By Brittany Wiscombe
The Native American Studies minor is trying to overcome a lack of awareness concerning Native American culture and interests.
President Spencer W. Kimball of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, began the process of providing American Indian students with greater access to higher education specifically at BYU in 1950.
BYU once led the nation with the most Native American students attending college. A newly revised minor helps to educate students with cultural growth.
An unprecedented Indian Studies minor, created in the early 1960s, supported the increasing enrollment of American Indian students.
The minor specifically aided 600 students from 77 different tribes representing 38 states.
Suzanne Lundquist, who was placed in the English department after the academic multicultural department was removed, said mainstreaming Native American students is a 'sink or swim situation.'
'We don''t have as many Native American students anymore,' Lundquist said.
With hopes of improving the program, a revised minor was created.
The NAS minor''s primary goal is to offer academic support for American Indians by teaching them how to balance their tribal heritage within the dominant white culture.
Jay H. Buckley the NAS coordinator said the NAS minor helps to fulfill the mission of BYU.
'Joseph Smith''s first desire was to send missionaries to the Lamanites,' Buckley said.
The minor was modified throughout the years to gain back the credibility Native Americans once enjoyed.
'Some of the students who participate in this minor will be formulating some viable solutions to today''s challenges,' Buckley said. 'We can assist Indian communities and begin to break down cultural barriers by teaching students to do their part in making the world a better place.'
BYU has as many as 300 American Indian students that are involved in the minor.
The minor is not specifically for Native American students but is open to all majors.
The revised minor has many service learning opportunities. Those graduating with a NAS minor have reached out to the reservations.
Buckley said the goal is to mold graduates into mentors who can teach and interact with American Indian students and serve in their communities.
Sterling Fluharty, a graduate student at Oklahoma University who minored in NAS at BYU, stated in the Online History of the Native Studies Minor that the benefits of participating in the minor include 'dispelling stereotypes, promoting tribal and Indian identities, and assisting Native students to return to their people prepared to really help.'
The NAS minor is spreading its way back into curriculum.
All BYU courses that are significant components of North American Indian history have been added to the elective list.
In addition to core classes in history and English, students are taking Native American courses to fulfill anthropology, humanities, linguistics, sociology, and religion electives.
'Even though the minor is not formally part of the education department, a large number of BYU graduates get teaching positions in states with large Indian populations,' Buckley said.
Derek Bitter, a history teaching major from Santa Clarita, Calif, said, 'In my U.S. history class, we spent the first two weeks focused on the Native American heritage. My teacher said it was not a part of the curriculum 30 years ago, so we are making progress.'
Many students have thought about how BYU campus can become more appealing to minority students.
'People have an interest to learn about their roots,' Bitter said. 'BYU should create more minors like the Native American Studies.'