Join hosts Dani and Matt in this episode of UEN Homeroom as they welcome guests Anisha Marion and Leonard Almero from the American Indian Resource Center to discuss ways educators can support Native American learners in K-12 classrooms. From cultural sensitivity to awareness training, learn how to create a more inclusive learning environment for your students.
Join hosts Dani and Matt in this episode of UEN Homeroom as they welcome guests Anisha Marion and Leonard Almero from the American Indian Resource Center to discuss ways educators can support Native American learners in K-12 classrooms. From cultural sensitivity to awareness training, learn how to create a more inclusive learning environment for your students.
U of U American Indian Resource Center
Find current, culturally appropriate resources for teaching and learning about Utah’s indigenous communities at: https://www.uen.org/americanindian/
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Hey, Matt.
Hey, Danny.
How's it going?
Good. I'm excited about our guests today.
I am as well.
I love the conversation surrounding making sure that, when you work with the culture, that you have the representation in the room, and I'm excited to talk about Native American cultures today with our guests.
Yes, and we have two amazing guests with us today, so shall we just jump right in and meet Leo and Anisha?
Absolutely, let's do it.
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All right, we're here with some great guests today from the American Indian Resource Center here at the University of Utah. Could you tell us a little bit about yourself and a little bit about your involvement with the American Indian Resource Center as well?
Yeah, yeah, sure, of course. So I guess I can go ahead and start. My name is Leonard Almero. I am currently a post-bacc student here at the U, studying cardiology. I actually grew up in California, but my tribe is out in Oklahoma. It's Citizen Potawatomi.
My involvement, really, with the center, I actually am one of the-- I'm the president of the Intertribal Student Association. And so we're not directly linked to the center. But we do host a lot of our things with the center, and a lot of our students do find the center to be kind of our home away from home.
[NON-ENGLISH]. Hello, everyone. My name is Anisha. I am a first-year PhD student here at the U. I'm studying clinical psychology. I'm originally from New York, so I moved all the way from Utah-- or from New York to Utah. And so the main thing for me was that I had a Native community on campus, just being away from my family. So my main role at the Resource Center is really just building community and trying to make friends who get what it's like to be a native student on campus.
Fantastic. Well, let's just jump right in. We want to know, what unique challenges do Native American learners face? And how can educators and institutions support students in overcoming these kinds of challenges?
I can start off that--
Yeah, yeah--
--one.
Go ahead, and go for it. Go for it.
So I will say, for me, I am a first-gen student as well as a Native American student and a disabled student. So for me, it's really just navigating those three identities and just finding resources on campus that support the unique challenges that come with that. I know for Native students, in particular, a lot of us are first gen, and so just really understanding the application process of even how to get into college.
And especially with grad school, it was really abstract for me, and I had no idea how to even start the process. So I think one of the main things for me is just like resources starting in undergrad and high school of just how you can even apply to college and the things that you need to be competitive and successful are really important for me.
Yeah, and then I would say, for me, I think, for some of the-- definitely some of the things and barriers to think about are, really, it's kind of us navigating two worlds a lot of times. A lot of us who either come from like either the rez or even if we're like urban natives, we're trying to-- we learn a lot.
I would say our-- my relationship with education really started before I was born with a lot of the history that our families had to go through with boarding schools and things like that, where a lot of our culture was taken away and things like that.
And so a lot of us are having to navigate those two worlds, where it's like-- we have to come from-- a lot of us are either relearning or trying to relearn our knowledge, if you're like urban Native American who's-- like in my story, or just coming into something-- coming here to, let's say, Utah, where it's completely different, where you're coming on from like the rez, where it's completely different, so.
Yeah, and I think here, at the U, there's only 120 native students across undergrad and graduate schools, so it's just really hard to find a community here, which I think is one of the main challenges as well.
Within that community, I'm just curious because you both have very good overlap, but then there's also can tell some diverging differences about your experiences leading into becoming a University of Utah student but that also your education before that. Do you see that there's more similarities in your journeys in the American and Indian culture, Native American culture, here at the U or more differences on how you got here?
That's a great question. I feel like, at least for Leo and I, we kind of both did the post-bacc journey. So I came from Colombia from a post-bacc program, and Colombia had 60 native students. But I feel like, in terms of just isolation and wanting to find community, I think that's very similar.
I think where it gets a little different, at least for me, is undergrad versus grad school and balancing the barriers that come with those are very different. And so kind of like where Leo's at a post-bacc level, I feel like it's very different depending on what level you're at, depending on what resources you may need.
Yeah, and actually, I'll speak to that as well. In undergrad, just the number of Native students that are there, I went to UC San Diego. I think it's like 1% of the entire student body population. So the great thing is that there are spaces that you can go find other native students.
We do have-- at the AIRC, we do have a pretty common like 10 to 15 students that we do see all the time and various levels, a lot of them undergrads, but as you start to go post-bacc graduate, it starts to diminish. I think we actually talk about this a lot all the time, where we somewhat sometimes feel like isolated because we don't have-- the reason why these spaces, like the AIRC are so important is because we go there not only just because it's like a home-- the reason it's a home away from home is because it's a place where we can feel like ourselves.
We feel like we don't have to explain like where we from or why are we doing the certain things that we're doing. Why are you letting that plan on fire? You know what I mean? Lighting stage for ceremony, we don't have to go into the details of that and things like that. And so those spaces are definitely like important for us. So I think the similarity is, essentially, being able to go to those spaces, where we don't really have to explain ourselves and we can just be ourselves.
Yeah, and I think the main difference would be that just, within Native American culture, we're all from different tribes. And so depending on where our tribe is from and whether or not we grew up on the rez or in the city, that's where our main differences come into play. And I think what's really nice about that is we're just constantly learning from each other as well because Leo has very different tribal traditions than my tribe, and so we kind of just learn from each other at the same time.
Yeah, for example, some of our-- the powwow, the powwow circuit is-- powwows, a lot of people when they talk about it, they think of dancing. It's a big celebration.
But in different tribes, for example, powwows are a little more ceremonial and a little more-- so some powwows and at least-- for the different brands of Potawatomi, our Citizen Band Potawatomi, we actually still have powwows, where anyone can join. It's a big celebration. You come-- there's like a competition involved as well with dancing.
There's other bands of Potawatomi, where it's actually go, and you're in prayer for most of the celebration. You're doing different ceremonies. You're sharing stories and things like that. So that is something I think is really important to understand is that, yes, we're under the umbrella of Native American, but really, each tribe is its own culture in itself. So we see things differently. We have different customs and different ceremonies and things like that.
That's amazing. I wanted to ask that question because I was talking to a professor from UNLV this last weekend at an event, and she spent time, a large chunk of her career, in northern New Mexico and Native American-influenced schools. There's a lot of Native populations in the school.
And she was like, feast days were a thing that I had no idea about. And then we would shut down the entire school for those feast days. And if you weren't part of that culture, if you weren't part of that school, you would have no idea that was going on.
And so it's absolutely fascinating for me and I think for a lot of people to understand those differences between the different types of tribes and the different segments of their culture that play into just everyday life. And so I'm curious as well, following up with that, how can teachers in Utah in K-12 schools but also maybe professors in higher ed, how can they be more culturally sensitive and aware about integrating Native students in their classrooms but then also Native American culture into their classroom?
Yeah, that's a wonderful question, and something that I'd like to really point out that I think a lot of what's being taught in a lot of schools brushes up on-- doesn't really go into really the history of our people and everything. It just says like, oh, we were here.
I've seen some classrooms, where it's like, yeah, we know it'll teach who was there, what food they ate. And then all of a sudden, it's like, they just disappear. And it's like, no, that's actually not correct. We were either forcibly removed, or we were trying to be-- they would try to eradicate us.
And so something that-- I will say I know that Washington, State of Washington, is doing, they've actually implemented a law, where they must teach a curriculum that actually-- they worked with the 29 different tribes, federally recognized tribes, out in Washington. They actually-- leaders from the school-- or sorry, people from the school actually went to the tribal councils, and they actually had them, working with their community, had them come up with a curriculum because they're the ones who know their history of their tribe, know their stories.
And so for me, I think that's a state that's really doing it correctly because they also do have-- they'll have tribal leaders come in and teach part of the-- they'll take some part of the class, and they'll teach some knowledge from the tribe, like basket weaving or something culturally relevant, specifically to that region and things like that.
So for me, I think a big part is, as teachers or if you're a faculty-- even a faculty member here at the university, I think realizing that there are people within the tribe that want to be able to share our culture and things like that, especially-- it's not only to help the tribal youth. But it's also to help others understand our culture as well.
Because right now, what's being taught people, don't understand, really, what our culture is or even realizing that we exist sometimes. I've definitely met people, where they're like, oh, I didn't realize y'all still existed, or things like that. Yeah.
Yeah, I think-- it's really sad, but it starts with basic knowledge. I just had-- in one of my clinical classes, we were talking about diversity in therapy, and my professor was like, oh, I didn't realize there was over 500 tribes. That was something that was very new to him.
And I was like, yeah, that's fair, but to us, we already know that. So I just learned that we're starting with the basics of information. And I remember I wrote a research proposal on transgenerational trauma and just linking it to like success in higher ed for Native students. And I went to my professor, and I asked him-- I was like, hey, does this idea fit the project and the class?
And he's like, I can't tell you that. I was like, well, why not? And he's like, because I don't know what you wrote about. I don't know what residential schools are. I don't know what colonization in terms of internal versus external, and so I was really just explaining the basics at that point.
And so I just learned that a lot of my conversations do start with the basics of, we are here. We do still exist. And then I get into the ideas of residential schools and start from there, which can be really frustrating. But that's where I always start.
Absolutely. I think a lot of educators don't know where to start because they weren't taught anything as well, I think, starting with that we are all members of different tribes who are their own sovereign nations. And if you're never taught that, how are you supposed to teach students what happened? So kind of-- oh, go ahead.
I was going to say-- and I think that is why it's so important to-- because a lot of the curriculum that is being taught, it's like you're speaking on like about tribes, but you haven't-- it's not a person who's ever associated with a tribe. So I think that's what's so important is actually just reaching out to tribal leaders and not even coming to them and saying like, this is what we want to do. It's more so like, how do you want to share your culture with-- we want to incorporate it, but how do you want to do it?
And letting them decide and how they want to share their stories because also there is that-- sometimes we do have elders in our community that are like, be careful how you share your knowledge because look of what's happened in the past. So a lot a lot of them do say like, yeah, we're willing to share, but don't share too much because of history and stuff. But I do think it's important to reach out to those tribes, especially the tribal council, because they spend the time with their people and what they know best what they want to do-- what to do, and how to move forward, and things like that.
Yeah, and just--
And--
Sorry. I was going to say, and a lot of times, institutions and schools have the resources. And so that's the key role that I think a lot of times that they can play is we have the resources. But how do you want to utilize those resources?
Yeah, and a really good example just-- so I lived in New York City for two years before I moved here, and the school system in New York City, we-- I partnered with a youth council, the Red Hawk Native American Arts Council, and we went to a bunch of K-through-12 schools throughout the city. And we did dancing performances, where we shared a lot of our culture.
And so the teachers would inform us of what they were learning in the textbooks, but then they also wanted us to come in to show them that we are like a living, breathing like population and not just something in a history book. And one of the most unique questions I got-- because usually I get questions of like, oh, what do you eat, and stuff about my ancestors, or things that acknowledge that we aren't like a present culture.
And so one teacher asked me, she's like, what's your favorite tradition within your family? And I just thought that was a really beautiful question because usually I get asked very older questions or just more history things. And she just wanted to know something that I do in my family that's important to me, and I just thought that was a really nice way to add to their learning process.
And to add that as well, actually, now I'm kind of remembering-- when I was growing up, when I was in elementary school, my mom would actually come in. When I was a kid, I would always be like, oh, my gosh. I'm so embarrassed. But now, I look back, and I'm so appreciative.
My mom would actually come in and share a little bit of our values and different things-- she would tell stories. And so I think that's really-- if the schools want to even start there, just inviting some of the community members to come out and maybe take some time to share some things, like share some stories or something like that, that would be, I would think, pretty cool. And we love to tell stories, right?
[LAUGHTER]
It's that idea of there's no representation without us.
Yeah.
We need that. We need that, your voice in the room if you're going to talk about Native cultures. It makes more sense to have somebody who lives that life to talk about it, and I think that's a beautiful thing because, if not, you might be getting misinformation or problematic information as well.
Right.
Yeah, I've gotten that question a lot in undergrad specifically. I had this anthropology professor who did a unit on Native Americans. And basically, we ran out of time for the year, and he cut it short. But any time I said anything, he cut me short because he knew that I knew information.
But then one time he asked, he's like, do you think someone from a different culture could teach on that culture? And I was like, well, specifically with Native populations, I don't think so because, unless you've spent time with like reservation communities and really the issues that we're facing, I just don't think you can speak fully without bringing somebody else in to help you explain these things, which is something he did not take very well. But just having that voice to help you guide that conversation I think is great.
Thank you. Moving beyond sensitivity and awareness, how can educators and institutions work with Native-American communities to create more inclusive and supportive learning environments for students?
I can respond. I do want to say, again, just having-- inviting people from the community, I think, is really important because that-- for me, just being able to see others that share similar backgrounds or things like that, I definitely feel comfortable. So if you want your tribal youth to feel like comfortable, then have those who are coming in to those classrooms and actually sharing their stories and things like that.
To go off of what Leo said, too, I think the main thing with community is I think-- especially back to being in elementary school, when the mainstream culture is not Indigenous, and they might be seeing themselves represented in textbooks, and just within their friend groups. And for me, my family, my only friends were my family and back home. I didn't feel represented in anything I was reading or learning.
And so I think just having more representation also in the materials and having accurate representation is also just really important. I would read stuff in the books, and I'm like, that's not how it happened. Or that's not what my dad went through. And also I think, too, if you have a native student in your class, I think it's really important to know who's in your classroom because, oftentimes, they would get shut out.
Or I would be told to maybe not share my opinion, or they wouldn't acknowledge the diversity in their classroom. So I think that's also really important just to acknowledge who you have in your classroom.
Yeah, and I think also, too, just understanding a little bit about where these students are coming from as well. I think, especially for an institution, one thing that's very important is that Native students do have unique needs as far as-- so for example, the AIRC is one of the only places on campus that you are allowed to like smudge, which is, essentially, if you don't know what smudging is, is burning a traditional plant and so that you can either like bless yourself.
And it's normally used for cleansing and just giving yourself, I always like to say, good vibes and blessing yourself and the people around you, and stuff like that. But it's one of the only places. So even possibly providing a space that can be done on campus, so I know the AIRC is allowed to do that, but-- so actually, kind of a funny story, our-- so I'm part of the Circle Program as well on campus.
It's basically we're teaming up with the garden-- the Sustainability Office to rename one of the gardens and hopefully plant some traditional plants there and things like that. But we have a resident elder who from the community. His name is [? Nio. ?] And he was like, can I burn this in here?
And I was literally like, yes. I said it's so quick and so fast, he just started cracking up. And I was like, this is the place that you can because this is the space to do it. This is-- and he actually left-- he actually left some sweetgrass for some of the students.
He's like, this, I picked it out. It's very good medicine. I made sure of it, and whoever wants to bless themselves, and do things like that. So just simple things like that, realizing like, what are some of the things that some of these students back home, what makes them feel like they belong? And that simple feeling like, oh yeah, I'm represented here, I think is really important.
I think that's really good advice.
It feels like there's-- it sounds like there's almost you need yeses instead of no's. Yeah, right.
Now, let's have a teacher ask a question.
Hi, I'm Sarah Eyring, a teacher at Granite Technical Institute. What resources in your learning journey helped you to succeed? How can these resources be better promoted and accessed?
What I'd like to say is one of my mentors-- and when I started at UC San Diego, he-- essentially, I would say a lot of my mentors are the ones who've kind of helped me along the way. But one of my closest mentors was someone who really-- his name was Dr. Francisco Villareal. What really attracted me to his lab was essentially that he really acknowledged the wisdom of traditional wisdom of like the Mayans, who had-- pretty much his lab looks at dark chocolate and how there's a compound in there that actually is very good for your heart and your muscles.
I support this research.
Yes, that's what I'm saying. And essentially, he really was like, hey, the Mayans actually used to drink this drink. Yes, they were essentially scientists themselves. They made this observation that we drink this drink. It makes us feel a lot stronger. We drink it for like ceremonies and different things.
And just now, his lab is looking at-- it's like, yes, those are-- there is something in there, epicatechin, for anyone who's interested. That's the specific compound that's in dark chocolate that actually does help with our muscles and has actually very therapeutic effects on your heart, especially after you've had a heart attack, or damage to your heart in some way, or an injury to your heart.
And so him just being able to tell that story and actually look and say, hey, it's not just my lab that's making these contributions. It's also looking back, and thinking, and acknowledging the work that the Mayans had done and of their traditions and ceremonies and looking at how important that was to-- he's like, we would have never really looked into that, k really known why, or things like that kind of thing.
So I think having mentors like that who do acknowledge the different perspectives, I think, are really important. For sure, that's really helped me. Also I would say the leadership position that I've been in for-- so I'm the president of the Intertribal Student Association, and so I think a lot of the faculty at the AIRC actually kind of allow us to-- me and other students, we're able to talk together, and find out what's important to us, and be able to share those things.
So I think that, just showing that we can actually make a difference, and especially with this circle program as well, where we're able to change the name of one of the local gardens on campus. Just for me, that just shows that there are values that I have that I can definitely take out into the world and change things for what I think is for the better and things like that.
Yeah, I think-- so for me, I've had a lot of amazing mentors for academic purposes and getting me to the next level. But one thing that I've continued to struggle with, really, until I got here, was really balancing my academic achievement and my cultural involvement. So I've never really had a mentor until now that understood that I was a native student and understood what that meant.
And so for me, my cultural life was always extremely separate, which was really hard for me to navigate. And so really, I had my academic life, and then I had my home life, where at home we would talk about culture and how my dancing within like my tribe and powwows kept me going in school and kept me from quitting. But then I would talk about mainly school at school.
But now, here, I have a PI here. Shout out to Cindy Burg. I always tell Leo she's my favorite person. She is probably one of the--
She is amazing.
[LAUGHTER]
She's the first person who has actually tried to get me to network with the native population here and natives in the med school and at U Health because I want to do my PhD dissertation on native populations. And so she's just always checking in with me of whether or not I have resources, and if she finds anything on campus that she thinks is for me, she sends an email automatically.
So she's just been really helpful, and she understands what it's like to be first gen because she's first gen as well. But then she's admitted to me. She's like, it's truly embarrassing to live in this country and not understand what happened to Native people. And so she's taking me to like Native galas and just really introduced me to a lot of people, which I appreciate above and beyond.
Yeah, and to add that, too, I would say that just one of the reasons I was able to find the AIRC here on campus-- because when I first came out here, I think, for the first five months, I actually didn't even know it existed. And then I had a mentor, who is also Native, was like, hey, you should come out alive, and let's go to this powwow meeting if you've ever wanted to plan a powwow. And let's get involved.
And something like that, I think, is actually very, very powerful and important, too. It just takes one person to help you build-- to find community, I think, a lot of times. And so for sure, that's one thing that-- for the Intertribal Student Organization, that's what we are also trying to do is build that community with the AIRC and let people know that this is your home away from home.
You can find people from similar backgrounds, and share similar stories, and things like that. So that's definitely been-- just having like fellow Native friends and allies who know, hey, this is a space that can occupy, and you feel you feel like you belong, and things like that. So I think that's definitely been part of my journey and success, I think, for sure, finding those spaces and things like that.
I love that you both shared that people were what helped you to be able to be as successful as you both are and that they were people who allowed you to be your whole true self and not have to separate who you are from what you're doing. Next step, we're curious about the role that technology can play in supporting Native American learners, particularly those who find themselves in remote or underserved communities.
So we were just talking about this extensively--
We totally were.
--like an hour ago. So when COVID hit, especially a lot of the technology problems came to light because, a lot of times on reservations, tribal communities don't have access to proper Wi-Fi and internet. So it was actually really hard for kids during COVID to find spaces outside of school where they could use a laptop or just internet in general or, if schools use like iPads a lot, if they even had access to those things. So I think a lot of times, technology can be a barrier more so than helpful.
Yeah, and one of the things that we were talking about is actually, the student orgs that I was part of at UC San Diego, we did fundraise to help some of the local elementary schools to raise-- one of their-- they had a center that we, essentially, donated, I believe, it was 11 iPads so that they could actually-- yeah, so we ended up raising money.
So yeah, I think just being conscious about that not every location-- especially in this world of COVID and everything or post-COVID now-- or I guess, COVID.
[LAUGHTER]
It's popping up again, right? That realizing that technology actually could be very detrimental, like if everything moves on to Zoom, then you do need to rethink, well, how can we broaden the bandwidth on reservations? And do students actually have access to-- if you're going to say, hey, everything is going to go online, do they actually have access to Wi-Fi, or a computer, or things like that?
So I think there are-- actually, the other day I was listening to-- somebody was talking about-- this was at the market someone was talking about, oh, once when COVID was around, I actually rented out a laptop. The school's able to do that.
So I think that's where institutions can play an important role, understanding that there are those limitations of access to technology and so possibly coming up with solutions of like, oh, how can we provide these, or fundraise for them, or things like that?
Yeah, and just to add to that, I didn't grow up on the rez. So when I moved out here, out east, there's pockets of natives, but it's definitely not as populated. And so when I moved out here I learned that some students who grew up on the rezes out here, they didn't even have access to science classes or math classes.
So even at that level of just technology for learning and just like microscopes or just, I don't know, sciency things, where you might not even take a science class until you get to the undergrad level, just the playing field's not exactly even. And just understanding that not all of these students are coming from schools that have the access to money and funding for technology and learning.
Yeah, a lot of times, it's the same with the IHS and the health side of things. The school systems on the rez are the same way. We're the first to be cut as far as funding goes and then the last to get funding, so that's always like-- we're always underfunded. But yeah, so those are some things to be thinking about as well.
So big question.
OK.
As a college or-- you're both graduate students. What are some things that you wish you would have known earlier in your journey to prepare you for where you're at now that could possibly help other Native-American students to get where you're at? You just mentioned like, for instance, having science materials in schools, rez schools. I think that's an incredible one right there, but there's got to be some others as well. So I'd love to hear some of your guys's tips and tricks for future Native-American graduate students.
I think, for me, one of the main things is really just get out there, or don't be afraid to go find your community and find it fast because, like I said, it took me six months. And during those six months, it was pretty rough. I will share I was spending way too much time in lab, and that's all I was doing.
And then literally, when my mentor reached out, she was like, lab isn't your life. Come-- let's go do something else. And so I think just being able to find the space and finding your community is really important, whether that-- it could just be like one person.
Yeah, just finding-- there are resources on campus as well. Or there's other outside of campus, like the Urban Indian Center that does a lot of really awesome things. They'll have events that you can attend. They have different round dances, which are-- I don't want to say they're like powwows, but they're mini celebrations, where you can sing and dance. And so I know we went last year together with a bunch of fellow students and stuff, and I think that was just a way to continue reaching out to our community, and feeling like we belong, and things like that.
Leo kept asking me why I was so happy when we were at the round dance. I was in my element, and I was just like, well, because I've never shared my native culture with another student that I go to school with, ever. It's always been very separate, and so for me, I was like, this is great.
I don't have to travel outside of school to get this. Yeah, and just to add to what Leo said, I think-- so I'm going to be very honest. The transition from undergrad to grad school is a beast. And when I got here, my imposter syndrome was so bad, and I felt extremely isolated. I think I wanted to quit within the first week.
And because I met up with Leo and the American Indian Center probably like a month in, and within my department, I think I'm like the second Native student in the psych department for grad school. And so I think I was just really worried to ask for things that I needed because not everyone else needed them. I needed more financial support. And I'm first gen, so I needed more support along the lines of like, what am I even doing?
And I think I was really afraid. I was afraid to even apply because I was like, they're not going to let me in. I'm against all these other people that are super competitive. And so I think my advice is just, no matter if someone thinks that you're not capable, put yourself out there, and find the people that will support you because there is support.
Unfortunately, you just have to be your own advocate a lot of the time and hunt those things down, especially as a grad student. They're not handed to you for support. So just believe in yourself and the fact that you can find the people who will support you.
Yeah, my mom used to always say-- I'm sure it's a very common phrase, like the squeaky wheel gets the grease and everything. So you do-- to comment on your like-- you do really do have to be your own advocate. And I think just-- it is really scary, even doing something like this, coming to the podcast. But just me, being able to voice and feeling like, hey, I can talk about these things, and hopefully, others can like hear and want to, I don't maybe, be inspired a little bit of like, oh, yeah, I can do that, too.
If Leo could do it, I could do it. I don't know. Yeah.
Yeah, and I think another big aspect, now that I'm in grad school and I've realized they don't make a lot of money--
[LAUGHTER]
They don't?
I'm eating every day, and I support like my family back home and stuff. So I'm just dealing with a lot of other financial issues. And so I've had to be very open about that, and I know there's a lot of funding open to many different types of students. But always ask for funding because the worse answer you're going to get is no.
Yeah.
But oftentimes, my PI, she has never really had a diverse student, so she's like, oh, my gosh. We have all these grants that we can apply for, and we're just going to apply for all of them and see what happens. So just don't be afraid to apply because you don't want to eat ramen for the next six years.
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Yeah, don't say no to yourself. Let the other people say no. Right? Let them say no.
So what I'm getting is say yes to yourself. Say no to ramen.
[LAUGHTER]
Unless it's a Yoshi ramen. That's pretty good.
Thank you guys so much, and thank you for being willing to be vulnerable and share some of the hard things that you guys have had to struggle through to get where you are today. I really appreciate you sharing your stories with us.
Thank you so much. We appreciate it.
Yeah, thank you for having us. We love sharing, of course. We'll share the tea all the time. No, I don't know.
Grad schools-- or grad students spill the tea all the time every day.
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If you are looking for American-Indian resources, visit uen.org/americanindian to find current culturally appropriate resources for teaching and learning about Utah's Indigenous communities, heroes and events, present and past. That's uen.org/americanindian.
I loved hearing from Leo and Anisha and having them share some of the struggles that they had but also sharing with us all of the success that they have and the advice that they have for other students.
Absolutely I love that they both tapped into the importance of a good mentor, not just a mentor, a good mentor.
That was interesting, yup.
But then also how they talked about technology being something that every student needs in their life, and they need those opportunities. And that's, I think, so powerful, not just to talk about with Native-American cultures, and populations, and schools, but just generally with students and teachers around the world.
Absolutely. I think there's something for everyone to learn here, especially about the importance of community and providing a space for all of our learners to feel like they are important, that they are a part of.
Absolutely, and I think one big takeaway is, if you are interested in-- if you are required, first of all, as a teacher, but if you're interested as well to learn more about Native-American cultures and bring that to your classes, reach out to local tribes, local organizations. There's someone out there who not only would love to come to your classroom and talk to your students but also would love that you're allowing them to do that and have that representation.
Right. Right. All right, well, thank you everyone for listening.
We'll talk to you next time.
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