♪ MUSIC REPORT FROM SANTA FE IS MADE POSSIBLE, IN PART, BY GRANTS FROM THE NEW MEXICO MUNICIPAL LEAGUE, A BETTER NEW MEXICO THROUGH BETTER CITIES AND FROM THE HEALY FOUNDATION, TAOS, NM.

HELLO, I'M LORENE MILLS AND WELCOME TO REPORT FROM SANTA FE .

I'M DELIGHTED TO INTRODUCE OUR GUEST TODAY, SHELLY LOWE.

YOU'RE THE NEW PRESIDENT OF IAIA, WHICH IS THE INSTITUTE OF AMERICAN INDIAN ARTS, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

>>SHELLY: WELL, THANK YOU FOR THE INVITATION, I'M SO DELIGHTED TO BE HERE.

>>LORENE: WELL, YOUR BACKGROUND, SOMETIMES YOU WONDER HOW THEY FOUND THE PERFECT PERSON AND YOUR BACKGROUND IS SUCH THAT YOU HAVE DEVELOPED EXPERTISE AND EXPERIENCE IN SO MANY AREAS, AND THEY ALL COME TOGETHER IN WHAT YOU'RE DOING NOW.

AND THE OTHER GIFT THAT YOU BRING TO YOUR JOB NOW IS THAT YOUR BACKGROUND WAS YOU GREW UP IN AN INDIGENOUS COMMUNITY THAT YOU HAD TO NAVIGATE THE UNFAMILIAR STRUCTURE OF ANOTHER SOCIETY.

BUT YOU AND YOUR STUDENTS HAVE THE BLESSING AND THE VISION AND THE WISDOM OF YOUR EXPERIENCE AND YOUR KNOWLEDGE FOR WHAT YOU HAD TO GO THROUGH AND WHAT YOU NEEDED AND WHAT YOU DECIDED WAS - WE'VE GOT TO EXPAND ACCESS TO PEOPLE, WE'VE GOT TO BUILD SUPPORT STRUCTURES, AND WE HAVE TO ADVOCATE FOR A GREATER INDIGENOUS PRESENCE AND LEADERSHIP IN EDUCATION, SO THANK YOU, WELCOME.

>>SHELLY: THANK YOU.

>>LORENE: SO TELL ME HOW YOU GOT HERE, TELL US ABOUT SOME OF YOUR EXPERIENCE.

>>SHELLY: YOU KNOW, THAT'S A FAIRLY LONG STORY, BUT,,, >>LORENE: WE HAVE TIME, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE IT GIVES MORE GRAVITAS, PEOPLE REALLY UNDERSTAND.

OH, LOOK AT WHAT SHE DID.

>>SHELLY: SO I GREW UP LIKE YOU SAID I GREW UP IN GANADO, ARIZONA, WHICH IS ON THE NAVAJO RESERVATION.

BOTH OF MY PARENTS, FOR MOST OF THEIR CHILDHOOD, GREW UP IN GANADO AS WELL.

MY MOTHER IS WHITE, MY MOTHER'S FAMILY CAME FROM MISSOURI AND IOWA TO BE TEACHERS ON THE RESERVATION.

MY FATHER'S FAMILY WAS IN GANADO, MY GRANDMOTHER IS FROM CORNFIELDS, A SMALL COMMUNITY OUTSIDE OF GANADO.

THEY MET, OF COURSE, AND DATED AND GOT MARRIED AND HAD ME AND MY BROTHER, BUT I ALSO GREW UP KIND OF SURROUNDED BY MY AUNTS AND UNCLES ON BOTH SIDES OF MY FAMILY, I GREW UP WITH MY GRANDPARENTS, I HAD GRANDPARENTS FROM BOTH SIDES OF MY FAMILY WHO I SAW ALMOST DAILY, IT FEELS LIKE WHEN I WAS GROWING UP.

I WENT THROUGH GANADO PUBLIC SCHOOLS, MY GRANDPARENTS WERE TEACHERS, MY MOTHER WAS A LIBRARIAN, MY AUNT WAS A TEACHER, AND YOU KNOW, I GOT TO THE POINT WHERE IN HIGH SCHOOL THERE WASN'T A LOT OF CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT COLLEGE WAS ABOUT OR WHAT COLLEGE MEANT.

I HAD FINISHED THE MAJORITY OF MY ACADEMIC CREDITS THAT I NEEDED TO GRADUATE, SO I ASKED TO GRADUATE A YEAR EARLY.

MY GRANDPARENTS WERE GOING TO BE RETIRING, AND I WANTED TO FINISH UP AT THE SAME TIME AS THEY WERE RETIRING AND MOVING OUT OF GANADO AND I GOT PERMISSION TO DO THAT.

THE REASON I WAS ABLE TO DO IT, THE ONE CREDIT THAT I NEEDED TO TAKE WAS SENIOR ENGLISH, AND AT THAT TIME I TOOK THAT COURSE FROM DINÉ COLLEGE, WELL, WHICH WAS THE NAVAJO COMMUNITY COLLEGE, WHICH HAD A GANADO CAMPUS.

SO I WAS ABLE TO TAKE A COLLEGE COURSE TO FULFILL THAT ONE DEGREE REQUIREMENT THAT I NEEDED TO GRADUATE HIGH SCHOOL.

BUT IN THAT TIME I HAD VERY FEW PEOPLE TALK TO ME ABOUT COLLEGE, I JUST KNEW THAT THERE WAS THIS PROCESS, RIGHT?

YOU GO TO HIGH SCHOOL, AND THEN YOU GO TO COLLEGE, BUT NOBODY REALLY TALKED ABOUT WHAT THAT MEANT, WHAT WAS THAT PATHWAY, HOW DID YOU DO THAT?

SO, ALL OF A SUDDEN I FOUND MYSELF IN A SITUATION WHERE I HAD TAKEN THE ACT AND SAT, MY ACT SCORES WERE HIGH ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO APPLY TO A SCHOLARSHIP IN THE STATE OF ARIZONA, WHICH MY HIGH SCHOOL COUNSELOR HAPPENED TO BE AWARE OF.

I WAS KIND OF THRUST INTO THIS COLLEGE PROCESS, RIGHT?

I WAS APPLYING TO THE THREE STATE UNIVERSITIES IN ARIZONA, I APPLIED TO UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO IN BOULDER, BUT I REALLY DIDN'T HAVE A GOOD SENSE OF WHAT IT MEANT TO GO TO COLLEGE.

MY MOTHER HAD DONE COLLEGE AS A YOUNG MOTHER, SHE DID IT AT NAU, BUT SHE DID IT OVER THE SUMMER, SHE DID IT DISTANTLY, SHE WASN'T SOMEBODY WHO KIND OF WENT TO COLLEGE FOUR YEARS.

MY FATHER HAD STARTED COLLEGE BUT DIDN'T FINISH, SO THERE WASN'T A WHOLE LOT OF KIND OF THIS IS WHAT IT'S LIKE.

SO I ENDED UP GETTING THE SCHOLARSHIP, WHICH WAS A REALLY BIG DEAL, IT'S A FULL RIDE SCHOLARSHIP, IT'S CALLED THE FLINN SCHOLARSHIP, BUT I HAD TO GO TO ONE OF THE IN-STATE ARIZONA SCHOOLS.

SO AT THAT TIME, I CHOSE THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA BECAUSE EVERYBODY SAID THAT'S THE BETTER COLLEGE, THE BETTER UNIVERSITY, AND SO I FINISHED HIGH SCHOOL, I KIND OF PACKED UP THAT FOLLOWING AUGUST AND I WENT TO TUCSON, ARIZONA, WHERE I HAD NOT BEEN BEFORE EXCEPT FOR ONCE A COUPLE OF MONTHS EARLIER TO VISIT.

I WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE COMMUNITY, I WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE REGION, I WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH WHAT A COLLEGE CAMPUS FELT LIKE.

>>LORENE: DID YOU HAVE ANY SUPPORT THERE, ANY FAMILY, ANY FRIENDS?

>>SHELLY: I HAD SOME FRIENDS FROM HIGH SCHOOL WHO WERE ALSO THERE, I DIDN'T HAVE ANY FAMILY IN THE TUCSON AREA.

I LEARNED VERY QUICKLY THAT I DID NOT LIKE IT THERE, IT WAS TOO HOT, THE ENVIRONMENT WAS JUST SOMETHING I WAS NOT USED TO.

I FELT LIKE PEOPLE WERE VERY LOUD, ESPECIALLY OTHER STUDENTS, IT JUST WAS NOT SOMETHING THAT I KNEW HOW TO KIND OF BE IN AND FIND MY WAY THROUGH.

IN ADDITION TO THIS, I WAS TOLD FAIRLY OFTEN BY OTHER STUDENTS, EVEN BY SOME FACULTY AND STAFF ON CAMPUS THAT, WELL, YOU KNOW, YOU ONLY GOT THAT SCHOLARSHIP BECAUSE YOU'RE A NATIVE AMERICAN AND YOU ONLY GOT INTO COLLEGE BECAUSE YOU'RE A NATIVE.

AMERICAN, AND IT WOULD GO ON FROM THERE TO SAY, WELL, YOU KNOW, NATIVE AMERICANS DON'T GRADUATE COLLEGE, SO YOU'RE JUST GOING TO DROP OUT AND YOU'RE JUST GOING TO END UP BACK HOME.

SO EVERYBODY WAS TELLING ME WHAT MY PATH WAS GOING TO BE THROUGH COLLEGE, I WAS BRAND NEW TO THIS KIND OF ENVIRONMENT TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THIS WAS ALL ABOUT.

I REALLY DID STRUGGLE, I HAD A REALLY DIFFICULT TIME THAT FIRST YEAR.

I FAILED CALCULUS, I HAD NEVER TAKEN CALCULUS.

>>LORENE: YOU FAILED CALCULUS, I FAILED CALCULUS.

>>SHELLY: I HAD NEVER TAKEN CALCULUS BEFORE IN MY LIFE, IT WAS A TOTALLY DIFFERENT LANGUAGE.

I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON, I DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO ASK FOR HELP, I DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO ASK FOR ASSISTANCE, EVEN THOUGH I HAD A STRUCTURE, THIS SCHOLARSHIP KIND OF COMMUNITY, I HAD FACULTY, IT WAS STILL VERY DIFFICULT FOR ME TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO CREATE MY PLACE AND FIND THE SUPPORT NETWORKS THAT I NEEDED TO BE ABLE TO SUCCEED.

SO, I STRUGGLED THAT FIRST YEAR.

I ENDED UP DRIVING HOME FAIRLY OFTEN, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, LIKE A SIX, SEVEN-HOUR DRIVE.

>>LORENE: YEAH, BUT IT'S YOUR HEART.

>>SHELLY: RIGHT, I MEAN, I JUST I FELT BETTER GOING HOME.

AND THAT REALLY WASN'T HELPFUL, SO, I CAME BACK AND I HAD THIS, YOU KNOW, TIME OFF AFTER MY FIRST SEMESTER OR AFTER MY FIRST YEAR TO TRY TO KIND OF REFLECT AND THINK WHAT HAPPENED, WHAT IS GOING ON.

I KNEW I WAS EXTREMELY CAPABLE ACADEMICALLY, I HAD RECEIVED THIS GREAT SCHOLARSHIP, BUT I JUST DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO BE A COLLEGE STUDENT.

AND I DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO RESPOND TO THE INDIVIDUALS AND THIS ASSUMPTION.

THAT NATIVE PEOPLE CAN'T SUCCEED IN HIGHER EDUCATION.

SO I WENT BACK AND I THINK I WAS KIND OF ANGRY.

>>LORENE: YEAH.

THEY DISRESPECTED YOU.

>>SHELLY: WELL, AND I WAS ANGRY BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO REASON WHY I SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN THAT KIND OF SITUATION, THERE'S NO REASON WHY I SHOULD HAVE STRUGGLED SO MUCH.

SO I STARTED TO KIND OF THINK ABOUT WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE IN HIGHER EDUCATION AS A NATIVE STUDENT, WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO TRY TO FIND YOUR PLACE, TRY TO FIND YOUR IDENTITY AS A NATIVE PERSON WITHIN HIGHER EDUCATION AND THAT IS WHAT REALLY KIND OF PROPELLED ME ONTO THE PATH THAT I WENT FROM THERE ON UP, MY PROFESSIONAL PATH.

I STARTED WORKING WITH A FACULTY MEMBER, DR.

MARY JO TIPPECONNIC FOX, WHO IS COMANCHE AND CHEROKEE AND WHO WORKED IN HIGHER EDUCATION, AND SHE SAID TO ME, I TOLD HER ABOUT WHAT PEOPLE WERE SAYING, THAT I ONLY DID THIS BECAUSE I'M NATIVE OR I ONLY GOT IN BECAUSE I'M NATIVE.

AND SHE SAID, DON'T LISTEN TO THEM, THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT.

LIKE, POINT BLANK, DON'T EVEN LISTEN TO THEM.

SO THE FIRST TIME I HAD SOMEBODY KIND OF SAY THAT TO ME AND I SAID, OKAY, AND I STARTED TO THEN DO RESEARCH.

I STARTED TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WAS THIS EXPERIENCE THAT I HAD AND LEARNED THAT IT WAS ACTUALLY THE EXPERIENCE OF A LOT OF NATIVE STUDENTS AND THAT NATIVE STUDENTS HAVE REALLY POOR GRADUATION RATES AND REALLY POOR RETENTION RATES IN HIGHER EDUCATION AND I WANTED TO UNDERSTAND WHY.

>>LORENE: WELL, IT'S A SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECY WHEN PEOPLE TELL YOU THAT AND WHO'S ON THE OTHER SIDE.

THAT'S WHY I'M SO GLAD YOU'RE IN THE POSITION YOU'RE IN, BUT YOU HAD TO LOOK AROUND FOR THE ONE PERSON WHO HAD YOUR BACK, WHO COULD SAY DON'T LISTEN TO ANY OF THAT.

>>SHELLY: YES, I HAD TO FIND SOMEBODY WHO KNEW EXACTLY WHAT I WAS GOING THROUGH AND WHO COULD SAY TO ME THAT IS NOT CORRECT, THAT'S NOT RIGHT, DON'T LISTEN TO THEM.

>>LORENE: AND THOSE BECAME THE SEEDS OF YOUR WORK.

>>SHELLY: THAT BECAME THE SEEDS OF WHAT I WANTED TO DO.

I STARTED TO KIND OF REALIZE THAT THERE WAS NOT A LOT OF LITERATURE AND RESEARCH ON NATIVE STUDENTS IN HIGHER EDUCATION.

THERE'S A LOT OF RESEARCH ON HIGHER EDUCATION AND THE EXPERIENCES OF STUDENTS, THERE'S A LOT OF RESEARCH ON THE EXPERIENCES OF DIVERSE STUDENTS IN HIGHER EDUCATION, BUT VERY, VERY LITTLE, AT THAT TIME, FOCUSED ON WHAT THE NATIVE AMERICAN STUDENT EXPERIENCE WAS.

AND WHEN THERE WAS LITERATURE ABOUT IT, WHAT GENERALLY WAS THE CONSENSUS WAS THAT NATIVE STUDENTS CAME TO HIGHER EDUCATION WITH A DEFICIT.

THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE STUDY SKILLS, THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE ABILITY, THERE WAS SOMETHING MISSING IN THEM ACADEMICALLY AND THEIR ABILITY TO DO THINGS THAT THEY NEEDED TO BE ABLE TO FIGURE OUT, OR THEY NEEDED TO BE TAUGHT, THEY NEEDED TO BE ABLE TO GAIN THESE SKILLS.

THERE WAS VERY LITTLE ABOUT THE ACTUAL STRENGTHS AND THE SKILLS THAT NATIVE PEOPLE ACTUALLY DO BRING WITH THEM INTO HIGHER EDUCATION AND HOW DO WE START TO BUILD ON THOSE STRENGTHS TO MAKE SURE THAT NATIVE STUDENTS COULD BE SUCCESSFUL.

SO THAT BECAME A LOT OF THE WORKS THAT I STARTED LOOKING AT.

AND IN THAT TIME, THERE WAS ACTUALLY ANOTHER KIND OF A, I WOULDN'T SAY SUPER SMALL, BUT THERE WAS A COHORT OF OTHER NATIVE PRACTITIONERS, RESEARCHERS, PHD STUDENTS WHO WERE LOOKING AT THIS AS WELL AND WE ALL STARTED TO KIND OF WORK TOGETHER AND TRY TO SAY THIS LITERATURE IN HIGHER EDUCATION IS LACKING.

WE NEED TO HAVE RESEARCHERS, PHD STUDENTS, INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE ACTUALLY UNDERSTANDING WHERE NATIVE PEOPLE ARE COMING FROM AND BUILDING RESEARCH PROJECTS, ASKING QUESTIONS, LOOKING AT STRENGTHS-BASED ASSETS THAT STUDENTS BRING AND CHANGE THIS NARRATIVE, BUT JUST REALLY ENRICH THE LITERATURE AND OUR KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF HOW WE DO THIS WORK.

>>LORENE: AND THE BASIS OF THAT LITERATURE IS THE ANCIENT TRADITION OF STORYTELLING.

>>SHELLY: YEP.

KNOWING WHERE YOU COME FROM AND ASKING PEOPLE.

>>LORENE: EXACTLY AND THAT YOUR CULTURE, THAT'S WHAT YOU TALKED ABOUT IMPRESSING ON THEM.

THIS IS YOUR STRENGTH, YOU COME INTO THIS WITH YOUR STRENGTH AND YOUR COMMUNITY AND YOUR EXTENDED FAMILY, YOU KNOW, YOU GOT THIS.

>>SHELLY: YES, EXACTLY.

SO IT KIND OF MOVED FROM WHAT'S THE NATIVE EXPERIENCE TO HOW DO WE BETTER PREPARE INSTITUTIONS TO DO BETTER.

>>LORENE: YES.

WELL, WE'RE SPEAKING TODAY WITH SHELLY LOWE, AND THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT BECAUSE WHEN DID YOU FIRST LOOK AT IAIA, THE INSTITUTE OF AMERICAN INDIAN ARTS?

WERE YOU LOOKING FOR A PLACE FOR YOUR SON TO GO?

>>SHELLY: I WAS.

>>LORENE: OKAY, WHAT DID YOU FIND WHEN YOU WENT THERE?

>>SHELLY: YOU KNOW, IN MY CAREER I ENDED UP, YOU KNOW, IN TUCSON FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, AND THEN I ENDED UP WORKING AT YALE UNIVERSITY FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS.

>>LORENE: THAT'S A CLIMATE, TOTAL CHANGE.

>>SHELLY: DIFFERENT.

THEN I ENDED UP AT HARVARD AND MY CHILDREN WERE WITH ME.

MY SON WAS GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL AND HE HAS ALWAYS BEEN AN ARTIST, ALWAYS BEEN SOMEONE WHO DRAWS, ALWAYS BEEN SOMEONE WHO CREATES COMICS.

AND HIS HIGH SCHOOL WAS DOING THE BEST THAT THEY COULD, CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

THEY WERE MY KIDS, AND MAYBE THERE WERE A COUPLE, THREE OR FOUR OTHER NATIVE STUDENTS ACTUALLY IN THE CAMBRIDGE SCHOOL DISTRICT.

HIS SCHOOL WAS DOING THE BEST THEY COULD TO TRY TO FIND HIM AN ART SCHOOL TO GO TO AFTER HIGH SCHOOL, THEY WERE VERY GOOD ABOUT COLLEGE PREPARATION AND GETTING STUDENTS TO APPLY TO COLLEGE AND THINK ABOUT WHERE THEY WANTED TO GO.

BUT I KNEW THAT THE SCHOOLS THEY WERE LOOKING AT, WHICH WERE PRIMARILY IN THE BOSTON AREA, WERE NOT GOING TO MATCH WHAT HE WAS GOING TO NEED.

I MEAN, IF HE HAD GONE INTO ONE OF THESE ART SCHOOLS IN BOSTON, HE WOULD HAVE BEEN PROBABLY THE ONLY, IF ONE OF ONLY A COUPLE OF NATIVE STUDENTS.

>>LORENE: AND YET THERE ARE MANY NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBES IN THE NORTHEAST THAT HAVE WONDERFUL TRADITIONS OF ART AND STORIES, BUT THEY WEREN'T REPRESENTED EITHER, LET ALONE A SOUTHWESTERN KID.

>>SHELLY: WELL, NOT IN ART SCHOOLS, YOU DO FIND THEM IN MANY OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND SOME OF THE SMALLER LIBERAL ARTS SCHOOLS, BUT YOU DON'T FIND A LOT OF NATIVE STUDENTS IN ART SCHOOLS OUTSIDE OF THE, WELL, WE'LL SAY OUTSIDE OF IAIA.

>>LORENE: YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.

>>SHELLY: BUT I HAD KNOWN ABOUT IAIA FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS BECAUSE I WAS IN THE SOUTHWEST FOR SO LONG, AND I STARTED TO LOOK AT THEIR CURRICULUM ONLINE.

I STARTED TO REALIZE THIS MIGHT BE A REALLY REALLY GOOD PLACE FOR HIM TO GO.

I HAPPENED TO BE DRIVING THROUGH OR COMING THROUGH, I THINK I WAS IN ALBUQUERQUE FOR A MEETING OR AN EVENT, AND I CALLED UP AND ASKED THE ADMISSIONS OFFICE CAN I COME AND DO A TOUR, CAN I COME AND SEE AND I SAID, THIS IS ACTUALLY FOR MY SON, IS IT OK IF WE PUT HIM ON FACETIME WHILE WE DO THIS TOUR.

SO WE DID, I WALKED AROUND CAMPUS WITH MY PHONE, HOLDING HIM UP AND SHOWING HIM EVERYTHING AND ASKING QUESTIONS.

I REALLY GOT TO FEEL A SENSE OF THE COMMUNITY THAT IAIA IS, BUT ALSO THE RESOURCES AND THE FACT THAT HE COULD COME TO THE SCHOOL AND BASICALLY BE HIMSELF.

HE COULD BE THE NATIVE PERSON THAT HE IS AND NOT HAVE TO BE CONSTANTLY EXPLAINING TO INDIVIDUALS HIS IDENTITY.

HE COULD BE SURROUNDED WITH OTHER NATIVE STUDENTS AND LEARN OTHER NATIVE CULTURES AND THERE WERE SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR DIFFERENT TYPES OF ART FOR HIM TO DO.

SO WE WERE ABLE TO GET HIM INFORMATION.

I CAME BACK AGAIN TO GO THROUGH THE OPEN HOUSE THAT IAIA HAD IN THE FALL OF 2017, AND GOT AN EVEN BETTER SENSE FOR MYSELF OF WHAT THE SCHOOL WAS LIKE AND WAS ABLE TO REALLY WORK THROUGH THE ADMISSIONS PROCESS WITH HIM AND MAKE SURE THIS IS REALLY WHAT YOU WANT.

BECAUSE HE WOULD BE COMING BACK FROM MASSACHUSETTS BACK INTO THE SOUTHWEST AND HE DID.

HE APPLIED, HE GOT IN AND HE STARTED AT IAIA AND CAME BACK A THIRD TIME TO MOVE HIM BACK IN.

>>LORENE: OH, THAT'S WONDERFUL BECAUSE IT IS THE BEST WAY FOR NATIVE STUDENTS TO MAINTAIN THEIR CULTURE, AND THAT'S THEIR STRENGTH.

BUT YOU ADDRESSED ONE OF THESE OPEN HOUSES.

>>SHELLY: I DID.

>>LORENE: AND YOU TOLD THEM, "BE CURIOUS."

THAT IS A WONDERFUL INVITATION FOR THEM BECAUSE THE WHOLE THING ABOUT COMING TO SCHOOL AND BEING IN A SAFE PLACE WHERE YOU'RE NOT DEFENDING YOURSELF OR YOUR CULTURE, JUST BE CURIOUS ABOUT ALL THE OTHER NATIVE PEOPLES AND THE CONTEXT THAT YOU'RE IN, I MEAN IT'S THE BEST ADVICE FOR STUDENTS, THANK YOU.

>>SHELLY: WELL ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE SEEN FROM STUDENTS THAT COME INTO IAIA, AND I HEAR THIS BECAUSE I TALK TO ALUM OR I TALK TO RECENT GRADUATES, AND THEY'VE COME INTO IAIA THINKING I LIKE TO PAINT OR I DO POTTERY, I LIKE THIS OR THAT.

AND THEN THEY REALIZE THEY TAKE THESE COURSES IN OTHER ART DISCIPLINES, THEY'RE LIKE, WELL, I REALLY, REALLY GRAVITATE TO PHOTOGRAPHY, I REALLY GRAVITATE TO GLASSBLOWING, OR I WANT TO DO ALL OF THEM.

AND IAIA IS AN INSTITUTION THAT ALLOWS STUDENTS TO COME IN AND BE CURIOUS ABOUT WHAT THE ARTS ARE AND WHAT THEIR SKILLS ARE AND HOW THEY CAN PUT THOSE TO USE.

BUT ALSO LEARNING INDIGENOUS LIBERAL STUDIES AND LEARNING A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT HOW FEDERAL INDIAN POLICY WORKS AND HOW TRIBES HAVE BEEN ORGANIZED AND SET UP WITHIN THE UNITED STATES.

>>LORENE: AND TO JUST BE REMINDED IN THIS COMPLEX WORLD THAT FROM A CULTURAL POINT OF VIEW THERE'S A RIGHT WAY TO DO THINGS AND MAINTAIN THE INTEGRITY OF YOUR CULTURE AND YOU SHOULD NEVER HAVE TO SACRIFICE THAT FOR A MINUTE.

>>SHELLY: EXACTLY.

>>LORENE: AND THAT'S THE GIFT THAT YOU GIVE AT IAIA.

>>SHELLY: YES, WE INVITE STUDENTS TO COME AND BE WHO THEY ARE AND SHARE THEIR CULTURAL STRENGTHS.

>>LORENE: SO I CAN'T HELP BUT ASK YOU ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU, WHEN YOU WORKED AT THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES, YOU LEARNED ALL ABOUT HOW TO GIVE RESOURCES TO CERTAIN COMMUNITIES AND YOU CERTAINLY DID THAT WITH IAIA.

DO YOU HAVE FAMOUS ALUMS FROM IAIA, CAN YOU DROP A FEW NAMES?

>>SHELLY: WELL, WE HAVE SOME AMAZING ALUMS.

SO, WHEN I STARTED... >>LORENE: OUR CURRENT POET LAUREATE, ARTHUR SZE.

>>SHELLY: ARTHUR SZE IS A FORMER FACULTY MEMBER AT IAIA, HAS STRONG TIES TO MANY OF OUR ALUM WHO TOOK HIS COURSES.

AND WE'VE ALREADY HEARD A NUMBER OF ALUM WHO HAVE REACHED OUT TO SAY HOW EXCITED THEY ARE THAT HE HAS BEEN NAMED THE NEW POET LAUREATE.

>>LORENE: OF THE COUNTRY.

>>SHELLY: OF THE COUNTRY, THE US.

SO, BEFORE ARTHUR, WHEN I STARTED MY TIME IN WASHINGTON, DC, WE HAD JOY HARJO SERVING HER SECOND TERM AS US POET LAUREATE AND JOY HARJO IS A PROUD ALUM OF IAIA.

IT'S THESE KINDS OF INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE COME THROUGH THIS INSTITUTION, HAVE REALLY CREATED SOME OF THE FOUNDATIONS.

SO WE HAVE THIS MFA PROGRAM IN CREATIVE WRITING WHERE WE'VE SEEN SOME AMAZING PEOPLE COME THROUGH, WE'VE SEEN TOMMY ORANGE COME THROUGH, LAYLI LONG SOLDIER HAS COME THROUGH.

I MEAN SOME REALLY, REALLY, REALLY GREAT AUTHORS WHO HAVE DONE AMAZING WORK AT IAIA.

BUT WE HAVE THESE ARTISTS, WE HAVE ROSE SIMPSON, WHO IS HERE IN SANTA FE, VIRGIL ORTIZ, WHO IS HERE, WHO'S DOING THIS WORK, WE HAVE CAROL ROMERO DOING PHOTOGRAPHY AND EXHIBITING ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

IT'S JUST BEEN AMAZING TO SEE THE IMPACT THAT IAIA HAS.

>>LORENE: YES.

NOW THE HARD PART IS FUNDING.

SO TRIBAL COLLEGES THEY FACE FUNDING CUTS, PRESIDENT TRUMP CUT FEDERAL FUNDING FOR TRIBAL COLLEGES FROM $13.4 MILLION TO ZERO, TO NOTHING.

>>SHELLY: WELL, THAT'S FOR IAIA IN PARTICULAR, NOT ALL TRIBAL COLLEGES.

>>LORENE: OKAY, BEGINNING OCTOBER 1ST, THIS IS IMMEDIATE, THIS IS RIGHT NOW.

SO HOW ARE YOU, I KNOW THAT YOU HAVE YOUR GRADUATES AND PEOPLE WHO KNOW AND LOVE WHAT YOU DO, ARE YOU ABLE TO GARNER ENOUGH SUPPORT?

OH, YOU HAD A BIG FUNDRAISER.

>>SHELLY: WE DID.

>>LORENE: TO RAISE MONEY FOR SCHOLARSHIPS FOR YOUR STUDENTS.

>>SHELLY: WE DID.

SO, I THINK THE MORE IMPORTANT THING TOO FOR INDIVIDUALS TO UNDERSTAND, RIGHT, IT'S CERTAINLY A PRECARIOUS SITUATION THAT WE'RE GOING INTO, BUT THE BUDGET IS NOT DONE BY THE PRESIDENT ALONE.

SO, THE PRESIDENT AND THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE HAVE ZEROED OUT THEIR BUDGET, ZEROED OUT IAIA'S FUNDING, BUT IT'S THE SENATE AND CONGRESS WHO REALLY DECIDE, THE HOUSE, SENATE, AND CONGRESS WHO DECIDE WHAT GETS APPROPRIATED AND WHAT GETS FUNDED.

SO WE HAVE HAD STRONG SUPPORT IN CONGRESS, WE HAVE AMAZING, AMAZING CONGRESSIONAL SUPPORT HERE IN NEW MEXICO WHO HAVE REALLY BEEN FIGHTING FOR US AND REALLY BEEN A VOICE FOR US.

AND CONGRESS ITSELF HAS STILL PUT US IN AS $13 MILLION AS A BUDGET THAT WILL BE HOPEFULLY PASSED FOR FY26.

ON THE POSITIVE SIDE, WE ARE FORWARD FUNDED, SO WE HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED HALF OF OUR FUNDING FOR FY26, SO, WE'RE IN A GOOD STATE.

WHEN THE GOVERNMENT SHUT DOWN, IT DOESN'T AFFECT US AND OUR OPERATIONS BECAUSE WE ARE FORWARD FUNDED, BUT IT'S A CONTINUING CONVERSATION, AND IT'S GETTING CONGRESS TO REMEMBER AND UNDERSTAND ALL OF THE GOOD WORK THAT WE DO AND WE THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY ARE VERY AWARE, BUT REMINDING THEM, THIS IS WHAT WE DO, THIS IS THE IMPACT THAT WE HAVE.

THIS IS THE IMPORTANCE OF FUNDING IAIA.

IAIA IS FEDERALLY CHARTERED, WE ARE NOT CHARTERED BY A TRIBE LIKE MANY OTHER TRIBAL COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES, AND WE ARE NOT RUN UNDER THE BUREAU OF INDIAN EDUCATION LIKE HASKELL UNIVERSITY AND SIPI HERE IN ALBUQUERQUE.

SO, WE HAVE A VERY UNIQUE RELATIONSHIP TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, AND OUR LEGISLATION IS, YOU KNOW, THROUGH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND OUR APPROPRIATIONS THEN FLOW FROM THAT LEGISLATION.

SO WE ARE ON A LITTLE BIT OF A DIFFERENT FOOTING THAN OTHER TRIBAL COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES, BUT HIGHER EDUCATION, YOU KNOW, IS IN, I DON'T WANT TO SAY DIFFICULT TIME, WE'RE IN A CHALLENGING TIME IN THE WAY THAT WE SEE THE ADMINISTRATION AND ITS SUPPORT OR ITS IDEAS OF WHAT HIGHER EDUCATION SHOULD BE, HOW IT SHOULD BE OFFERED, WHAT KIND OF FUNDING IT SHOULD RECEIVE, SO IT'S A CONSTANT CONVERSATION.

>>LORENE: AND ALSO, THE CRISIS OF COVID AND THE COUPLE OF YEARS WHERE EVERYTHING WENT ONLINE, EVERYTHING WAS SHUT DOWN, TO GO BACK AND TO TELL THEM NO, YES, YOU LEARNED SOME CLASS MATERIAL ONLINE, BUT BEING ON A COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY CAMPUS AND THE INTERACTION BETWEEN OTHER STUDENTS AND OTHER PROFESSORS THAT YOU'RE NOT EVEN TAKING THEIR CLASSES, AND LECTURERS THAT ARE BROUGHT IN AND SPECIAL WORKSHOPS, IT'S SO RICH, DON'T JUST GO FOR ONLINE ONLY BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING TO MISS THE REAL JUICE.

>>SHELLY: WELL AT IAIA IN PARTICULAR, I MEAN, WE'RE STUDIO ARTS, RIGHT, I MEAN, YOU HAVE TO BE IN THE STUDIO.

THERE'S EQUIPMENT AND THERE'S SUPPLIES, MATERIALS.

>>LORENE: YOU HAVE TO HAVE A POTTING WHEEL TO MAKE POTS.

>>SHELLY: YES, EXACTLY.

AND YOU KNOW, AND THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WE HAVE ON CAMPUS, AND IT'S HARD TO FIND THAT IF YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, DURING COVID, THAT WAS VERY DIFFICULT FOR MANY OF OUR STUDENTS, THEY COULDN'T DO A LOT OF THEIR PROJECTS, THEY DIDN'T HAVE ACCESS TO THE STUDIO AND THE EQUIPMENT THEY NEEDED.

>>LORENE: WELL, I THINK WE'LL NEVER BE THE SAME, BUT WE'RE COMING BACK TO MORE NORMAL OPPORTUNITIES THAT A STUDENT CAN ACTUALLY HAVE ALL OF THE ACCOUTREMENTS OF AN EDUCATION BESIDES BOOK LEARNING.

WITH THIS FUNDING CUT BACK I WANTED YOU TO TELL US WHAT MY AUDIENCE CAN DO, WHAT WE CAN DO, AND WHAT WE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT WHERE IAIA STANDS.

YOU WERE FOUNDED 63 YEARS AGO, RIGHT?

>>SHELLY: YES, WE ARE QUITE AN OLD INSTITUTION.

>>LORENE: HEY, YOU'RE GOING TO GO ON UNIVERSITY MEDICARE IN TWO YEARS.

>>SHELLY: THAT MIGHT BE HELPFUL.

>>LORENE: YES, BUT WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP.

>>SHELLY: SO, I THINK THE FIRST THING TO DO IS, ONE, TO GET TO KNOW WHO WE ARE.

SO, IF YOU'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH IAIA, WE HAVE A WONDERFUL WEBSITE, WE HAVE A WONDERFUL NEWSLETTER THAT YOU CAN SIGN UP FOR.

>>LORENE: COULD YOU TELL US THE WEBSITE NOW?

>>SHELLY: IAIA.EDU, VERY EASY.

YOU CAN SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER.

OUR NEWSLETTER HIGHLIGHTS MONTHLY THE AMAZING WORK THAT WE'RE DOING, IT'LL HIGHLIGHT ALUMNI FAIRLY OFTEN, EVENTS THAT WE HAVE HAD, WE ALSO HAVE A COMMUNITY CALENDAR, SO WE ENCOURAGE ANYBODY WHO IS LOCAL, ANYBODY WHO IS VISITING SANTA FE, IF YOU ARE HERE DURING ONE OF OUR COMMUNITY EVENTS, PLEASE COME OUT AND SEE US, PLEASE COME OUT AND PARTICIPATE.

I ALSO ENCOURAGE ANYONE WHO IS IN SANTA FE VISITING OR LIVING HERE TO COME AND VISIT OUR MUSEUM.

SO MOCNA, THE MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY NATIVE ART, WHICH IS IN DOWNTOWN SANTA FE, IS IAIA'S MUSEUM.

WE INVITE YOU TO COME.

>>LORENE: IT'S A WONDERFUL MUSEUM, OH MY GOODNESS!

>>SHELLY: YOU CAN BECOME A MEMBER, THAT'S ALWAYS EXTREMELY HELPFUL, THEN YOU GET INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT IS GOING ON.

SO YOU'LL FIND OFTEN THAT MOCNA WILL HAVE A LOT OF WORK FROM OUR STUDENTS AND OUR ALUM, BUT IT'S REALLY KIND OF THE NEXUS OF KIND OF SEEING WHAT IS CONTEMPORARY NATIVE AMERICAN ART, WHAT IS GOING ON OUT THERE.

SO IT'S KIND OF A CONGLOMERATION OF WHAT WE'RE SEEING ON CAMPUS AND WHAT STUDENTS ARE LEARNING ABOUT, TO WHAT'S HAPPENING NATIONALLY, EVEN GLOBALLY, IN CONTEMPORARY NATIVE AMERICAN ART.

SO ONCE YOU'VE COME TO UNDERSTAND WHO WE ARE AND PARTICIPATED, THE BEST THING TO DO IS TELL STORIES ABOUT HOW GREAT IAIA IS.

WE ALL LIKE A GOOD STORY, WE ALL LIKE TO HEAR THE WONDERFUL THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING AND IF YOU CAN TELL THIS STORY TO OTHER PEOPLE AND GET THEM INTERESTED, BUT IF YOU CAN TELL THIS STORY TO YOUR CONGRESSIONAL MEMBERS, THAT'S EVEN MORE EXCITING FOR US, SO THAT THEY'RE CONSTANTLY REMINDED ABOUT THE GREAT THINGS THAT IAIA DOES AND THE IMPACT THAT IT MAKES IN THIS REGION AND EVEN ACROSS THE NATION.

>>LORENE: WELL, I WANT TO CLOSE, WE'RE OUT OF TIME.

OUR GUEST TODAY IS SHELLY LOWE, THE PRESIDENT OF THE INSTITUTE OF AMERICAN INDIAN ARTS, IAIA.

BUT YOU WERE IN THAT OPEN HOUSE, YOU SENT OUT A CALL, AN EVOCATION TO URGE US ALL TO "BE CURIOUS."

AND SO, I LOVE CURIOSITY, IT'S ONE OF MY FINEST TRAITS, AND YOU CAN FIND OUT THE MOST AMAZING, ENRICHING, WONDERFUL THINGS.

>>SHELLY: YEAH, I KNOW YOU LEARN ALL KINDS OF THINGS.

>>LORENE: YEAH, YEAH, SO, I'M PARTICULARLY GRATEFUL IN LIGHT OF THAT.

THOSE OF US WHO'VE BEEN CURIOUS ABOUT IAIA NOW KNOW A WHOLE LOT MORE, WE'LL GO TO THE WEBSITE.

AND I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU, SHELLY LOWE, FOR BEING OUR GUEST TODAY ON REPORT FROM SANTA FE .

>>SHELLY: THANK YOU, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE INVITATION.

>>LORENE: IT WAS REALLY WONDERFUL.

>>SHELLY: IT WAS WONDERFUL.

>>LORENE: AND I'M LORENE MILLS.

I WANT TO THANK YOU, OUR AUDIENCE, FOR BEING WITH US TODAY ON REPORT FROM SANTA FE .

WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT WEEK.

REPORT FROM SANTA FE IS MADE POSSIBLE, IN PART, BY GRANTS FROM THE NEW MEXICO MUNICIPAL LEAGUE, A BETTER NEW MEXICO THROUGH BETTER CITIES AND FROM THE HEALY FOUNDATION, TAOS, NM.

♪ MUSIC