Just Plain(s) Native: Isolating Experiences of Non-Plains Native Students at a Primarily Plains NASNTI

Higher education institutions have historically underserved the needs of Native students, even when active efforts are made to the improvement of services and support. Sense of belonging is a particularly ephemeral point of student’s engagement with a campus community, and studies about Native students don’t always account for the vast cultural differences between the different tribes and villages. My aim with this study is to present for consideration the isolating effects of culturally nonspecific services and groups on Native students at the University of Minnesota, Morris, a Native American-Serving Non-Tribal Institution (NASNTI). Employing ethnographic interview methods and discursive analysis, I have demonstrated that Native students from non-plains backgrounds are particularly affected by feelings of isolation due to lack of culturally responsive programming. This indicates that the intricate ties between tribal identity and the effectiveness of Native student services need to be more thoroughly explored to better support all Native students.