Tecumseh Project
Partnerships for Native Americans in Academic Programs and Research
Mission Statement
Background. The Tecumseh Project began in the Spring of 2005, and developed through discussions among some 50 faculty and staff members inspired in part by visiting Native American speakers. A consensus developed across disciplinary and organizational boundaries that more should be done to better include Native Americans in the missions of the University. Genuine support among faculty, administrators, and diversity offices seemed sufficient to sustain this effort for the long run. This would be appropriate in part because the confluence of the Tippecanoe and Wabash Rivers was also the focus of Tecumseh, the great Shawnee leader, who sought to establish a homeland here for a broad alliance of eastern tribes.
Rationale. Cultural diversity is critical in higher education because a variety of perspectives is always conducive to centering on durable truths and because such pursuits are meant to serve a society that is itself multicultural. Purdue University therefore has an obligation to include students, faculty and staff from diverse backgrounds, yet little progress has been made in Native American participation at Purdue. Such improvement will enrich the Purdue community and strengthen its intellectual pursuits. We are implementing the steps below to improve the professional opportunities, mentoring, and cultural climate for Native American students at Purdue. While many of these propositions apply to students at all levels, we are initially focusing on graduate education, where we perceive the need and potential impact to be greatest, and we separate long-term goals from activities that are currently underway. On many fronts, a significant part of our challenge is to coordinate efforts across the university and act on opportunities that already exist. We are focusing on a model that identifies keystone intellectual issues and research problems, develops partnerships with universities with traditionally strong Native American participation, and assembles a cohesive interdisciplinary group of Native American scholars and allied Purdue faculty to address them, particularly by conducting research addressing issues in Native communities.
Creating Professional Opportunities. One of the key concepts in this initiative is the development of research foci that involve Native American communities on Native lands. This requires diplomacy and education of participating faculty, and development of relationships with Native communities to establish trust and provide a convincing case that the products of research will benefit both the communities and the students (and not be a resource extracted by university faculty). We are developing relationships with Midwestern communities like the Cherokee, Miami , Ojibwe and Potowatami. A Native American Education and Cultural Center has been established and we are seeking a person to serve as director and assist in recruitment and mentoring programs.
Current programs underway:
1. Creation of partnerships with faculty at institutions with high Native enrollment, including
(a) development of internships for summer study on tribal lands
(b) developing graduate fellowships aimed at alumni of such programs
(c) broadening the program base across Purdue to which students can be drawn
(d) encouraging collaboration among Purdue faculty2. Identifying areas of study that are especially attractive to Native students because of their interests and goals, or because of concentrations of willing Purdue mentors (e.g., environmental issues such as ecological restoration planned by the Potowatomi, resource management, geology and biogeochemistry, policy development, linguistics, the arts, history, and science education)
3. We are actively working with other campuses where Native American students are successfully preparing for graduate studies, and are expanding opportunities for Native American undergraduates to get research experiences with Purdue faculty (MARC- AIM and semester exchange programs (National Student Exchange).
4. We are participating in organizations like SACNAS (Society for the Advancement of Native Americans and Chicanos in Science), AISES (American Indian Science and Engineering Society), and AIS (American Indian Studies Consortium of the Big Ten's CIC), and actively recruit Native American seminar speakers
5. We are compiling information regarding fellowship opportunities (e.g., GAANN, IGERT, AGEP, Udall environmental policy) for dissemination to both students and faculty. An integrative, interdisciplinary research focus on environmental issues on tribal lands, with Native American staff and students, will be a powerful case for these funding opportunities.
In the longer term, it will be important to: (1) broaden the base of funding for Native American students at all levels, and improve access to information about funding opportunities to on-site and prospective students; (2) improve recruitment of Native American students and faculty, in part by broadening contacts with programs at other institutions with strong Native participation; (3) improve Native American representation in faculty, administration and policy decisions; (4) establish team-taught interdisciplinary courses focusing on Native American issues; and (5) establish specifically targeted employment counseling for Native American students.
Establishing a Strong Mentoring Tradition. Success of Native American students in advanced degree programs depends on dedicated mentors. All students thrive with caring, professional mentoring, but particularly students from historically disadvantaged backgrounds. Near-term priorities include:
1. Identify faculty willing and equipped to provide substantive, personal, and informed guidance to graduate and undergraduate Native American students.
2. Workshops for faculty to inform them about Native American history, culture, and participation in higher education,
3. Identify mechanisms for faculty recognition and rewards at the departmental level for participation in these activities
In the longer term, we will encourage: (1)an increase Native-American representation among faculty, in part by aggressively searching out opportunities for endowed professorships; (2) improved understanding among faculty of Native American history and the particular challenges faced by Native students; and (3) regular learning opportunities for faculty, including seminar series, annual workshops, and interdisciplinary courses taught by Native Americans.
Creating a Facilitating Cultural Climate. Intellectual pursuits by all students need support from a positive cultural milieu. Near-term goals include:
1. Identify a core group of committed faculty, staff and students who can counsel and coordinate (a "steering committee" of Native American and supporting faculty)
2. Hire a coordinator who can work with the steering committee and serve as point person for communicating with the Native American community at and around Purdue and coordinating cultural, professional, and mentoring activities.
3. A Native American Education and Cultural Center has been established.
4. Integration of non-Native Purdue students into education, cultural and research programs to create an informed, supportive core of Purdue students.
5. Planning campus-wide activities and learning opportunities to raise the profile of Native American culture (such as observing important historical events, attracting art shows, and creating web-based material celebrating Native American culture).
In the longer term, the establishment of the Native American Education and Cultural Center will encourage strong Native American Association of students, faculty and staff. The director of this center will be charged to coordinate cultural activities, communicate with the Purdue and wider communities and disseminate information concerning educational and professional-development opportunities. It will be necessary to coordinate campus-wide diversity efforts in recruiting and cultural activities, including art shows, seminar series, musical events, and orientation activities for new and prospective students. Curricula will be improved by the integration of Native American perspectives, from traditional environmental knowledge, to Native contributions to shared artistic, political and economic heritage. In particular, we should integrate Purdue's focus on Native American education with the cultural history of Indiana . The rich historical context of Native Americans in the history of the state should be celebrated and explored at all educational levels.
SUMMARY STATEMENT
Purdue University is becoming a leader in the training of Native American graduate students. We have already identified faculty who are dedicated to this mission as well as key faculty members from other institutions that are willing to help build and maintain a path for Native American students to Purdue. Native American communities, Purdue University , and the citizens of Indiana will all benefit from this effort. The Tecumseh Program has the potential to merge the goals of the great Shawnee leader with those of our university, to build a strong community of Native American educators and researchers on the banks of the Wabash River .
