Newsletter. Native Student Services. Student Feature. Upcoming Events: Fall Tyler Tordsen

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1 1 Upcoming Events: Native American Cultural Center 409 E Clark St. Vermillion SD Phone Newsletter From the Desk of the Director: Welcome to the University and welcome back to all our coyote family members! (Tanyan yahi pi nahan yagli pelo!) Another exciting fun filled challenging year of school is here. Native Student Services is here to assist you to learn, acclimate, adjust, transition and to become a successful student. We are housed in the Native American Cultural Center, your home away from home! The Native American Cultural Center (NACC) is a comfortable, safe and energizing place where you can study, have group meetings, tutoring services, just relax and kick back. We are here to assist your journey as a student at USD through culturally appropriate services, resources and academic support. I encourage you to come and utilize NACC as your home away from home! Everyone is welcome! Gene D. Thin Elk Contributing Writers: Ember Rohde Nicole Waller Lindsey Montileaux Gene D. Thin Elk Dr. Elise Boxer Student Feature Tyler Tordsen Lakota Language Lab Every Monday, Native Student Services provides the Lakota Language Lab to provide students with a place to gather while learning and practicing the Lakota language. "Language reflects the soul and culture of a people" Lakota Language & Culture Center Staff Nicole Ember Isaac Paul Graduate Assistant SGA President Graduate Assistant The staff would like to welcome students to the Native American Cultural Center and encourages everyone to stop by with questions or just to hang out. Work Study Student Volunteer Tyler Tordsen is from Rapid City and is enrolled in the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate. He is double majoring in Political Science & economics. He plans to graduate in May and start a career in Economic Development, consulting, and/or public service. He plans to attend graduate school for a master s in Business Administration. He is involved in several student organizations. He is our current Student Government Association President. He formerly served as Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity President & Tiospaye Student Council President. (NSS) provides proactive student academic and culturally relevant support retention programming. NSS administers the Native American Cutural Center (NACC). NACC is a perfect place to hang out and socialize before, between, and after classes. Drum Group In Lakota culture, the drum symbolizes the heartbeat. Native Student Services offers a drum group on Mondays for students to participate in this important cultural experience.

2 2 coming Events: Native Student Orientation Freshmen and transfer student Orientation began August 20 th with early move in. College transition, preparation and resources presentations were provided by NSS and key academic departments throughout the university. Cohort building activities were implemented throughout the week and cumulated with students enjoying time together at Sanford Health Disparities Research Center in Sioux Falls. The tour was conducted by Wyatt Pickner a Sanford employee and former USD student Wawokiya Mentor. WELCOME DINNER Fifty seven participants attended the Welcome Dinner on September 3rd, The Welcome was provided by Gene D. Thin Elk, Director of Native Student Services with an introduction to the NSS staff. Two new USD faculty members for the Native Studies Program were introduced and addressed the participants, Dr. David Posthumus, Assistant Professor in the Anthropology and Sociology and Dr. Elise Boxer, Assistant Professor of Native Studies. Dr. Boxer is Dakota (Sisseton Wahpeton) from the Ft. Peck Assiniboine and Sioux tribe. Professor Charlie Luecke from the Indian University of Native American provided a resounding and inspirational speech encouraging the students toward success! Freshman, Colton Sierra, Oglala Lakota, Business major, sang a Lakota encouragement song for everyone! Way to go Colten! Nations Nations is a Native American student group utilizing Lakota values, traditions, customs, beliefs and cultural life ways as followers of Jesus Christ on the USD campus. Nations originated in 2013 and holds meetings every other Thursday. One of the many activities that Nations sponsors, is to offer chanli (natural tobacco) for inipi (purification ceremony), one of the 7 Sacred Rites of the Lakota as a system of spiritual/cultural support. The Nations meetings take place at the Native American Cultural Center (NACC).

3 3 Red Road is an annual gathering immersed in therapeutic healing modalities and wellness presentations. Guests arrive from throughout the world to hear informative, insightful, and extremely inspirational speakers for their presentations of healing and wellness!. The event began 25 years ago by the Red Road Approach Founder and Originator, NSS Director, Gene D. Thin Elk, along with Mr. Rick Thomas, Co developer, who provide foundational information at the gathering every year. The Red Road Gathering will touch you deeply and move you spiritually! It s a place for life changing interactions, no matter where you have been in life. Kathy Husby, Coordinator, ADS Department and the Red Road Committee have been instrumental in the overwhelming success of the gathering! TIOSPAYE OFFICERS Quote Corner " When a storm is coming, all other birds seek shelter. The Eagle alone, avoids the storm by flying above it. So, in the storms of life... May your heart soar like an Eagle. Anonymous Lakota Proverb Office Name Major President Aspen Ducheneaux Health Sciences Cheyenne River Sioux Vice President Daniel Keller Contemporary Media & Journalism Cheyenne River Sioux Treasurer Collette Bowman Psychology Oglala Sioux Secretary Logan Bullard Secondary Education History St. Regis Mohawk Co Wacipi Natasha Accounting Oglala Sioux Chair Co Wacipi Chair Kaltenbach Brittany Youpee Mathematics Fort Peck Assiniboine & Sioux s Photo of officers seen left. From left to right Natasha, Brittany, Logan, Aspen, Collette, Daniel.

4 4 Homecoming 2014 Dakota Days was a week filled with activities across the USD campus, culminating in the USD Coyotes vs. Northern Iowa Panthers. Tiospaye created and decorated a float for the homecoming parade. After the parade, students tailgated before the big game. The Coyotes put up a good fight but fell to the Panthers, USD students voted for the first Native American Dakota Days home coming queen. We at NSS are very proud of Lindsey! Congratulations Lindsey! My name is Lindsey Montileaux. I am currently working towards a Medical Biology degree as a senior here at the University of South Dakota. I am a member of the Oglala Sioux and grew up in Tea, South Dakota. My future goals include becoming a medical doctor and returning to work with Native populations. My journey has been full of great opportunities and this past summer I was able to fulfill one of my dreams! I worked as the Nike N7 intern at Nike World Headquarters in Beaverton, OR. During this time I worked with the N7 team to bring sports and all of its benefits to Native American and Aboriginal youth across North America. Not only am I student athlete as a mid distance runner on the track team, I also am involved in Native American Scholars Program (NASP), Kappa Alpha Theta, and am the president of American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES). AISES kindly nominated me for homecoming royalty and being awarded as queen was a very blessed moment. I feel fortunate to have been able to immerse myself in the world of athletics but also my culture. The support I have at USD from and the staff has made an impact in who I am today. I hope to leave USD with the knowledge, success, and character that I have come to know with my time here as a coyote. Encouragement Dinner A total of forty-one students and participants attended the event. Members from the USD community consisting of faculty, staff and Wase Wakpa Elders gave encouraging messages to our students. Each person shared touching and empowering stories of the perseverance and dedication it took them to get where they are in life. The encouragement dinner reminds us all that through difficult times we must rely on each other and dig deep within ourselves to achieve our ultimate dreams and celebrate with one another in the good times! All gatherings begin and end with traditional Native American protocols and honoring our ancestors and those yet to come onto Mother Earth with Spirit food.

5 5 Harvest Dinner The Harvest Dinner was an awesome opportunity to give thanks and show one another appreciation as administration, faculty, staff and students, while having a lot of fun! Forty-six students and USD community members were served a wonderful meal by Aramark! The crowd was then entertained by the lovely and dynamic singing voice of Chrissy Summering, Graduate Assistant, from the Center for Diversity and Community. The event left everyone full and thankful for our many blessings. Study break! NSS staff and students gathered for a study break. Students enjoyed sandwiches, cookies, chips, hot cider, and hot cocoa. It was a nice relaxing evening full of laughter and sing some karaoke music! Attend the Welcome Dinner to hear some more talented singers perform! TUTORING SERVICES Once again our great tutors will continue to offer their services at NACC. During the Spring semester Patricia DiMond will offer English and Speech tutoring. Check the Native American student listserve for times! Dr. Alexander will be available to help with research, 1:00PM 5:00 PM on Wednesdays. Katie will be offering Math and Science tutoring in the spring semester. She will be at the NACC on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 1:00PM 5:00 PM. All tutors will meet with you at other times if you them and schedule an appointment! Patricia Dr. David Katie DiMond Alexander Ludemann

6 6 Faculty Feature Elise Boxer is an enrolled Sisseton Wahpeton Dakota member of the Fort Peck Sioux and Assiniboine and grew up in Poplar, Montana. She received her Ph.D. in History with a specialization in American Indian History in December 2009 from Arizona State University. Boxer also earned her Master of Arts in 2004 from Utah State University. She has a joint appointment as an Assistant Professor in the Department of History and Native Studies Program. Prior to her arrival at USD, she taught at the University of Utah in the Ethnic Studies Program teaching courses in American Indian Studies. Dr. Boxer also taught for two years in the American Indian Studies Program at Eastern Washington University. Her primary responsibility was developing curriculum so the AIS program could offer a Bachelor of Arts. Over the course of two years, she developed and taught 10 courses at Eastern Washington University. Boxer has developed and taught numerous courses in Native Studies and history ranging from the Introduction to Native Studies to Crime in Indian Country which is now being offered for the first time at USD in the Spring 2015 semester. She is very excited to join her esteemed colleagues in the Department of History, Native Studies and USD community. She brings her expertise within the field of Native Studies to the University of South Dakota. In addition to teaching and revitalizing the Native Studies Program, she is working on her manuscript, To Become White and Delightsome: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints and construction of a Lamanite Identity. Her manuscript explores the construction of race in the LDS church and the manner in which race and identity has been defined, constructed and maintained. Her primary focus is on Indigenous peoples in the United States and the creation of a religious identity or using Mormon terminology, a Lamanite identity. Boxer presented her work, Mormon Exemption : The Indian Child Welfare Act and the Indian Student Placement Program at the Western History Association Conference. She also serves on the Western History Association Conference 2015 Program Committee. Boxer was a recipient of a College of Arts and Sciences travel grant for the semester. Boxer has a chapter, This is the Place! Disrupting Mormon settler colonialism, that will appear in Decolonizing Mormonism, edited by Joanne Brooks and Gina Colvin that will be published by the University of Utah Press in She recently had an article, The Lamanites Shall Blossom as the Rose: The Indian Student Placement Program, Mormon whiteness and Indigenous identity accepted for a special issue on race for the Journal of Mormon History that will also be published in In her spare time, Elise enjoys making star quilts and beading. She is also learning how to quill. Dr. Boxer is very excited to return to the plains and live in Vermillion, a region that reminds her of home. She is also looking forward to working with undergraduate and graduates students interested in Native history/studies and becoming part of the vibrant Native community at USD.

7 Fall Events: August NSS Orientation Welcome Week Activities September Red Road Gathering October Dakota Days Encouragement Dinner Meet with Advisor for Spring Registration Midterms November Harvest Dinner Spring Registration December Holiday Gathering & Games Finals Coming Soon NSS Spring Semester Events: January Welcome Night 1/22/15 Scholarship Night February Sweet Hearts Dinner FASFA Support Night Meet with advisor (Fall Registration) March Bridges Conference Alumni Gathering & Wacipi (Sponsored by Tiospaye) Fall Registration April Encouragement Dinner Incentive Trip Tiospaye Student Council Elections May Native Graduate Honoring End of year gathering (sponsored by Tiospaye) Study tables, tutoring, and mentoring will continue all semester 7 Mitakaye Oyasin (All my Relations) The NSS yearend Incentive Trip is based upon academic status and participation in support activities with no student disciplinary infractions.