Incorporating culture into academics

New staff member wants to help Native students find their voice at UMD

In August, Jeremy Wilson became the new assistant director of the UMD American Indian Learning Resource Center (AILRC). An enrolled member of the Grand Traverse Band, Wilson has specialized in multicultural unifying efforts to retain Native American students as they navigate higher education.

Wilson has worked at Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College as both an advisor and an instructor in American Indian Studies. He holds a bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership from St. Scholastica. 

“Overall, it feels like a great fit for my working style and how I feel I can have an impact on higher education, especially with Native students,” he says, noting that his approach is individualized and he seeks to empower students. “Everybody’s higher education path is their own, nobody’s path is going to look the same.”

Wilson fondly remembers coming to campus as a child for events while his mother Arlene attended UMD as a single parent. Those were formative moments for him. He felt welcomed and had positive interactions with American Indian leaders such as Robert Powless and Rick Smith. “That had a lasting impact on me. It showed me how kind and caring university employees can be,” he says. “I hope to carry that on—that close-knit community feel.”

Only about one percent of undergraduate students identify as American Indian or Alaska Native. Because of this, that sense of community and belonging is vital for Native student success and retention, according to Wilson. Helping students succeed and graduate is his goal and he hopes that will inspire more Native youth to seek higher education.

Promoting student involvement and connection to the campus is a key consideration as Wilson begins this new role. “I want to be a familiar face in the hallway or in the office that they can come to visit. With that consistency maybe they’ll feel a little more at home while on campus pursuing their degrees,” he says. 

Wilson is also excited to honor Anishinaabe traditions on campus. He has been culturally active for several decades and is proficient in the Ojibwe language. He serves as a pipe carrier for tribal ceremonies and is also the lead singer in both the Lake Vermilion Singers and Memengwesi family drum group. 

“I get to take that knowledge and share it freely. It’s an opportunity that I won’t ever take for granted,” he says. “We’re not meant to keep knowledge, we’re meant to share it.”

AILRC Director Jody O’Connor says she is pleased to have Wilson joining as assistant director. “Jeremy has the passion to help our Native American students succeed by meeting them where they are at in their educational journey. He is that connection point with local communities in and around Duluth through his advocacy as an Indigenous cultural consultant and role as a lead singer in two regional drum groups.”

The American Indian Learning Resource Center (AILRC) is housed in the College of Education and Human Service Professions (CEHSP). The center empowers American Indian & Alaska Native students to take charge of their educational experience and succeed in their college journey. Through its activities, the AILRC also enriches the cultural and social environment of the UMD campus.