Semester Highlights

Center for Native American Studies
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Summer 2013

View the May 3 edition of the NMU Campus Newsletter to see news of April Lindala's publication and Martin Reinhardt's re-assigned time.

Winter 2013

Idle No More March and Rally - Jan 11

Precious Knowledge with Erin McGinnis - Jan 24

Bay Mills Community College student visit on Feb 7

DDP Gathering - Feb 23

Ken Van Zile - NAS 342 Indigenous Environmental Movements guest speaker on March 11

Indigenous Foods Cook-Off - Mar 16

DDP Health Checks - Mar 19 & Mar 20

DDP End-of-Year Celebration - Mar 24

CNAS Faculty Retreat - Mar 29

NAS 310 field trip to KBIC Natural Resources Department - Apr 3

2013 Hide Tanning Workshop with Judy Van Zile - April 5-7

Fall 2012

McNair and CNAS Open House/Recruitment

Wild Rice Camp

UNITED Conference

President Haynes Visits CNAS

DDP Cooking Demonstration - Sept 29 and Oct 27

DDP Health Checks - Oct 2-3 and Dec 11-12

Mini Wild Rice Camp - canceled

Bioneer Conference

Sam Musqua - rescheduled for November

Native American Heritage Month Events:

DDP - six-month overview
Quill on Birch Bark Trivets with Elizabeth Kimewon
DDP - a mini-challenge
Bobby Bullet
First Nations Films and Foods: "Good Meat" and "My Big Fat Diet"
Joseph Bruchac Presentations
First Nations Food Taster
Film: "The Business of Fancy Dancing"
DDP - Panel Presentation
Workshop: Making Dishbags
Films: "Skins" and "Smoke Signals"
Sam Musqua - canceled
Workshop: Beading
DDP - the Female Perspective
CNAS Staff Luncheon

DDP Gathering - Dec 9

DDP Board of Trustees Dinner

Summer 2012

DDP - Visit with University of Michigan Ethnobotany Class taught by Dr. Scott Herron. See the DDP Blog for more information.

CLANS Project

Winter 2012

Seventh Fire Project

20th Annual Learning To Walk Together Pow wow

Decolonizing Diet Project - On Sunday, March 25, 2012, twenty-five research subjects began a year-long project of eating indigenous foods from the Great Lakes Region (see DDP Informational Flyer). Dr. Martin Reinhardt, Principal Investigator and research subject, was awarded a Faculty Research Grant to fund this project (see Faculty Research Grant announcement) . The NMU Internal Review Board approved this academic research project - Project #HS11-415.

K*C*P Visiting Professor, Dr. Scott Herron, an ethnobotanist from Ferris State University, came to NMU from April 11-13th. He visited the NAS classrooms, provided a community presentation entitled "Endangered Foods, Lost Diets, and Securing our Earth Mother's Gifts" (See Dr. Scott Herron video link) , presented at the Decolonizing Diet Project gathering, and participated in the Kinomaagewin-Aki - Teachings from the Earth at the Hannahville Indian Community.

Ada Deer, Menominee, was the May Commencement Speaker. (See the NMU Announcement) She received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from the sociology and social work department. Read about Ada Deer's remarkable background in politics and as an Indian rights activist at the Wisconsin Historical Society website. During Ada's visit to NMU, the Center invited the Native community to a welcoming reception. See photo highlights of Ada's reception at W12 Graduation with Ada Deer.

Fall 2011

Warrior Games, a traditional Anishinaabe life skills game, was taught during the Welcome Weekend. Participants were taught the importance of this traditional game. They were provided basic skills before going to the nearby woods to play the game.

Wild Rice Camp was held on September 9-11 at Lac Vieux Desert (see poster) pow wow grounds. The Center for Native American Studies provided rides for NMU students. Participants learned the steps involved in harvesting and processing wild rice. Everyone had chance to make tools needed for each step, including knocking sticks, push pole, and stir paddle.

U.P. Indian Education Conference took place on Friday, September 30 at the Don H. Bottum University Center. The conference focus was suicide prevention. The Sault Ste Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians' STAY (Sault Tribe Alive Youth) Project provided QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) training. Dr. Teresa LaFromboise was another workshop presenter and the keynote speaker for the conference. Dr. LaFromboise is the author of the American Indian Life Skills Development Curriculum, designed to reduce suicidal thinking and behavior. See the News Release and Photo highlights.

Remembering the Songs. Six presenters from the HeartLines Project provided music and poetry to the NMU community. The evening began with the world premiere of their film "Remembering the Songs". See Photo highlights and listen to Julie Cajune's interview with Sunny 101.9.

Native American Heritage Month Activities

Jim St. Arnold, Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission, presentation on Wednesday, November 2.

Films: "Barking Water" and "Older Than America".

Digging Roots workshop and concert. Hosted by NMU International Performing Arts Series.

Making Wild Rice Sticks with Roger LaBine. Hosted by the NMU Beaumier Center's Upper Peninsula Folklife Festival.

The 11th annual First Nations Food Taster was held on Friday, November 4 at the D.J.Jacobetti Complex.

Decolonizing Diet Project informational meetings

Voice on the Water: Great Lakes Native America Now public reading.

Summer 2011

The STEM Summer Youth Program took place June 20 to July 1. Forty 7th and 8th grade middle-school students traveled from New Mexico, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Montana to participate in leadership and team-building activities at Camp Nesbit, the Fish Derby at the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, and on the campus of NMU.

Alaskan Visitors

The National Indian Youth Leadership Program (NIYLP) and Anji-Akiing Summer Youth Program was held on July 25 to July 31.

Winter 2011

A Panel Discussion on Indian Gaming was held in Mead Auditorium on April 13. Panelists included Dr. Steven Light, Dr. Kathryn Rand, Aaron Payment, and Michael Sawruck. This event was made possible by the NMU Center for Native American Studies, College of Arts & Science, and Political Science Department. View photo highlights. View the complete presentation at the Video Link.

The 19th annual Learning to Walk Together Traditional Pow wow took place on Saturday, March 12.

College Prep Medicine Wheel Academy held its campus visit on March 31-April 2. Native American high school students participated in health related workshops at NMU campus and at Bay Cliff Health camp.

Lois Beardslee shared her knowledge and experience with birchbark biting. She visited various classrooms and presented in an open forum to discuss her books.

Indigenous Earth Issues Summit - took place Friday, March 25 in Whitman Hall.

NASEI Events
Hide-Tanning in Watersmeet.

Wild Rice Harvesting Camp at Lac Vieux Desert

Smoked Fish

Beading Workshop

Making Fish Nets

Making Rawhide Rattles

Birchbark Biting Workshop

Sweetgrass Basket Workshop

Fall 2010

The College Prep Medicine Wheel Academy keynote speaker was Dr. Jessica Rickert. She presented on Friday at the Mead Auditorium. Her presentation was entitled "Friendship Begins with a Single Smile". To learn more about Dr. Rickert, visit her website.

Upper Peninsula Indian Education Conference took place on Sept 13. This conference is designed for those who work with American Indian students, those who teach about American Indians, or those who simply want to learn more about American Indians. Keynote speakers were McClellan Hall and Keith Secola.

Summer 2010

S.T.E.M. Summer Program 2010
The American Indian Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math Program Camp went well for our campers. They enjoyed many outdoor activities as well as workshops and crafts at Lake Nesbit & Northern Michigan University.
For more information please click here
STEM Camp Highlights

National Indian Youth Leadership Program (NIYLP) Camp 2010

National Indian Youth Leadership Project summer camp for middle school students is sponsored by Nah Tah Wahsh Public School Academy, Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission, and the Center for Native American Studies. A five day summer program at Camp Nesbit in the Ottawa National Forest.
Leadership Camp Highlights

Winter 2010

Celebration of Student Research, Creative Works and Academic Service Learning was presented on April 15. Brother and sister, Leora and Levi Tadgerson presented on the Zaagkii Project. Highlights here

Violence Prevention Educator, Paul Kivel, presented a workshop on Monday the 12th of April. Topics included Teaching for Community and Justice and Taking action for community and Justice in and out of the classroom.Highlights here

3rd Annual Indigenous Earth Summit Issues
Indigenous activists from across Turtle Island gathered on NMU campus to offer their skills and knowledge on how to effect change for Mother Earth. The Summit took place on April 5. For this years 2010 photo highlights and video highlights plus past highlights click here.

18th annual "Learning to Walk Together" Pow Wow
The Native American Student Association proudly presented their one-day traditional pow wow on Saturday, March 13 at the Vandament Arena. Highlights

Don Burnstick Highlights

Indigenous Language Teacher Training Workshop
Dr. S. Neyooxet Greymorning was on campus for a three-day intensive teacher training workshop and public presentation from Feb 18-20. He discussed some of the counter productive issues, politics and successes that came with work of Indigenous language revitalization. Picture highlights can be viewed here.

Fall 2009

Richie Plass presentation on stereotyping.
For picture highlights click here. To view presentation in its entirety click here.

College Prep Medicine Wheel Academy - October Visit

Medicine Wheel Photo Gallery
Medicine Wheel Video Gallery

Cultural Diversity and Sensitivity of the Native American Community
Held in three separate events. The first event was with Richie Plass (see highlights above).

The second event was Show Me the Money: The Tiny Warrior’s Path to Financial Success, with D.J. Vanas and teachers of 6-12 grades leading students in activities on how to take the Tiny Warrior’s path to financial success through entrepreneurship and market economics. Highlights.

The third event was The 13^th annual U.P. Indian Education Conference with keynote presenters Maheengun and Bernadette Shawanda of the Great Lakes Cultural Camps.

Basket weaving with Kelly Church

Kelly Church provided workshops on two separate occasions. April picture highlights. September picture highlights.