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Native Americans at Yale
For Native American students coming from vastly diverse situations and circumstances, the prospect of facing a chal lenging environment like Yale can be anything from overwhelming to exciting to no big deal. There is no one experience as a Native person at Yale, as the members of the Native community here will gladly attest. Backgrounds range from reservation up-bringings to urban lifestyles to everything in between, and members of our community have differing ideas about their Indian identity and tribal backgrounds. However, the Native American community is open to all and is brought together in challenging and exciting ways from the moment freshman year begins.The services and support available to students include a Native American Peer Advisor, Native American Cultural Center, and the Association of Native Americans at Yale (ANAAY). Each of these services provides Native students with the opportunity to participate in the small but strong Indian community at Yale.
The Native American Peer Advisor is an upperclassman who fills the role of academic advisor and mentor. The Peer Advisor discusses issues of identity, academic difficulties, or any other concerns that may arise, and serves as a source of personal support for Indian students. He or she also organizes activities such as study breaks, movie nights, dinners, and outings, that help Native underclassmen get to know one another. Associate Dean of Yale College Rick Chavolla directs the Native American Cultural Center, a three-story house on Crown Street with a full kitchen, conference and meeting rooms, a TV room, library, and the Peer Advisor's and ANAAY's offices. The house is available for dinners, study breaks, meetings, guest lectures, and other cultural activities sponsored bymembers of the Native American community.
ANAAY is a student-run organization that fosters a supportive and active environment for Native American undergraduates. It is first and foremost a community of friends and a resource for Indian students. We travel to powwows and conferences in the Northeast and take road trips. We organize social activities of all kinds and hold weekly meetings to plan activities and events and talk about personal and political issues unique to our experiences as Indian people here at Yale. ANAAY will host its second annual powwow in 2000. The organization also plans to participate in various other campus events.
Though not all Native American students at Yale choose to use them, these opportunities are available throughout their years at Yale and can play a valuable role in supporting and encouraging a rich Native American cultural and academic tradition at Yale.
—Rebecca F. Feinberg
All materials © 2000 The Yale Herald, Inc., and its staff.
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