The University of Idaho Native American Student Center (NASC) and Office of Tribal Relations (OTR) have received federal funding to assist the “New Beginnings for Tribal Students” (UI-NBTS) project.
The program will help Native American students in higher education by teaching academic support services how to better understand Indigenous Ways of Learning and Knowing, according to a UI news release.
“I’ve been here since 2013, and so it’s pretty exciting because (NASC does) full on student services and we are only staffed by two people.” Sydel Samuels, the NASC director, said. “And so, having this is going to be tremendous for us, a good start, and we’re hoping to continue to try and get additional funding as it becomes available to sustain, if possible.”
The Native American Advisory Council (NAAC) created NASC in 2007, six years after Samuels was a student at UI. NAAC tribal leaders worked with the UI president at the time to direct needs to students. Meeting twice a year, the council continues to build bridges to support students.
“(NASC) has some support here at UI, but I think we can definitely continue to grow,” Samuels said.
Receiving the $289,000 two-year grant from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture took collaboration between NASC and OTR, Samuels said. The grant will go towards recruiting and retaining students in agriculture and natural resources along with food and human science degree programs.
NASC will focus on recruiting students in the first year of the program and providing services to the recruited students in its second year.
Within the two years of the grant term, NASC will recruit 20 new high school graduates, starting in Fall 2021. Its goal is to recruit students from the 11 tribes which signed a Memorandum of Understanding with UI – the Coeur d’Alene, Kootenai, Nez Perce, Shoshone-Bannock, Shoshone-Paiute, Colville, Kalispel, Spokane, Umatilla and Yakama tribes.
Tribally enrolled students in the program will be provided tuition and fee support, engagement in Indigenous Ways of Learning and Knowing and academic support services like tutoring, counseling and academic advising, Samuels said.
In addition to supporting students, the program will help share indigenous knowledge on campus, Samuels said.
“The opportunities that it will provide for our 11 tribes include increased support for their tribal students to encourage them to attend UI,” Samuels said. “We are wanting to ensure that we offer a culturally responsive approach of working with parents, with the schools, with us and with elders for the tribes.”
Emily Pearce can be reached at [email protected] or Twitter @Emily _ A_ Pearce.