Native Bidaské presents Special Edition: “Back to School” Roundtable with Native College Students
Join Native News Online Publisher Levi Rickert as he interviews Native American Students: Roxy Sprowl, Timothy Lilya, Jacob Klanke, and Jennifer Niemi. As they talk about their experiences in choosing a school, campus life, and the day-to-day stories of being a student.
Jennifer Niemi:
Jennifer Niemi is the Director of the Native Studies at The College of St. Scholastica. Her family is from Gaa Waabaabiganikaag (White Earth Reservation) in northwestern Minnesota but has lived on the north shore of Lake Superior most of her life. Her passion lies in equity and inclusion. Jennifer has been a Qualified Administrator (QA) of the Intercultural Development Inventory since 2006, a tool for assessing intercultural competence at the individual and group level. Jennifer comes from 8 years of service with the Minnesota Historical Society (MNHS) in their Learning Initiatives Department as the Program Manager for Split Rock Lighthouse. Before MNHS, Jennifer worked for 11 years in higher education as the academic advisor for Gekinoo’imaagejig, a program committed to recruiting, retaining, and graduating Native Americans interested in becoming teachers. In that role, she also assisted in program development and accreditation. Jennifer has a Bachelor’s degree in History and American Indian Studies, a master in Environmental Education, and is a current Ed.D candidate.
Roxy Sprowl:
Bezhigonoodinkwe nindizhinikaaz. Gichi namebini ziibing nindoonjibaa. Migizi nindoodem. Miskwabekong ojibwekwe nindaaw.
Roxy Sprowl (she/they) is a proud citizen of the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe who grew up in Marquette, Michigan but currently resides in Lansing. They are a 3rd-year undergraduate student at Michigan State University majoring in Social Work and minoring in Indigenous Studies and Race and Ethnicity in the United States. She is the co-chair of the North American Indigenous Student Organization at MSU; an intern for the Giitigan Anishinaabe Community Garden in Lansing; and a member of the Michigan Indian Education Council. They are also the project lead for a research lab focusing on racial and ethnic representation in U.S. high school history textbooks: Sins of Omission and Commission.
Timothy Lilya:
Timothy Lilya is an incoming first-year student at the University of Minnesota Duluth and a proud citizen of the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa. While in high school, Timothy was a member of the national honor society, the boy’s golf team, and enjoyed working at the local grocery store (Zup’s) in Cook, MN. Timothy is an undecided major as of now but has an interest in a Business Management degree or Graphic Design for his future career.
Jacob Klanke:
Originally from Muskegon, Michigan, Jacob Klanke is a descendant of the Crow and Cherokee nations, he is Anitsiskwa (Bird Clan). Majoring in Anthropology and minoring in Art History, Jacob is currently in his fourth year of studies at Grand Valley State University – where he has served as president of the Native American Student Association since 2020. Jacob has previously undertaken collaborative projects with Grand Valley State University, the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, and the Grand Rapids Public Museum. In his work, Jacob is committed to recontextualizing the historical representations of Native Peoples through the use of historical accounts and images.
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