New space gives Native American students a place to host events, build community

A vacant room in Grand Valley’s North C building is now a dedicated space for Native American students to find community, host events, store sacred items and more.

The space was born out of research efforts and conversations with Grand Valley’s Native American Advisory Council in hopes of improving retention of Native students and increasing the visibility of the Office of Multicultural Affairs on campus. Throughout this research, the need was recognized for a dedicated space where Native American students could gather.

“Multiple schools, including tribal community colleges, provide the spaces for Native students to gather,” noted Lin Bardwell, assistant director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs.

This was the case for Mgizi Wemigwans, a second-year student who attended Mount Pleasant Public Schools growing up. “We always had this type of room in all the schools I went to. It really helped me in high school, having a space like this, so I know that it will help me now.”

The push for a space was amplified when representatives began to include the Native American Student Association (NASA) in the search. After touring vacant spaces, the location in North C was selected - primarily due to its location on GVSU’s northern end of campus, where a majority of first-year students live. 

“We’re hoping to build up our community of first-year students,” Bardwell said. “We want our group to get connected early on.” 

The space was gifted to the Office of Multicultural Affairs by the Office of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution. Bardwell hopes that the space can be utilized to bring in trusted adults from the community to build students’ networks, create a community for students who share a similar culture, and give students a space to host their events and meetings or just to hang out between classes. “When our students are so few, we don’t often see each other on campus, so this space gives them a place to gather,” Bardwell said.

Wemigwans can be found regularly in the North C space. He attends NASA meetings weekly and spends time between classes there with other students.

“As an Indigenous student, it was hard for me to leave my community back home,” Wemigwans said, adding that programs like Mno’chigewin, GVSU’s Native student success program, and NASA helped him adjust to life on campus. “One of the reasons I came back to Grand Valley is because I ended up liking the community here.” 

The room will see a variety of events throughout the school year, including regular meetings from NASA. Additional events are being held throughout campus for this year’s Native American Heritage Celebration, which begins September 26. 

Upcoming events

Oct. 5, 11 a.m., Loosemore Auditorium: Overcoming and Becoming with Hon. Allie Maldonado

• Maldonado of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians will be sharing her journey to becoming the State of Michigan's first Anishinaabekwe (Native American woman) to be appointed as judge to the Michigan Court of Appeals. 

Oct. 12, 2 p.m., 2263 Kirkhof Center: Living and Learning in Relationship

• Melissa Isaac, MSA, a citizen of the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe, will be sharing her story of advocating for our Native American youth to be able to thrive within the colonial education structures. She is now a State of Michigan employee as the Gizhwaasod: Protector of the Young for the Department of Education. 

Nov. 8, 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m., Kirkhof Center, Grand River Room: national best-selling author Robin Wall Kimmerer

• Best-selling author and enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, Robin Wall Kimmerer, will be giving a presentation. Event seating is open to the public, and no tickets or seat reservations will be available.