by Dr. Colleen Boyd, ceboyd@bsu.edu 
Director, BSU Native American Studies

   Indiana's tribal peoples are undergoing a cultural renaissance. Everywhere I go across the state, I see evidence of this – from pow-wows sponsored by the Miami Tribe of Indiana to Indianapolis's recent "Native American Heritage Day." On Ball State's campus, faculty and students promote American Indian culture and history by sponsoring film series, creating new courses and developing exhibits, research projects and web sites. This year BSU welcomed 45 students of Native American heritage and there are now several faculty members and staff who are enrolled citizens of federally recognized tribes and/or descendents of tribal communities. This is a very good start indeed!
     At Indianapolis's recent Native American Heritage Day, I participated in a panel discussion on the state of Native American Studies in our state. Sitting with me were educators from IU, IUPUI and Purdue. Despite the differences in our campus communities, we share similar concerns. Among them is a shared conviction that there are many more students of American Indian ancestry within Indiana schools than we currently know about. We want parents and education professionals to help us identify these students so we may develop more effective outreach in our efforts to increase diversity on our college campuses. We also agree more must be done to educate all U.S. citizens about the complex histories and cultures of America's indigenous peoples. As university educators, we have an important role to play in educating students and providing better support for our colleagues teaching children and youth in primary and secondary schools.
   BSU's Native American Studies Minor Program is better prepared than ever before to meet the growing demand for multicultural education on our campus and across our state. Our outstanding faculty work with indigenous peoples across North America in diverse fields like anthropology, environmental studies, linguistics and ethnohistory and bring these experiences into the classroom. This year we are proud to introduce a newly revised program. Students now have only one required core class (ANTH 231 Introduction to Native American Studies) to complete and a wider selection of electives in departments like Anthropology, English, Criminal Justice and the Department of Natural Resources. It has never been easier to complete a minor in Native American Studies!
   There are many ways that Native American Studies courses can help students better prepare for the future. Please take a moment to review the information available at our website (http://natstudies.iweb.bsu.edu/), attend one of our fun events, join the Native American Student Association (all our welcome!) or simply take a class that interests you. And please do not hesitate to contact me if you have questions or comments. Have a wonderful year!