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April 20, 2011
North Hennepin Community College was recently awarded a $15,000 grant from the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Division of Diversity and Multiculturalism. The grant encourages programs and activities that have a systematic and measurable impact on the access, opportunity and success of students from underrepresented groups. Specifically mentioned are the college’s existing efforts to educate the campus community on the American Indian culture.
NHCC received this grant, in part, because of its existing partnerships. The partnership with the Osseo School District, for example, has resulted in an American Indian Feast and Cultural Program which is scheduled to take place on April 29th at the NHCC campus, as well as an Indian Education Day and Wacipi on April 30th at Osseo Jr. High School. These events highlight American Indian culture and include a presentation by Ojibwe elder Nick Hockings; music from renowned native drum group, Pipestone; and dances, stories, and songs from local students, teachers, and artists.
Friday, April 29
NHCC/Osseo American Indian Feast
Noon-1:30pm in the NHCC Campus Center
Ojibwe Elder Nick Hockings’ Indian Culture Program
11am-Noon in the NHCC Science Center SC125 and 1:30-2:30pm in the NHCC Campus Center CC230
Saturday, April 30
Osseo/NHCC 16th Annual Indian Education Day and Wacipi Pow Wow
1:00-6:00pm at Osseo Junior High School, 10223 93rd Avenue North in Osseo
“North Hennepin realized that this community had a high number of native people, yet a low number enrolled in college.” says Ramona Stately, Indian Education Program Coordinator at Osseo Area Schools. “We partnered with their Pow Wow last year and the collaboration was very positive. We realized that through our efforts, the larger community gained insight in native culture and history.”
The NHCC/Osseo feast and Pow Wow is a wonderful collaboration on so many levels,” says Ana Davis, English Faculty at NHCC. “North Hennepin treasures and respects diversity through education, and this partnership allows the students, employees, family and community members from both North Hennepin and Osseo Junior High school to experience education institutions working together in the best possible way. It brings natives and non-natives alike together in a celebration and also raises awareness about indigenous peoples and their customs, traditions, and heritage.”
Lyle H. Iron Moccasin, Recruiter and Special Projects Coordinator at the American Indian Opportunities Industrialization Center, concurs. “If you want to experience a highly effective collaboration between higher education and the American Indian community,” he said, “come to our Pow Wow.”
“Nearly 3,000 people attended our first Pow Wow last November,” says Shelly Siegel, Director of NHCC’s Student Support Services/TRIO program. “The off-the-charts participation at last year’s event told us that we were on to something.” Since 2007, there has been a 73.5% increase in Native student enrollment at NHCC. And nearly 2,000 students have participated in at least one of the Native initiative activities in the past two years.
Other successful outreach efforts on behalf of the college include inviting well-known Native American speakers such as Russell Means and Juanita Espinosa to our campus and incorporating Native American literature into classroom curriculum – creating a welcoming environment for our Native communities.
Two NHCC students had the opportunity to represent NHCC in Washington D.C. at the annual Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP) Conference, where they presented on a panel dedicated to imprisoned activist Leonard Peltier with NHCC Faculty Ana Davis.
In addition to expanding existing efforts, money from the grant will be used to offer a course on American Indian Literature this fall, create a course on Native Nations Culture, expand Native American book offerings in the library, and establish a Native American student presence from NHCC at the annual AWP conference.
For more information about the Native American Feast/Pow Wow visit www.nhcc.edu/earthweek. For more information about the grant, contact Shelly Siegel at shelly.siegel@nhcc.edu or 763 424-0904.
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