American Indian Lecture

UCI to kick off Distinguished American Indian Lecture Series with a talk on the history of Indian casino gaming and its impact on economic sovereignty.

UCI’s American Indian Resource Program is sponsoring the Distinguished American Indian Lecture Series, which aims to enhance understanding and challenge common conceptions about contemporary Native American sovereignty. Directed by Nikishna Polequaptewa, AIRP provides academic support services for native students from K-Ph.D. and beyond, with the goal of increasing the number of American Indian students attending and graduating from institutions of higher education. “Helping students believe in and achieve their dreams is my greatest goal,” Polequaptewa says. Since its inception in 2007, the American Indian student population at UCI has grown to more than 100, representing a 200 percent increase in freshmen and a 300 percent increase in transfer students.

The lecture, made possible by sponsorships from campus departments and private foundations, will begin with a blessing by Anthony Rivera Jr., chairman of the Acjachemen tribe based in San Juan Capistrano.

Source: http://news.uci.edu/media_advisories/uc-irvine-advisory-american-indian-lecture