UCI American Indian Summer Program 2012 (4/6/12)

The American Indian Summer Institute in Earth System Science is a free two-week residential summer program for Native high school students currently in grades 8-11. Participants will conduct field research and camp out on the La Jolla Indian Reservation, then travel back to the beautiful UC Irvine campus to experience dorm life while interacting with professors, college students and invited American Indian community members to create poster presentations relating to tribal environmental issues. This program aims to address the critical need for Earth and Environmental Science professionals within tribal communities. More information >>

Thank you for your interest! The summer application is now closed for this year, yet will reopen in February for Summer 2013 applicants. If you would like a reminder email, please subscribe for updates on the left.

Giving Others a Break (4.1.11)

While their peers party on, some UCI students spend spring vacation working on various service projects, from planting a garden at a Native American reservation in San Diego County to putting the shine on the Golden Gate national park in San Francisco.

During last month's spring break, as most college students recovered from finals by lounging in the sun, 14 UC Irvine undergraduates toiled under it at the La Jolla Indian Reservation, in northern San Diego County. They helped the Luiseno tribe plant a community garden, haul trash and pick California white sage for an upcoming Earth Day celebration.

"The students could go anywhere — to Florida, to Mexico, to Vegas. They could go home or go party on the beach," says John Flores, the tribe's environmental program manager, who oversees the student projects during their stay. "But they come here. It's so selfless of them to volunteer their time."

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Native American Resource Guide (2.28.11)

UCI is proud to be the first educational institution in the country to publish an entire resource guide dedicated to Native American student success! Please click on the link below to launch an interactive online version of our resource guide. We are pleased that more and more students are making UCI their First-Choice campus!

Launch Guide >>

Native American Health Disparities Lecture (1.18.11)

Lori Arviso Alvord, MD, is currently Associate Dean of Student and Multicultural Affairs at Dartmouth Medical School and a member of the Navajo Tribe, of the Tsinnajinne' clan (Ponderosa Pine), and of the Ashihii' Dine' (Salt People) clan. We hope that you will join us for her lecture on February 2, 2011. A reception will follow the lecture and kids are welcome in the kids activity center.

Crossing Cultures (11.17.10)

Justin Richland, associate professor of criminology, law & society, anthropology and law, knew early on that he didn't want a typical career. He found his niche in the Native American legal system.

- Steve Zylius / University Communications

Indigenous cultural artifacts share space with family photos on the walls and shelves of Justin Richland's UC Irvine office: kachina dolls, Hopi ceremonial rattles and a skate deck made by Lakota-owned Wounded Knee Skateboards.

The items reflect ancient traditions as well as ways in which Native Americans are adapting their culture to the modern era. It's fitting that Richland, associate professor of criminology, law & society, anthropology and law, straddles both worlds.

As co-founder and board member of The Nakwatsvewat Institute, he works with the Hopi tribe in Northern Arizona to settle disputes out of court in a manner mindful of their heritage. The nonprofit's name comes from a Hopi term meaning "moving forward together in a friendly way."

"The process can resolve family and property conflicts if people are willing to talk and work it out," says Richland, who served as an appellate judge in the Hopi courts for four years. "Taking these cases to the tribal courts can be costly and time-consuming for all parties."

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Chanellor Drake's Fall Message (9.23.10)

Chancellor Drake recognizes AIRP in message to the UCI campus.

Honoring her heritage (7.12.10)

First-generation college student Cheyenne Reynoso is intent on giving back to her Native American community

"It's not just about you becoming successful," says sociology junior Cheyenne Reynoso. "It's about the people in your life - those who raised you, those who are you."

A split-second decision can change the course of your life. Cheyenne Reynoso, third-year sociology major at UC Irvine, knows this firsthand.

As a junior at the Orange County High School of the Arts in Santa Ana, Reynoso was working in the counseling center one day when a secretary asked if she wanted to apply for a college program for Native Americans. One catch: The deadline was the next day.

Reynoso jumped at the chance, hurriedly applied and was accepted into UCI's American Indian Summer Institute in Computer Sciences, which introduces high school students to campus life.

"I always knew I wanted to go to college, but I never really knew how to get there," says Reynoso, a first-generation university student.

The program - led by Nikishna Polequaptewa, American Indian Resource Program director, and Yolanda Leon, AIRP coordinator and AISICS director - proved invaluable.

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American Indian Resource Program receives grant from UCOP (1.13.10)

The American Indian Resource Program (AIRP) received a $20,000 UC University-Community Engagement Grant for University-Community Connections Program. The program aims to assist American Indian students to be UC-competitive by bringing academic preparation resources to students who currently do not have access to such resources. Sites will be set up in San Juan Capistrano, Garden Grove and at UC Irvine. The program will also feature guest speakers, workshops and teachings on American Indian cultural values, history, heritage and traditions. Congrats to Nikishna Polequaptewa and Yolanda Leon on creating this new opportunity!

— Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs ZotBytes

Staff member wins 'Native American 40 Under 40' honor (9.02.09)

Nikishna Polequaptewa, director of the American Indian Resource Program at UC Irvine, has been selected for "Native American 40 Under 40" recognition by the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development. The honor, new this year, is reserved for outstanding young Native Americans who have distinguished themselves in their community and/or profession. Recipients will be feted at a special reception prior to the Indian Progress in Business awards banquet Sept. 18 in Tulsa, Okla. A Hopi tribe member, Polequaptewa graduated from UCI in 2005 and earned the campus's 2008 Living Our Values Award for his efforts to "create an American Indian presence on campus and in the community."

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