American Indian Profile: Fall 2019

Northeastern State UniversityFall 2019 Enrollment InformationAMERICANINDIANProfile

Nikki JonesCherokeeTahlequah, OklahomaNortheastern State UniversityBachelor of Science in Criminal Justice, July 2016Northeastern State UniversityMaster of Higher Education Leadership, May 20192 American Indian Profile – Fall 2019

AMERICAN INDIAN SCHOLAR PROFILEWhen it comes to education, nothing hasgone according to the plans Nikki Jones hadfor herself and, she’s really grateful for that.As a Cherokee, attending college can bechallenging. Jones said she often felt likeshe was living in two worlds.Jones was born and raised in Tahlequah,and because of that she initially didn’t wantto attend NSU. She attended an out-of-stateschool for her associate degree, but said shefelt pulled back home.“Our elders tell us education is important,and they tell us to go to school. It’s more thana privilege,” she said. “Once you start youreducational journey, we walk in two worlds.We have our traditions and heritage, and thenin education it’s a different place. We learndifferent. We’re used to learning hands on, andin school it’s technology. The learning curveis different.”“No matter how hard I try, I end up rightback here in Tahlequah, so it must be asign,” she said.She earned a bachelor of science in criminaljustice from NSU in July 2016. She didn’tplan to pursue a master’s degree, butshe was offered a position as a graduateassistant that she couldn’t turn down.“I never thought of a master’s degree, letalone going to college,” Jones said. “I wasoffered this really good deal on a silverplatter, and I’d be crazy not to even try it.Also, I was thinking, if I obtain this degree,I’ll be the most educated person in my entirefamily line.”While it wasn’t her original plan, Jonessaid she’s glad she transferred to NSU andpursued her master’s. She graduated withhonors in May 2019 with a master’s degreein higher education leadership.Jones knows from experience that NSUmakes it easier to balance the two worlds.“I’ve been to out-of-state colleges, andbecause NSU is located in the heart ofthe Cherokee Nation—Oklahoma itself is amelting pot for Native Americans, so wehave all different tribes attending NSU,therefore it’s more of a community—notonly for different tribes, but as a whole as aNative American.”Also, because NSU is located near downtownTahlequah, it’s easy to attend other NativeAmerican events as well.“My whole graduate experience was justunbelievable,” she said. “The teachersare amazing. The opportunities are justphenomenal.”Jones is a project coordinator for preventioneducation at the National Indian Women’sHealth Resource Center. Her experience atNSU was so impactful, that she eventuallyhopes to return as a staff member.NSU has given Jones the opportunityto travel more than she ever has. Mostnotably, she went to China as part of NSU’sInternational Bridge Program. The tripincluded recruitment for NSU and teachingundergraduate courses.“It’s a home environment. They make youfeel at home,” she said. “You become afamily. There’s a connection with faculty,staff and students, and that’s what I loveabout NSU.”“It was amazing,” she said. “I had myteaching debut there. I got to see othercities and other university structures andfoundations.”American Indian Profile – Fall 2019 3

Cheyhoma DuggerChoctawHartshorne, OklahomaNortheastern State UniversityBachelor of Business Administrationin Accounting, 20194 American Indian Profile – Fall 2019

AMERICAN INDIAN SCHOLAR PROFILEFor Cheyhoma Dugger, the culturalsupport she has received at NortheasternState University hasn’t just helped herconnect to her tribe, it has helped herdiscover her career goals.Dugger received an accounting degreefrom NSU in May 2019. She has remainedon campus to work on a master’s inbusiness administration in accountingwith an emphasis on Native Americanenterprises.As an undergraduate student, Duggerserved as a leader of the Future AlumniNetwork for three years. She was on theNative American Student Associationcouncil and was the Miss Native AmericanNSU delegate. She also served as MissChoctaw Nation for her home district forthree terms. In May 2019, Dugger washonored for her hard work as the JackKaufman Senior of Distinction.“I’ve always enjoyed my time here in thedifferent activities that I was involved in,”she said. “There was always something todo, always someone to spend time with orto seek help from.”The tight-knit community among facultyand students is one of Dugger’s favoritethings about NSU.“Everyone just really wants you tosucceed,” she said. “We have thesedifferent centers and programs on campusthat are literally created so that studentscan do better and improve themselves inone way or another.”The Native American Support Center andthe Center for Tribal Studies have bothbeen extremely helpful to Dugger.“I’ve been able to seek help with resumeand cover letter building, which ultimatelyled to me getting an internship with theChoctaw Nation last summer, which was anincredible experience.”helped her stay connected to her culture.“Being in the Choctaw Nation, it wouldseem harder to stay plugged into a culturethat is not as prominent as the Cherokeeculture,” she said. “Both centers have beenreally great about making sure that theybuild events and create events that allowfor people of all the tribes and nations tocome together and learn more about theirown tribe, represent their tribe, discusstheir tribe, and just really grow.”These opportunities to dive into herculture have led Dugger to her careergoals.When she arrived on campus for herfreshman year, she only knew that shewanted a degree. Now, after earningher MBA, Dugger hopes to work for theChoctaw Nation in a finance position.Her long-term goal is to be the seniorexecutive officer of tribal services.With its large population of AmericanIndian students, Dugger said NSU is afantastic option for Native high schoolstudents.“Maybe we can relate to one another andunderstand one another,” she said. “To bea part of an environment that can supportyou and help you and relate to you is soimportant.”Cheyhoma’s advice to high school seniors:Plan on being involved! Learn about oncampus organizations before you get here,so you know what they offer and what youwant to participate in.“I wish I was more involved in the Nativestudent organizations when I was a freshmanand sophomore.”Beyond her academic and career goals,Dugger said both organizations haveAmerican Indian Profile – Fall 2019 5

The UniversityNortheastern State University is a comprehensive regional university that prepares students to succeed asglobal citizens by providing exceptional undergraduate and graduate programs, along with the only Doctorate ofOptometry offered in Oklahoma (one of only 23 nationwide) and the only Bachelor of Arts degree in CherokeeEducation in the nation.HistoryNortheastern was founded in 1846 as the Cherokee National Female Seminary, which opened in 1851. On March 6,1909, the Oklahoma Legislature purchased the Seminary from the Cherokee Nation, and the following Septemberclasses began at the newly formed Northeastern State Normal School. In 2009, the NSU Centennial Celebrationhighlighted the university’s 100 years as a state institution and dedicated a monument to the preeminentCherokee scholar, Sequoyah.Center for Tribal StudiesThe Center for Tribal Studies, founded in 1990, is a resource for bridging communication and interaction betweentribal nations and the university. Within the context of American Indian higher education, the Center collaborateswith other campus entities in program development, strategic planning, research guidance, student engagementand scholarly activities. Northeastern State University is a destination of choice for American Indian education,and the diverse campus culture nurtures a strong sense of community for Native students. Through educationalleadership, cultural knowledge and professional development among students, scholars emerge - many of whomwill serve in professions benefiting tribal governments and Indigenous communities.The Native American Support Center (NASC)The Native American Support Center (NASC) is a federally funded, five year grant program which seeks toincrease Native American students’ retention and completion of higher education by providing early alert andintervention/referral services to at-risk Native students as well as a supportive community where they can receiveacademic advising, personal and academic coaching, tutoring, and mentoring. The Native American SupportCenter main office is located on the 2nd floor of the John Vaughan Library, with satellite offices on the BrokenArrow and Muskogee campuses.Cherokee Language Degree ProgramsUnique to Northeastern State University, the Bachelor of Arts in Cherokee Language Education is the onlyAmerican Indian language education degree available in the United States with a curriculum leading to statecertification for teachers. Since 2005, the program has brought together university, global and local interestsas part of a plan to strengthen the Cherokee language for future generations. In 2009, a bachelor’s degree inCherokee Cultural Studies was added as an option to study language along with other aspects of cultural studiesfor non-teachers. A Cherokee Studies minor is also available. With alumni now employed at universities and at theCherokee Language Immersion School, NSU graduates play a vital role in language revitalization.Symposium on the American IndianThe 48th Annual Symposium on the American Indian is scheduled to take place April 13-18, 2020, focused on thetheme, Visionaries of Indian Country. American Indians carry with them the knowledge, traditions, and languageof their ancestors as they serve as leaders within their family, Tribe, and community. These visionaries are notjust focused on the here and now, but are cognizant of how decisions made today will impact future generations.The 7th generation concept is a way of life for many Indigenous people, a method of integrating the past, presentand future. The visionaries of Indian Country are vital to the preservation and sustainability of our languages,community, environment and sovereignty. Keynote speakers include Mark Trahant (Shoshone-Bannock), editor ofIndian Country Today and Board Chair for Vision Maker Media; Adrienne Keene (Cherokee), Assistant Professor ofAmerican and Ethnic Studies at Brown University; and Kainoa Bryan Emernate ( Õiwi Hawai’i), founder of Hãlau‘Õlelo, an online learning school for the Hawaiian Language.6 American Indian Profile – Fall 2019