Native American Institute

• Patricia Farrell
• Phil Bellfy
• Deborah Galvan
• Gordon Henry
• Patrick Lebeau
• Mary Kathryn Ojibway (aka Kate or Minaagojiis)
• Pat Dyer-Deckrow
• Le Anne Silvey
• Jefferson Sina
• Mary Clearing-Sky
• Susan Applegate Krouse
• Judy Sina

Director, Native American Institute (NAI), Center for Urban Affairs; Professor of History and American Studies; specialist in Native American history and contemporary affairs; extensive experience in public service to Indian organizations; current interests include expanding University services to Native American communities, conducting research on the American Indian as a conservationist, and studying the interpretation of Indian oral traditions. [email protected]

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Arnie Parish, M.A.

Specialist, Native American Institute (NAI), Center for Urban Affairs; research and academic interests lie in the area of American Indian student achievement K-12; responsible for providing technical and grant assistance to Native American communities upon request, in conjunction with other NAI staff members. Most recent activities have centered upon assistance with charter school applications and a descriptive study of the Michigan Indian Tuition Waiver Program.

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Mary Calcatera has a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education from Michigan State University and is currently working on her Master's degree in Adult and Continuing Education. Mary is working 1/2 time as an administrative assistant to the director and continues to support American Indian initiatives on MSU's campus. She is now the interim director of the NOKOMIS LEARNING CENTER. Previous initiatives have included the development of the AANII Program and the Michigan Indian Leadership and Youth Retreat.

Webmaster and specialist, Native American Institute (NAI). Mike received his B.S. in Biology (specialty in biophysics) from Wayne State University in 1996. He is planning on getting a Ph.D. in Theorectical Chemistry at MSU. Other interests: Drum and Bugle Corps (30 years), the Irish Feis (10Years), Michigan Indian Youth Retreat (MIYR), Michigan Indian Leadership Program (MILP), classical/jazz music, reading, movies, solving puzzles, surfing the web, and working with mathematics.

Youth Development Specialist
Department of Family and Child Ecology (part-time)
Primary responsibilities include: Consultation with the MSUE 4-H on career and workforce preparation programs.
Education Background: BA--Wayne State University, MSW--University of Michigan, Ph.D. - Michigan State University
I grew up in Detroit, and have lived in the Lansing area for the past 20 years. I previously worked as a Social Worker and then Administrator for the Lansing Public Schools. Two years ago, I came to MSU and currently work part-time as an Extension Specialist in the Department of Family and Child Ecology. I also have a 13 year old daughter!

[email protected]

Assistant Professor
American Thought and Language
Phil is a member of the White Earth Band of Minnesota Chippewa and conducts research and writes in the area of American Indians, especially in areas which affect the Aboriginal people of Canada. He is active in the Association for Canadian Studies in the United States (ACSUS) and serves as the Co-chair of the ACSUS interest group, IPIC (the Indigenous Peoples Issues Circle). More information can be obtained from his biography page.

Assistant Professor
Department of American Thought and Language
My father is from Cheyenne River Sioux Indian Reservation, South Dakota, and my mom is from Turtle Mountain Chippewa Indian Reservation, North Dakota. I am enrolled at Cheyenne River. I was educated in the State of Michigan--B.A. and M.A. from MSU, and Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. Though I specialize in Native American Studies, I am currently an Assistant Professor in the department of American Thought and Language here at MSU. I currently teach "Writing: The American Racial and Ethnic Experience". Future plans include the development of Native American Studies at Michigan State University. I'm also finishing my first book on "National Identity and the Image of the American Indian"

[email protected]

Copy Cataloger, Government Documents of the MSU Libraries.
Family based in Lansing, I am the second oldest of 11 children; parents are Clinton M. Ojibway and Lenore Larsen Ojibway. I grew up here and attended MSU. My B.A. is in Geography with minors in German and European Studies.
Interests: Canophilist with a passion for linguistics, iceskating and berries. I enjoy reading, playing the guitar, dance, theatre, gardening, singing, attending pow wows, travel and sleeping.

[email protected]

Assiatant Director
Office of Supportive Services
209 Bessey Hall
Michigan State University
517-353-5210
FAX: 517-432-2962

I'm originally from the Northern Cheyenne Reservation in Lame Deer, Montana but have been in Michigan so long now I call them both home. Still, I love the outdoors and, therefore, live about 30 miles from campus so I can go for walks in the woods or just look out my window at the deer, pheasants, and turkeys. It's about as close as you can get to heaven without being back in the "Big Sky Country."
I began at the University as the first American Indian Admissions Counselor in the Office of Admissions and Scholarships. While I am happy to see an increase in the number of American Indian students of campus, I think it is even more important to see students complete their degrees. For that reason, I have been in the Office of Supportive Services for the past 20 years assisting students to be retained and graduate from MSU. To that end we offer the following services:
TUTORIAL ASSISTANCE: (Primarily in Freshman and Sophmore level courses).
MACINTOSH COMPUTER LAB: 9am-9pm Monday/Friday.
UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES for Junior and Senior level students in preparation for graduate school.
ACADEMIC GUIDANCE PERSONNEL to assist with class and major selection.
Our office operates by the motto that the "STUDENT" is the most important person on the campus. We all encourage you to stop by and meet us if we can help in any way.

[email protected]

Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa and Mississippi Choctaw Indians
Office of the Provost--Native American Coordinator for the Office of Minority Student Affairs
The Office of Racial EthnicStudent Affairs(ORESA) initiates and coordinates a range of services and programs that have a positive impact on the academic success and quality of life of racial/ethnic minority students at Michigan State University. The office serves as a support and advocacy network for African American, Asian Pacific American, and Native American students. The office also assists in the formulation of university policies that affect all students at MSU. OMSA currently has 57 minority aides that serve the above minority students on campus. They serve as resource agents to minority students by helping them adjust from high school to college. Minority aides maintain contact with their students by planning social/cultural, academic, health & safety programs. They also work with Residence Life to familiarize students with hall rules and unversity policies and regulations. Minority aides also assist in resolving conflict situations involving minority students. The Minority Aides provide outreach, student advocacy, peer counseling and a sense of family within the various racial/ethnic communities on campus. Their support sometimes means the difference between dropping out and graduating successfully. The Office of Minority Student Affairs helps minority students develop and enhance their leadership skills by providing retreats, training workshops, and student organization advising. The Council of Racial/Ethnic Students (CORES) includes members of the four largest racial/ethnic student organizations: the Black Student Alliance (BSA), the Asian Pacific American Student Organization (APASO), the North American Indian Student Organization (NAISO), and Culturas de las Razas Unidas (CRU). OMSA staff members are committed to providing a positive and supportive environment for all students at MSU. We address and work with others in dealing with behaviors considered inappropriate and racist. Students encountering such behavior are strongly encouraged to contact our office. We're here to help and can advise students of their rights and avenues of recourse. The student always maintains the right to act and reserves the right to confidentiality.

The Office of Racial Ethnic Student Affairs
338 Student Services Building.
Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8am - noon & 1pm - 5pm.
(517) 353-7745.

[email protected]

Assistant Professor in the English Department
Published poet and fiction writer; awarded 1995 American Book Award for The Light People; I am working on a second novel and short stories as well as some poetry; I teach classes in American Literature, Creative Writing and American Indian Literature; I am married - for 17 years - with three children; I play guitar; take sweats whenever possible; and enjoy sports of all types.

[email protected]

Le Anne E. Silvey, PhD ACSW, has been an assistant professor in the College of Human Biology, Department of Family and Child Ecology, since her appointment in 1999. She was the former director of the Michigan Indian Child Welfare Agency. Dr. Silvey specializes in diversity, individual and family development, women's issues, and American Indian child welfare and family issues. Her dissertation dealt with Ordinal Position and Role Development of the Firstborn American Indian Daughter Within her Family of Origin. She currently has an article in press on Native American Adolescents and has a chapter in Family Ethnicity, 2nd edition, on Firstborn American Indian Daughters: Struggles to Reclaim Cultural and Self-Identity.

Jefferson Sina, Polar Inuit

Jefferson Faye received a Ph.D. from the University of Cincinnati, M.A. from Northwestern University, and an A.B. from the University of Michigan, all in English. He is currently a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of American Thought and Language, where he teaches courses on American Indian science and the history of technology. His doctoral research examined literary depictions of the culture of science, and his current research and teaching interests are in Indigenous Science, representations of Native People in film, children's literature, and other forms of popular culture, and Inuit literature. He has forthcoming articles on representations of the Inuit in Children's literature, teaching American Indian Science to students of Western science, and a review essay on Douglas Coupland, and is completing a book manuscript on neuroscience and contemporary American literature. He co-organized the Native American Film Series in the 1999-2000 and 2000-2001 school years and is the faculty advisor for MSU's Native American Indian Student Organization and the MSU Men's and Women's Ultimate Frisbee Clubs.

Susan Applegate Krouse, Oklahoma Cherokee

Susan Applegate Krouse received the Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee. She is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology at Michigan State University and Assistant Curator of the Great Lakes Ethnology at Michigan State University Museum. At MSU, she teaches several courses on Native peoples, including "North American Indian Ethnography," "American Indian Women" and "Contemporary American Indian Communities." Her research focuses on urban American Indians, particularly issues affecting women. She received funding in 2001 to begin work on a collaborative project, looking at the health status of Latinos and American Indians in the City of Lansing, Michigan. Recent publications include "Powwow, Performance and Status Reversal" (forthcoming, chapter in Powwow: Native American Performance, Identity, and Meaning), "Kinship and Identity: Mixed Bloods in Urban American Communities" (1999, American Indian Culture and Research Journal) and "Giving Voice: A Course on American Indian Women" (1997, Feminist Teacher).

Judy Sina

I am a granddaughter, daughter, mother, sister, and friend. My family comes from the Iroquois, Wendat, French-Canadian and English/Irish people. I am a counseling psychologist with the university counseling center and have held this position for 4 years. This year I am the co-chair of EAGLE and will work to help bring additional opportunities to faculty, staff and students here at MSU.

Mary Clearing-Sky

No information available