The need to develop Indian Education programs in K-12 schools throughout the state. Although there are more than fifteen thousand Indian students statewide, there is only one program operating with limited funding by the Pokagon Potawatomi in northern Indiana. The state of Indiana is eligible for federal funding for Native American students, but they are a hidden minority, without a voice in the educational process. That needs to change.
The need to develop recruitment programs for Indian students in higher education here in Indiana. The Indiana University system has close to 100,000 students, and less than three Native American students system-wide. But it is not really known if that number is accurate, since there are no comprehensive programs to recruit, identify, and monitor the academic progress of Native American students. Those programs need to be developed in higher education in Indiana.
Studies have shown that recruiting Native American faculty and students, developing programs in American Indian studies, is not just a benefit to Indian people, but is a vital part of higher education for all students. The Department of Religious Studies at IUPUI has agreed to serve as the home for the first Native American studies minor in Indiana. Indiana; a state named after Indian people and one of the only states without comprehensive programs in Native American studies, or recruitment of Native American students at the undergraduate level.
