Native-Indigenous Student Support Initiatives

Native Student Support Initiatives Mission:

The Native American Student Support Initiatives exists to serve and support the diverse and changing needs of Native students in their time at Metropolitan State University of Denver. We strive to provide relevant, accessible, and engaging programs and resources, promote intertribal and cross-cultural approaches to community building with a social justice lens. We work to partner with both off and on-campus communities to provide students with the best experience possible in their time here, while also supporting continuing growth and understanding of their individual identities as Native people. We also work to bring the histories, experiences, and worldviews into a valued realm within the university.

Values & Norms:

• Assist in the personal, social and academic growth of Native students by empowering them with the skill and strategies that will ensure a successful transition from traditional home culture to higher education life.
• Help Native students make a positive transition to college life while maintaining the best of Native culture by emphasizing harmony and balance in their daily life.
• Educate the University and Denver Metro communities about Native American history, culture and philosophies, and about the unique needs of Native American students.
• Recruit Native American students through professional and personal contacts with the local Native community in Colorado.
• Serve as an advocate on Native students’ behalf during their time at Metropolitan State University of Denver.

Vision:

Strengthening collaboration with our campus and local Native communities to support initiatives that benefit Native students learning, development, and success in higher education while promoting student resiliency.

Click the link below to be directed to the page on MSU Denver’s Financial Aid website that outlines the details and eligibility for the grant, as well as a link for the certification process.

1. Native Heritage Month Kickoff- film screening of “Who She Is” With Director and producer Jordan Dresser.

Description: Join us as we kick off Native American Heritage Month with a powerful evening of storytelling, culture, and conversation. We’re proud to host a special screening of the documentary “Who She Is”, followed by a discussion with the film’s director and producer, Jordan Dresser.

Who She Is brings to light the stories of four Indigenous women whose lives were tragically cut short due to the ongoing crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW). Through compelling visuals and heartfelt narration, the film honors their memories while raising awareness about the broader issues affecting Native communities today.

 Jordan Dresser is a member of the Northern Arapaho Tribe located on the Wind River Indian Reservation in central Wyoming. He graduated from the University of Wyoming with a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism and a Master of Arts degree in museum studies from the University of San Francisco. Dresser served as the Chairman of the Northern Arapaho Tribe. He is a filmmaker and his latest film, Who She Is, won an Emmy. His other films include What Was Ours, Home from School: the Children of Carlisle and The Art of Home. He currently serves as the Curator of Collections at the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery.  His work focuses on uplifting Native voices and histories, and we are honored to welcome him for an in-depth conversation following the screening.

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn, reflect, and connect as we begin Native Heritage Month with purpose and community.

• Date: Tuesday November 4^th: 11:30am to 1:30pm. 
• Location: CAVEA

2. Native Community Resource Fair

Description: Join us for a Native Community Resource Fair celebrating connection, culture, and community! Local Native organizations will be in attendance, sharing information about the important resources and services they offer from health and wellness to education, advocacy, and more.

Enjoy delicious food provided by the American Indian Student Alliance (AISA) and enter for a chance to win door prizes throughout the event. Several organizations will also be speaking about their work and the support they provide to our Native community.

This is a great opportunity to meet local Native leaders, access valuable resources, and build relationships within our community. All are welcome!

• Date: Thursday, November 13^th.
• Time: 12pm to 2pm
• Location: Tivoli 320s

3. Handgames/Stickgames Teachings with Destiny Leftwich

Description: Join us for an engaging evening of Hand Game (Stick Game) teachings with Destiny Leftwich, who will be sharing the cultural knowledge, songs, and traditions surrounding this game.

Hand Game is a traditional guessing and hiding game played among many tribal nations across the Northwest and Plains regions. It has long served to bring communities together through friendly competition, song, and deep cultural meaning.

Whether you’re new to the game or reconnecting with it, this is a chance to learn, play, and celebrate Indigenous traditions in a welcoming and supportive space.

• Date: Tuesday November 18^th
• Time: 5pm-7pm
• Location: Tivoli 129

Please contact Deserea

([email protected])

If you have any questions.

The Auraria Campus is home to MSU Denver. It’s important to pause and remember the history of the land that is the physical home to our educational spaces.

Acknowledging that we reside in the homelands of the Original Peoples is an important step in recognizing the history and the original stewards of these lands. Land acknowledgments must extend far beyond words, and the United States has worked hard to erase the narratives of Indigenous Peoples over time. Land acknowledgment statements can help to remind us of the history, the contributions, and the sacrifices Native peoples have made. We honor and acknowledge that we are on the traditional territories and ancestral homelands of the Southern Ute, Mountain Ute, Cheyenne, and Arapaho nations.

This area, specifically is the confluence of the Platte and Cherry Creek Rivers, it was the epicenter for trade, information sharing, planning for the future, community, family and ally building, as well as conducting healing ceremonies for over 45 Indigenous Nations, including the Lakota, Kiowa, Comanche, Apache, Shoshone, Paiute, Zuni, Hopi, among others. We must recognize these nations as the original stewards of this land, and as these words of acknowledgment are spoken and heard, remember the ties these nations still have to their traditional homelands. Let us acknowledge the painful history of genocide and forced removal from this territory and pay our respect to the diverse Indigenous peoples still connected to this land. As the relationship with the land is ongoing and not something of the past.

Let us also give thanks to all Tribal Nations and the ancestors of this place. This area was also the site of trade, hunting, gathering, and healing for many other Tribal Nations. It’s crucial to understand that sovereignty refers to the inherent right of Tribal Nations to self-governance and self-determination. This is a political concept. Recognizing Tribal Sovereignty means acknowledging their right to govern themselves, protect their cultures, and maintain their unique relationship with their lands. Let us all reflect on how we can go beyond this land acknowledgment in action.