Native American Heritage Month is a time for Americans to celebrate Indigenous culture, history and contributions. At UC Irvine, student organizations and university initiatives aim to support and empower the Native American community on campus year-round, extending beyond November.
One student-run organization on campus is the American Indian Student Association (AISA), founded in 1974, which works to foster a welcoming environment for Native American students and spread awareness of Indigenous culture. Past events include a beach trip, an Urban Farms composting service project and various socials and biweekly club meetings.
Another group is the UCI chapter of the Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS). The national nonprofit offers Native American and Hispanic STEM students opportunities and resources for academic advancement. The organization’s workshops, seminars and information sessions cover topics such as résumé building and applications for graduate school and research positions. A frequent event hosted by the chapter is “Hora de Cafecito,” where students are invited to enjoy coffee and a snack.
University efforts to empower Native American students include the Native American Recruitment Initiative (NARI) and the Native American Faculty and Staff Association.
Run by the Student Outreach and Retention Center (SOAR), NARI ensures educational resources are accessible to students by hosting college and professional development workshops, offering mentorship and conducting cultural outreach. This month, SOAR is recognizing Native communities by combating stereotypes and amplifying their traditions and perspectives. In October, NARI and AISA hosted a “Community Welcome” event that introduced the two organizations, highlighted the resources they offer and celebrated the community they create.
The Native American Faculty and Staff Association, one of 12 Diversity Affinity Groups on campus, fosters cross-cultural understanding, collaborates with various other departments and acts as an information resource for students.
“[The organization’s mission is] to build a community of Native American/Indigenous faculty and staff that can serve as a resource to Native students at UCI, provide guidance to administration on academic and cultural issues relevant to the Native community and help facilitate strong relationships with local tribal communities,” according to the Diversity Affinity Groups website.
Another representative group on campus is ASUCI’s Indigenous Identity Commission under the Council on Diversity and Equity. The commission represents Indigenous representation across campus and strives to ensure that their community is heard and recognized by conducting outreach efforts, researching and planning events. In celebration of Native American Heritage Month, they hosted a Native Knowledge Hub earlier this month on Ring Road, where students were invited to learn about Indigenous culture and history.
UCI has been federally recognized as a Native American and Pacific Islander-Serving Institution, meaning that at least 10% of its full-time undergraduate population identifies as Pacific Islander or Asian American. However, the number of Native American and Pacific Islander students enrolled at UCI has been the lowest of all other ethnic populations on campus from 2015 to 2024, according to the UCI Institutional Research, Assessment, and Planning. This fall, 41 American Indian and Alaskan Native students and 23 Pacific Islander undergraduate students are enrolled.
Even with these initiatives in place, some feel that there is not enough structural support for Indigenous students.
In light of the small Indigenous student population at UCI, AISA and the Pacific Islander Student Association (PISA) released a statement in October expressing the need for more Indigenous faculty and staff, as well as structural support to facilitate the Indigenous student community’s equitable growth and well-being.
“Despite the university’s commitment to inclusive excellence, we often feel invisible and marginalized on campus,” the statement reads. “What the American Indian Students Association and the Pacific Islander Student Association ask of the university is: to help climb out from the forty thousand mass of students on campus and to build a robust, central support system for current and future Indigenous students.”
As of now, UCI offers scholarship programs tailored to students of Indigenous descent, such as the UC-wide Native American Opportunity Plan. It also offers the Native American and Indigenous Studies minor.
Mariam Farag is a Features intern for the fall 2024 quarter. She can be reached at msfarag@uci.edu.
Edited by Kaelyn Kwon and Ben De Guzman.