Powwow kicks off Native American studies program
Leslie Greene, Montana American Indian program director at Flathead Valley Community College, stands outside the Learning Resource Center on April 20. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Flathead Valley Community College will host its first educational powwow on Saturday to kick off the new Montana American Indian Scholars Program, which recognizes and provides resources to Native American students.
The powwow is the brainchild of FVCC’s first Indian Scholars Program mentor, Adelaide Boeck, who envisioned it as a way to introduce the program and highlight Native American culture on the campus. As a currently enrolled member of the Nez Perce Tribe and a direct descendent of Chief Joseph, Boeck said she understands the stress and concerns Native American students face when they decide to leave their communities in pursuit of higher education.
“It’s a tight-knit culture and community that these kids are leaving,” Boeck said.
Her hope in putting the powwow together is to not only show potential students the benefits of a college education, but also to make them feel represented and welcome at FVCC through a celebration of their unique heritage.
Through the growing support of the scholars program, she hopes to create a network of Native American students that will help them band together and support each other while also allowing them to teach others about their culture.
The program, inspired by the Montana Office of Commissioner of Higher Education, falls under the umbrella of FVCC’s TRIO Student Support Services, which provides benefits such as free tutoring, intensive academic advising, free college transition classes and grant aid to low-income, first generation or disabled students — and now to Native American students looking to get the most out of their college experience.
The program also provides for two $500 scholarships and two $100 book stipends each year for selected Native American students.
According to TRIO program advisor and FVCC instructor Leslie Greene, the college currently has around 40 enrolled students who identify as Native American, a number she hopes will increase with the introduction of the new program.
“We have great programs and great opportunities that if students learn about they might feel like this would be a comfortable fit for them,” Greene said. “For the students that are here, we want to provide an opportunity for them to meet other students and connect and build that sense of community.”
By providing additional resources for Native American students, Boeck hopes they will be able to enter a supportive college community and receive an education that meets their needs, and then take that knowledge with them to benefit their own communities or reach out and pursue their own dreams.
The powwow will include tribal dancing, drumming and storytelling as well as a raffle with prizes including custom-forged cutlery, a Native American flute, an Alfred Moran painting and more.
Proceeds benefit the MAIS Native American Student Scholarships and program events.
The powwow is free and open to the public, and concessions will be available for purchase.
Native American students interested in learning more about the programs and experiences offered at FVCC are encouraged to take part in a campus tour or student experience prior to the event.
Tours will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. with the powwow following immediately after from 2-5:30 p.m. in the Arts and Technology Building.
To sign up for a tour, visit www.fvcc.edu/powwow.
For more information about the Montana American Indian Scholars Program, contact Greene at 756-4358 or lgreene@fvcc.edu.
Reporter Mary Cloud Taylor can be reached at 758-4459 or mtaylor@dailyinterlake.com.