Indigenous Perspectives with Jade

Transcript

Let’s head over to Jade, a second year grad student studying environmental science. Jade found much more than a pathway to a master’s degree at ESF. As an indigenous person, she found support and a family in the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment. We can’t wait to hear your story, Jade, take it away.

– Nya:weh, Alex. Although I’m a graduate student here at ESF studying Haudenosaunee fire ecology, I’m firstly a member of the Seneca Nation Wolf Clan. I grew up 10 miles from campus on the Onondaga Nation. Syracuse sits on the traditional and current homelands of the Onondagas. A nation of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. I always knew I wanted to go to grad school, but after being one of two or three indigenous students in both my high school and in undergrad, I was dreading it because of those isolating experiences. ESF’s Center For Native Peoples and the Environment, makes the university experience more welcoming to indigenous students, allowing me to be my whole self. Here, my home and school communities collaborate on events and projects like plant workshops on the nation or CMPEs Youth Summer program called Native Earth, where we bring native youth to the Adirondacks for a week. I have so much pride in seeing kids from home getting involved in environmental sciences and showing them that there are places for them in academia where we can be authentically us. My favorite part about CMPE at ESF is the community we build together on and off campus. It can be disheartening for indigenous students to leave their tight-knit communities for university. This program is so special because it gives students a sense of home when home is sometimes far, far away, or even just down the road. My experience at ESF has given me a refreshed perspective on school as an indigenous student. Although these systems will always have challenges for us, it’s through community building and support from groups like the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment, that give us the strength and resilience to make the experience better for the next generation of indigenous students. Nya:weh for letting me tell my story. Dohada. That is all for me. Alex.

– Wow. Jade, thank you so much for sharing your story. It’s so inspiring to hear about how you are not only able to stay connected to your people and your culture at ESF, but that you’re helping other young people in the area do the same. Amazing job, Jade, thanks again.