"Education Sovereignty" Takes Center Stage as Students, Assistant Director Participate in NIEA Convention

Nicole Smoke, Assistant Director of the NAP, recently embarked on an inspiring journey alongside students Leora DePerry and Kendra Elk Looks Back to the 55th Annual NIEA Convention. The conference featured four days of thought-provoking keynotes, interactive workshops, networking opportunities, and special events designed to empower and inspire participants as they shape the next century of educational excellence. Dartmouth's Native American Program sponsored two Indigenous students, Kendra Elk Looks Back '24 and Leora DePerry '26, and its Assistant Director Nicole Smoke to attend the annual convention. 

Of the convention, Assistant Director Nicole Smoke said,

Attending The NIEA conference, and having the opportunity to share that experience with Kendra and Leora was a gift. Being surrounded by so many Native educators, students, tribal leaders, and advocates, in such a beautiful place made my heart feel so full! I left the conference feeling inspired and grateful that I get to wake up and do this "work" every day. It's such a privilege to get to work with our Native and Indigenous students and this conference provided me with new perspectives and ways to better support them during their journeys through higher education" said Nicole Smoke, Assistant Director of the Native American Program.

This enriching professional development opportunity allowed students to immerse themselves in Native cultures, share their personal stories, and connect with peers, educators and tribal leaders from across the country. Learn more about the students' impactful experiences and lessons learned during this transformative event by reading our students' testimonials.

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                    (Left to Right) Kendra Elk Looks Back '24 and Leora DePerry '26 at the NIEA Convention

Reflections from Kendra Elk Looks Back '24

"Attending the NIEA convention and tradeshow was an amazing experience. I was on the lands of the Agua Caliente band of the Cahuilla Indians in Palm Springs, CA which I learned is all tribal land! I was able to see my first bird dance and listened to bird singing at the powwow. I was in awe of being in the presence of so many Indigenous students, educators and administrators. I loved being in a space surrounded by Natives around every corner. I saw all kinds of ribbon skirts and Indigenous fashion. I let out my best 'auntie' laughs and Lili's for the people. I had never seen a palm tree before so I was happy to touch one and learn about them. There were actually way too many to count. I met new people from different nations and also saw people from my home. I saw one of my elders and spoke Lak̇ota with her since I really miss speaking it. My favorite workshop was "Wouƞspe Uƞgluwaṡakapi Haƞpapeċuƞpi (Learning through Handgames) presented by Mr. Orlando Avery. I played a lot with my high school team and we were even able to get first place at the Lak̇ota Nation Invitational Hangames Tournament. I participated in a demonstration game at the workshop and I shared some of my singing. I dusted off my vocal chords and busted out some sick handgames songs for the people. One person I want to shout out is Micker (Mike) Richardson, the director of National American Indian/Alaska Native Head Start Collaboration. He has traveled to Indigenous language immersion schools all over the nation and wears many hats. I was incredibly inspired by his work and to learn about his language. He said he does not believe in becoming a fluent speaker and instead he considers himself a 'lifelong learner' since he is learning new words everyday. Those are teachings I will carry with me. I had a really good time at NIEA. I am proud to not only represent the Dartmouth Native American Program but my tribe of the Siċaƞġu Lak̇ota Oyate or the Burnt Thighs Nation, otherwise known as the Rosebud Sioux Tribe."

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                          (Left to Right) Kendra Elk Looks Back '24 and Leora DePerry '26 at the NIEA Convention

Reflections from Leora DePerry '26

"I am forever grateful for my opportunity to have been chosen to represent my home and Dartmouth community at the 2024 NIEA Conference. As the Dartmouth Powwow Ambassador, and a leader within my Indigenous Community at school, I take it upon myself to make sure I hold myself accountable to be a respectful, mindful, and intentional leader wherever I go. While at the conference I not only represented the Dartmouth Indigenous community but I also represented the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe. I was given the opportunity to attend sessions that talked about how to incorporate traditional knowledge, language, and culture into the Westernized norm of educational settings and with that I will be able to apply all the different things I have learned to not only my position as the Lead Indigenous Peer Mentor at Dartmouth College, but also as a Ojibwe Medium Teachers Aide at the Waadookodaading Language Immersion school in Lac Courte Oreilles, Wisconsin. As I sat in on the sessions, it made me realize just how important it is to be there for one another around Indian Country and support each other as we all are reconnecting, and revitalizing our languages, traditions, and culture. I had the pleasure of listening to Mike Richardson, Haliwa-Saponi, and within his sessions he had mentioned how we need to redirect our ideas and beliefs from "you're fluent" or "you're not fluent" within your traditional languages. Richardson stated that "if we know 5 words, then we need to use those 5 words on a daily basis" so we can also contribute to keeping our languages alive; if we don't teach those 5 words, then over time we will lose those words and that is how languages die. Instead of gatekeeping, or judging others on how they pronounce words, or if they don't know how to form the sentence correctly, instead of putting them down or making them feel bad, Richardson reminded us all that we need to correct them and help them learn. Just recently I saw a quote that stated "Be teachable. You learn nothing from life if you think you're right all the time" and I just thought I would incorporate this into my blurb because I went to this conference in this mindset of being open minded and willing to learn new things."