UW-Madison is making strides to support Indigenous students through the newly launched Wisconsin Tribal Educational Promise program. With only about 1% of the university's enrollment made up of Native American students, Paige Blackdeer and Juno O’Connor, both enrolled at UW-Madison, express the hope of seeing more Native students on campus. Blackdeer, who tutored classmates from the Ho-Chunk Nation during high school, recognizes the untapped potential among these gifted students who could thrive at institutions like UW-Madison if only they had the right opportunities.
Meanwhile, O’Connor can relate to the experience—she recalls being one of only three Native students attending her high school. This year, they both joined 73 students selected as inaugural recipients of the Wisconsin Tribal Educational Promise. This financial aid initiative, funded entirely by private donations, covers the full cost of attendance for eligible Native American students enrolled in one of Wisconsin's 11 federally recognized tribes.
For both students, this new program symbolizes not just financial support but potential reparations for generations of marginalization. O’Connor suggests, "I think it’s a nice way to sort of get reparations for Native people," acknowledging the long history neglected by institutions like UW-Madison.
The university's troubling origins stem from the fact it was built on land belonging to the Ho-Chunk Nation, who lived there long before the establishment of the university. An investigation by High Country News labeled colleges benefiting from lands forcibly taken from tribes as "land-grab universities." Surprisingly, no Native people from Wisconsin managed to graduate from UW-Madison during its first century, highlighting the significance of the new scholarship program.
Blackdeer emphasizes the need for such programs, noting they provide pathways for Indigenous individuals to benefit from the institutions built on their ancestral lands. She stresses the importance of universities recognizing their historical roles and the current counterbalance of aiding Native students.
On another front, Dakota author Teresa Peterson is sharing Native culture through her book, "Perennial Ceremony: Lessons and Gifts from a Dakota Garden." This compelling work intertwines storytelling, lessons from her Dakota garden, and recipes, enriching readers' appreciation for the seasons and the interconnection between humans and nature.
Peterson’s narrative includes reflections on the seasonal rhythms of gardening, highlighting the relationship between traditional practices and modern cooking. For example, she notes how beans, corn, and squash, known as the Three Sisters, complement each other’s growth—beans fix nitrogen, corn provides structure, and squash blankets the ground to retain moisture.
Practically written, her book offers recipes, such as Omnica Wahanpi soup made with dried beans, vegetables, and ham, emphasizing sharing food as part of community bonding. Peterson’s garden stands proudly on Dakota land, overlooking the Minnesota River, serving as both a literal and metaphorical field for her lessons and reflections.
Her passion extends beyond gardening; her writing delivers poetic expressions of longing and the sacredness of the land, enriching the appreciation of non-Indigenous readers about Native heritage.
Meanwhile, Washtenaw County is enhancing public resources with the launch of a new Native American Resources GIS map layer. This project, completed during Native American History Month, aims to catalog historical trails, villages, and resources tied to local Native American history. It contributes to Washtenaw County's initiative to represent historically marginalized communities and include diverse narratives within local heritage tourism efforts.
The new data layer is part of the HistWeb project, which provides accessible information for residents, educators, and researchers to learn about Indigenous history. While not exhaustive, it creates avenues for engagement and reflection on the richness of Native American heritage and its importance within the local community.
Residents are encouraged to utilize this layer, exploring local history beyond modern developments, giving students and researchers alike the ability to connect contemporary landscapes to their historical roots. Such initiatives are not just about preservation; they aim to stimulate broader recognition and appreciation of Indigenous culture.
Overall, these initiatives mark significant steps toward acknowledging and enrolling Native American history and culture within educational contexts and public resources. They serve as reminders of the untapped potential within Indigenous communities and the importance of culturally relevant support systems and educational opportunities.