NAI UPDATE

What is Happening with the Native American Institute?

Since we published our March newsletter, the NAI staff and Grassroots Solutions team have been busy reaching out to our community partners on and off campus to schedule listening/visioning sessions. When possible, we have met in person with the Tribal Nations within the state, but we have also met with numerous partners via Zoom. These sessions are designed to assess the needs and wants of our state's Tribal Nations, Tribal colleges, and other partners. This information will be used to develop a report that will be given to the provost and president of MSU to draw attention to the needs of our Tribal Nations and partners. The input we receive will also help us develop a strategic plan that will guide the NAI moving forward. The final report will also be shared with those with whom we have met, giving MSU, NAI, and the participants joint ownership.

As of June 1, we have met with the following Nations and partners:

• Match-e-be-nash-she-wish Band of Potawatomi Indians
• Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians
• Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi
• Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe
• Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians
• Little River Band of Ottawa Indians
• Bay Mills Indian Community
• Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians
• Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians

• Bay Mills Community College
• Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College
• Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College

• Inter-Tribal Council of Michigan
• United Tribes of Michigan
• Ziibiwing Center of Anishinabe Culture and Lifeways
• Nokomis Cultural Heritage Center
• Confederation of Michigan Tribal Education Departments
• American Indian Health and Family Services

MSU organizations:

• North American Indigenous Student Organization
• American Indian Science and Engineering Society
• Indigenous Graduate Student Collective
• Native American Law Student Association
• EAGLE (Native American faculty and staff association)
• American Indian and Indigenous Studies
• Indigenous Law and Policy Center (College of Law)

Although we are still working to connect with a few other Tribes and partners, we are on track to complete data collection by June 9. The Grassroots Solutions team, consisting of Christina Kuo (principal) and Misty Blue (evaluation project manager), with assistance from two MSU Native undergrads, will compile the data into a report that will be shared with university administration by the end of August. As mentioned above, the findings will be used to provide direction for the NAI moving forward. The firm will also help draft a position description for the director of the NAI to help identify the individual best suited to lead the Institute. The search for the full-time director should commence in late September or early October.

NEWS FROM NAI

WE MUST MOVE BEYOND THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS

A cold and quiet evening on the beautiful campus of Michigan State University was shattered by the sound of gunshots as events unfolded that have forever changed the lives of numerous Spartans, their friends, and families. As we remember and honor the lives of our fellow Spartans Arielle Anderson (Grosse Pointe), Brian Fraser (Grosse Pointe), and Alexandria Verner (Clawson), who were taken from their families and our community way too soon, and as we offer asemaa and burn sage as we pray for the speedy recovery of the five other Spartans (Troy Forbush, John Hao, Guadalupe Huapilla-Perez, Nate Statly, and one other) who were wounded during this senseless act of violence, I ask everyone to pause for a moment. Please take a moment before once again offering thoughts and prayers and ask: Why do mass shootings continue to happen and what can we do to change it? In my humble opinion, this new norm is unacceptable. It is unacceptable that our students, our children, and our grandchildren, who once practiced fire drills, now practice sheltering in place and learn to run, hide, or fight in preparation for an active shooter. Society can do better; we must do better.

It will take time, but Spartans are resilient, and we are stronger together. As we have seen over the past few weeks, the Spartan Nation in East Lansing, across the state, country, and world has pulled together to support one another through this tragedy. That strength will help us all heal. Although we will never forget, our Spartan community will get through this and emerge stronger and prouder than ever!

If you would like to donate to the Spartan Strong Fund or help some of those wounded in the attack, see the links below. We have confirmed the GoFundMe pages are legitimate as there have been some reports of scammers trying to make money off this tragedy.

• Spartan Strong Fund
• Spartan Strong Fund Items for Sale
• GoFundMe for John Hao
• GoFundMe for Guadalupe Huapilla-Perez
• GoFundMe for Nate Statly

Additional Sources of Information and Reflections

• Native Students at MSU Know About Survival and Response to Trauma – Guest Opinion – Native News Online by Ms. Ellie Mitchell
• Vigil at the Rock, February 15, 2023
• Message to the MSU community from Interim President Woodruff following the campus shootings

NAI UPDATE

What is Happening with the Native American Institute?

As mentioned in the December issue of this newsletter, we are preparing to assess the needs and wants of our state’s Tribal Nations, Tribal Colleges, and other constituents on and off campus. This information will be used to develop a strategic plan that will help guide the direction of the NAI moving forward and the selection of the full-time director of the program.

In December, we sought bids from external research firms to assist NAI staff in the collection of feedback and data from our Tribal Nations, Tribal Colleges, and other community partners on and off campus. The selection committee reviewed the applications and in late January approved a firm to move forward in the contract negotiation. The firm met each of the stated criteria, including knowledge of TEK and/or Indigenous/culturally appropriate research methods; experience working with Indigenous people, Tribal Nations, or Tribal Governments; reliability, relatability, and presentation skills; and service fees/costs.

Contract negotiations were successful, with both parties reaching agreement in late February. Thus, it brings me pleasure to introduce to you Grassroots Solutions, a woman-led and majority women-owned firm. Focusing their work through a JEDI lens (Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion), Grassroots Solutions is recognized as a leader in strategy, evaluation, and capacity-building. The staff of the NAI look forward to working with Christina Kuo (principal) and Misty Blue (evaluation project manager) and their team.

Due to the slight delay in securing a research firm, the data/feedback gathering stage of this process will now occur between March 2023 and June 2023. During this stage, Grassroots Solutions will transcribe notes from these meetings and share them with the communities/individuals surveyed for their feedback and input. Once transcripts are finalized, they will be incorporated into a final report for the provost and associate provost for University Outreach and Engagement. The findings will be used to provide a direction for the NAI moving forward. The firm will also help draft a position description for the director of the NAI and help us identify the individual best suited to lead the Institute by the end of fall semester 2023.

Change in UOE Leadership

Not only are there many changes happening with the Native American Institute, but change is also happening within University Outreach and Engagement (UOE). December 31, 2022, marked the final day of Dr. Laurie Van Egeren’s term as interim associate provost for University Outreach and Engagement, a role she had graciously and effectively filled since 2018.

During this time, Dr. Van Egeren restructured UOE to effectively achieve its mission to facilitate engaged scholarship among faculty, staff, students, and community partners. She led the University’s COVID response for community-based activities, engaging over 120 representatives from the university and broader community to provide guidance on practice and policies during the pandemic. Dr. Van Egeren also developed a series of supports for grant development and implementation for the National Science Foundation’s broader impacts criteria to integrate social impact into funded projects, in addition to holding leadership positions in several national organizations that represent engagement and societal impact, including election as president of the Engagement Scholarship Consortium.

She also welcomed the Native American Institute into UOE and worked closely with MSU administration and the MSU Native Community to ensure the continuation of this office and the services it provides. Please join me in thanking Dr. Van Egeren for her service to UOE and MSU and in wishing her continued success as she returns to her position as assistant provost for University-Community Partnerships within UOE.

Dr. Kwesi (pronounced Kway-Si) Brookins joined University Outreach and Engagement as its new associate provost on January 1, 2023. Dr. Brookins returns to his alma mater after serving as vice provost for University Outreach and Engagement and director of the Center for Family and Community Engagement at North Carolina State University. He brings many years of experience as an administrator and leader in outreach and engagement work. He was the lead organizer and author of North Carolina State’s Civic Action Plan, served as a member of the Community of Engaged Faculty Fellows, and is a charter member of the Academy of Outstanding Faculty in Extension and Engagement. A returning Spartan who earned both his doctorate in ecological/community psychology and a Master of Arts in psychology from MSU, Dr. Brookins says that the Native American Institute was one of the things that attracted him to the position and that he looks forward to continuing to support the efforts of the NAI moving forward. Please join me in giving Dr. Kwesi Brookins a warm welcome back home to MSU!

Read MSU Today article announcing Dr. Brookins' appointment

NEWS FROM NAI

What is Happening with the Native American Institute?

The Native American Institute (NAI) has faced some very difficult challenges over the past couple years. These challenges have resulted in very little activity from this office. Nevertheless, the NAI still has the unwavering support of Interim President Woodruff, Interim Associate Provost Jeitschko, Interim Associate Provost for University Outreach and Engagement Van Egeren and her team. Although unfortunate, these challenges have created an opportunity for Michigan State University (MSU) to assess the needs of our state's Tribal Nations, Tribal Colleges, constituents throughout the state, and our MSU Native Community about what NAI services have worked, what needs improvement, and the other services and programs the NAI should provide to help support the sovereignty of our tribes and people while strengthening collaborations and relationships between these communities and MSU.

To assist in conducting this assessment, an external research firm is being sought. A search committee was assembled consisting of members of the MSU Native Community and UOE. A request for proposals was distributed in early December and respondent firms will be reviewed over winter break with the goal of selecting the finalist by early January 2023. Two of the main criteria for firms include knowledge of TEK (Traditional Ecological Knowledge) and/or Indigenous/culturally appropriate research methods for work with Indigenous people and Tribal Nations, as well as experience working with Tribal Nations, governments, and people. Once the research firm is secured, we will begin to collect data/feedback from Tribal Nations, Tribal Colleges, other constituents, and MSU's Native Community.

The data/feedback gathering stage of this process is set to occur during spring semester 2023. During this stage, the research firm will transcribe notes from these meetings and share these with the communities/individuals surveyed for their feedback and input. Once transcripts have been finalized, the research firm will compile the findings into a final report that will be sent to the Provost and Associate Provost for University Outreach and Engagement. The findings will be used to provide direction for the NAI moving forward. A firm will then assist in drafting a position description for the Director of the NAI with the goal of identifying the individual best suited to lead the Institute into the future by the end of fall semester 2023.

Photo from the Traverse City Record
Eagle, Dec. 2, 2022

Ellie Mitchell to Temporarily Rejoin NAI

As the process for collecting data from our Tribal Nations, Tribal Colleges, constituents, and MSU Native Community about their wants and needs from the NAI begins, the NAI is pleased to announce that Ellie Mitchell (member of the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan) will be rejoining the Institute as a Tribal Liaison starting December 2022, bringing with her expertise and connections to our Native Communities throughout the state and Great Lakes Region. Ellie will be splitting her time between NAI and American Indian and Indigenous Studies (AIIS) where she will be teaching two courses (AIIS 201: Introduction to Indigenous Studies and AIIS 491 Great Lakes Indigenous Fashion) during spring 2023.

Interim Director Leonard shared, "Although we will only have Ellie's assistance until the end of summer 2023, her expertise and relationships across Indian Country will be invaluable to the process of collecting the feedback needed to give direction to the NAI moving forward. I am looking forward to working with her and appreciate her flexibility in stepping away from other obligations to assist in this important process."