Native American College Planning Considerations: Part 2

Native American college planning is a specialized area within school counseling and college counseling. It requires counselors to look beyond traditional measures such as admission requirements, academic programs, cost, and graduation rates.

A culturally responsive college search also examines what students will experience outside the classroom. Clubs, community gatherings, cultural events, Native student organizations, and opportunities to build relationships can all influence whether a student feels connected to a campus.

As described in the Minnesota School Counselor Association article Cultivating Cultural Responsiveness, culturally responsive counseling recognizes and uses students’ cultural strengths to support positive outcomes.

Many Native cultures emphasize relationships, shared responsibility, and interdependence. Although each Tribal Nation has its own teachings, traditions, and values, community connections are often an important source of identity and strength.

Students entering college may be moving away from family, their Tribal community, familiar cultural practices, and trusted support systems. A campus that provides opportunities to form meaningful relationships can help students rebuild a sense of community in their new environment.

When counselors help students evaluate colleges, they should consider whether each campus creates genuine opportunities for Native students to connect with peers, staff, faculty, local Tribal communities, and cultural resources.

Some Native students describe their experiences as “walking in two worlds.” They may move between the cultural values and practices of their family or Tribal community and the expectations of institutions shaped primarily by Western traditions.

This experience can become especially challenging when students feel they must minimize, explain, or separate themselves from their cultural identity to fit into college life. Continually deciding when it is safe to express one’s identity can be emotionally exhausting.

A culturally supportive campus allows Native students to bring their whole selves into the college experience. Students should be able to participate in cultural practices, connect with other Native students, and share their lived experiences without being expected to represent every Native person or Tribal Nation.

Cultural learning does not occur only through academic programs. Students may also strengthen their cultural identity by participating in organizations, community gatherings, ceremonies, leadership opportunities, arts, language activities, and campus events.

These experiences can help students maintain connections to their own culture while also learning from Native students representing other Tribal Nations and communities.

Campus experiences vary significantly from one college to another. A website may mention diversity or inclusion without clearly showing how Native students experience those commitments in daily campus life.

Counselors and students should look for specific, active, and visible evidence of Native student engagement.

Student organizations can be one of the most accessible ways for Native students to find community. The name of the organization will vary by college, and some campuses may have more than one Native-focused group.

Examples may include:

• American Indian Business Leaders
• American Indian Science and Engineering Society
• First Nations Club
• Intertribal Student Council
• Native American Student Alliance
• Native American Student Association
• Native and Indigenous Student Union
• Native student leadership or mentoring groups

The presence of an organization is a helpful starting point, but students should investigate whether it is currently active. An organization listed on an outdated webpage may not be meeting or may lack consistent institutional support.

Fraternities and sororities create close peer networks organized around shared values, leadership, service, and community. A smaller number of colleges offer Native or Indigenous Greek-letter organizations.

These organizations may provide students with an additional way to form lasting relationships, participate in service, and connect with other Native college students. Students interested in this experience should ask whether an active chapter currently exists on campus and what participation involves.

Colleges that have offered Native-specific Greek-life opportunities include:

• Arizona State University
• Dartmouth College
• Haskell Indian Nations University
• Lewis-Clark State College

Programs and chapter activity can change, so students should confirm current opportunities directly with each college.

Learning takes place throughout campus—not only in the classroom. Cultural events can provide opportunities for students to gather, share traditions, learn from others, celebrate identity, and invite the broader campus community into respectful learning.

Examples of campus experiences may include:

• Annual powwows and cultural festivals
• Beading circles and Indigenous arts workshops
• Frybread gatherings or community meals
• Indigenous Peoples’ Day programming
• Language tables and conversation groups
• Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives awareness events
• Native American Heritage Month activities
• Native film screenings and speaker series
• Native graduation celebrations or stole ceremonies
• Salmon bakes and other regionally connected cultural events
• Talking circles and community gatherings
• Visits from Elders, cultural teachers, artists, and Tribal leaders

Students should not have to rely entirely on a college’s promotional language. Counselors can help them gather specific information from current students, Native student-support staff, campus organizations, social media pages, event calendars, and campus visits.

Campus experiences are one of four important areas within culturally responsive Native American college planning. Native students may benefit from colleges that offer active student organizations, cultural events, gathering spaces, community relationships, and opportunities to participate in campus life without separating themselves from their identity.

Counselors can support students by expanding the college search beyond academics and affordability. The central question is not simply whether a college admits Native students, but whether Native students can find connection, participate fully, and experience a genuine sense of belonging after they arrive.