College students across the country are in the midst of the spring semester. Among them is a Chickasaw student who now calls Dartmouth College her academic home.
When Adria Brown first learned about Dartmouth College from a Native American Fly-In Program it hosted, she didn't know she would later decide to major in Native American issues. Today, a sophomore at Dartmouth, Brown plans to make working with other Native Americans her life's career.
A Chickasaw from St. Louis, Mo., who was born in Ada, Okla., Brown said the opportunity to attend the Hanover, NH, college has changed her life.
"I have always felt that I need to give back to my community and that it is vital to encourage more and more Native students to apply to college," she said. "I don't know if I started Dartmouth thinking Native American Studies was going to become my major. I thought Government was the way to go, but I realized through the Native American Studies classes that I enjoyed them the most, loved the subject, and was personally attached to everything I did. Through several research papers on forced sterilization specifically in the Native American community, I realized how much work still needs to be done, and that I could make a difference, however small."
Dartmouth's annual Native American Fly-In program provides talented high school seniors with an unparalleled opportunity to gain firsthand knowledge of the college's academic resources, student services and admission and financial aid criteria. Program participants enjoy extensive interaction with members of the Dartmouth Native community along with a cross section of college students, faculty and staff through a mix of information sessions, academic presentations and social events.
"I would love to be involved in getting out the word about this program to other Chickasaws," she said. "I currently work for the Dartmouth Native American Studies Program as a College Knowledge intern, which focuses on providing videos and other resources to encourage Native students to go to college and demystify some of the process."
Brown has received assistance from the Chickasaw Nation since going to Dartmouth. She received a textbook scholarship to help purchase required books which she says "has been extremely useful because it is expensive to purchase textbooks throughout the year."
In addition, she began receiving a clothing grant from the tribe during her freshmen year at Dartmouth that she said "helped me purchase a coat for the New England winter which really helped as well."
Founded in 1769 with a mission to educate Indian students, Dartmouth College recommitted itself to that mission in 1970 and established the Native American Studies Program in 1972, an academic program open to all Dartmouth students. In this brief time, nearly 700 Native Americans from over 200 different tribes have attended Dartmouth, more than at all the other Ivy League institutions combined.
Native American Studies at Dartmouth works to develop interdisciplinary teaching and research and increase understanding of the historical experiences, cultural traditions and innovations, and political status of Indian peoples in the United States and Canada.
"Since I was young, I had always assumed that being Chickasaw was something just inherently part of me. It was emphasized in my mother's fierce loyalty to us and her teaching us little by little. It was always there; a reminder of how much my ancestors and family have done for me to get to the place I am today," Brown said.
She said she has struggled with the pain in the past and the feeling that she often couldn't live up the expectations that she had set for herself.
"At times, when derogatory comments were made my way, (like being called a redskin in my first month at Dartmouth), I felt like I should just stay inside of my comfort zone and perhaps go where everyone was alike, where I was similar," she said. "Originally in my college application process, I did apply to University of Oklahoma and seriously thought that if I didn't get into Dartmouth, I would go there. It was comfortable, it seemed like home. And when Dartmouth gets hard I do consider it. But, in high school I started writing about this and realized that writing about being Chickasaw gave me a chance to express how I felt and made me realize that the best thing I could do was to reach outside of my comfort zone and surround myself in the unknown."
Brown said the Native community at Dartmouth is strong, but at the same time she is reminded that wherever she goes and whatever she gets involved in, she is always Chickasaw.
"I won't give up since I do want places like Dartmouth to become comfortable places where you can be yourself, and learn," she added.
Brown said she is also working on a project with Native student retention.
"Dartmouth's original mission was focused on educating Natives and I've taken that to heart to mean that everything I do on campus should be building others up." She said. "For example, I also currently work at the financial aid office, and many times financial aid can be the scariest thing during the college process for Native students. It's helped me to understand the process myself, to help others out and provide a more friendly environment."
After college, Brown said she would like to work as a teacher for a couple of years, or for the Chickasaw Nation doing some sort of research before entering graduate school for Native American Studies literature. She added that she's most interested in how Natives have expressed themselves through literature and art, specifically surrounding issues of sexual violence.
Every day, the lives of Chickasaw citizens and the communities served by the Chickasaw Nation are enriched through services and opportunities. From education to healthcare, and from economic development to language preservation, the impact made by the Chickasaw Nation is widespread.
The Chickasaw Nation is proud to recognize Brown as one of many college students who have taken their heritage with them to colleges across the country in an effort to learn more about their history and perhaps even plan to make it their life's work.
Chickasaw Nation and Education Opportunities
Education
Education is important to the Chickasaw people. As one of the first tribes to adopt western styles of education to learn about the European settlers, the Chickasaws have a rich heritage of educational programs and services. These include some of the first public schools located within Oklahoma and have influenced many of the secondary and trade schools throughout the state.
Today the Chickasaw Nation continues to be involved education services. For adults 18 and older who have dropped out of high school and would like to complete their General Equivalency Development (GED) diploma, adult learning classes can be taken in Ada, Ardmore and Sulphur, Okla.
To encourage students who have a passion for science, technology and math related skills, students ages 15-18 can discover the interesting and rewarding life of engineers and researchers by joining the FIRST Robotics Competition. Within a six week time frame, students design and build a robot to compete against other high school age students from around the country.
Children and Youth
Whether it is a sports camp or a college scholarship, the Chickasaw Nation is committed to providing youth with unique opportunities to enhance their quality of life.
The Chickasaw Nation Boys and Girls Club, with locations in Sulphur and Tishomingo, serve the youth of these communities by offering programs through the Chickasaw Nation that build character and leadership skills, that support the arts, science and technology arenas and provide sports, fitness and other recreational activities.
For more information on any of the programs and services available through the Chickasaw Nation, call 580-436-2603 or visit www.chickasaw.net.
