Boozhoo! Aanii! Posoh! She:kon! Talofa! Welcome!
The NMU Center for Native American Studies is a dynamic learning environment open to the Northern Michigan University community, as well as the people of the Upper Peninsula and greater Upper Midwest.
The Center has been so fortunate to have dynamic students who have worked hard to help us share the news about the new Native American Studies major. The photo here represents a group of students who volunteered to visit ten schools over spring break in winter of 2016. Their passion about what they were learning in Native American Studies courses came through at each school. Photo from left to right:
Every day there is something interesting and exciting happening at the Center, whether it is a planned activity or just a great conversation that blossoms among faculty, staff and students who are here. Come in and see us. We’d love to introduce you to the Center and teach you about all we have to offer, and learn about what you can teach and offer us!
Elders in Residence
Students, you might be interested to know that the Center has hosted Elders-in-Residence. The College of Arts and Sciences supported visits by several Elders over a number of semesters. Elders came to NMU for multiple days and would visit classes, do speaking engagements and sometimes just share a meal with Center students and staff. Elders didn't just visit NAS courses either. Some of our visiting elders visited Social Work courses and Art and Design courses.
The photo here represents Leonard and Elizabeth Kimewon. They are visiting the DeVos Art Museum and speaking to students about birch bark and porcupine quill baskets.
Academic Service Learning
CNAS students visit tribal communities and engage in academic service learning projects. Here, students from NAS 212 Michigan Wisconsin Tribal Relations and students from NAS 488 Native American Service Learning Project team up to help the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community with sugar bush camp (harvesting of maple syrup).
Community Events
NAS students and CNAS staff have participated in many community events including the March for Science in Marquette. The American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) chapter at NMU helped to co-sponsor two of these marches in 2017 and 2018. The photo to the right is of Daabii Reinhardt, NMU AISES President (now an alumna). She is holding the Tribal Education Departments National Assembly TEDNA Eagle Staff that represents American Indian Education and Sovereignty. The caretaker is her dad, Martin Reinhardt, a professor at NMU in Native American Studies.