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LucasGoose

JLMC206
WebStory1
NativeAmericansonISUCampus.
Livingintwoworlds,thesettlementorreservationsandcampuslife.Whatdoesitmeantobe
NativeAmerican?NativeAmericansstillexistandarenotextinct.
The current enrollment statics for Native American students at ISU are, 73 students being at
about 0.1 percent, that incudes undergrad, vet med, and grad students. Found in the ISU minority
summary.
AnencounterafewyearsagowithastudentnamedTakSchmitzfromJapandidntthinkany
NativesexistedinAmericastill.Hehadthoughttheyallhadbeenextinct,thinkingduringthe
wildwestdaystheyhadbeenexterminatedbythecowboys.
DarrionMurrayanISUstudentinthecivilengineerprogram.HeishalfMeskwakiandaquarter
AmskapiPikuni(abandofBlackfeet),withanotherquarterofhisbloodbeingsmallamountsof
othertribes.HegrewupontheMeskwakiSettlementinIowa,whichisthenativecultureand
languageheismostproficientin.
ThequestionthatwasaskedofhimwhatisitlikebeingaNativeoncampusthenwhatlifeislike
backonthesettlement?"It'saprettyuniqueexperience,becausetherearen'tawholelotofother
nativesthatI'llmeetandseeoncampus.Thereareonlyahandfulofusand,unlessweallwent
outofourwaytochatandmeetup,weprobablywon'tevermeetanotherNativeAmericanwhile
we'rehere.It'scoolmeetingpeoplethough,becausemycultureandethnicitygivemesome
interestingthingstotalkaboutforabit."
ThenearestTribesclosetoISUisinTamaCounty,theMeskwakiSettlementandanothertribe
inSiouxCity.
Therearepeoplewhoarenotenrolledinatribeforwhateverreasonwhoidentifyasindigenous
andNativeAmericanandhaveeveryrightto.Thenagain,therearethosewhoclaima
connectiontoatribewithnolegitimacywhatsoever.Thatcangetannoying.JasonWiegand
said.WiegandisanacademicadvisorfortheGreenleeschoolofJournalism.
WiegandisahalfbreedhismotherisafullbloodKiowaPueblo1/2Kiowa,1/2Pueblo.SoI
ama1/4Kiowaanda1/4Pueblo.IamenrolledwiththeKiowaTribebecausehermotherwas
anditwashermother'sfamilythatraisedheratfirstinOklahoma.
Wiegand did not have to submit any proof of being a Native when he applied for the job offer.
But he did when he applied for some funding for his school grants.

AproblemwithintheNativeAmericancultureisbeingfederalrecognizedandunrecognizedby
theUSgovernment.Thismeansapersonreceivesabloodquantumcertificateorcertificateof
Indianblood(CIB).IndicatingthepersonhasNativeAmericanbloodinthemandwhatisthe
percentage.
Inthecaseofbeingfederallyrecognized,itopensupdoorstogettingscholarshipsand
internshipsMattBearsaid.BeariscurrentlyaseniorinpoliticalscienceatISU.Heisalsoa
TribalMemberoftheMeskwakiTribe.
BearrecountssubmittinghisCIBwhenenrollingintotheISU.Thatwastheonlywaythatthe
collegewouldallowhimtobeconsideredNativeAmericanoncampus.
Bear recounts an issue he had in a law class where he wanted to do his paper on Tribal courts,
but was not allowed because the teacher had no idea what that is about. He had sent her an email
when she said there are only two courts in America.
He pointed out to her that there is a third, Tribal court. The over all point is that Natives get over
looked in many issues, since they are a small minority and they get barely recognized.
ThefactthatNativesareasmallminoritytheygetoverlookedsometimesbymainstreamculture
orwhenrecognizedthatitisusuallysomesortofstereotype.Buttheystillexistandareamong
thepopulationontheISUcampus.

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