and ser-vices to American Indian and Alaskan Native students

pursuing graduate and professional degrees. Prior to 1969, there were few American Indians in graduate school and there was a substantial need for finan-cial assistance to help Indians obtain advanced professional degrees. Therefore, in 1969, a group of Native leaders came together and formed the American Indian Scholarships, Inc. (AIS), later to change its name to the American Indian Graduate Center. As I read through the list of those that were involved in the early years, such as Robert L. Bennett (Taos Pueblo), Lucy F. Covington (Colville), Ada Deer (Menominee), Over-ton James (Chickasaw), Joe Sando (Jemez Pueblo) and David Warren (Santa Clara Pueblo), I realize that they were vision-aries of their time who saw a need and developed and imple-mented a strategy that would provide Natives with greater opportunities through education. Because of the solid foundation laid by these founders, AIGC has enjoyed a long history of success in assisting thou-sands of Native students who have gone on to be tribal lead-ers, attorneys, doctors and business leaders throughout the country. Today, AIGC remains the only national non-profit organization dedicated to aiding American Indian and Alaska Native graduate students in all fields of study. AIGC awards more than $1.8 million annually to Ameri-can Indians and Alaska Natives pursuing graduate and profes-sional degrees. I am one of more than 8,000 grateful graduate students that have received more than 12,000 scholarship awards from AIGC, in fields ranging from law to medicine, while in school. The AIGC Scholars, a separate program funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Millennium Scholars program through the United Negro College Fund (UNCF), in partnership with AIGC, awards $7,500,000 annually, pri-marily to undergraduate students. Being a part of AIGC is even more poignant for me because, as a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma, I am privileged to follow in Governor Overton James’ footsteps

and serve as the AIGC Board President — 40 years after he helped found this great organization. As AIGC begins its 40th anniversary celebration, I call upon alumni, friends and supporters to help us provide more Native students, from across our nation, with the resources for a first-rate education. Please visit AIGC’s website www.agics and make the most generous gift you can in celebration of 40 years of lasting change for Native students and their communities. ✦

Elizabeth Rodke Washburn, ChickasawPresident, AIGC Board of Directors

In2009,theAmericanIndianGraduateCenter(AIGC)willcelebrate40yearsofprovidingscholarshipsandservicestoAmericanIndianandAlaskanNativestudentspursuinggraduateandprofessionaldegrees.


I have always had an aversion to birthdays, even before the time of life when another birthday brings with it a reminder that, well, you know…

Maybe institutional birthdays are another thing. I hope so. But, in a way, they present their own problems; one must trumpet the organization’s lifespan of achieve-ments. Some organizations take to this naturally, making the very act of showing up for work for a certain number of years seem like a downright heroic stand against the Invading Euro-Hordes. I find it awkward. But whatever I learned from my parents about letting other people do the bragging for you doesn’t seem to carry much weight in modern times. So, with this issue of the magazine, we launch a year-long celebration of 40 years of various versions of what is now AIGC/AIGCS – celebration, not bragging. And, in keeping with contemporary practice, every event is an opportunity for more fundraising. I am not unhappy with that aspect, since the organization maintains the unbelievable rate of about 95% of the money coming in being spent on scholarships and student support ser-vices. (I thought it was a fishy number when I came here, but they have explained it to me a couple of times and I am comfortable saying it publicly. So send us money.) As we have recounted many times, John Rainer of Taos and Bob Bennett of Oneida, Wisconsin, decided back in the late 60’s, when Mr. Bennett was the founding Director of the American Indian Law Center, to form an organization to provide scholarships for American Indian and Alaska Native students in areas other than law. Ameri-can Indian Scholarships soon spun off from the Law Cen-ter and was given its own identity, and later became the American Indian Graduate Center, providing funding for over 12,000 graduate and undergraduate students over the years. The list of all the founders reads like a Who’s Who of Famous and Important Indians of the day and an entire room in the 20th Century Indian Hall of Fame: Joe Sando, Dave Warren, Lucy Covington, Ada Deer, Over-ton James, Leah Manning, Chuck Trimble and, of course, John Rainer and Bob Bennett. And subsequent boards of directors have also included distinguished Indian and Native people, as one can see from the masthead of this magazine. Former scholarship recipients include many

people with successful careers, a considerable number of whom are working in Indian affairs. Thinking about the 40-year history of AIGC has also made me think about the education of Indian peo-ple, the missionary and colonial roots of which involved taking Native youth to be trained in the “arts of civiliza-tion”. It has also made me think about how many of us uncritically accept the idea, based on the same assump-tions, that the purpose of “Indian education” is to pro-duce “leadership” for Indian communities. I put all these words in quotes because they all carry such heavy his-torical and cultural baggage. One of the purposes of education is, of course, to train the next generation in a variety of useful arts and skills to ensure the perpetuation of the society. But, I remember the patronizing atmosphere surrounding many scholarship programs in the 50’s and 60’s and the assumptions that all of us Indians who were going to school were doing so to “help my people”, bringing beams to the faces of our benefactors. And now that we have scaled the heights of Self-Determination, it seems we have kept the notion that educational assistance for

Message from the Director

“Happy Birthday!”

Oneofthepurposesofeducationis,ofcourse,totrainthenextgenerationinavarietyofusefulartsandskillstoensuretheperpetuationofthesociety.

Sam Deloria


The ProgramNew York University (NYU) is dedicated to ensuring that its scholarly

community is ready to compete in a global world and is enriched by

individuals who, through their different races and ethnicities, gender

identities, age, abilities, political beliefs, economic status, and sexual

orientation, contribute to an intellectually challenging and inclusive educa-

tional environment. To that end, NYU has created the NYU Postdoctoral

and Transition Program for Academic Diversity fellowship program to

support promising scholars and educators from different backgrounds,

races, ethnic groups, and other diverse groups whose life experience,

research experience, and employment background will contribute sig-

nificantly to academic excellence at NYU.

EligibilityThe fellowship program is open to all areas of study at the University.

U.S. citizens or permanent residents who are from the following three

categories may apply:

1) Graduate students in the final year of their dissertation

2) Postdoctoral students who have completed their dissertation within the

last three years

3) Professionals transitioning to academic careers (for those in fields for

which the doctorate is not the terminal degree)

AwardsNYU will award five in-residence fellowships in 2009. The two-year

appointments, which begin September 2009 and end August 2011, have

a possibility of a third-year extension. Graduate students in the final year

of their dissertation must make significant progress toward the disserta-

tion. Fellows teach a maximum of one course per semester.

Stipends and AllowancesFellows receive an annual stipend of $40,000 as well as allowances for

housing ($20,000), research ($2,000), and one-time relocation ($3,000).

The University also provides a medical and dental benefits package.

Application ProcedureRequired application materials include (1) a fellowship application; (2) a

curriculum vitae; (3) a statement of research and goals; (4) a personal

statement detailing the reasons for applying for the fellowship; (5) three

letters of reference from individuals familiar with your scholarly or creative

work; (6) an official school transcript from the current or last institution

attended; and (7) one of the following: a dissertation abstract (postdoctoral

applicants), a dissertation proposal (doctoral students), or a statement

of how your professional experience prepares you for a faculty position

(professionals). Incomplete submissions will not be accepted.

All materials must be received by JANUARY 15, 2009.

Applications will be reviewed as they are received.

Awards will be announced on MARCH 15, 2009.

The fellowship application and instructions for submissionare available at http://www.nyu.edu/info/faculty/09

New York University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity institution.

NYU Postdoctoral and Transition Program for

Academic Diversity

Job: 0809_A409_F_American Indian Magazine

Publication: American Indian Magazine

Size: 7" x 4.875"

Color(s): 4/c

Material Type: PDF

Line Screen: NA

Delivery: tk

Issue Date: 01.01.09

Closing Date: 10.30.08

Proof: final

Date: 10.21.08

Designer: al

our young people must be justified on the old missionary and colonial basis. When I was young and rash, I fought a bruising political battle to preserve the right of Indian law students to decide how to spend their careers. To me, our students should have no greater obligation to under-take a life of public service than their classmates. I’m not against public service. I am tired of hearing people, most of whom would not work in their own communities with a gun to their heads, go on and on about what our young people should do, when there are few jobs in our com-munities to attract them to come back. I don’t want to be the one who tells a kid that she can’t be a lawyer, even though she has always wanted to be a lawyer, because there are deemed to be “too many Indian lawyers”. I don’t want to tell a kid that he or she should study something they aren’t interested in, only to find that there is no job waiting for them on their own or any reservation or in any Indian community. This year, as we at AIGC celebrate the 40 years we have been privileged to provide funding to Indian stu-dents, we hope, with your participation, to place our organizational contribution in the context of the larger

history of Indian education, and higher education in particular. We welcome reminiscences from people about their higher education adventures. We frequently hear about the counselor who tried to steer a student into a lesser occupation; less frequently do we hear about the counselor or teacher who encouraged a student to aim high. Write and tell us your stories. Give us your views about the larger social policy issues inherent in higher education funding. And, check our website (www.aigcs.org); send money; lobby your tribal council to contribute to our endowment instead of lavishing money on universities that wouldn’t hire us as janitors before gaming came along. Help us locate alums and get them to contrib-ute. We have several generations in line for help, with an average unmet need of nearly $20,000 per year. ✦


Ican recall, at least twice in the past, when a relative has pointed out to me the highway markers for the “Dooda Desert Rock” campsite as we drove by on

Highway 491. My only response was to nod and resume listening to my iPod. I just was not interested. When I entered artwork into the “Connections: Earth + Artist = A Tribute Art Show in Resistance to Desert Rock” at Fort Lewis College, I was pleased with my minimal effort at a protest of any kind because every teenager wants to protest something. But after viewing the other entries I realized how uninformed I have been about the proposed Desert Rock power plant. I began to think about how the present power plants have already affected the environment. But I also thought about how the proposed power plant might be helpful to the Navajo Nation by providing jobs. The art show reception, on June 22, featured differ-ent artists’ renditions of imagined possibilities if more and more Native lands are used for industrial development. The winner of Best of Show, James Joe’s painting ‘Bleed-ing Sky,’ depicted the most shocking scenario. His paint-ing featured a Navajo family of four. However, past their traditional clothing, none of them looked like the typical Diné people: the father’s skin was paper white, to symbol-ize assimilation into the Anglo culture; the mother was

very beautiful, but had to use a oxygen tank to breathe; and the children were vaguely drawn, to depict their loss of individuality and voice. There are perfectly verti-cal and horizontal lines that cross in the middle of the painting, signify-ing the belief in the bal-ance of life. However, in the background there are ‘red blood lines’ flowing downward, symbolizing prob-lems that subtly grow over time. I learned these explana-tions from Joe’s talk at the reception. His painting captured the attitude that some feel toward the Desert Rock power plant: resistance. How-ever, this was only one of the many pieces of work that unexpectedly affected all who saw them, me included. After viewing all of these works, I was disturbed, angered and saddened. What made me finally realize its impor-tance was the art, not the many attempts made by my relatives or tense speeches or literature published. An amazing result was the possible implica-

tions this collection of artworks had the ability to explore. The art needed no explanation; it was up to each viewer to make his or her own conclusions about the creators’ intentions. The works are often ambiguous, with no real definition. One can only react and reflect upon one’s feelings. In an article in the New Yorker last year, Ben-jamin Walker talked about how art, in general, has lost its sense of “aura,” because of the technological age we live in. He said that, with the use of digi-tal cameras, the Internet and television, art can be found anywhere with only a click. He discussed how art used to cause a sort of pilgrimage because one had to travel to see it. When art started to be widely available, not anything special anymore, he said it lost its aura. I did not fully understand what he meant until I went to the Desert Rock art show. There was a real sense of aura around these works.

Powerful Art About desert rockby Desiree Deschenie

Resistance Through Art

Desiree Deschenie

James Joe’s ‘Bleeding Sky’


It was interesting to puzzle over what each artist thought about the Desert Rock power plant. There were many emotions behind each artist’s vision. The end result is a visual contribution to a complex discussion. One might also describe the art show as a desperate cry for help. The art show is explicitly titled “in Resis-tance to Desert Rock.” The proposed site is situated on the Navajo reservation near hundreds of families that have been there for decades. The main people who would be affected are Navajos, and so why is this not a major issue among a majority of the Navajo people? After see-ing all the different artwork, I feel inspired to pay more attention to the proposed Desert Rock power plant. In my case, art made me more aware of what is happen-ing, but it is only a starting point to help someone gain knowledge. I plan to continue informing myself about the developments and about what I can do to help. If this personal statement has made anyone think twice about the impending power plant, please visit either http://www.dooda-desert-rock.com or http://www.myspace.com/connections_earth_artist, for ways you can get involved. ✦

Dez Deschenie is currently taking a ‘gap year’ off from Dart-mouth College to attend Dine College, where she is study-ing environmental science. She resides in Farmington, NM. Pictures from the art show courtesy of Tatiana Deschenie

Lake Valley Sunset by Dez Deschenie

impact.Margo Tamez, (Lipan Apache-Jumano Apache),

doctoral student in American Studies, is a poet

and scholar whose book Raven Eye was nominated

for a Pulitzer Prize by University of Arizona Press.

Tamez researches bi-national native women in the

North American Sonora-Arizona and S. Texas-

Mexico, W. Texas-Mexico, corridors who lead self-

directed, community-centered actions on issues

relevant to strengthening Apache nations.

Make an

Graduate and Professional Studiesgradschool.wsu.edu


Spotlight on AIGC Alumni

Dr. Cynthia Chavez Lamar received a Doctor of Humane Letters, Honoris Causa, from Colorado College President, Richard Celeste, on Septem-

ber 1, 2008. A 1992 graduate of Colorado College, the award recognizes Dr. Chavez Lamar’s leading role in promoting Native American arts, artists and scholarships in her career with the National Museum of the Ameri-can Indian, Smithsonian Institution, the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in Albuquerque and at the School for Advanced Research on the Human Experience (SAR) in Santa Fe. She has served as director of SAR’s Indian Arts Research Center since August, 2007. After graduating from Colorado College, Dr. Chavez Lamar received an MA in American Indian Studies from UCLA (1997) and her Ph. D. in American Studies from UNM (2001). Beyond her professional and academic work, Cynthia regularly participates in community out-reach. She frequently serves as a consultant on topics ranging from Native perspectives on issues in museum studies to technologies that promote education and pre-serve tribal culture. SAR’s Indian Arts Research Center (IARC) houses one of the world’s most significant collections of tradi-tional Southwest Indian arts and artifacts, spanning the 450-year period from Spanish contact to the present. These collections and a range of associated programs have made the IARC an outstanding cultural and edu-cational resource for the Native American community, researchers, scholars, and the public. SAR president and CEO Dr. James F. Brooks attend-ed the honoring ceremonies at Colorado College and said,

director of Indian Arts research Center at SAr Awarded Honorary doctorate by Colorado College

“even at this early stage of her career, it comes as no sur-prise to those who work with Dr. Chavez Lamar on a daily basis that her alma mater has chosen her for this honor. She brings exciting new energy and ideas to SAR, and a consummate professionalism that will serve the Indian Arts Research Center splendidly in the years ahead. We congratulate Cynthia, her parents Richard and Sharon Chavez, and her community at San Felipe Pueblo on this singular and well-deserved recognition.” ✦

(Dr. Chavez Lamar, from San Felipe Pueblo, is an AIGC alumnae.)

“Evenatthisearlystageofhercareer,itcomesasnosurprisetothosewhoworkwithDr.ChavezLamaronadailybasisthatheralmamaterhaschosenherforthishonor…” —Dr.JamesF.Brooks

Dr. Cynthia Chavez Lamar (center)


Thank You

Almost twenty years ago, I began law school at the University of New Mexico, in Albuquerque. I was one of three Native American students that

would graduate in 1992. My first challenge was complet-ing the Pre-law Summer Institute program and passing the required prerequisites to be admitted to law school. I’ve always enjoyed academic challenges and seemed to do well when it came to tests and written assignments. I survived and, in the fall of 1989, I was admitted to the UNM School of Law. The next challenge I encountered, besides being so far away from home, was the financial cost required to attend graduate school. I grew up on the Makah Indian reservation in Neah Bay, Washington. There were 14 students in my high school graduation class. Leaving the small reservation and going to college was not very common. Our Tribe, however, did provide financial aid for those who dared to take the challenge. I managed to leave the “rez” for 4 years and obtain my bachelor’s degree from Central Washington University. After I graduated, a fellow class-mate talked me into taking the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT). I was soon contacted by several universities that requested that I submit an application to their insti-tution. I never dreamed that I would actually attend law school but, there I was, with the opportunity to be the first person from my hometown to earn a law degree. I chose to attend UNM because of its reputation regarding Indian Law and the fact that I wanted to experience a new and different place. After being admitted to law school, I soon discovered that I lacked the financial means to attend. My tribe did not provide financial assistance for graduate school and, to this very day, still doesn’t. I reached out to the Ameri-can Indian Graduate Center and with their assistance I was able to complete law school, earn my degree and pur-sue my career. In 1989, I received the Thomas W. Echo-

hawk memorial scholarship for first-year law students and was presented with “The American Indian Gradu-ate Center 20th Anniversary 1969-1989” poster by Sam English. I’ve had the poster framed and it is proudly dis-played in our home. It reminds me that having a dream sometimes is not enough. You need organizations such as the AIGC to help you achieve your goals. I owe a big part of my accomplishments to AIGC and the financial assistance with which they entrusted me. “Kleco kleco” “Thank you so much.” ✦

John A. Haupt (Makah Indian Tribe of Washington) earned his JD from the University of New Mexico School of Law in 1992. John is member of the New Mexico Bar Asso-ciation and has spent the past 15 years as a Special Agent for the federal government. Agent Haupt spent 12 years with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and is currently a Spe-cial Agent with the Department of Commerce, working with the Northwest Indian tribes regarding their treaty hunting and fishing rights. John resides in Sequim, Washington with his wife, Shelley, and their two children, Columbia, age 14, and Collin, age 12.

Looking Backby John A. Haupt

John Haupt

“YouneedorganizationssuchastheAIGCtohelpyouachieveyourgoals”.


Your Contribution

M y educational journey began in Cochiti, where I was born and raised, then on to Princeton and back to Cochiti. For any young person coming

from a small community like Cochiti and going off to one of the world’s elite institutions, there are likely two defining experiences that may occur: You may question your self worth when thrust into cultural shock. Or, the experience can validate and reaffirm that what you have been taught by people, who have no formal education and have never left your community, is equally as impor-tant as formal education. What I brought to Princeton were my core values, as taught to me by my parents, my grandfather, my extend-ed family and community. At the center of those core values was language. But, the things most relevant in my life and the people of Cochiti were not relevant to any-one attending Princeton. Striking that balance would be the ultimate lesson in that experience, which defined my career in public service that spans the last three decades. At the local level and in my cherished home of Cochiti, after Princeton, my desire to go to law school was interrupted when my elders called upon me to assist in Cochiti’s response to some extraordinary circumstanc-es. I had the honor and privilege to work with my elders and tribal leaders in the return of 25,000 acres of our beloved aboriginal homelands. Simultaneously, I found myself in a pivotal role as one of the chief architects and strategists in a legal fight against the U.S. Corps of Engi-neers and the United States, to hold them liable for the devastation they caused to one of the most revered places of worship, when they built the 10th largest man-made lake in the world. This construction and the master plan for a community of 40,000 people, on lands leased for 99 years, on half of our reservation hit at the very heart of our existence and literally changed a way of life over-night. But, we prevailed and, today, after lengthy mul-tiple legal battles and settlements, our elders and children have seen a way of life preserved. Unfortunately, that was not the end of threats from the outside. These events had the potential to destroy our peo-ple, our lands, our culture and way of life. None of these issues were relevant to anyone at Princeton but, as a result of the skills developed at Princeton and a network created

there, we made them relevant. As a spokesperson and an interpreter for the Pueblo, the skills I developed allowed me, within the courts and in the halls of Congress, to articulate what had never been explained. As a result, we have a second chance: An opportunity to articulate a new vision for the next one hundred years, consistent with our core values and driven by lessons learned. Beyond Cochiti, I was blessed early in my career to have extraordinary people in my life. LaDonna Har-ris, founder of Americans for Indian Opportunity, and Margaret Gover were two such people. They gave me the tools to apply the core values paradigm into policy development and multi-discipline decision making. My career also began with legendary figures: President Wen-dell Chino (Mescalero), Governor Robert Lewis (Zuni), Governor Frank Tenorio (San Felipe), Vice-President Dale Vigil (Jicarilla), President Peterson Zah (Navajo) and, in education, the vision of John Rainer, Robert Bennett and Joseph Abeyta. The ideas born out of that time were a conscious response for the need to develop our own professional capacity to strengthen our infra-structure and rebuild strong Indian nations by investing resources to develop a critical mass of educated Indian people. I was immensely blessed to learn from these men and women. They were profound visionaries developing the framework and ushering in what history will define as an extraordinary time in the reaffirmation of sover-eignty and beginning modern day renaissance of Indian nations and their cultures.

the Challengeby Regis Pecos

Regis and grandson, Kuien, at the New Mexico legislature.

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ives

the American Indian Graduate 1�

As we celebrate the American Indian Graduate Cen-ter’s 40th anniversary, we recall the last 40 years of the organization nurturing the development of an extraordi-nary brain trust in every conceivable discipline, making a difference throughout Indian country and the nation. Formalizing this network and creating formal partner-ships with these profound individuals and collectively creating new opportunities for our children and commu-nities can write the next chapter of the American Indian Graduate Center. It is my hope and my prayer than on the 50th anniversary, AIGC can bring together all of those who have come through the doors to celebrate and honor the spirit of the vision by engaging them in a dia-logue on how AIGC can build upon this bountiful har-vest for the next generation of leaders. What can we do to build upon this capacity in a very conscious way? How can those who benefited from this vision and who have a desire to give back become an active part in moving the program to the next level to respond to the challenges and opportunities in a similar fashion as John Rainer and Robert Bennett did when they conceived the need and gave birth to the American Indian Graduate Center. Our greatest challenge today, internally, in our com-munities when language and culture are at their most fragile state, is what we do to sustain our core values. The time has come when we must use our human resources and collective experiences to assess where we are in our development, within our respective communities, and articulate our vision of what we want our communities to be like for raising our children and grandchildren. Defining the most desirable future, identifying barriers and committing ourselves to be champions and advocates are compelling. For example, if we accept that education is important, and that the quality of education our chil-dren receive is dependent upon the stability of our teacher corps, why aren’t we developing strategies to steer our children into careers as teachers? Perhaps this is the result of not having a vision for our communities with strategies and blueprints delineating goals of how to achieve those desired outcomes that will be consistent with our core val-ues. It would be ironic and tragic that in this time of self-determination, with unprecedented human resources and opportunities, that we collapse from within. Rebuilding our nations from within has never been more important. What will be your contribution? ✦

Here on the South Plains of West Texas we embrace our Native American heritage. Texas Tech University encourages American-Indians to join the ranks of our graduate programs and there is plenty to choose from. We offer more than 100 masters programs and over 60 doctoral degrees in disciplines ranging from arts and humanities to engineering, sci-ence, and technology. We strive to provide financial support to the majority of our students.

www.gradschool.ttu.eduPhone: 806-742-2787

Email: [email protected]


AIGC Graduate Funding Opportunities2009-2010 Academic Year

BIE Loan For Service Program Deadline: June 1, 2009

The Loan For Service program is a Bureau of Indian Education funded financial aid opportunity administered by AIGC for American Indian and Alaska Native graduate and professional candidates. This program is offered

in an effort to promote opportunities for careers with tribal governments, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and Bureau of Indian Affairs’ funded organizations, on and off the reservations.

Repayment process: Loan paybacks are on a 1-1 basis (one year of service for one year of funding). Fellows must begin repaying through service within six months of degree completion.

To be considered for the AIGC Loan For Service program, the applicant must:

• Be an enrolled member of a United States federally recognized American Indian tribe or Alaska Native group; or possess _ degree federally recognized Indian blood and;

• Have a 3.0 GPA and;

• Be pursuing a master’s, doctorate, or professional (i.e. law, medicine, dentistry) degree as a full time student at an accredited graduate or professional institute in the United States.

Accenture American Indian Scholarship Deadline: June 1, 2009

The scholarship fund selects the very brightest American Indian and Alaska Native students seeking graduate or professional degrees and careers in the high technology and business fields. Applicants must be

entering a U.S. accredited college or university as full-time degree-seeking first-year graduate or professional student. To be eligible you must:

• Be an enrolled member of a United States federally recognized American Indian tribe or Alaska Native group; or possess—degree federally recognized Indian blood and;

• Able to demonstrate involvement with or measurable interests in Native American activities or affairs.

• Have a cumulative average GPA of a 3.25 on a 4.0 scale at the time of application.

• Have demonstrated character, personal merit, and commitment. Merit is demonstrated through leadership in school, civic and extracurricular activities, academic achievement, and motivation to serve and succeed.

Accenture LLP will provide summer internships for students who will be selected.


Wells Fargo American Indian Scholarship Deadline: June 1, 2009

The Wells Fargo fellowship was established to build new and lasting relationships between the future leaders and mangers in Indian Country and Indian gaming, tourism, hospitality and financial industries. To be eligible

you must:

• Be an enrolled member of a United States federally recognized American Indian tribe or Alaska Native group; or possess—degree federally recognized Indian blood and;

• Be pursuing a career and degree in fields relating to BANKING, RESORT MANAGEMENT, GAMING OPERATIONS: MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION, INCLUDING ACCOUNTING, FINANANCE, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, AND HUMAN RESOURCES and;

• Be a graduate student at a U.S. accredited institution as full time and degree seeking.

• Have a cumulative average GPA of a 3.0 on a 4.0 scale at the time of application and;

• Demonstrate financial need.

Application packets can be downloaded at www.aigcs.org beginning January 2009 or you may call (505) 881-4584 to be placed on a mailing list.

Graduate Fellowship for American Indians and Alaska Natives

The American Indian Graduate Center (AIGC) of Albuquerque, New Mexico, announces the availability of graduate fellowships for the 2009-2010 Academic Year, for American Indian and Alaska Native students

from federally recognized tribes.

AIGC was established in 1969 to assist American Indian college graduates desiring to continue their education at the master’s, doctorate and professional degree level who need financial support. American Indians continue to be the least represented of all minority groups in the country in medicine, business, law, science and other fields requiring advanced degrees. AIGC was founded to help open the doors to graduate education for American Indians and to help tribes obtain the educated Indian professional they need; to become more self-sufficient and exercise their rights to self-determination.

Application DeadlineTo be considered for funding for the 2009-2010 Academic Year, the original application form must be received by the AIGC office by the deadline.

Deadline: Monday, June 1, 2009

To request an application or for further information, please contact:

American Indian Graduate Center4520 Montgomery Blvd. NE, Suite 1-B

Albuquerque, New Mexico 87109

Telephone: (505) 881-4584, Ext. 111 • Fax: (505) 884-0427Website: www.aigcs.org • Email: [email protected]


Genomics Workshop

A dozen scholars from across the globe met recently at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law to discuss the promise and perils of current efforts

to transform indigenous people’s governance of genomic research. “This is a select group capable of drawing on their past experiences to envision the future,” said Rebecca Tsosie, Executive Director of the Indian Legal Program at the College of Law, who is principal investigator of the National Science Foundation grant funding the work-shop, “Genomics, Governance, and Indigenous Peoples.” “Many people are writing about this issue, but you are actually doing things, putting things into practice,” Tsosie told the group as the two-day workshop began on Thursday, November. 6, 2008. Tsosie and her two fellow organizers – Kim TallBear, Assistant Professor of Science, Technology and Environ-

Scholars use discussion to explore Governance of Indigenous Genomicsby Judy NicholsSandra Day O’Connor College of Law

mental Policy at the University of California, Berkeley, and Jenny Reardon, Assistant Professor of Sociology and Faculty Affiliate in the Center for Biomolecular Science and Engineering at the University of California, Santa Cruz – said they invited participants who were not afraid to seriously engage the issues. The “no-PowerPoint” format of the workshop had participants share written responses to several questions before convening and then participate in several recorded dialogues that will be used to produce a written docu-ment. TallBear said the format was inspired by work she did on a book, This Stretch of the River, in response to the celebration of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. In that book, several Lakota and Dakota writers taped their discussions of the subject. “The conversations produced knowledge and

experience that were not present in our written work,” TallBear said. And the work to edit and compile the project meant the learning continued beyond the conversa-tions, she added. Discussion topics at the genomics workshop included: cultural harm and transforming the legal system; charitable trusts, biobanks and partnership governance of genetic research; and tribal-genetic research agreements, indigenous research and gover-nance implications. Participants included experts in human genetics and the social, legal and ethical aspects of genom-ics in different national and cultural contexts. They have experience working within existing regimes of governance and see a need for policy innovation and change in relation to genomic research. Some par-ticipants are already engaged in experimental efforts to create change. The workshop, first conceived as being focused on the United States and “tribal” governance of genomics, was broadened to include scholar practi-tioners working in other parts of the world in rec-

Scholars participating in the Genomics, Governance and Indigenous Peoples workshop at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University included: seated from left, Nadja Kanellopoulou, Jenny Reardon, Pilar N. Ossorio, Rebecca Tsosie, Brian Wynne, Laura Arbour and, standing from left, Phillip S. “Sam” Deloria, Brett Lee Shelton, Nanibaa Garrison, Terry Powell, Paul Oldham and Kim TallBear.

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ognition that strategies for governing genomic research cannot be contained by national borders. In addition to Tsosie, TallBear and Reardon, partici-pants included: Laura Arbour, Associate Professor in the Depart-ment of Medical Genetics and the Island Medical Pro-gram at the University of British Columbia based in Victoria BC; Philip S. (Sam) Deloria, Director of the American Indian Graduate Center and former director of the Amer-ican Indian Law Center, Inc., for more than 35 years; Nanibaa’ Garrison, a Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Genetics at Stanford University working on the genetics of human pigmentary variation; Nadja Kanellopoulou, an academic lawyer who spe-cializes in medical law, intellectual property and bioeth-ics based at the Arts & Humanities Research Council Research Centre for Intellectual Property and Technol-ogy Law at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland; Paul Oldham, a social anthropologist and researcher at CESAGen a research center based at Lancaster Uni-versity in England;

LEARN INDIAN LAW FROM THE EXPERTSThe Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at ArizonaState University is now accepting applications for the

A master’s degree program for highly qualified non-lawyers who do not

seek a degree that will enable them to practice law. The M.L.S. program

offers qualified applicants the opportunity to study with several of the most

prominent Indian law and policy scholars in the country and provides access

to unique resources, including the nationally known Indian Legal Program.

Available courses include Federal Indian Law I and II, Gaming Law, Tribal Law

and Government, and Economic Development in Indian Country.

Contact Ann Marie Downes [email protected]

or call 480.727.0616

FLEXIBLE FULL TIME (nine months)or PART TIME

APPLY NOW

[email protected] - 480.965.1474

Pilar N. Ossario, Associate Professor of Law and Bioethics at the University of Wisconsin at Madison who also serves on the Director’s Advisory Council for the National Human Genome Research Institute and as an advisor for the 1000 Genomes Project, the Human Microbiome Project, and for NHGRI-related tissue banking activities at Coriell; Terry Powell, a member of the Alaska Area Institu-tional Review Board, whose interests include research ethics, health care research, and bioethics; Brett Lee Shelton, a partner in the law firm Shelton and Ragona, LLC, of Louisville, Colo., and who sits on the Oglala Sioux Tribal Research Review Board in Pine Ridge, S.D. and Brian Wynne, Associate Director of the Centre for Economic and Social Aspects of Genomics, Professor of Science Studies and Research Director of the Centre for the Study of Environmental Change at Lancaster Univer-sity in England. ✦

The Buder Center for American Indian Studies promotes the higher education of American Indians, preparing you

to assume leadership positions in social service and governmental institutions dedicated to improving the

lives of American Indians

Among the Buder Center’s special advantages are:

A variety of academic concentrations.

Course work focused on social work practice with American Indians.

Fieldwork with American Indian communities in your area of concentration.

Excellent assistance in job placement.

Dual degree-programs with law, business, architecture, and health/hospital administration.

The independent G.A. Jr. and Kathryn M. Buder Charitable foundation offers full scholarships to American Indian students who intend to practice social work in American Indian communities.

For more information, please contact:

Stephanie Kettler, Program Manager 1 Brookings Drive, Campus Box 1196,

St. Louis, MO 63130 E-mail: [email protected]

Phone: (314) 935-4510 *Fax: (314) 935-8464


Delaine Alley MSW-Social Work 2002 _ The Late Dennis L. Alley MSW–Social Work 1979

Christina Anderson MA/JD-Marriage & Family Counseling/Law 2007 _ Heather L. Anderson JD–

Law 2005 _ Jessiline Anderson PhD-Clinical Psychology 1999 _ Twyla Baker-Demaray MEd–

Education 2005 _ Jennifer Barnes-Kerns JD–Law 2005 _ Diandra D. Benally JD–Law 2005

Loren J. Benally MA-Language Literacy & Sociocultural Studies 2010 _ Tamara Bolding MA-

Divinity & Counseling 2008 & PhD-Clinical Psychology 2012 _ Harriett J. Bowannie-Platero PhD-

Molecular Biology & Genomics 2006 _ Wynona Bradwell MA-Special Education 1985

Robin A. Butterfield MA-Curriculum and Instruction 1972 _ Daron T. Carreiro JD–Law 2007

Karen Cash-Onco MEd- Counseling 1977 _ Brad E. Chaser MD-Medicine 2008 _ Tamara Clay

MSW-Social Work 2002 _ Jack E. Cloud JD–Law 1989 _ Sheila D. Corbine JD–Law 1993

Ann M. Cross PhD-Material Chemistry 2011 _ Yvonne M. Davis MS-Public Health 2004

Gayle Diné Chacon MD-Medicine 1993 _ Mark Dodd JD–Law 2006 _ Michael E. Douglas JD–

Law 2006 _ Lore’K Elliot MS-Psychology 2003 _ Affie Ellis JD–Law 2007 _ Katie Anglin Ethridge

MA-Counseling 2007 _ Jaina C. Fisher JD–Law 2009 _ Jennifer Fowler MS-Social Work & Legal

Studies 2008 _ Sharon E. Fredericks PhD–Education 2008 _ Felicia Y. Frizzell DDS–Dentistry 2011

John L. Garland PhD–Counseling 2009 _ Gabriel Galanda JD-Law 2007 _ Rita V. Gascon-Seeman

MSW-Social Work 1994 _ Olivia George PhD-Molecular Biology & Genomics 2007

Veronica Geronimo MSW-Social Work 1984 & JD-Law 1994 _ Wesley R. Gray PhD-Finance 2010

Shelley Hanson MBA-Business Administration 1996 _ Rodney C. Haring PhD-Social Work 2007

Miranda J. Haskie EdD-Education 2002 _ John A. Haupt JD-Law 1992 _ Jared Hautamaki JD-Law

2007 _ Wendy L. Helgemo JD-Law 1995 _ Adrian N. Holiday MA-Architecture 2008

Stacey J. Horn MS-Urban and Regional Planning 2008 _ Regina E. Hovet JD-Law 2002

Althea L. James MS-Health Administration 2010 _ Jill Jim MS-Health Care Administration 2008

Monique R. Jonaitis PhD-Native American Studies 2009 _ Dawn M. Jordan MS-Social Work 2009

Debora Juarez JD-Law 1987 _ Kristine A. Kalbfleisch MD-Medicine 2004 _ Julie Sabotta-Kane

JD-Law 1989 _ Robbi M. Kesler (Smith) JD-Law 2006 _ Jill D. Kessler MS-Counseling 2007

Sandy Kewanhaptewa-Dixon EdD-Education 1996 _ Douglas Kiel MA–History 2007 & PhD-History

2013 _ Laura Ann A. LaFrance MUR-Urban & Regional Planning 2008 _ Steven T. Leask PhD-

Business Administration 2003 _ Elizabeth Little Elk MS-Social Work 1980 _ Evelina Z. Lucero MA-

English 1989 _ Laverne G. Lyons MSW-Social Work 2006 _ Jeffrey L. Madison JD–Law 2005

Matthew J. Martinez PhD-Philosophy 2008 _ Andrew McCoy DC-Chiropractic 2008

Congratulations from Past and Current AIGC Fellows!

AIGC Fellows


Melody McCoy JD-Law 1986 _ Joanne McDonald MSW-Social Work 2008

Anya McKinney (Furman) MS-Information Science 2008 _ Nazune Menka MS-Environmental

Technology Management 2009 _ Robert J. Miller JD-Law 1991 _ Calvin M. Moniz MBA-Business

Administration 2008 _ Darryl T. Monteau MSE-Educational Leadership and Policy Studies,

Higher Education Administration 2009 _ Caryn E. Montoya MA-Special Education 2004

Raquel Montoya-Lewis JD-Law 1995 _ Marilyn Morris PhD-Clinical Psychology 2011

Christa Moya MCRP-Community and Regional Planning 2008 _ Dorothy Nason PhD-Ethnic

Studies 2008 _ Curtis J. Norvell MS-Public Health & MS/Business Administration 1987

Sahar A. Nouri (Kinney) MD-Obstetrics & Gynecology 2004 _ Geraldine L. Ortiz MBA-Business

Administration 2006 _ Tassy Parker PhD-Registered Nurse 2001 _ Robbie Paul MA–Psychology 1994

& PhD–Psychology 2007 _ Marilyn J. Phelps JD-Law 2009 _ Meredith Presley JD-Law 2009

Randy Quinn MBA-Business Administration 2006 _ RaeAnn Red Owl JD-Law 2007

Hillary Renick JD-Law 2008 _ Renee A. Roman Nose MA-Interdisciplinary Studies 2008

Joel Rosette JD-Law 2006 _ Shawna D. Samuel MS-Business Administration 2006

Cherokee R. Screech Owl (Pettis) MS-Social Work 2004 _ Laurie Sison MS-Education 2007

Kimmie Smith MS-Psychology 2008 _ Shelia Southard JD-Law 2007 _ MacArthur L. Stant II MA-

Teaching English as a Second Language 2007 _ Ronald P. Stiffarm MEd-Educational Leadership 2008

Adam Sturdevant PHD-Psychology 2009 _ Dawn (Tato) Tallchief PHD-Educational Leadership &

Policy Studies 2006 _ Kevin Teehee MD-Medicine 1997 _ Sean K. Teuton PhD-English Language and

Literature 2002 _ Kerry F. Thompson PhD-Anthropology 2009 _ Frances Tiger MHR-Human

Relations 2005 _ Yvonne N. Tiger MA-20th Century Native American History 2008

Yolandra G. Toya MS-Public Health 1991 & MD – Medicine 2003 _ Georgia L. Tsingine MS–Pub-

lic Health 1999 & MD–Medicine 2003 _ Anna Tsouhlarakis MFA-Fine Arts 2002 _ Mary Walker

MS-Educational Leadership 2005 _ Janice C. Warner MS-Social Work 1975 _ Darlene Waseta MA-

Organizational Learning & Instructional Technologies 2002 _ Barbara W. Watson MEd-Educational

Psychology 1979 _ Roberta S. Whitlock-Baeta PhD-Philosophy 2008 _ Emily R. White Hat JD-Law

2007 _ Marlinda White-Kaulaity PhD-Philosophy 2007 _ Sweeney Windchief MA-Counselor

Education 2004 & EdD-Higher Education Administration 2011 _ Angela Wiley MHR-Human

Relations 2005 _ Lori Workizer MA-Audiology now a PhD 1993 _ David Yarlott Jr. EdD-Adult,

Community, & Higher Education 1999 _ Naomi J. Young MD-Medicine 2009

AIGC is proud of the over 7,000 past and current students who have benefitted from

our services. We thank them for their continuing contributions and support.

(Visit our web site, www.aigcs.org, to participate in the August 2009 congratulatory page.)


AIGC Alumni

Class of 2012

tamara Bolding (Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma) Master’s in Counseling Psychology (Currently working on Ph.d.) Pacifica Graduate Institute

“AIGC fellowships and awards have enriched my life and education and have allowed me to help others through my degree in Counseling Psychology. I am currently working on a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, which will allow me to assist even more individuals. Thank you!”

Class of 2008

Adrian N. Holiday (dineh) Master’s in Architecture, Arizona State university

“I am currently working for the Gila River Indian Com-munity and taking the architectural registration exam to become a registered architect. AIGC has provided oppor-tunities toward assisting Native American tribes with the opportunity to advance in design and construction, work that is culturally sensitive and creates a sustainable envi-ronment while mentoring to the community.”

Class of 2001

Michelle L. Sauve (St. regis Mohawk) Master’s in Public Policy, Harvard university

“Receiving the AIGC Fellowship helped defray my costs for attending Harvard. I wouldn’t have been able to go without financial support. Thank you.”

the Alumni Connection

An Open letter to AIGC:“I am a Waccamaw-Siouan Native American, employed by Southeastern Community College in Whiteville, NC. I have recently made a commitment to finish my four-year degree and obtain a Master’s in Counseling. I received your Spring 2008 magazine in the mail at SCC. I don’t know why but, for some reason, I could not trash the magazine. It contained so much information that helped me keep my focus on education. Thanks to the American Indian Graduate magazine, I am not going to let my dream just be a dream but, instead, become real-ity. Thank you.”

— Andrea Jacobs

Notes:To insure that we have all your current informa-tion, please take a minute to visit our web site (aigcs.org) or send an email to Leander Bekaye ([email protected]) or Susan Duran ([email protected]) to update your information (be sure to include your previous address so we know we have the right individual).

We’re very proud of all our alumni, so… while you’re updating your information, please let us know what’s been going on with you. Also, if you would like to submit an article for our magazine, about your educational experience(s) and/or how education has changed your life, we would welcome your story.

by Susan Duran

The Four Directions Summer Research Program would like to wish the American Indian Graduate Center a Happy 40th Anniversary!

Four Directions Summer Research Program at Harvard Medical School and Brigham Women’s Hospital

www.fdsrp.org


IndianLawSummer Program

May 26 to August 3, 2009

Lewis & Clark Law SchoolPortland, Oregon

law.lclark.edu/dept/indianlw

We offer the only summer program dedicated to traininglawyers to navigate the complex legal issues facing Native Americans. Our program incorporates classroom-based learning with opportunities for the development ofpractical skills and exposure to Native American culture.

Our courses are taught by renowned Indian law scholarsfrom around the country. A typical summer consists of two five-week sessions offering courses such as FederalIndian Law, Contemporary Issues in Indian Law, Themesin Sovereignty, and the Clinical Internship Seminar andintensive courses in Native American Natural Resources,American Indians and International Law, and AlaskaNatives and the Law.

Please contact us at 503-768-6740 or [email protected] more information. Scholarships are available.


W hen I was about the age of most of you, I was editor of my tribal weekly, The Sho-Ban News, in Fort Hall, Idaho. One of my favor-

ite events was the Shoshone-Bannock Tribe’s “general council”, the annual meeting of the community at a traditional round log structure named “Buffalo Lodge”. During these sessions, every tribal member held firm to the right to speak. Sometimes the lines would be long, while people waited for their turn and their say. Some, when they would get to the microphone, would thump it a few times with their thumbs as a mike-check. Thump, thump, thump. Then people would launch into what they had so say. I love to think of this as an intersection: Two streets crossing, technology and tradition. The technology of the microphone is new, but the conversations that occurred were about tradition, community and my tribe’s future. I was witnessing a respect for a discourse that was ancient. I liked the thumb on the microphone — the inter-section — because it demonstrated that ideas about free speech transcend the arrival of Europeans or the Ameri-can Constitution. Think about what that very notion means to you, think about the sound of the microphone being tapped. Whether you are American Indian, Asian or Pacific Islander, Hispanic or African-American, this means that we have our unique way of thinking. What we think of as culture, is as valid as any in the Western Canon. This is what we must all add to the American experience. The late Bob Maynard, one of the few African-Amer-icans to own a major daily newspaper, put it this way: “This country cannot be the country we want it to be if its story is told by only one group of citizens. Our goal is to give all Americans front door access to the truth.” Front door access — that’s the reason we’re here — and you’re here. You have something to contribute to that American experience. Then, by now, you should know that. Since the presidential election is on many of our minds, let me start with another post-election story: I was editing this tribal paper, the Sho-Ban News. We printed community news — success stories from basket-

ball, a community event. It was our job to write about the community in a way that would be clipped out of the paper and taped on the ‘fridge’. Still I wondered why we couldn’t do what other newspapers did. In December of 1977, I heard that Vice President Wal-ter Mondale was planning a tour of Idaho. I thought this would be a great opportunity for The Sho-Ban News to cover a national news story and make it interesting for our readers. I found out how to get press credentials and decid-ed the Sho-Ban News would cover the Vice President’s trip. I was curious. I had a few questions I wanted to ask. A few weeks later, I showed up at the hotel where the Secret Service was clearing reporters. At the creden-tials office, an old hotel in downtown Lewiston, Idaho, I noticed that all the other reporters were dressed up in suits and ties. In those days, my wardrobe consisted of jeans, t-shirts and cowboy boots. I stood out — and I knew it. And I was afraid I looked so out-of-place that I might not be included in the Q&A with the Vice President. I couldn’t afford a suit, though. My salary at the Sho-Ban News wasn’t a lot. But one of those funny light-bulbs went off behind my head and I had a scheme. I went to J.C. Penney’s in Lewiston, Idaho, and bought a shirt, a tie and a gray overcoat. (I think the total was about $30.) I figured if I wore the coat all the time, then no one would know that I didn’t have a suit or sport coat underneath.

Gates Millennium Scholars Program

the Leader Who Makes a difference

by Mark Trahant

Mark Trahant

(This is a reprint of a keynote speech given to 1,000 Gates Millennium Scholars at a recent conference in Los Angeles.)

the American Indian Graduate 2�

Early the next morning, I jumped on the press bus and followed the Vice President-elect’s group to the cam-pus of Washington State University, where he was spend-ing the morning. I fit right in. Even on the bus, even with my coat off, I looked like the other reporters. Slick. But, by the time we got to WSU there was a glitch. It was the warmest winter day in mem-ory. It was hot. And here I was running around in a gray overcoat, looking like Lt. Colombo. No matter. I refused to take it off the coat. I had some reporting to do. The final news conference was held in a secluded area of the Lewiston Airport at the end of that busy day. I did shout a question to Mondale asking how Indian water rights would be protected under the proposed Carter Administration’s new federal water policy. Mondale looked for a moment. He paused, as if he was ready to answer my question — the one I felt so sure my readers wanted to know. Then turned to next Interior Secretary Cecil Andrus, and replied, “I think I had better let the expert answer that.” And he stepped back away from the microphone. I should have shouted, “hey, I bought a rain coat just to ask you this question …” For the record, Andrus answered the question by saying that Indian water rights are independent rights and not part of the federal claim. It was a good quote and one that I used in the next week’s edition of the Sho-Ban News. The larger lesson learned, though, was that the Sho-Ban News, small as we were, could be excellent. We could cover the news exactly the same as any other newspaper. A few years later, I found my way to Navajo country where I was editor (and later, publisher) of the Navajo Times. When I was at the Sho-Ban News, I thought, why shouldn’t we be a weekly. Every other community newspaper in Idaho is a weekly – why are we a monthly? Just by asking the question, I knew the answer. Of course right now: Our focus on the American experience is on the election. “Historic” is one of those words we too often toss about lightly. We who practice journalism are particu-larly guilty: we tap out the word on a keyboard and then set out to prove our thesis. “This election is historic”, or so we write. Imme-diately, our readers know it to be true because it’s been

written often. You could say that journalists get away with such ideas because most of our readers don’t have a deep sense of history. The 2008 election is a game-changer in Indian Country because at least a half-dozen candidates paid remarkable attention to Native issues throughout this campaign visiting rural Nevada, Montana, South Dako-ta, New Mexico and Arizona. This election was different because the candidates were asked, “What would you do about Indian health care, the trust litigation, or even, can you define tribal sovereignty in the 21st century?” This is striking. The next President is paying a little attention to at least a few American Indian issues. It’s too easy to think of that very notion as a “first.” Many Northwest tribes have an honoring ceremony that starts with laying down woven blankets. One layer. Then another. And another. And another. The metaphor is simple: We are all standing on the ground that some-one has prepared. Last year, I went to such a ceremony for Claudia Kauffman. Claudia is a member of the Nez Perce Tribe and, two years ago, was elected to the Washington State Senate. That wonderful event included two powerful symbols that demonstrate how far we’ve come and why this one-less first still matters. It was, like this election, historic. Yet, the story that could be told through those threads of the layers of woven blankets, are rich and compelling, ranging from the violent conquest of the West to the state’s more recent fish wars. Indeed, in many ways, it’s hard to imagine this first occurring in Washington state because it was not that long ago that this state was widely known as “the Mississippi of Indian Country,” the frontline in the war over salmon, tribal sovereignty and culture. But Washington found balance — and today there is a partnership between tribes and the state’s govern-ment that works together on issues ranging from salmon recovery to the health of Puget Sound. But that’s why the power of those stories — the ones symbolized through those blankets — is so significant because of other leaders who came first. Yes, Claudia Kauffman was a “first.” Like Sen. Obama. But that first is only so because of the blankets already on the ground. One of the most powerful of those stories is about a woman named Lucy Covington. This story starts in the

ManyNorthwesttribeshaveanhonoringceremonythatstartswithlayingdownwovenblankets.Onelayer.Thenanother.Andanother.Andanother.Themetaphorissimple:Weareallstandingonthegroundthatsomeonehasprepared.


early 1960s. The federal government had decided that it could get rid of the “Indian problem” by redefining its relationship. It would terminate Indians, divvy up the resources on a reservation and end of story. The so-called promise was that the tribes that chose this route would be “freed” from federal interference. In October 1966, the Confederated Colville Tribes of Washington state polled its members on that very policy. A “yes” vote meant ending the tribe’s relation-ship with the United States and the liquidation of timber and other tribally-owned assets. Everybody would get a check. The result of the poll was one-sided; more than two-thirds of the membership voted for termination. The federal government was keen on the policy of termination and it was decided that it would be a good thing for Indian people. The Klammaths, some Utes and the Menominees had already been pushed down this path. If a few more tribes could be convinced, then ter-mination could proceed as national policy. But, on the Colville Reservation, the policy was already decided. Done deal. BIA Commissioner Robert L. Bennett testified that he would “honor and carry out any decisions that are made by the people of the tribe, whether or not this may be in agreement or disagree-ment with what may happen to be particular policy of the Bureau.” The U.S. Senate had passed several Colville termination bills and the House was expected to do so again. The solid pro-termination majority on the Colville tribal council was ready for this question to be decided. However, Lucy Covington was not convinced. One person on a tribal council; just one vote. She decided to follow the tribal chairman around. Every time he would speak about termination — and the promise of a quick reward — she would follow and ask about jobs and a future for the tribal community. She cited statistics that showed bleaker conditions on the res-ervation: only 20% of the membership had high school diplomas, the on-reservation population was substantial-ly below non-Indian neighbors in health, housing and income. “The point was being made that these people would suffer immeasurably from termination,” she said. The reservation had some 676 adults — only 89 full-time jobs. She argued that the tribes needed a future

based on it own power and sovereignty. But first, she said, “the present fever and fervor for termination has to be quieted.” This argument went on and on for five years. Every year the tribe moved closer to termination — until 1971 when Covington’s side won. Through the leadership of one person, the Colville tribes, in a practical way, termi-nated Washington’s experiment with termination — and “freeing the Indians” from the BIA, land money, culture and government. Because of this one leader, the people on the reservation were more powerful than policy mak-ers in Washington, DC. One more story. This is a hip crowd, right? We all have MySpace pages. I try to be — at least I experiment with these new ways of communicating. Yes, I have a MySpace page, but my main experiment is I write daily “news” poems on Twitter. One of my “friends” on both twitter and MySpace is “Indigenous Flygirl.” Perhaps, at first, the page looks ordinary. She’s 99 years old (a common MySpace age). She says: “I’m thinking of cheese fries. Yummy”. Pretty much what you would expect on MySpace. But then you might go a little deeper and see that she has extraordinary photographs, capturing urban life. She lists 4,708 friends and receives thousands of com-ments posted to her home page. This year alone she’s had 62,000 page views. (“Who is looking at that?”, she asked.) Flygirl’s real name is Alyssa Macy. She’s from Warm Springs but lives in Milwaukee (and like Ellsbury went to Madras High School). Here is what she writes about herself: My parents met through their work with the Ameri-can Indian Movement in the early 70’s. They instilled in me a strong understanding of who I am as an Indig-enous woman and of my people and our traditions. They encouraged me to pursue my education and fed my creative appetite through photography, art and music. Growing up on the rez taught me how to survive in a tough world, to laugh until your sides hurt and to make just about anything out of commodities. These lessons, the grace of the Creator and tenacity have carried me to where I am today.”

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WhatIreallylikeaboutbothAlyssaandherMySpacepageishersenseofresponsibility.SheknowsthatyoungpeoplehereinOregonarelookingatherpagesandwhatshesaysaboutherself.“Youputyourselfoutinapublicway,”shesays,“sodosomethinggood.


MySpace is not just where Indigenous Flygirl plays, but it’s where she organizes people, specifically young people. The medium is the Web and hip-hop. About a dozen years ago, while living in Phoenix, Macy was helping organize an urban Indian summit. A group started a listserv — an email mailing list — to com-municate with each other. But, much of the time, the same information was shipped over and over, to the same people. Macy says she needed a way to expand her network. “I signed up for MySpace in February of 2005. It was never meant to be anything more than a way to stay in touch with friends, house my photography and to talk with the reservation community,” she said. But it was the network that she had been looking for. Macy said, “The nice thing about MySpace is that I would send something out and people would respond to it. People are thinking in terms of what you are thinking.” Sure, “MySpace is kind of weird,” she admits. Some people create online identities that are different from their real life. “I try to put stuff on MySpace that reflects who I am as a person.” Macy started a marketing effort for hip-hop on MySpace and that led to a fundraising campaign for

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the Native American Rights Fund. That effort reached a whole new audience — at an Indian Market in Santa Fe, there was a hip-hop shop, playing a NARF song. Young people were saying, “Hey, NARF, yeah.” These young people thought NARF was “cool.” It was branded through hip-hop. Did the effort work? “Well”, Macy says, “we exceeded our fundraising goals. By a lot.” What I really like about both Alyssa and her MySpace page is her sense of responsibility. She knows that young people here in Oregon are looking at her pages and what she says about herself. “You put yourself out in a public way,” she says, “so do something good. Talk about the challenges in a good way — or you can put out a lot of garbage. I choose to not do that.” Thump. Thump. Thump. A new way of communicating our stories. A time of great change. A few days ago, Sen. Joe Biden said the new President would be tested. I think he has it back-wards: There will be a test. But it’s a test of our gen-eration, how do we meet the challenges of this time in history. It’s not just a test for the President. It’s a test for all of us. ✦


Dr. Joe Sando

Ivisited with Dr. Joe Sando as he recalled his memories of the American Indian Graduate Center (AIGC), the employees and Board of Directors associated with the

inception of AIGC. When Robert L. Bennett, an Oneida from Wisconsin, was Commissioner of Indian Affairs, he used to visit the states in which the area offices were located. To his disappointment, no office he visited was headed by a Native American. Bennett knew something had to be done to change or improve the situation. He knew that meant education beyond the ordinary Bacca-laureate degree. Now, the rest of the story. Let’s go back a few years. The seed for the future program was planted when John C. Rainer, Sr., of Taos Pueblo, met Robert Bennett and Will Rodgers, Jr. in the Arrow Inc. project, which was sponsored by Will Rodg-ers, Jr. It was at that time that Bennett and Rainer met to establish the first office of the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) in Washington, DC, of which Rainer became Executive Director. As the two men met often in Washington, they lamented the lack of Indian professionals in all fields due to insufficient tribal funds and the unavailability of money from the Bureau of Indi-an Affairs for Indian graduate study. Up to this point, the BIA had primarily funded Indian education only though high school, with little being spent for a few undergradu-ate college students. The two men set out to remedy the situation. Their dream of a graduate scholarship program became a well-documented success story for the thousands of recipients and Indian communities that the new professionals now serve. Rainer began work as Director of the newly estab-lished American Indian Scholarships, Inc., in August of 1969. At that time, the office was located in a trailer on the University of New Mexico campus. Pawnee, Lucille Echohawk, accepted the position of Secretary of the fledgling organization. After five years in Albuquerque, Rainer asked the AIS Board of Directors to allow him to retire or move the office to Taos. The board approved the move to Taos, where it relocated to a makeshift two-car

garage converted into an office. Faye Davis became the new secretary for the Taos office. The AIS office remained in Taos for nine years, fol-lowing Rainer’s retirement on December 31, 1983. He had worked for the scholarship program for fourteen years. When the office returned to Albuquerque it was located where it remains today, 4520 Montgomery Blvd, NE, Suite 1-B, Albuquerque, New Mexico. With the change of address it also changed its name to American Indian Graduate Center, Inc., and Lorraine P. Edmo, a Shosho-nee-Bannock from Idaho, was selected as the new director. Some of the early board members were Lucy Covington, Chuck Trimble, Ada Deer, Joe Shando, Jim Cox, Overton James and David Warren. Subsequent directors following Edmo included Oren Lapointe, Reginald Rodriquez, Rob-ert Sutton, Hilton Queton, Norbert S. Hill Jr., Louis Baca and the current Director, Sam Deloria. The program had a slow start but, once word spread and the “moccasin telegraph” started operating in high gear, the office was flooded with requests for scholarship aid. By the end of the 1987 academic year, AIGC had awarded 180 fellowships to graduate students, represent-ing 81 tribes from 22 states. Of the recipients, 163 were studying for graduate degrees in the areas of health, edu-cation, law, business, engineering and natural resources. The other 69 were studying in fields such as anthropolo-gy, nursing and ministry. Unfortunately, due to a limited amount of available funding, AIGC was able to finance less than half the fellowship applicants.

then and NowAn Interview with an AIGC Founding Father

by Michelle Pasena

Continued on page 29

Louisa and Joe Sando


Shortly after high school, I enlisted in the Navy and it was during those two years in the military that I decided to go to college. In 1996, I graduated from

the University of New Mexico with a degree in political science and a minor in communications. Politics capti-vated my interest because it was politics that I knew was at the center of the nation’s decision-making process, law and policy. Upon receiving my degree in political sci-ence, I moved to Washington, D.C. and worked for the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe, a tribe that was engrossed in national politics as an Indian political powerhouse. It was truly a privilege to see a tribe assert such a political influence within the Washington political arena. After working in Washington, my degree brought me back home to New Mexico, where I was appointed Lt. Governor and then Governor of the Pueblo of San Ildefonso, at the extremely young age of 25. At that point in my life, my degree in political science and com-munications proved invaluable for preparing me to deal with the non-Indian, outside world. More importantly, the experience I attained in college taught me the impor-tance of possessing strong writing and reading skills. While I was a tribal official, I used these skills on a daily basis reading contracts, business letters, attorney memos, writing excerpts, etc. As the years passed, while working with tribes, I soon realized that there was a pattern of dependency upon the legal profession. In one sense, the tribal attor-neys unintentionally ran the tribe because they retained so much information for the tribe as a whole - in water rights, land claims, tribal codes, court systems and virtu-ally any area of tribal government. I decided to apply to law school and learn the law rather than have someone explain it to me. When I was accepted by the University of New Mexico, School of Law, I contacted the American Indian Graduate Center (AIGC) in an effort to try and figure out how to get help to pay for law school knowing that the average debt of attending law school is estimated at approximately $60,000.00. I learned that AIGC offered the “Loan for Service” program, which defrays the cost of tuition and living expenses in return for work with

a tribe or the Bureau of Indian Affairs, on a one-year for one-year basis. I am now completing my third and final year of law school while also being an active recipient of the AIGC Loan for Service program. The program has been very beneficial because, for law school students, it was recommended that students refrain from working due to the high demand of class work. If it were not for the efforts of AIGC and its staff in making certain that funds were available for students, the additional financial stress of not working would have been unbearable. Whenever I am asked how AIGC has assisted me, I respond that AIGC has become an integral part of my law school education because the organization has remained actively involved in my personal development and future goals within the legal field. Thus, when I think of what I have learned with my experience from the military, undergraduate, tribal poli-tics and now law school, I wish I had taken the time to learn more about the fundamentals of reading, writing and scholarship opportunities. I am grateful for AIGC and the resources that the program offers because they assist in building the foundation for future Native law-yers who will represent tribes and indigenous people. ✦

Terry Aguilar is a member of the Pueblo de San Ildefonso in New Mexico and is currently enrolled at the University of New Mexico School of Law in the Juris Doctorate program. Terry will graduate with his JD Law degree in the spring of 2009.

Helping Build the Futureby Terry Aguilar

Terry Aguilar

Loan for Service Program


For those who work in higher education – as stu-dents, as staff or as faculty – both the opportuni-ties as well as the challenges confronting Native

students are well-known. Several studies have shown that Native students – and students of color in general – can usually trace their persistence and success back to one person; one person at their chosen institution who took a vested interest in their lives and their well-being. Yet, even for those colleges and universities that offer explicit support for Native students – be they tribal colleges or mainstream institutions, American or Canadian – resources are often stretched precariously thin. Campus resources for Native students are too often inadequate, while funding is lim-ited and often fought for tooth-and-nail. Native program staffs are small – often limited to one person. Many of the professionals tasked with pro-viding support to Native students have multiple responsi-bilities rolled into one job. At various points throughout a given day they may serve as recruiters, event-planners, advisors, counselors, surrogate family members, reten-tion strategists, financial aid specialists, housing officers, mediators, social activists and educators. Many may not have even deliberately chosen the field as a career track. Many may be the only Native person on their campus. Many have moved seamlessly from rolls as students to roles as professionals or have done both simultaneous-ly. Many have simply stepped up because no one else was doing it. As a result, most professionals can feel an intense isolation fighting battles on their respective cam-puses in their effort to support students, and some have received little formal training in the fields in which their institutions now expect them to be expert. The National Institute for Native Leadership in Higher Education (NINLHE) was founded to address exactly this need among the constituency of those who serve Native students in higher education. Legend has it that the idea for NINLHE first saw light around a holiday dinner table more than fifteen years ago. Jim and Colleen Larimore (Comanche) – brother and sister and, at the time, working in the Native American Programs at Stanford University and Dartmouth College – were comparing notes on the

challenges they faced at their respective institutions. They both arrived at the conclusion that surely others in higher education must be dealing with similar issues and concerns. They discussed the possibility of creating a place where all of those people could come together, share ideas and learn from one another. An opportunity was born. Since its official founding in 1993, NINLHE has offered an Institute every summer to bring together pro-fessionals from colleges, universities and tribal education programs across North America who are engaged in the work of supporting Native students in higher education. The first and only organization of its kind, NINLHE’s goal for the Institute has always been two-fold: 1) to offer professional development and 2) to offer an oppor-tunity for personal and spiritual renewal. My own experience with NINLHE began more than ten years ago now. My first experience with the group was so transformative and left such a lasting impression that I have not missed an Institute since. Having attend-ed many conferences and workshops prior to (and hun-dreds more since) my first NINLHE Institute, I was not sure what to expect. What I found was much more than I could have imagined.

NINLHE

the NINLHe Institute

Sinceitsofficialfoundingin1993,NINLHEhasofferedanInstituteeverysummertobringtogetherprofessionalsfromcolleges,universitiesandtribaleducationprogramsacrossNorthAmericawhoareengagedintheworkofsupportingNativestudentsinhighereducation.

by Louise Chavez


Rather than a rigid series of concurrent sessions that people might or might not attend, there was a genuine effort to create a community during the days of the NINLHE Institute. People did everything together and at the same time. There were no sessions to choose from and there was no ‘show-up-from-8-to-4’ attitude. Rather, everyone participated in the same workshops and shared their own experiences – both personal and professional. There was no keynote speaker, but there was an Elder-in-Residence that helped put the events and discussions of the day into perspective. At the time, I had reached a breaking point in my then-current position and was ready to leave. The encouragement, support and fresh perspective that I found at NINLHE allowed me to persevere and contin-ue with new ideas and with new enthusiasm. I have never forgotten the people I met during that first Institute and many of them, too, still come around every year. The colleagues I have met and friends I have made at NINLHE have become a daily resource for me, as well. NINLHE is always a blend of first-timers and old-timers, of research and culturally-based best practices and innovative ideas. In its fifteen years, it has served almost a thousand representatives from more than one hundred different colleges and universities across the United States and Canada. Most importantly, though, the information and individuals involved with NINLHE have gone on to serve thousands of Native American stu-dents in higher education. In a field where those who endeavor to support oth-ers often find themselves dramatically unsupported, NINLHE offers a unique opportunity to find new ideas, renewed dedication and an outstanding network of col-leagues continent-wide. ✦

For more information on NINLHE, please visit: http://ninlhe.unm.edu

Today, AIGC awards more than $1.8 million annu-ally to American Indians and Alaska Natives pursuing graduate and professional degrees. As of 2008, AIGC has awarded more than 12,000 scholarships to graduate stu-dents, in fields ranging from law to medicine. The AIGC Scholars, a separate program funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Millennium Scholars program through the United Negro College Fund (UNCF), in partnership with AIGC, awards $7,500,000 annually, primarily to undergraduate students. The American Indian Graduate Center would like to thank Dr. Sando for sharing his memories of the incep-tion of AIGC and the individuals that have impacted the success of the American Indian Graduate Center as an employee or Board member. Each and every contribution, large or small, has had a positive impact on current Ameri-can Indian or Alaska Native students or former students who are now professionals throughout the country. Today, forty years later, AIGC is proud and honored to have played a part in many undreamed success stories. ✦

then and NowContinued from page 26

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American Indian Male Initiative


by Shawn Secatero

T he leadership and academic roles for American Indian males in higher education can be described as a mixture of complexity and change. According

to the latest enrollment figures provided by the National Center for Educational Statistics (2006), American Indi-an males in college constitute only 39 percent of Ameri-can Indian college enrollment as compared to the female college enrollment at 61 percent. In addition, recent trends by the National Cen-ter for Educational Statistics (NCES) and other data sources report that the numbers of American Indian males attending college are slowly declining. In 1976, American Indian males and females were nearly equal in degree attainment at fifty percent. However, in 2006, at the national level, 15,300 American Indian females were awarded college degrees compared to 8,700 males. To address the declining numbers of American Indi-an males the American Indian Graduate Center (AIGC), along with the Gates Millennium Scholarship program, have endorsed a Male Initiative Project, established in 2005, to attract and retain males in their pursuit of a col-lege education. Several workshop sessions were initiated to collect data and disseminate information to AIGC partnerships. Conference workshops included the Min-nesota Indian Education Conference, Johnson O’Malley Conference and the National Indian Education Associa-tion Conference. Participants varied in tribal affiliation and the gender population was equal. Levels of education included elementary students, tribal officials, college stu-dents, professional practitioners and elders. The workshops were designed as an open session and all participants included their perceptions of American Indian males in higher education. I shared basic statistics

from the National Center for Educational Statistics (2006) with conference participants, such as the number of conferred degrees among Ameri-can Indians and Alaskan Natives during the 2005-06 academic school year. According to NCES, 23,936 American Indians and Alas-kan Natives earned their degrees in 2006 and the numbers continue to grow at a steady pace. (See table below.) For example, in 1977, only 67 American Indian males earned a doctorate degree nationwide and the figure has steadily improved to 105 doctorate recipients in 2006. I also explained that the lack of educational attainment is detrimental to our future as American Indian people and there is a dire need for males to fill professional career positions, act as positive role models and serve as future leaders of tribal communities. It is also important that American Indian educators put their minds together to develop a foundation of ideas to encourage more studies in educational attainment for American Indian males in higher education. We formed small talking circles of 6-10 members who were asked to provide insight on the positive and negative traits of male behaviors. Conference participants chose a speaker to share their talking points with all workshop participants. The salient issues derived from these workshops includ-ed: leadership, hardships, negative stereotypes, role model status, success stories and community best practices.

Total Associates Bachelor Masters Doctorate ProfessionalAmerican Indian/Alaska Native 23,936 8,552 10,940 3,504 230 710

Male 8,658 2,774 4,203 1,244 105 332

Female 15,278 5,778 6,737 2,260 125 378

Shawn Secatero

the American Indian Graduate ��

LeadershipAccording to our conference participants, an important leadership trait for Native males is to ensure that every-one is involved in the decision making process and to listen to the needs of the people. Another characteristic involves cooperative learning – a leader is expected to learn from colleagues – and developing good communi-cation skills. Other traits included: a strong sense of self, honesty, integrity, compassion, knowledge and strong moral character. One participant commented, “A great American Indian leader is a defender of culture, tradi-tion and language; he knows his identity and is actively involved in the community.”

HardshipsConference participants also included a list of hardships that contribute to the low number of American Indian males in college. The lack of social, economic and family support systems was the most prevalent hardship men-tioned in the workshops. Others included the absence of guidance from elders, lack of employment, a limited number of positive role models and a very small number of father figures. In addition, several participants indicat-ed that many males are first-generation college students who lack mentors and experience culture shock. One par-ticipant commented, “American Indian males must pro-vide for their families through employment rather than attend college.”

Positive Male traitsAs for positive male traits, conference participants listed the following: sobriety, one who looks after others, a per-son who listens and male elders who provide a positive approach towards overcoming life’s obstacles. The most salient issue involved males who practice sobriety and those who have a strong spiritual foundation and main-tain tribal traditions. One elementary student pointed out, “I look up to male athletes in my community who have earned their degrees. They are my role models.”

Negative Male traitsThe predominant negative male traits that conference participants described were the negative influences of alcohol and drug abuse. Almost all of the conference participants indicated that the Native culture is being replaced by negative role models, gangs and a lack of individuality. One elderly lady commented, “Many of our young men lack positive role models and have become disinterested in life, which leads to lack of self respect and respect for others.”

Success StoriesConference participants eagerly shared success stories about successful American Indian males in their commu-nity. Several examples included: 1) men who serve on the tribal council and stress the need for educational oppor-tunities for their tribal youth, which ultimately leads to college degrees, 2) men who care for their families and fathers who support their children financially and emo-tionally, 3) males who complete their education no mat-ter how long it takes to persevere, 4) fathers who see the important of education and are personally involved at school and home, 5) males who take part in ceremonies and become more involved in academics and their com-munities and 6) males who have overcome obstacles in their lives and moved forward to better themselves and their communities.

Best PracticesI asked the question, “When you work with American Indian male students, what best practices would you like to share in this workshop?” The responses included:• Individualized counseling• Building character (love, honesty, courage and trust)• Follow up with males to ensure that you are involved

in their goals• Develop a support system (Circle of Males) in the

community such as a talking circle, sports and other activities that interest them

• Mentorship to bridge the gap between younger males and elders

• Conduct surveys in the community with males on their perceptions of themselves and the community

• Create community job opportunities to keep males employed, financially stable and busy

• Bring academic opportunities to the community and schools

• Network with local, state and national programs that focus on male well being

• Train community practitioners who work with males• Good role modeling• Self acceptance• Spirituality, which may involve the elderly males in

the community• Helping males make good choices through individu-

alized interaction • Generate and promote videos of elders, successful

Native males and rising leaders • Develop sports programs to endorse healthy lifestyles • Bring arts and crafts projects to the community

Continued on page 34



Future ImplicationsThe participants indicated that more research and more dialogue are needed to fully address the issue of the declining numbers of American Indian males in college. In addition, several upcoming projects with the male ini-tiative include: 1) publishing male college graduates and their recipes for success, 2) developing a video project that highlights American Indian males in various careers, 3) organizing an American Indian mentor match on a computer website and 4) sponsoring future American Indian male seminars that can encourage others to envi-sion college aspirations.

AcknowledgementsThe participants in these workshops were excellent con-tributors and communicators in sharing their perceptions of American Indian males within their respective commu-nities and I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their wonderful insight and active involvement

in this project. I would also like to thank the American Indian Graduate Center Scholars (AIGCS), the Gates Millennium Foundation and the conference organizing committees for providing this invaluable opportunity. One elder kindly spoke about males of yesterday and shared his story, “One must have the heart in reaching our young males. I know my grandfather had a way of teaching young boys to grow up and be good men by teaching them to first, value themselves, second, love their families and, finally, give back to their community. Our young men must have a strong sense of identity and we can still reach them. If it was taught that way a long time ago, it still can be taught today.” ✦

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics, 2007, based on 2005–06 Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), Fall 2006.

New AIGC Board Memberrose Graham (Navajo)

R ose Graham is the Director of the Office of Navajo Nation Scholarship and Financial Assistance (ONNSFA) in Window Rock, Arizona. ONNSFA is one of 12 programs under the Department of Diné Education, the Navajo Nation’s

education regulatory agency. ONNSFA serves more than 10,000 Navajo students pursuing postsecondary education. It is largely funded by a P.L. 93-638 contract with the BIA/DOI. Approximately 35 percent of its funds come from the Navajo Nation, corporate and private donations. Prior to her work with ONNSFA, Rose worked with the Navajo Nation Council for 9 years as Legislative Services Director, Legislative Advisor, and Interpreter during Council sessions. Rose was appointed to serve on the Board of the American Indian Graduate Center because of her significant experience and dedication to education issues. Accepting the appointment,she said, “I believe our young people will inherit a society, environment, and world that will be increasingly and wonderfully challenging, competitive, and complex. To meet the challengesof this future society, our young people need higher education.. I am honored to be appointed to this distinguished board and I will strive to help AIGC with its mission to prepare our young Native people for this future.” ✦ Rose received a B.A. in Humanities from Fort Lewis College. She is also a Certified Navajo Court Interpreter.

Rose Graham

NON-PROFITORG.

U.S.POSTAGEPAID

PERMITNO8Topeka,KS

the American Indian Graduate Center4520MontgomeryBlvd.,NESuite1-BAlbuquerque,NM87109

Celebrating AIGC’s40th Anniversary in 2009

Please Join us:

40th Anniversary Kick-Off eventSaturday, February 7, 2009

(Space is limited; rSVP at the AIGC web site, www.aigcs.org, or call our office 505.881.4584)

Amerind Golf tournament and Gathering of Nations Miss Indian World reception

thursday, April 2�, 2009

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta eventOctober 2009

Visit www.aigcs.org for updates

Documents

American Indian - The - GrAduAte