The Native American Student Social & Celebration was a continuing effort by the Cross-Cultural Centers to foster connections among Native American student Cal State LA and support their success.
This end-of-year social and celebration was created to continue supporting Native American, American Indian identified students to grow personally and on a college campus. The previous year, the Cross-Cultural Centers worked with Dr. Kimberly Robertson and the American Indian Student Association (AISA) to create the inaugural American Indian Student Grad Celebration. The CCC Director did not want a year to pass without connecting to the Native student community and, therefore, collected data of self-identified students and emailed them 3 – 4 times before the event. The survey, email outreach, and event allowed for students to meet potential mentors/femtors who could assist them in their higher education trajectory while at Cal State LA. At the same time, we collected stories of how to support their goals and dreams of creating a welcoming community for Native American students as well as their aspirations in their careers.
Students will begin to learn about the support services for Native American students at Cal State LA. Students will feel confident being engaged in creating a welcoming environment for Native American students with Cal State LA change agents.
Native American students identified the importance of being connected to someone that made them feel welcomed and saw their whole, authentic being. The Cross Cultural Centers will look to connect and develop relationships with folks on campus that identify as Native/American Indian so that we can create welcome events, and social, and community gatherings as was provided in the past by faculty members and others. We will work to develop with students as well as look for support campus-wide.
"My first year at Cal State LA was full virtual that I felt unsupported and questioned whether pursuing my higher education was the right path for me. It wasn't until I received an email from Kimberly Robertson [...] Little did I know by responding that I would find my support/sense of community."— Student
Who Are Our Native American Students?
In looking at the students who responded to the survey, we can see that more than half of the students that responded identified themselves as transfer students. Most shared that their status is beyond first-year experience so it makes me think about how to connect to support in the retention and career support as they continue their journey here at Cal State LA.
Currently, the CCC Director has reached out to Navajo-identified colleagues who have provided her with the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education focusing on Indigenous Student Affairs as well as literature; Native Presence and Sovereignty in College: Sustaining Indigenous Weapons to Defeat Systematic Monsters, Amanda R. Tachine.
Through her own research and the support of Trevor Smith, Navajo identified student staff from the Cross Cultural Centers, we've developed a community list of folks that have worked closely with past Cal State LA faculty and staff and looking to continue to grow the community networks and develop more meaningful and intentional relationships.