Buffalo State empowers Indigenous high school students with inaugural Campus Connection Day

Buffalo State’s School of Education, in collaboration with the Buffalo Public Schools Native American Resource Program (NARP), welcomed 35 Native American high school students to campus on April 2 during the first-ever Indigenous Students’ Campus Connection Day. 

The event was organized by Wendy Paterson, dean of the School of Education; Tamara Horstman-Riphahn, executive assistant to the dean of the School of Education; Brandon Kawa, director of the International Graduate Program for Educators; NARP coordinator Colette Carse; NARP staff member Ben Willis; and Melissa Leonard, founder of 7th Gen Cultural Resources, who will be teaching for Buffalo State’s Elementary Education, Literacy, and Educational Leadership Department in the fall. 

“Buffalo State is situated within the traditional territory of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, and other Indigenous peoples of the Great Lakes,” Paterson said. “We hope that these students whose proud heritage has roots in that great Indigenous nation see our campus as a welcoming post-secondary opportunity where the diversity of our students, faculty and staff mirrors the cultural richness of the people of Western New York. Our strategic plan includes recognition that it is a privilege to occupy and care for this land, and likewise in caring for this land, we also dedicate ourselves to our mission to care for its people.”

Photos by Jesse Steffan-Colucci, Buffalo State photographer.

Participating students enjoyed breakfast and welcome remarks from Leonard and interim president Bonita R. Durand, Ph.D., as well as remarks from Lisa Marie Anselmi, chair and associate professor of the Anthropology Department, and Ja:no’s Bowen, Seneca Language Director, Seneca Nation, before an engaging discussion with current Buffalo State students. The discussion was followed by a tour of campus facilities, a visit to the Burchfield Penney Art Center, lunch, and a trip to the Whitworth Ferguson Planetarium.

Student feedback was overwhelmingly positive; one student reported she had a lot of fun and that “there are a bunch of cool things on campus,” while another said she particularly enjoyed the planetarium.

Leonard, also a member of the NARP Parent Committee, said events like Indigenous Students’ Campus Connection Day create crucial opportunities for Indigenous students to explore and see themselves in higher education, learn about available resources, and connect with potential mentors.

“We wanted to welcome Indigenous high school students to campus and provide them with opportunities to envision their futures at Buffalo State University,” she said. “I hope students walked away with a sense of belonging, confidence in their potential, and an understanding of paths available to them. More than anything, I want them to feel empowered to pursue their goals while staying connected to their city and community.”

This inaugural event provided not only exciting recruitment and community building opportunities but also signified the beginning of an innovative partnership between Buffalo State and NARP, which provides a community of support for Native identified students in the Buffalo Public School district. Through the work of cultural resource specialists, NARP goes to 27 schools and offers Native students support through knowledge of Indigenous languages, crafts, and academics. In schools where NARP staff are not represented, NARP forges connections with guidance counselors so that all students are made aware of its programs. Most importantly, Carse said, NARP reminds Indigenous students that there are people there to champion them who “know the challenges endemic to the population through the ignorance of dominant culture erasure.”

 “It is important to introduce our students to the university experience through the support of other professionals who are dedicated to the promotion of Native identity, culture, and language,” she said. “Buffalo State University created such an introduction.”