Colleges woo Native Americans
Programs on several campuses provide guidance to those torn between worlds.
RIVERSIDE, Calif. - Elijah Watson knows he wants to go to college. He also knows it will be hard to leave his home on the Navajo reservation if he does.
The 17-year-old was reminded of the tough decision he'll face next year when he participated in a weeklong celebration in March of his cousin's Kinaalda, a hallowed Navajo ceremony marking a girl's transition into womanhood.
"I'm afraid because it's really hard to leave my family," he said, noting that college would mean he would be unable to take part in the same rite for his little sister or participate in other important tribal ceremonies.
To reach students like Watson with higher education aspirations, a growing number of universities are offering programs to recruit and prepare Native American students for a transition to college life that can bring on a wrenching emotional conflict as they straddle two worlds.
Many young Native Americans find themselves divided by their desire for a higher education and the drive to stay near home to hold on to a critical part of their identity. Sometimes, families discourage children from pursuing college, fearing that once they leave, they won't come back.
Dozens of colleges have implemented mini-boot camps, including the University of California, Los Angeles, Yale, and Duke. Last week, Watson found himself at the University of California, Riverside, where he was joined by other students, including some as young as 12.
The programs challenge the idea that tribal customs and higher education don't mix, said Joshua Gonzalez, the director of Native American Student Programs at the university, 60 miles east of Los Angeles and hundreds of miles from Watson's home on the Navajo Nation.
Throughout their week at Riverside, students got a taste of the college experience by attending classroom lectures, eating in the cafeteria, and sleeping in the dorms. The 30 students also participated in cultural activities such as prayer circles and beading workshops.
"We encourage having your culture and traditions as well as academics," Gonzalez said.