The Modern Era of Indigenous College Student Support in Primarily White Institutions

“They won't do it the way I can”: Haudenosaunee relationality and goodness in Native American postsecondary student support.

“…Many also felt that their supervisors were aware of their important work, but only “a few … [had] received any formal recognition for the additional responsibilities in providing support, education, and resources for LGBTQ students and issues” (p. 274). Bazemore-James and Dunn’s (2020) study of ISA directors found similar sentiments in addition to their finding that upper administration was making “funding and resource decisions for ISA [that were] incongruent with Indigenous staff and student needs” (p. 25). Kortegast and van der Toorn (2018) also pointed out that in student affairs, there is an expectation that “taking on additional responsibilities is often seen [as] just part of the culture” of small colleges, but also as part of “being a good student affairs professional” (p. 276).…”

“…Like the participants in Povey et al (2021), Bazemore-James and Dunn (2020), and Kortegast and van der Toorn (2018) the depth of the invisibilized work, the participants in the present study engaged in aided in Native student retention and bettered community and institutional relations. Despite feeling largely unsupported by their administrations, they increased the general knowledge of the institution.…”

“…Native students may wait for someone older or more experienced to advocate for them (i.e., faculty and staff members may be viewed as aunts and uncles, and peer mentors may be seen as older sibings or cousins) and they will likely feel the responsibility to advocate for younger or less experienced others (Bazemore-James & Dunn, 2020, p. 17).…”

“…In terms of the services within institutions, Native American Student Affairs (NASA) offices are sometimes referred to as Native American Student Support units, Indigenous Student Affairs (ISA), Aboriginal Student Services, or Indigenous Student Centers (ISC). Bazemore-James and Dunn (2020) provide this definition: “ISAs are Indigenous-led offices or programs that are dedicated to supporting Indigenous student retention in primarily White institutions (PWIs)” (p. 15). When discussing a particular piece of literature, I will follow the scholar’s terminology.…”

How ethnic identity affects campus experience and academic outcomes for Native American undergraduates.

“…It is also possible that a lack of indigenous pedagogies, viewpoints, stories, and ways of knowing in the curriculum at PWIs (L. T. Smith et al, 2019) or lack of support, space, and funding that Indigenous student support services face (Bazemore-James & Dunn, 2019) may hinder the ability of low and moderately identified students to explore and develop their EIs further.…”